eTech Parts Customer Spotlight: Technicians USA

eTech Parts Customer Spotlight: Technicians USA

We caught up with Technicians USA to learn more about their experience in the wireless repair industry. 

How did you end up in the wireless repair industry?

We added wireless repair to our portfolio of services when we launched our first retail location inside Walmart last year. Everyone has a smartphone these days, and, as the devices have become better and more complex, the chance of something going wrong has increased as well, so we knew that this was a service we needed to offer our customers. I don't know too many people who haven't dropped their phone at one time or another, or experienced a technical difficulty of some kind. It's so critical to be able to fix those issues quickly and at a reasonable price because our phones are such an integral part of our everyday lives. Technicians USA is growing rapidly, and our customers can access us in multiple locations--and across multiple channels--so that no matter where you are, you know that a company you can trust with something as important as your phone is just around the corner, online, or a phone call away.

How long have you been in business?

I founded Technicians USA in 2000, and we have provided our technical services through multiple private and government contracts since then; it was in late 2014 that we began the expansion process into the retail sector and developed some exciting new relationships. Our first retail location in a Walmart store opened in mid-2015, and we now have five such locations in the metropolitan Fort Worth, Texas area, plus an independent retail location and our headquarters in Atlanta, GA. Our services are also available through Amazon Home Services, and we have numerous other relationships with companies such as Nest and Apple. We'll be making some more exciting announcements throughout 2016.

What challenges have you faced to grow your business?

Finding good phone technicians is definitely one of our biggest challenges. This whole industry of phone repair is still relatively young, and the technology evolves so quickly. I think that we're starting to see a shift where this kind of specialized training is becoming more widely available, but it takes time to streamline something like that. I'm also committed to putting our military veterans to work, so trying to find adequate and affordable training for military vets is even more challenging. But it's exciting; it's a great opportunity for me as a veteran to take on that challenge and put our troops to work once they have completed their service.

Share a tip with us on how you handle customer service.

Listen and react instead of reacting and then listening to the customers. Anyone who works in a service industry knows that it can be challenging at times, and today's customer expects a higher quality experience than ever before. In fact, that's the term you hear now more so than customer service--every interaction is an experience. So it's important for me that Technicians USA views every interaction with our customers as an opportunity to provide that experience, whether something has gone wrong or not. In fact, when things go wrong, you have an even bigger opportunity to make a positive impact upon them. People just want to know that you're listening and understand them as a person, not just a transaction.

What does quality mean to you?

When I think of quality, I think of the same things that most people do--precision, craftsmanship, attention to detail. The difference is, I think this quality should be accessible to everyone, so I try to make sure we always provide it at an affordable price. Quality shouldn't just be a luxury for people who can afford to pay extra for it.

Do you have advice for a new shop owner?

Take the time to find and hire good technicians. It might cost you a little bit more in time and money upfront, but it's an investment that is worthwhile in the long run and will help you start up your business much more smoothly.

How did you come into contact with eTech? What keeps you coming back?

I first encountered eTech at a trade show, and I'm grateful for that! One of the things we struggled the most with upon opening our retail locations was working out an efficient process for ordering and stocking our parts--we tried a number of different options to streamline things, but none were quite up to par--so we are excited to partner with eTech! Aside from eTech helping us solve our parts problems, one of the things I've been most impressed with is the company's approach to treating its customers like actual partners. Since we've worked with eTech, I don't feel that Technicians USA has just gained a parts distributor, we've gained a partner who wants to see us grow and succeed and explore some exciting new opportunities in our industry. I'm looking forward to building a deeper relationship and going beyond the parts.

What does 2016 look like for you?

2016 is going to be our breakout year. We started this shift towards retail and these other major partnerships in 2014, and we opened our first retail locations in 2015. We've gone through some growing pains and begun to really streamline our processes, so I'm really excited for the prospects in store this coming year. We've got five retail locations (six if you count Atlanta) and I think by the end of this year, people are going to be seeing--and hearing--a lot more of Technicians USA.