Getting What You Need From Your Repair Vendor
January 21, 2014
“To succeed in life you need two things; confidence and ignorance!” So said Mark Twain, but when dealing with critical suppliers you’re going to want a good deal of confidence (and not much ignorance!) about their ability to deliver the service that you need.
In terms of depot repairs for hardware most customers are very concerned about pricing. What is this going to cost us? Are you the cheapest solution? But once the repairs start then what they really want is quality, and confidence that their chosen supplier can deliver as promised.
So, before choosing a repair provider, what kind of information do you need to determine whether you will receive quality service……?
1. Warranty
Is your repair vendor going to stand behind their work? Do they warranty the complete unit or only the specific fault that they repaired? Some vendors will only warranty hardware for 30 days! Reputable companies will offer a six months warranty on the complete item, not just the specific fault.
2. Reporting and Metrics
Ask your supplier to provide regular reports and updates on the repairs. It’s not uncommon for a repair company to be located on the other side of the country from you, and you don’t want to have to make endless trips to check up on them. Hotel food is not that good!
A comprehensive reporting system will tell you the volume and type of repairs carried out. They should report on turnaround time and any re-occurring faults that may form a trend.
Your repair provider should be pro-active and notify you about potential problems or even opportunities for cost savings with your repairs. Work with them to create a comprehensive and useful reporting system.
If handled correctly, it shouldn’t be a problem working with a depot located across country from you.
3. Big Fish Or Small Fish?
There’s a trend in the repair industry for large companies to create Mega repair depots. Now, for very large volumes of repairs that’s what you need, but for most people that won’t work. You will be the small fish in their big sea of repairs.
Look for a depot that is large enough to handle your volume of repairs but is small enough to value you and be flexible and understanding to your particular needs.
