When running a repair business, partnering up with other stores can be a great idea. Everybody today will find themselves in need of an electronic repair, and their first instinct is to go to the store that sold them the item. If you’ve partnered with that store, they can send you customers whose items are broken, bringing in a steady stream of business. It’s exactly this reason why partnering with carrier stores is a great idea for cell phone repair shops.
Most cell phone repair stores will think this is counterintuitive. Why would you want to partner with your sworn enemy? Well, turns out that carrier stores are actually really good for your repair business. Let’s have a look at why in more detail.
The nature of carrier stores
To understand how carriers can boost your business, we first need to look at the basics. Carrier stores are in the business of selling cell phones. This means that their main goal is to push out as many units as possible. While they may offer a warranty on the phones that they sell, carriers often do not have the provisions for warranty claims other than device replacements.
When a warranty is claimed, they take the damaged phone and replace it with a new one. However, the damaged phone is still an asset that can be resold, and sending it back to the manufacturer is often a costly and time-consuming process. To mitigate this, carrier stores will often refurbish the device locally and put it back on shelves.
Since carrier stores lack the general logistics for smartphone repairs, local repair shops that are certified have a great chance of securing the repair duties. In short, if you’re a local repair shop that has certification for repairing cell phones of a certain brand, you can easily cut a deal with carrier stores for your services.
How to secure business with a carrier store
Getting into business with a carrier store has a few requirements. Once you fulfill them, the work becomes easier. Keep an eye out for the following factors.
Prime location
When it comes to making your business successful, there are only 3 things that matter: location, location, location!
If your repair shop is located near a carrier store, chances are you can easily negotiate a deal with them. This makes transportation easier, allowing for the goods to be quickly ferried over for repairs. It also minimizes the risk of damage, loss, or theft. If you’re located near a carrier store, you should definitely let them know where your business is and strike up a deal.
Necessary skills
Even with being in close proximity to a carrier store, you’ll need to have the necessary qualifications for repairs. Repair technicians will need certifications before working on repairs. These certifications come from going through repair courses and learning from qualified instructors. It may be a good idea to get your repair technicians certified. While the cost would be additional, it gives you a better chance of securing repairs from carrier stores.
Apple and Microsoft have their own certification programs that you can look into. Many computer and cell phone repairs are performed on their devices, so it’s a good idea to enroll in one of these programs. You should also be looking into certifications from CompTIA, which is a trade association that offers training courses. There are also independent institutions like Cellbotics that offer certification courses that can be very helpful.
Premium parts
Of course, if you’re going to work on phones that carriers will be selling, you need to have premium parts. Repairs will require that your parts are as genuine as they come. It’s best to secure a source for OEM parts for your business if you want to have a certain degree of quality for your repairs.
While these parts may be expensive if ordered from manufacturers, you can work around it by sourcing them from used phones. For this purpose, we recommend tapping into the second-hand market or purchasing broken phones in bulk online. You can often find them a good source for parts for the phones that you need.
For repair shops in the US, suppliers like MobileSentrix and Injured Gadgets can supply you with the parts you need. These companies also offer shipping support, so you can order from them and have your items delivered easily. And if there’s no other way to source for parts… well, hope you’re friends with the manufacturers.
Closing Thoughts
Partnering with a carrier store can be a very lucrative move for your repair shop. They can easily funnel you business with huge referrals, allowing for a great way to sustain your business. Many carrier stores also accept repairs for buyback services, so it’s a great way to open up a new line of revenue. If you haven’t really thought of it already, now’s the time to reach out to nearby carrier stores and take your business even further.
