A quarter of new handsets they’re selling will soon be returned with problems – but over 60% of these 'faulty' phones can be detected and fixed at the shop or by calling a ‘help line’, but rarely are.
As a direct consequence, tens of millions of phones pointlessly enter the repair chain every year – resulting in massive inconvenience to consumers and inflated costs for both manufacturers and operators.
To break this wasteful cycle, B2X Care Solutions (http://www.b2xcare.com) has taken a revolutionary, high-tech approach. It’s finalising the development of a ‘self-healing’ mobile phone app that quickly and easily fixes the majority of faults.
The key features of the software include:
- troubleshooting support
- ‘how to’ movies
- an automated diagnostics guide – a ‘test my phone’ option
- an easily understood explanation of the relevant warranty policy
“To give customers the ability to ‘self-heal’ their phone is a unique and revolutionary approach,” said Raul Sfat, VP Sales at B2X Care Solutions. “Most of the units presented as broken are usually suffering from software, configuration and usability problems – issues that our ‘app’ can easily diagnose and fix.”
“Not only will it greatly reduce servicing costs for manufacturers, customers will also benefit as they won’t needlessly have to surrender their much-loved phone. It’s a win-win situation.”
The second part of B2X’s approach involves supplying browser software to phone shops and call centres, enabling staff to accurately troubleshoot and fix front end failures.
Often viewed as the weak link in the chain, this exchange is where maximum efficiencies can be leveraged. By working through guided diagnostics, staff can screen out the costly ‘no fault found’ cases that would otherwise have slipped through the net.
“It’s at the front end of the process, when owners contact the maker or vendor about problems with their smartphone, that manufacturers can achieve substantial savings on their warranty costs,” said Raul Sfat.
“On the other side of the equation, we shouldn’t discount the advantages this approach offers to consumers. By empowering them to be able to quickly and easily fix their much-loved phones, owners experience a much more positive experience – one that’s strongly linked to the manufacturer’s brand.”
“It's a case of 'prevention is better than the cure' – an approach that everyone benefits from.”