Customer Spotlight: iDoctor Cell Phone and Tablet Repair
We caught up with Glenn from iDoctor Cell Phone and Tablet Repair to learn more about his experience in the wireless repair 
industry.
industry.How did you end up in the wireless repair industry?
It's an interesting story I do enjoy sharing! iDoctor originally began as a hobby sometime in 2010. My kids kept breaking their own cell phones and I couldn't afford to have them fixed on a (then) Policeman's salary. So, I had to learn to fix them myself, and I did, and I was quite good at it! This began my interest in cell phone repair and soon I was fixing phones for my kids' friends as well. Later that year I found myself on the receiving end of a layoff notice. (No, not even policemen are immune from layoff.) The economic downturn was affecting every aspect of our economy. I drifted in and out of a few positions over the following year but I just wasn't happy. I finally decided that I needed to work for myself. This is when I started iDoctor Cell Phone and Tablet Repair. With a start up kit purchased from eTech Parts, we started our home based business working in a custom built 300 square foot office just off my garage. Justuce, my middle son (now Lead Tech), was all over marketing and creating us a social media footprint. I was so surprised, my business was growing and growing! Soon we reached a point where we needed to open a real retail spot. We opened our first retail location and its been gloves off ever since. We outgrew our store within that first year, moved from a 400 square foot office space into a much larger 1200 square foot store, and now have four full and part-time technicians and more room to grow.How long have you been in business?
Like I said earlier, we started iDoctor Cell Phone and Tablet Repair in 2011. 5 years officially in August, 2016.
What challenges have you faced to grow your business?
Well, I think we all received a major setback mid last year when the whole iPhone LCD market skyrocketed out of control. The iPhone was our most popular repair and we were struggling amid this volatility. At that time we had our sights set on opening a second retail location but had to put those plans on hold until the market 
stabilized. We eventually had to raise prices to compensate but we lost major margins along the way. Competition is fierce here. We have three Apple Retail Stores within 20 miles who are doing iPhone 6 repairs for $109, 6 Plus and 6s repairs for $129, and 6s Plus for $149. Needless to say, this is a bit less then we are able to do it. This forced us to be even more creative marketers, invent new ways to sell our product for a higher price, and stay competitive. We first focused on quality parts, added quick service, and then capped it off with the best warranty around. As every shop around us is vying to be the cheapest, we aligned ourselves with eTech early on and this partnership has helped us to simply be one of the best. We've expanded our accessory line and now offer other add-on services to build back some of those lost margins.
Share a tip with us on how you handle customer service.
Under promise and over deliver is my basic operating philosophy. It's interesting to see that clients will have a pretty high expectation for a repair on a broken device. We believe that educating them on the process and potential risks in advance usually helps in yielding an extremely happy client in the end.
What does quality mean to you?
I have to hang my company's name and reputation on getting the best quality parts. I know we can count on a company like eTech to provide us with amazing training, high quality parts, and if that quality fails for one reason or another they are there to have my back and make it right.
Do you have advice for a new shop owner?
Get yourself a quality liability intake form, under promise and over deliver, and align yourself with a quality parts vendor who you can trust. They will, in turn, take care of you when you need it.
How did you come into contact with eTech?
How did you come into contact with eTech?We started with eTech as a vendor in 2012 by buying one of their starter kits (822-4999) for $825. I'd say the relationship has turned out well for us so far.
What keeps you coming back?
High quality parts, amazing customer service, and a real interest to see their clients do well. Attributes like this make using a company like eTech Parts a real no-brainer. Plus, they know their football! GO HAWKS!!!