The Cost of Labor: To Repair or Replace; That Is the Question

Tech - by David Neubert - updated on 8/29/2014

As mobile devices continue to take over the market, we become more and more reliant on them in our daily lives. Yet all it takes is a single moment of clumsiness to damage your cell phone or tablet. Fixing these devices, rather than replacing them, can save hundreds of dollars in most cases. Beyond upfront costs alone, customers can also save money over the lifespan of their mobile device by not having to pay monthly insurance charges. Not to mention, the overall convenience of dropping off a phone or tablet at a local store, rather than having to ship it to a cell phone repair manufacturer, can be priceless.

Getting Schooled by Tablets

One example where this service can be extremely worthwhile is in the education sector. As tablets have begun replacing yesterday's school supplies as new, vital learning tools throughout the country, the need to keep them up and running has become a critical function of school districts' IT personnel.

Chris McMillan is the dedicated technician responsible for the performance and maintenance of 1200 Chromebooks used throughout the eight-school district in Menasha, WI. When over 40 damaged tablets needed to be fixed last year alone – in need of cracked screen repair, battery replacement, etc. – he was the man tasked to find a reliable source to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Originally reaching out to the devices' manufacturer for these repairs, McMillan was forced to ship the broken tablets to a remote location and then have them shipped back to him. Needless to say, this was a time-consuming process, and he became frustrated with the overall experience of dealing with a huge company whose repair center was a thousand miles away.

Tablet use in schools is growing

43% of US teachers and students used them last year

In the educational market, tablet use increased by 103% in 2013 and is expected to increase another 38.6% this year.

Source: tabletsforschools.org.uk

Going Local

Upon learning that his local Batteries Plus Bulbs store was now offering these same repair services, McMillan jumped at the opportunity to give them a shot at repairing 16 cracked screens that still needed to be fixed prior to the upcoming school year.

McMillan was immediately pleased with the process, as a Batteries Plus Bulbs representative stopped by in-person to pick up the devices and take them back to a nearby store for repair. Upon completing the repairs, the Chromebooks were hand-delivered back to McMillan in less than two weeks. Dealing with a local company, without having to ship the devices, saved the school district time and money, while giving them peace of mind along the way.

"It's been great. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. By picking up the damaged Chromebooks, fixing them in a timely manner, and then returning them directly to me has made all the difference. Plus, dealing with a local business and being able to communicate with them throughout the process is far more efficient than having to go through the support center at some large, far away manufacturer." – Chris McMillan

Labor of love

Obviously, with kids of all ages handling these tablets on a daily basis in schools, damages can't be avoided. Still, even among adults, the frequency of dropping phones in parking lots or toilets continues to soar. With roughly 30% of all iPhone users reporting damage to their phones within the first year of ownership, and with over 150 million iPhones and over 71 million iPads sold worldwide in 2013 alone, the demand for iPad and iPhone repair is monumental.