Everywhere you look there's a smartphone being used. There are over 257 million smartphone users in the United States. That means nearly 70% of Americans use a smartphone.
What if you break your smartphone? Do you let just anybody work on it? Read on to learn the questions you should ask a smartphone repair shop before you let them complete a repair.
If you have recently broken your phone and need a repair you might have researched the local smartphone repair shops. How do you decide which one to use? Are they all the same?
There will be some obvious differences. You may be quoted different prices for the work. Perhaps the best option is to choose the cheapest repair shop.
You only have to look at online reviews to see that there are repair shops with great reviews and those with terrible reviews. This is a good place to start the process of choosing who to entrust your precious smartphone with.
Once you have selected a shortlist of repair shops you should ask them some simple questions.
A smartphone repair shop may offer a warranty for the work they do. The terms of this warranty may vary from repair shop to repair shop. Check out the terms and ask for them in writing.
Check the duration of the warranty. Does it guarantee the work on your smartphone for a few weeks or a few months?
A warranty may cover your smartphone for failure or include accidental damage. It may cover parts and service charges. Compare repair shops by checking this important service.
Your smartphone holds some very important personal information safe and secure. You may have names, addresses and phone numbers of friends and family. You may use your smartphone for online banking transactions and to pay for goods and services.
The private data associated with your smartphone could be used by criminals to steal your identity, access your bank account or make purchases in your name.
Ask the repair shop how they will maintain the security of your personal data. Will they back up the data so that it can be recovered in the event there is a problem with your smartphone? Ask them how they will recover the data should there be a problem with your phone.
Ask what the procedures are for keeping your data private. Will backed up data be deleted after it is no longer needed?
Who will have access to your phone and your private data? How does the repair shop ensure that your privacy is not put at risk?
Asking whether you can watch the repair being done. This may seem strange but if the repairer is happy to let you watch, then you can be sure that they don't intend anything dishonest. Many repairs are simple enough to take just a few minutes, so watching should not be a problem.
Some repairers offer a service whereby they come to your home. Watching should not be a problem so if they seem unhappy about it, steer clear of them.
Many smartphone vendors have specific certifications they offer to technicians. Check if your repairer has a relevant qualification to repair your smartphone. If they don't have a specific qualification to repair your phone ask what qualifications they do have.
Staying up to date with new digital smartphone technology is not easy. Features change very frequently. Ask how they keep up to date and if they attend courses or upgrade their certifications.
You don't want a repairer to practice on your smartphone. Everybody has to learn but a learner can make mistakes. Let them learn on someone else's precious smartphone.
Ask them how much experience they have of performing this particular repair. An experienced technician is more likely to perform a successful repair.
There are several sources for replacement parts for a smartphone. Some parts are supplied by smartphone manufacturers for the after-sales market. Others are equivalent parts made to a good standard and may be covered by a warranty. Check that parts are guaranteed.
A possible worry is that you choose a repair shop that then damages your smartphone. Some repair shops will ask you to sign a waiver absolving them of any responsibility for damage they cause. Others specify what they will do in the event of damage.
Read the terms of any waiver. Ask them for details of their policy in the event something goes wrong. Ask for written confirmation that they will fix any and all damage caused by their technicians free of charge.
Asking how much a repair will cost? The answer may not be a straightforward amount of money. The cost may depend on what the technician discovers when they investigate your smartphone.
Sometimes a repair shop will not know the cost of a repair until after they have examined the smartphone. That's fine but don't agree to an open-ended commitment to pay whatever the repair shop chooses to charge.
Agree on a maximum charge or arrange for them to call you when they know how much it will be. Be clear about what the charge will be should you chose not to proceed.
Asking these questions will help you decide whether to trust your smartphone to a repair shop or not. You may think you need a smartphone repair urgently but be careful that you don't risk your smartphone and personal data in the process. Ask the questions and listen to the answers, carefully.
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