Indians change their mobile phones every 12 to 18 months. So, do they really worry about after-sales and services?
Not really, if it is a feature phone or a low-end smartphone. But those with high-end branded phones do care for service if the device is within the warranty period.
Now, the Indian subsidiary of a German firm wants to make it simpler: Home service. From October, the firm, B2X India, has proposed to take mechanics and engineers right to the doorsteps of the customer in select cities including Bengaluru.The pick-up and drop facility will be available in 39 cities. A pilot has already been launched in two cities. Smartphone makers, Samsung, Apple, OnePlus, Motorola and a clutch of smaller players have outsourced their service warranty related works to B2X India, the company's Chief Executive Officer, Max Grabmayr told DH.
Once a call is received from the brand partner, a technician will head to the customer's location and try resolving the phone problem on the spot. If the damage is major, the device will be taken to the service centre, repaired and home-delivered.A survey had indicated to the company that customers would accept a waiting period of 48 hours for repair. The on-site service, according to Grabmayr, is in sync with this expectation.
On the growth curve, the smartphone penetration in India will trigger a big parallel growth in mobile service market, says Grabmayr. "The number of high-end phones, with complex parts is now more than the feature phones. The need for quality service will grow.”
Dissuaded by the high cost of spare parts sourced by authorised service centres, customers often opt for third-party spares. But this compromise with quality could eventually damage the phone beyond repair, warns Grabmayr. "We work only with authorised service centers of our brand partners. The spares are purchased directly from our partners,” he explains.
The mobile service firm currently has one lakh customers and 200 stores nationwide. While B2X's current focus is on phone service in the warranty period, it also undertakes out-of-warranty repairs for a cost. A concurrent growth in insured phones could push the numbers even further.
Now, the Indian subsidiary of a German firm wants to make it simpler: Home service. From October, the firm, B2X India, has proposed to take mechanics and engineers right to the doorsteps of the customer in select cities including Bengaluru.The pick-up and drop facility will be available in 39 cities. A pilot has already been launched in two cities. Smartphone makers, Samsung, Apple, OnePlus, Motorola and a clutch of smaller players have outsourced their service warranty related works to B2X India, the company's Chief Executive Officer, Max Grabmayr told DH.
Once a call is received from the brand partner, a technician will head to the customer's location and try resolving the phone problem on the spot. If the damage is major, the device will be taken to the service centre, repaired and home-delivered.A survey had indicated to the company that customers would accept a waiting period of 48 hours for repair. The on-site service, according to Grabmayr, is in sync with this expectation.
On the growth curve, the smartphone penetration in India will trigger a big parallel growth in mobile service market, says Grabmayr. "The number of high-end phones, with complex parts is now more than the feature phones. The need for quality service will grow.”
Dissuaded by the high cost of spare parts sourced by authorised service centres, customers often opt for third-party spares. But this compromise with quality could eventually damage the phone beyond repair, warns Grabmayr. "We work only with authorised service centers of our brand partners. The spares are purchased directly from our partners,” he explains.
The mobile service firm currently has one lakh customers and 200 stores nationwide. While B2X's current focus is on phone service in the warranty period, it also undertakes out-of-warranty repairs for a cost. A concurrent growth in insured phones could push the numbers even further.
Get your smartphones repaired at doorstep
Reviewed by SpOOn
on
September 13, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by SpOOn
on
September 13, 2017
Rating:
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