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Shop Owners / Repair Techs

Radio Tech

Radio Tech

Radio Operator
Sep 9, 2008
858
310
173
62
North Carolina
www.gokarters.com
Hey guy's,
Was wondering how most of you advertise.
In all the years I have been into cb and ham radio repair, I have never did any kind of advertising. Only word of mouth.

Most of my repiar work deals with older tube equipment. And a lot of it.
I do repair newer state of the art equipment but I love the old stuff.

I would say that 50% of my repairs are local. 50 miles and less. 40% is 50 to 100 miles. The remaining 10% comes from Florida to Virginia.

Well yesterday I decided to run down to the local dollar store and buy some floresent poster board and a thick black magic marker. Came home and made some simple signs with phone number:

The Radio Shop
CB-Marine-Ham
Radio Repair

I put these up yesterday around 5:30pm at several intersections. I live in the sticks here. And already got a dozen phone calls. Should of thought about that sooner. Most of the locals around here do not even know I am here.
Dont get me wrong. I stay as busy as I want to. But you can not beat the walk in simple repairs either. Some of the stuff I work on may take many days on the repair bench. That makes for slow income.

I yet to sale any new stuff. Radios, antennas, ect. I may start stocking some cb and vhf antennas soon and maybe a radio or 2. I have been selling used stuff. Icoms, Kenwood rigs.

Just thought I share.
Business is good.
 

You can always start your own web page.
That should help immensely!
It's not that expensive to maintain - just find someone who can do help you. Some kids can even design the pages - just ask at your local high school...
 
Start sponsoring one of those ridiculous forums that live to rip people off. That will get your name out there and they will gladly protect you from any upset customer in exchange for you lining their wallets.
 
GLR said:
Start sponsoring one of those ridiculous forums that live to rip people off. That will get your name out there and they will gladly protect you from any upset customer in exchange for you lining their wallets.
Click to expand...

LOL.
 
Radio Tech said:
Not bad ideas guy's, but like I said, I do have plenty to do. I only want to snag the locals. Dont want to deal with a lot of shipping. I like to meet people face to face. :)
Click to expand...


The shipping is the easy part. The hard part is sitting on the phone all day trying to explain the really basic stuff and figure out how in the heck they screwed it up.

If you can stay busy enough to mostly local stuff, you'll be so much happier in the long run :) :)
 
Well,
Thought I would updates this.

I may have to hire a part time tech!
The locals are flocking in. I am having stuff shipped from all over the country.

All the local is from one customer telling another. The stuff being shipped in is from mostly folks reading forums.
Thanks for having forums out there.
I still have not started selling equipment. Maybe that is coming soon.

We will see.
 
Bionic Chicken said:
Sounds like you might need to clone yourself? Congrats on all the business!!
Click to expand...

Wish I could. I try and take pride in my work to satisfy the customer. I have talked with a few other techs but they did not meet my expectations. Just do not want some one that is not going to do it like I do. So at the moment if something goes wrong I can only blame myself. Then there is the trust issue. What happens when I am not in the shop.

At the moment my business is running 60/40 between ham radio and cb.
I was laid off work week for last. Second time this year. I still have not gotten my unemployment for that week, If it was not for the shop I be in a pickle!.

Thanks for the kind words.
 
radio tech,

congrats on being so busy!

do not hire anyone!!!!
this is a mistake many small businesses make.
you do not need another person and all the expense and drama that goes with it.

you need to prioritize your time with regard to your repairs.
become the same as two people.

start telling people its going to take a bit longer on the easy repairs to buy yourself time on the harder ones.

im sure you can come up with some other ways of using your time to maximize profit that will work for you.

good luck,
LC
 
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The best tech's I have found over the last 25 years were more so low profile then not ........none of this Internet BS what so ever. NONE ! although I do understand it can be very good business for many and it is surely the sign of the times.


(The shipping is the easy part. The hard part is sitting on the phone all day trying to explain the really basic stuff and figure out how in the heck they screwed it up.

If you can stay busy enough to mostly local stuff, you'll be so much happier in the long run )

I worked for a few tech's and distributors over the last 25 years as well. CB'er's and Ham's alike can be very hard to please or they just don't understand what's going on even when you take the time and try and explain it to them...........many would rather listen to the guy down the street in his receive when he is the one off frequancy in the first place.

It took me many years to understand a few tech's frustrations with customers / operators ......they could surely be major pains in the asses for the simple fact they wouldn't listen to reason. Tech's deal with these people all the time , some might think it's easy money in there pockets ? ...it's far from it when it comes to the attitudes and misinformed customers who just don't get a clue about whats going on.

I remember the late Bill Good and stories from many others that used him over the years , this guy knew his craft very well. You walk into his shop with a hacked up radio for repairs , swing kits , this mod and that mod , he would look at you and tell you it was a piece of shit and that it would cost you this much to put the radio back to specs.

Some might think he was a real dick head with a shitty attitude , I could understand that to degree , but like I said , he knew his craft very well , and he knew what he was talking about. I think it was peoples bull shit over the years and other hacks that pissed him off the most . The ones that tend to make up there own false rules and claims.

Freecell kind of reminded me of Mr Good , although IM sorry to see him gone from this site because he was a good teacher and basically told it the way it was , even though his people skills were not always the best , but like Mr Good's , I guess after dealing with these types of people over the years , it does something to a man and how they conduct themselves towards others after so many years of BS ?

Over the years I often heard that the customer is always right , unfortunately , that is surely not the case in this business , there's just to many of them making up there own rules and beliefs that are far from the truth.
 
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Radio Tech said:
Hey guy's,
Was wondering how most of you advertise.
In all the years I have been into cb and ham radio repair, I have never did any kind of advertising. Only word of mouth.

Most of my repiar work deals with older tube equipment. And a lot of it.
I do repair newer state of the art equipment but I love the old stuff.

I would say that 50% of my repairs are local. 50 miles and less. 40% is 50 to 100 miles. The remaining 10% comes from Florida to Virginia.

Well yesterday I decided to run down to the local dollar store and buy some floresent poster board and a thick black magic marker. Came home and made some simple signs with phone number:

The Radio Shop
CB-Marine-Ham
Radio Repair

I put these up yesterday around 5:30pm at several intersections. I live in the sticks here. And already got a dozen phone calls. Should of thought about that sooner. Most of the locals around here do not even know I am here.
Dont get me wrong. I stay as busy as I want to. But you can not beat the walk in simple repairs either. Some of the stuff I work on may take many days on the repair bench. That makes for slow income.

I yet to sale any new stuff. Radios, antennas, ect. I may start stocking some cb and vhf antennas soon and maybe a radio or 2. I have been selling used stuff. Icoms, Kenwood rigs.

Just thought I share.
Business is good.
Click to expand...

All you need now is a spokesperson such as AMPOWER to hock the virtues of your knowledge. (joke)

And if you ever find yourself turning into an ass such as Bill Good then just step back, have a good look at yourself and re-evaluate the direction of your business decision because people are inherently ignorant to the inner workings of the devices they've chosen to bring to you for repair otherwise they wouldn't of have had them butchered to start with.

If you install mods on cb radios remember if you can't add limiters then you have no control over the radio's operation so it's totally out of your hands and warranty when it leaves the shop so there will be no need to beat yourself up when that moron comes back pissing and moaning about what a terrible hack you are<joke, not you just my statement about the customer.

Can you day "DISCLAIMER"?
 
LC,
I decided not to hire anyone. I just do not think I would feel comfortable with someone else looking after things. I am considering an apprentice though. So one that wants to learn and can help out with the simple stuff. But that would be it.

Switch,
The internet business I do is below 5%. I say 65% is local and the rest (30%) is with in 150 miles from my area. I don't think that is too bad.

Mack,
One thing is I do not sell any new equipment. I do carry accessories. But no radios. There are other locals that do that and it is too competitive to try. All my income if from repairs. So no warranty claims :)

Triple and wire weasel.

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a long time coming but I am getting there. I do all I can to make the customer happy. And now it is starting to pay off.

I did expand the shop a few months ago. Put in 4 work benches. I now have a signal generator and other needed equipment at each station. This was the best move so far.

Thanks for all the words guys.
 

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