Posted by RepairDesk on March 19, 2020

The world today is tense under the threat of the Coronavirus outbreak, and businesses everywhere are seeing less activity. While people are isolating themselves and practicing social distancing, communication is needed now more than ever. For this purpose, keeping everyone’s phones and computers in prime condition is something your repair business can take care of. In this article, we lay down the many ways in which you can make sure your repairs continue on.

Mail-in service

One of the first things that come to mind sending devices through a mailing or courier service. Even though many people will not be willing to leave their homes, they can call in others willing to deliver items to places. You can let people know that you are currently open for business online. In case they need their devices repaired, a mail-in service that delivers to your store will be helpful. This will allow many people to keep their devices in prime condition. You can even let them know if they need to take any precautions, such as disinfecting them or placing them in a sealed bag.

Drive-thru service

For those that consider it safe to move around, but don’t want to meet because of the Coronavirus, you can opt to have a drive-thru service. They can drop off their devices at your store without having to spend too much time outside. The customer can enter information through a self-check-in screen, and receive a repair ticket on the spot.

This service would be best for people who want functioning devices, but minimal human interaction. More things might be needed though, such as a tablet that customers can use to enter their details. You might also need a side-facing window through which collection can take place. Try having a system that is easy for you to implement and beneficial to both you and your customers.

On-site repairs

This solution is also very situational, and can be used if you have the resources for it. It requires a technician to visit someone’s place to make the repairs. You can offer on-site repairs for people who cannot or do not want to leave their homes, and your technician should be able to take care of everything on-the-spot. Putting out notifications that you will be providing on-site repairs and creating a mechanism through which people can contact you for a repair job would be quite helpful. Your technician should be able to keep themselves disinfected for the Coronavirus, and must have the necessary tools to carry out the repair, while also maintaining a proper record of it.

RepairDesk can help with its iPad app, which has an offline mode and supports ticket and invoice creation while on the go. With a good setup for on-site repairs, you can help people keep their gadgets and devices running smoothly.

DIY repairs

Since many people will avoid human contact altogether, you can also help them manage their device repairs remotely. Offer guides and even tools to would-be customers, so that they can repair devices on their own. This helps people take care of their devices without having to come into contact with many people. You can even offer video-call services and provide consultancy. This is a more passive and indirect approach, but a DIY solution can really help out in the long run. If nothing else, at least people do get to know you and remember you, which can be great if they want to get a repair done in the future.

Conclusion

The Coronavirus threat is a scary prospect, but it doesn’t have to make things extremely difficult. By providing customers with a number of repair solutions with an appointment calendar widget, you can help them out immensely. They should be able to get the repairs that they need, and you’ll be able to continue running your business. Above all, it’s important to be as helpful to others as possible, and to make sure we’re always in touch.

You can learn more about protecting your business from our other article on the Coronavirus precautions. If you’d like to have a repair shop management system that’s a great choice for situations like this, consider giving RepairDesk a shot. It’s got a free 14-day trial, with everything from creating repair tickets and invoices to integrated payments, and an iPad POS app.