Replacing Lost or Broken Electronics Parts – The explosion in the use of mobile electronic items such as cell phones, iPods, remotes and similar devices insures that eventually there is going to be concern about broken and lost items, especially if there are children in the household. A new type of service known as parts locators are addressing this situation. Online companies such as ServicePower, National Service Alliance and ServiceBench are helping to coordinate repair calls of independent repair technicians and making it easier for manufacturers and retailers to find the proper technicians. Often a repair firm has had to send out a service technician two or more times to a customer’s home to repair an item – the first time to diagnose the problem, the second to make the repair after the proper part has been located and obtained. These companies can coordinate a single repair visit with the arrival of the parts 70% of the time, dropping labor costs. The firms’ B-to-B Internet transactions in the spare parts business have made it easier for consumers to locate replacement lids, chargers and remote controls, and for repair technicians to find obscure parts on a moment’s notice.
Partsearch Technologies of NYC has compiled an online catalog of over eight million spare parts for electronics, appliances and other items, offering consumers and repair people a single place to find obscure parts and replacement batteries. An industry expert observed that as technology gets more complex and consumers need more help with their devices, there will be more demand for repair services, especially as the age of the average user gets lower and lower. Other problems in the whole repair scene persist though: the CEO of Crutchfield said, “I find I still need a tour guide when I try something on my own.” It is frustrating to find that many electronic gadgets are provided without straightforward, simple, step-by-step Quick Start instructions, and their web sites are of little help either.
