Protecting Yourself, Protecting Your Customers

When a customer hands their cherished iPhone to a repair technician to be fixed, they trust that technician to properly and securely repair the device without losing data or compromising the delicate and confidential information the device may hold. But what happens when a customer hears horror stories of unethical repair technicians taking advantage of customers’ data? What do you do when important data is lost and the customer blames YOU? When instances of data loss or damage occur, whether by accident or negligence, it is most important to have your bases covered prior to the incident to protect yourself and your customer.  

The Risk of Repair

Privacy and confidentiality of data are extremely important factors for every customer to consider when allowing a third-party to perform repairs on any electronic device. After hearing stories of Verizon employees stealing risqué photos from a customers’ mobile device earlier this year, the fear of personal information being compromised or stolen is a justifiable concern. Surely all repair technicians and shop owners are cognizant of voided warranties for Apple devices and the possibility of losing data during a repair – but what about the customer? If the customer isn’t fully aware of the risks involved with third-party repairs and an issue occurs, it isn’t hard to guess who will be held accountable for the damage.  

Waiver of Liability

The single best way to gain a customers’ trust on issues such as data loss, voided warranties and confidentiality of information is to explain the risks involved, put it in writing, and make them sign on the dotted line. Offering a waiver of liability form prior to each repair is the best way to protect your business from legal issues that may occur when customers don’t understand the service they are receiving. Waivers are common among repair shops of all kinds and are the only way to legally make the customer completely responsible for any damages or loss of data that may occur. eTech Parts has created a basic waiver form for our customers to customize and offer to people before repairs. Repair Waiver Form Template  

...Checklist? Check.

Another great way to make sure your bases are covered is by completing a damage checklist prior to each repair to note any preexisting scratches or internal issues that are already occurring. We've created a basic iPhone Repair Checklist to help our repair shop owners along, and the same kind of form can be created for iPads, iPods and any other device repair offered. Repair Checklist