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Carriers often pay attention to the value of equipment warranties when equipment breaks and the warranties have expired. As a consequence, they are often met with unaccommodating customer support, unreliable technicians, or hefty annual post-warranty service contracts. When equipment needs repair, there are four options to consider:
A. Pay for an expensive post-warranty service contract
B. Repair in-house
C. Outsource to unqualified vendor without a pre-negotiated contract
D. Outsource to qualified vendor with a pre-negotiated contract
While it sometimes appears time-wise and economically efficient to repair the broken units in-house or to quickly find a local vendor to outsource, technicians without proper skill set or technical understanding of how the unit functions can often times amass charges as they educate themselves on your equipment – increasing the time it takes to repair the unit, increasing your hourly costs, and delaying the re-install of your equipment.
Another option is to sign a post-warranty contract with your manufacturer. However, manufacturers view warranty repairs as a cost-center. As a result, manufacturers increase the costs of warranty repairs to the customer and make post-warranty repair work budget-prohibitive. Their contracts are often times non-negotiable, expensive, and written for the protection of the manufacturer – not the customer. Worse, common manufacturer repair time cycles are lengthy - some up to a year before your equipment will be repaired.
Outsourcing to a pre-qualified vendor with whom you have an established contract, pre-negotiated to meet your needs, is the optimal choice when repairing out of warranty equipment. In this case, you are familiar with the vendor and the quality of their work, have negotiated your repair rates and cycle times to a reasonable parameter, and can maintain peace-of-mind that you are getting the highest quality repair service for the lowest possible cost and a warranty on the service.
How to Find a Reliable Out of Warranty Repair Provider
The tips below will help you save time and budget on your out of warranty repairs.
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Negotiate a contract rate and types of service upfront that meet the demands of your budget and the needs of your network.
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Include a repair warranty clause on the repair work within the contract.
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Verify the vendor’s references to ensure the vendor is dependable and technically proficient on the equipment used within your network.
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Confirm they perform repair work on your type of network equipment, in addition to both product-specific and system-level tests. |
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If at all possible, visit the vendor's facility to view the facility's equipment, meet the technicians, and ensure that expected procedures are being followed. |
Outsourcing out of warranty repairs to a qualified vendor with a pre-negotiated contract will save you on operating expenses, lower your per item repair costs, and ensure your equipment is returned to you expeditiously and in its best possible condition.
American Communications provides out of warranty repair services to Tier 1 nationwide carriers, regional carriers, Fortune 500 companies, and government entities. For more information on American Communications’ program offerings, please contact a sales representative at 1.866.593.5931 or at info@go-ac.com.
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