After the Dreaded Drop: How Your Repair Business Can Leave Customers in the Dark Ages
With the dependency on smartphones on a steady rise, it’s no wonder that any small drop, crack, or water damage means big panic from their users. When the unthinkable happens to them, cell phone users want to know that their trusted repair retailer can fix their beloved device and get them back on the grid as soon as possible. But with a potential customer base of every cell phone owner and an increase in repair demand, your technicians and associates may be busy with other customers when a broken phone is brought in-store. If this is the case, you might as well hand that newly entered customer a messenger pigeon and a torch — you’ve left them in the dark ages.
Let’s look at the facts.
With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the world of repair is not just surviving; it’s thriving, and so are the retailers in the industry. While it may not bring in the big bucks, repair generates consistent revenue and the number of repairs are rising, meaning more money for your business. Not only that, but as smartphones become more technologically advanced, they also become more complicated and more costly. What does this mean for you as a retailer? Customers are focused on fixing their broken devices rather than purchasing a new one if they experience a break. Device users are looking to repair shops for timely services that get them back to business (or scrolling through social media or sending fun gifs) in no time.
As shown above, the majority of damages are relatively minor — a cracked screen, broken camera, or dislodged inner chip is no match for your repair technicians. But with the staggering number of repairs needed, what happens when you have few repair service workers and a laundry list of phones to get through? If a customer has a long wait, they’ll start to experience Nomophobia; a feeling that settles in quickly after a device breaks and is powerful enough to turn customers away from your shop and towards a competitor who promises their device back in their hands sooner. Operating a repair store without a streamlined process for in-store operations that maximizes technicians’ time is the best way to leave customers in the dark and out of touch.
Nomophobia — the fear of being without a working cell phone — can be an incapacitating and overwhelming feeling for a customer. It can make them act on a whim, turning a loyal customer into a shopper in search of the fastest fix for their device (whether that’s from your business or not). Nomophobia includes several stages of emotion that influence a customers’ actions as they search for a way back to being in tune with the modern, technological world.
Shock
“I can’t believe this happened to me! I’m such a careful person with cat-like reflexes. My phone even has a fancy protective case!”
Denial
“Maybe it’s not broken. It’s nothing putting it in rice overnight can’t fix, right?!”
Anger
“Why wasn’t I more careful? Why aren’t these phones indestructible? Why me? *red angry face emoji*”
Ashamed
“This is so me. I am so clumsy, it was bound to happen and I should have been much more careful.”
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
“What is happening on Facebook? How many email party invitations do I have? I wonder what Brad Pitt is up to? How many songs has Taylor Swift released today? What are today’s Snapchat filters???”
Resourcefulness
“I better let everyone on social media know they can’t text me (posting via a computer UGH). I guess I’ll send my friend an email to plan a hang out. I suppose I can make a phone call from my landline…if I have one?”
These 6 stages outline the stages a customer works through in their time of need. From shock to resourcefulness, your repair business needs to not only remain top of mind but be available to jump in and save your customers day.
“But Stephanie, you mentioned that demand is rising and repair stores are busier than ever? How do we ensure each customer can see a technician when they need to?”
A tough question with an unbelievably easy answer. Time to throw out your chamber pots and pitchforks! Online appointment booking is the key to ensuring every customer gets the face-time they desire with the technicians that can get their phones fixed.
When you have an online appointment booking system, customers can see exactly when an associate can assist them and book that time slot. Shoppers can rest easy knowing that an appointment is dedicated to getting their smartphone working once more, and your business can be responsible for relieving their Nomophobia and getting them back into the 21st Century.
Does a simple way to maximize your business interest you? Hop off from atop your noble steed and check out what online appointment booking can do to optimize in-store traffic and make every interaction a sale with a happy customer.
Shutterstock / paulzhuk
