THE DEATH OF BLACKBERRY

Did you know that before the iPhone there was the Blackberry?  Lots of people had them.  People liked them.  Having a Blackberry was cool.  Now, they are basically extinct.  The parent company, Research in Motion, has all but given up on trying to revive the product.

You might be reading this thinking: "I still like my Blackberry".  Well, there are still some people that have America Online e-mail addresses too but that company is a dinosaur and so is the Blackberry.  I had a Blackberry back in the day - for about two weeks!  Then I dropped it in the water and there was not a way to fix it at that time.  Now, we have an entire business model built on repairing smart phones and other products such as iPods and iPads.  Drop your phone in the pool, no problem.

There is a lot of debate over why Blackberry has gone under.  Maybe it was bad management.  Maybe they did not allow enough apps on their product.  Maybe the iPhone and Android are just better products.  Maybe all of that.  Regardless, I just asked one of our techs when was the last time we fixed a Blackberry and the response was: "Are they still in business?"  That is never a good sign.  The Blackberry is dead.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT iPODS

Most of the devices that we fix are iPhones with broken glass/screens.  iPhones are the biggest brand so that is what we see the most.  We can fix an iPhone typically in less than 30 minutes.  Today, I had a customer ask "Can you fix my iPod?".  Answer: Of course, we can.  The iPod broken screen is essentially the same process as fixing the iPhone screen.  However, they are delicate devices.  Their parts are so small that they can easily rip or tear when not handled properly.  We had to learn that lesson the hard way in the past.

We currently charge $54.95 to fix the digitizer or $59.95 to fix the LCD in the iPod Touch 2nd and 3rd generation.  In the iPod Touch 4th Generation (with camera) we charge $94.95 because the digitizer and LCD are fused together making the part more expensive.  We don't ever forget that we can fix iPods but we wanted to remind you of the same.

KEEP YOUR iPHONE COOL

It has been over 100 degrees every day this past week.  We are getting a lot of calls from people whose iPhones shut down and have to cool off.  There are really bad consequences when an iPhone or any smart device overheats.  The components on the logic board can fry themselves and ruin the circuitry to the point we cannot repair it.  The battery itself can overheat and could literally start a fire.  This stuff can be bad.

If your phone is not working properly just let it cool back down at room temperature.  Don't put it in the refrigerator because the extreme change from hot to cold can do more damage.  The best thing to do is not leave it in your car in the first place but, if you do, bring it in and we'll do our best to fix it.  No promises.

ON THE HOUSE

We don't always charge for our services.  Sometimes, the repair is so easy and so quick that we just make it on the house.  An example happened earlier today.  A customer had a speaker that just needed a very simple brushing.  We have the tool already and there is no part involved.  The whole thing took us about 60 seconds.  We didn't charge anything.

Of course, we are a business and we normally charge for our labor and parts.  When it's "on the house" we are hoping that this is building customer trust and loyalty.  First Class Cellular Repair wants to be the premier repair facility in the Little Rock, Arkansas area.  We want you to think of us as here to help and not to rip people off.  In return, we ask that you help us spread the word.  When your screen is cracked and shards of glass are peeling off - we are here for you.  We are your first stop for assistance.

This is an old school way of viewing business.  We are your neighbors.  We are here to listen and provide you with a valuable service.  If we don't provide any value on a particular visit, then it's "on the house".

A DAY AT THE LAKE

We get it.  It's Summertime.  You are sitting around with your friends and having a good time by the pool or maybe out on the boat.  Your friends think it is a great idea to come up behind you and push you into the water. We've all been doing this to people we love for years, right?  The only problem is that now every one carries their smart phone in their pocket.  Ouch!

Twice in one week we have fixed water damage of phones that were in someone's pocket when their "friend" decided to pull a prank.  Unfortunately, the "friend" does not seem to be around when it is time to pay to fix the damage.  The good news is that most liquid damage issues can be repaired for $80 or less.

Yes, we get it.  It is warm outside and jumping in the water is a great way to break the heat.  However, you need to either take the phone out of the pocket or make sure it's a wealthy friend who is willing to pay for the repair.

OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA

We have realized that our customer service area is broader than we thought for our new store on Chenal Parkway.  We certainly expected to get customers needing iPhone repair from Little Rock and North Little Rock.  However, we have had people drive in from Jacksonville, Cabot and Bryant.  We have even had customers come from as far away as Malvern and Stuttgart, Arkansas.  Most of these folks came from referrals of our existing customers.

We want you to know this.  Your friends outside of Central Arkansas can mail us their smart phone and we'll get it right back to them.  We have had people from El Dorado and Fayetteville mail us their phones to repair.  We are here to help.  You can always call us and we can give an estimate on most repairs over the phone.  We know people do not want to be away from their phone very long so we give priority to the mail in business.

We really see the need to provide quality and professional iPhone and smart product repair in Central Arkansas.  We just also want you to know that we can handle business from any place that has a post office or FedEx store.  I guess you could say that our customer service area is the entire world.

CAN YOU...?

The first question that most customers ask starts off with: "Can you..." The answer is almost always "yes". Whether the question is "Can you fix the power button on an iPhone?" or "Can you repair a smart phone that fell in the pool?" the answer is "yes". First Class Cellular Repair is in the "fix it business". That is what we do. Certainly, the most common problem with an iPhone or iPad is a cracked screen. However, we see it all daily.

"Have you ever fixed a smart phone that was run over by a tractor combine?" - Yes. "Have you ever repaired an iPhone that had a Coke spilled onto it?" - Yes. "Have you replaced the battery on a Droid?" - Yes. "Can you help me sync my iPhone to my iTunes account?" - Yes.  We are here to help.  Our technicians see a multitude of issues on any given day.  These experiences allow them to be proficient in solving the most complex repairs.  Additionally, they can talk to each other and work through something if it is truly unique.

So, "Can you...?"  Feel free to keep asking but know that the answer is going to almost always be a resounding "Yes!"