Several vital aspects help a business grow and flourish. This is not limited to new businesses, but old ones too. Mobile repair businesses are booming as the number of cell phone users grows exponentially day by day!
Standing out from the rest is one way to keep your bottom line lush!
How To Ensure Your Mobile Store Always Rakes In Profits!
Here are ways you can boost the profits of your mobile store, increase customer influx and expand your market!
1. Don’t be vague… Define yourself!
You should clearly define the services you offer. Incorporate these points in an advertising plan!
2. Don’t underestimate ‘old ways’ of advertising!
The oldest and the best method of advertising is word of mouth. You must provide efficient and exceptional service that the customer decides to advertise your service center through word of mouth to his family, relatives, and friends. You can also ask your customers to promote your shop!
Print flyers and business cards, which you can leave in places or shops which are potential customers like supermarkets. You could request the local news agency to add your flyers to their newspaper while they distribute it on a particular day. You could stand in a busy market area and hand out flyers to potential customers.
Print stickers about your business; distribute them to your customers. Stick them on public notice boards or other places where it is authorized to do so.
You can print details of your business on “No parking” signboards and distribute them or put them up in areas where this is allowed. Print T-shirts with business details on them and wear it, distribute to friends, family, and customers who are willing to help advertise by wearing them.
3. Embrace modernity… Make good use of social media!
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are good ways of bringing in new customers these days. Facebook allows you to advertise your business at a nominal cost through ads. Interesting videos on Facebook will allow you to capture a better share of the market and increase the reach of your business.
These days most people search for things online, so it is vital that you have an excellent online presence to ensure that your business flourishes. Promote your business on as many online sites as possible!
4. Make your store stand out!
To allow potential customers to reach you easily, they should be able to locate your repair shop without any difficulty!
Invest in a store design that distinguishes you from the rest. This could be by having an attractive entrance, sufficient signboards, and using colors that capture and retain attention!
TechRepair offers you another way to stand out from the competition - through the quality of your repair products, like a lifetime warranty on screens, etc.
5. Offer incentives… Like special offers!
From time to time, make special offers and discounts around public holidays and public events. Post details about these offers on social media, outside your service center and in public places where you think there will be potential customers.
You should try to offer discounts and other freebies a few times a year. Make use of old spare parts by giving discounts on them. This will attract customers. Place the discount sign in such a manner that will entice people passing by the shop into inquiring about the discount.
Plan discounts cleverly, so that they attract customers to walk in and enquire about the offer. Offering discounts on accessories is an easy way to attract customers.
6. Employ wisely!
If you want a flourishing mobile store, it is vital that you hire skilled technicians. It isn’t very easy to hire and retain skilled workers, as they are in great demand and hence, are likely to switch jobs easily!
To avoid a crisis where you are understaffed, it is better to hire more technicians than required. Train junior technicians with the help of senior ones as fast as possible, so that they can handle complicated assignments as well. Good and well-trained technicians increase the productivity of the service center, thus improving the reputation of the shop as well.
The same goes for the sales staff! The manner in which the sales staff interacts with the customers will either build a lasting relationship or end it before it even begins. Staff should be courteous, welcoming and friendly. They should allow the customers to speak and listen attentively.
Your staff must never give the customers the impression that they know more than the customers. Customers like a staff that comes across as confident, trustworthy and proactive. A good body language and a positive attitude go a long way in forming a favorable impression with the customers!
7. Invest in good-quality spares!
For a mobile business to run successfully and efficiently, it is important to have a constant supply of spare parts. If they aren’t always available on hand, there could be delays in repairs!
You will have to source a reliable spare parts supplier in your locality, who will supply you with spare parts as and when required. Do not overstock spare parts as their prices tend to fluctuate. Also, make sure that the vendor doesn’t overcharge you for them!
TechRepair offers a multitude of products like batteries, cables, connectors, digitizers, camera lens, etc. of the highest quality, with a 1-year warranty at the very minimum, free monthly returns, and with free shipping for orders over $250!
8. Make sure you are prompt and proactive!
In today’s world, mobile phones are indispensable; people cannot live without them because of the amount of data stored in them!
Being prompt with the repairs, and acknowledging the impatience of the customer, goes a long way in retaining clients.
9. Automate every time-consuming activity!
For your business to be more efficient, you must consider automation.
There are special software available for mobile stores, which keep track of spares stock, inventory, profit and loss, the status of repairs etc. There’s also software that sends automated text messages to the customers informing them about the progress of the repairs.
TechRepair is working on providing this solution to its customers - keep your eyes peeled for an announcement!
10. Don’t ignore the price!
Keeping the prices below that of your competitors would be ideal. However, make sure you don’t overdo it! If the prices are too low, the customers may doubt the quality of your work!
Apart from that, it may lead to losses. However, keeping the pricing low is important, to broaden the customer base. However, at the same time, remember you cannot provide quality service at a throwaway price either. It’s all about having the right balance!
11. Believe in the power of estimates!
It is always a good idea to give the customer an estimated cost of the repair before you begin your work. This will allow the customer to decide whether he wants the repairs or not.
Giving an estimated cost of repairs also prevents unnecessary confusion later on once you complete the repairs. With an estimated cost of the repair, the customer can decide whether he is getting his money’s worth or not.
TechRepair offers tools that can help you get an estimate of the repair costs!
12. Try to build your niche!
If your service center can provide repairs for advanced models of smartphones and tablets that other service centers are unable to provide, you will have a niche market. Many customers, attached emotionally to their devices, especially the more recent ones like tablets, are uncomfortable changing them!
So if you can repair these for them, they will recommend you to their friends and family, thus bringing in more business. People are willing to pay well if a device they are attached to, is repaired well. Repair shops that fix all problems easily attract more customers. Though it may be challenging to fix these devices, it will be well worth your time.
13. Take feedback from your customers!
It is essential to get customer feedback as it will give you an idea of the satisfaction that he has had with your service. You will also get to know if improvements are needed in any area!
It is important to know whether the customer thinks he is getting value for money! If the customers realize that you have made improvements based on their feedback, they will ensure that your reputation grows further by word of mouth.
14. Add complementary products and services!
Another strategy that you can use to increase customer base is to add the sale of complementary products and services. This will help you make inroads into other markets as well.
You can start repairing and servicing of computers, laptops, gaming consoles, etc. You can add data recovery services as well. By providing the same service you will be unable to increase your profit beyond a point, so it is essential that you diversify.
15. Collaborate with organizations!
One more way to increase business and your customer base is to tie up with companies.
You can offer to repair mobile phones for free for the employees of a company, and collect the charges from the company. The employees feel satisfied that the company is providing them with an additional perk, and the company will benefit from satisfied customers. You could also tie up with another business that offers hardware repairs only and offer to give them help with the software!
16. Study what your competition is getting right!
If there are other businesses in your field of work that are doing better than you, study them. Find out what strategies they are using to attract customers. Find out what their marketing strategies are. You can follow those strategies to improve your own business and increase profits.
Competitors will always be there, but it is a good opportunity for you to grow your business and learn by observing them. Use innovative ideas to ensure that your business grows despite competition.
17. Optimize your business, cut costs wherever possible!
One of the best ways to run an economical business is to cut costs. You have to study your business carefully and look at areas where you can cut costs to increase profits.
One way of cutting costs in mobile repair jobs is to get spare parts at reasonable rates or at discounted rates, and on time. Another method is to advertise aggressively online, which is more cost effective than offline advertising.
FYI, placing a bulk order on TechRepair will help you get better prices!
18. Most importantly… Respect the customer!
Treat customers with the utmost respect and care at all times. Sales staff should be trained to handle difficult customers carefully and defuse the situation. They should remain calm and collected irrespective of how the customer behaves and not take things personally.
Often customers may make unreasonable demands as they do not know the technical aspects of what they are demanding. Sales staff should be able to explain the same to them without offending them. Avoid arguments at all costs. Your business depends on the goodwill of the customers, and hence they should be treated well at all times.
Follow these tips and watch your mobile store flourish, customer satisfaction increase and profits soar steadily!