Shop Owners - Thoughts???

[markymark805]

Hey Guys,

To all you shop owners out there a question....

Over the last year, my business has seen a shift more towards cell phone repairs and away from general prepaid plan sales, phone sales and even flashing has taken a drop off. Not in part to advertising though, just seems a general shift in the customers mood in my area.

So, I am trying to set up my shop better for repairs. Any suggestions to maximize small space efficiency for a repair shop? And any suggestions/recommendations for equipment I might want to look into for a professional job and appearance?

Got a pretty generic but good working hot air soldering gun and the hodge podge mix of tools. But thats it right now.

Thinking of going more the route of my making my shop into a repair shop for phones more then anything else. As it seems that it could be more of a money maker for me and I really like doing repairs. Also not to many if any phone shop in my area that do most to all types of repairs and/or do quality work. Most end up referring you down to Los Angeles area which is about 50 miles away from my area.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions.

[Mr._Pseudonym]

:^/ The first thought off the top of my head is to make a trip to Los Angeles and see how they do it, if they're that much better than the local competition.

Beyond that, I'd say that a clean work surface is a must, so that you can see what you're doing. Keep everything off the bench except what you're currently working on.

Organization is a must, too. Perhaps to keep your projects separate from each other, you could use the plastic trays that fast food seems so fond of, or similar. Every part from one phone would go in the same tray, and not get mixed with similar parts from similar phones, etc.

As for maximizing efficiency, perhaps oodles of shelves above your workbench could keep everything close to hand without cluttering the workbench surface.

[rich hathaway]

hey brother, i wouldnt give up on the phone sales and flashing.dont get me wrong repairs are profitable,but,and this is a big but,those peeps gotta buy the phone first and most cricket peeps like the verizons and the sprints better because,well there better. so there buyin and flashin somewhere. i dont know your market,but i would suggest to concentrate on getting them to come in your door. giveaways are great for that. it kinda hurts a little to give a case or activation or something like that away,but trust me when i say... it pays big. it just takes a while to get paid on it.and once there in your store and see what you got and leave feelin good about stopping, they will come or call and at least shop you the next time they need something you offer.around here they will spend alittle more to be made happy and comfortable about the deal. this has worked for me for years and i cant stress enough to just make them comfortable about whatever there doin, flash--purchase-repair-or just advice. good luck. hope this helps.

[markymark805]

:^/ The first thought off the top of my head is to make a trip to Los Angeles and see how they do it, if they're that much better than the local competition.

Beyond that, I'd say that a clean work surface is a must, so that you can see what you're doing. Keep everything off the bench except what you're currently working on.

Organization is a must, too. Perhaps to keep your projects separate from each other, you could use the plastic trays that fast food seems so fond of, or similar. Every part from one phone would go in the same tray, and not get mixed with similar parts from similar phones, etc.

As for maximizing efficiency, perhaps oodles of shelves above your workbench could keep everything close to hand without cluttering the workbench surface.

Most of the LA shops ive been too are dirty and cluttered and hard to see what they go going on for the most part. There a few popping up with more professional appearances to the customer, but they wont let me in the back to check out there set ups.

Or the other type of LA shop is the mail in only one's where they are in a warehouse and dont let no one in at all.

[markymark805]

hey brother, i wouldnt give up on the phone sales and flashing.dont get me wrong repairs are profitable,but,and this is a big but,those peeps gotta buy the phone first and most cricket peeps like the verizons and the sprints better because,well there better. so there buyin and flashin somewhere. i dont know your market,but i would suggest to concentrate on getting them to come in your door. giveaways are great for that. it kinda hurts a little to give a case or activation or something like that away,but trust me when i say... it pays big. it just takes a while to get paid on it.and once there in your store and see what you got and leave feelin good about stopping, they will come or call and at least shop you the next time they need something you offer.around here they will spend alittle more to be made happy and comfortable about the deal. this has worked for me for years and i cant stress enough to just make them comfortable about whatever there doin, flash--purchase-repair-or just advice. good luck. hope this helps.

If my area was cricket I would be all over flashing. Im stuck in a metro pcs store area, with a metro on almost every corner or verizon or att. They wont pay down here what i feel are decent prices to get there droids workin on metro becuase they feel they paid for there "metro flash" at the metro store and that should be good enough no matter how well you educate them.

Just in general around here flashing is a hard sale anymore for what your time and money is worth. No matter how you pitch to the folks they just dont want to pay for a flash, they would rather just go wtih talk and text only and be done, and not being able to get my metro license aint helping things much.

I am down with selling phones and service if need be, but just seems at least in my area, repairs is almost a better route to focus on with the phones sales and service a good add on, instead of how it normally is with the sales of phones first then repairs are the add on

[ownmart]

If my area was cricket I would be all over flashing. Im stuck in a metro pcs store area, with a metro on almost every corner or verizon or att. They wont pay down here what i feel are decent prices to get there droids workin on metro becuase they feel they paid for there "metro flash" at the metro store and that should be good enough no matter how well you educate them.

Just in general around here flashing is a hard sale anymore for what your time and money is worth. No matter how you pitch to the folks they just dont want to pay for a flash, they would rather just go wtih talk and text only and be done, and not being able to get my metro license aint helping things much.

I am down with selling phones and service if need be, but just seems at least in my area, repairs is almost a better route to focus on with the phones sales and service a good add on, instead of how it normally is with the sales of phones first then repairs are the add on
come up towards me lol say hanford or so there are not any stores over there at all and its by quite a few smaller cities around here

[markymark805]

Ownmart -

Man, we have talked about that before... If i didnt hate my family that lived up there, I totally would! haha.

[captainkirks]

Will still come visit the valley. Ownmart is close by me also.

[tsaharms]

Don't get discouraged, This is the time of year when people are buying new only. With all the christmas gift cards and cash, and plus with tax season coming up, I think flashing and repairs in general are going to seem to go down the crapper. But expect it to pick up after tax season. You'll be raking in that cash in no time again, it's just that time of year that sucks for everybody that deals in anything used or refurbished, yanno?

[markymark805]

Captain Kirk - Ya think Ill have to venture up that way again .... Was up in Fresno awhile back... Some decent spots up there, but I think competition is a little crazy up there, hanford and visalia might be okay area...

TSA - I gotta agree with you on that one, just keep plugging away....