Cell phone repair shops represent a hallowed, gilded affair. The domain of a curious, select few. Social outcasts, often, who prefer the intricacies of board fixes over more subjective scenes. And no, this isn’t an attempt at stereotyping. I write this from experience; from what I’ve observed in the field.
Take everyday human discourse, for example. Light, bubbly, and relaxing – but without much substance.
Our ilk comprises the “no man’s land” on the sociological plane. Not a territory that the unaffiliated should tread lightly; if they dislike judgment.
The Bat Cave in Relief
As a longstanding repair tech myself, I liken the sphere to the proverbial, ‘societal bat cave’. A lair with an intimidating air. Rendered a little frightening for even domain aspirants. Vexing, to no end, for the vets forced to put up with the former’s training.
But new employee onboardings here are a must.
Because repair pros, no matter their technical proficiency, do require the extra hands. Even with a dedicated cell phone repair shop software, they are hard-pressed to manage otherwise. A typical repair outlet’s workflow processes are simply too complex. At present, they demand human input. The normative operational coordination enforced by the sentient.
And so it is for this reason that they have to learn to give way. Otherwise, they can forget about ever scaling on their ventures.
Now the question is:
How, exactly, do repair experts descend from their natural ego hill?
How should they go about the didactic undertaking?
I don’t intend to put the first as a mock pejorative – just describing a tendency that comes expected.
Mundane Shop Management: A Grueling Affair
Cell phone repair shop management is a taxing business. Like – on any day of the week. And I don’t only mean this in the sense of a mandatory government toll/tithe extraction. I also make reference to the psychological implications of the trade.
For starters, the affair calls for a measured, patient advance. An administrative orientation that is affirmative yet realistic. One that comes devoid of any inflection of perfectionism. A working attribute that repair techs possess and exemplify in abundance. Heightened – to their discredit – by the systematic function of the typical slate of cell phone repair shop software.
The problem with its display, however, is that it is off-putting. Counterproductive in the long run, because it risks damaging employee morale. No commercial venture can remain viable if the workers lose their spark. Depleted of the infectious energy that guarantees good business flow. The satisfaction of customers, who subsequently channel it into those coveted positive reviews.
Another crucial ingredient for a harmonious cell phone repair shop run: kindness. Dished in the manner of a benevolent, almost paternal (but not quite) figure. One who cajoles both talent and hard work from the business’s workers. Disparaging of introducing any unnecessary conflict (or unwarranted censure) to the mix. A facilitator of a comfortable working field that enables passion cultivation and issuing.
Because Some Prescriptivism is Important
Ok.
So now that we’ve got some crucial fundamentals out of the way, it’s time to get to the issue at hand.
An explication of the things that engender smooth worker onboarding.
Now, while these prescriptions are generic, I’ve come to admire them for their remarkable efficacy in our narrow domain. Their practical fit in the electronic repair context.
I’m a strong proponent of having some guardrails in place to protect against complete abstraction. The arbitrary state of contemplation and action where anything (and everything) goes.
1. Program Orientation – Infant Style!
For starters, and as a business manager, you obviously need to dole out some thorough programming orientation to the new kids on the block. And sure – you’ve probably only hired people with some semblance of a background in IT.
But here’s the thing: They’re now past the high school stage.
Most may have forgotten the lessons learned during computing class. Glossed over, mentally speaking, the practical insights imbibed from their senior year course in circuits.
For this reason, you want to go back to the ABCs. Don’t overload them with advanced inventory calculations on the first day. A surefire recipe to scare anyone away – let’s be real.
A good way to plan these sessions is to proceed with logic. The step-by-step (cause and effect) approach ‘easy’ on the cognition. A ‘road map’ distillation of important concepts, if you will. One that invites interaction; a normalization of unburdened discourse.
2. Focus on One Process Aspect (at a time)
For cell phone repair shop software beginners, you only want to discuss/enforce one process component at a time.
What I mean by this is the agile approach.
Teach and expect execution only against POS management, say. Don’t include the supply chain in the session. Explore all its minutiae; explain how each cog functions.
During the process, don’t be afraid to brush up on your own understanding. Chances are, you might rediscover something vital that’s been forgotten – or something you’ve long overlooked.
Before transitioning to the next process part, make sure everyone understands the first’s full deployment. Take a little quiz or demonstrable test to analyze the workers’ progress.
3. Document and Circulate Tutorial Resources
All the better if they’re encoded in video.
You want to provide your workers with a self-devised tutorial on how to work the repair shop software. This relieves them of feeling conscious for asking any repeat questions along the way.
Teaching resources, geared to enable self-learning, are superior to traditional lecturing. Considered more psychologically palatable because of their negligible to non-existent ego thrust.
Additionally, you want to place these on an open shop server for easy access/retrieval. This option would facilitate employees who wish to learn remotely/during off-hours.
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4. Be Open to Questions
Kind of a no-brainer point – but important, nevertheless. You’d be surprised how many people prefer to become idols of stone in didactic settings. Intentionally non-receptive, in repair circles, to the queries of genuine learners. Considering all inquiry to be something worth exploiting for the sake of self-aggrandizement.
So, if you’re a repair shop owner, don’t be this person. Or your business retention rate will suffer. Count on it.
5. Forgive – Be Gracious
As human beings, we all suffer from the scourge of bad days. Times when everything seems to go wrong in both life and the workplace. No one is immune to the travails of natural error – the design-flaw inherent.
So if your newbie shop POS software initiate shows some evidence of a rare slacking, be gentle. Suppress the impulse to discipline.
Only resort to remedial action in the case of repeat offenders who make tardiness a going habit.
To sum the matter succinctly – favor peace.
So that’s the whole 9 yards, at present, from my side on this subject.
If you’ve got your own set of onboarding tips, feel free to dish in the comments – I’d love to incorporate your take!
