At Fixably, we work with technicians to understand the job better. It’s probably the most challenging role in a repair shop, and yet the work is made more difficult by the admin work that accompanies after-sales service.

Paperwork isn’t why a technician likes being one. Even more so because the average tech has to manage more than a handful of repairs at the same time.

This usually impacts a technician’s productivity, both a personal loss and a loss for the business.

Apart from the distraction, admin work — copy-pasting information, emailing customers, manually checking for available stock, updating inventory, and so on — results in fatigue.

For instance, technicians at Apple authorized providers have to constantly jump between Apple GSX, an invoicing or repair management tool and their email provider for every single repair.

Software is great at low-value repetitive tasks. People aren’t.

It’s time to switch to software that understands the repair process well enough to automate admin work efficiently.

This’ll ensure:

1. You’re focussed on repairs, not the paperwork.

Apart from taking over the paperwork, repair management software like Fixably logs and tracks tasks accurately.

So any anomalies that would impact productivity — repairs stuck in specific stages due to external delays because of parts availability or logistics issues — are flagged automatically.

2. A dashboard just for you

What do you really need to do your work? General purpose software is not designed for the different roles in a repair shop.

In contrast, a repair management software has a view configured with only the information you need to do your job.

This would include all the repairs assigned to you, a way to pick any additional repairs that are pending, and a notification center that tracks every email, every text, every task of which you need to be aware.

This simplicity works in your favor.

3. Inhouse communication is pretty close to flawless

Fixably is designed to track repairs. This means the software, by default, captures and saves the information that is most important.

As a technician, this means you’ll never have to relay any updates manually since the platform shows changes in real-time. A customer calls in? Anyone in the shop can provide updated status without having to consult you while you’re handling other repairs.

Plus, simple UI (user interface) features make it easier for everyone to communicate things about the repair ticket. For example, our new VMI step uses a simple image and clickable options to generate a record of physical damage device during check-in.

4. Meet quota

Maybe you have a quota of repairs that you need to complete. Or you get a bonus for every additional repair you do. In either case, the time and effort you save by automating admin tasks gets you closer to this number.

It’s not just the time saved though. You’re also less fatigued and are likely to improve the quality of your work. Technicians are at the center of the repair process. Any help for you benefits the whole business.

5. Career growth

The best way to move forward is to excel at your role. That’s what Fixably has been built to do.

For instance, you can plan and prioritize your day in a way that proves that you understand business priorities.

If you have team leaders on site, they would probably decide how to prioritize the orders. But in smaller repair businesses or locations, the technician could do this themselves. Especially if all the information necessary is available at a glance.

Service management software has special tags for customers who have an ongoing service agreement or are repeat customers. This should help prioritize some work.

Plus, Apple authorized providers have the option of flagging customers who are a CSAT risk (customers who might give a low customer satisfaction score).

CSAT is a huge component in the Service Excellence Score that an AASP is given. If CSAT scores remain consistently low, Apple can even take away their authorization. Fixably has the experience of working with such AASPs and it has always been better customer communication that has turned it around.

And, of course, you could choose to send the customer a message. Fixably provides the option of setting up snippets or pre-written messages for each stage in the repair process. So you won’t even have to write the message, just choose the right template and send it across.

Do you feel like Fixably can help you or your technician do repairs faster? Book a demo to see why.