It’s a problem nearly all of us will face at some point in our lives – a shattered cell phone. With or without a phone case, we are bound to have our screens scratched, broken, or falling off. AJ Forsythe experienced this several times firsthand, and rather than taking it to the store where it was purchased, he decided to fix it himself. Buying parts from the Internet and with some help from his friends, Forsythe fixed his iPhone in his college dorm room, a service that would have cost hundreds of dollars or required replacing his phone entirely had he gone to a retailer.
As a junior at California Polytechnic Institute, Forsythe created iCracked in 2010. At first this service was only offered on his college campus, but within one year the company was fixing phones on 65 campuses. They are now active in 11 countries and employ 340 iTechs. If a customer is close to an iTech, they will make a house-call and fix your phone for you on the spot. However, if one is out of range they are able to send the phone in for repairs and have it mailed back. The business idea is simple, but serves a great need and is convenient for all.
One thing to learn from Forsythe is his commitment to quality employees. He does not let anyone become a representative of his company. In fact, only 2% of technician applicants are accepted. “We are extremely diligent in who we bring on and who represents us as a company…we background check every single one of them,” Forsythe said. “We have a five-step interview process. We have a sales team that will vet them at different stages of the process.” iCracked has also expanded its services, now selling Do-It-Yourself repair kits and offering a buyback program, which offers cash for old iPhones, iPads, and iPods.
Forsythe is inspirational because he sees how big businesses such as the phone companies are too slow and impersonal to act on a need like this. In other words, customers can be better served by expert employees who know how to fix each unique phone. iCracked specializes, but is always looking for new opportunities. “I can’t tell you what a ride this has been. We have had so much fun this far and I can’t wait for what comes next,” says Forsythe.
This is one of those business ideas that you read about then sit there and think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Everyone has been there and replacing a otherwise perfectly good phone just because the screen cracked seems like such a waste. Who knew that a little piece of plastic or glass could be so expensive. This company really reacts to a problem that plagues everyone with a phone or music player. It’s excellent to know how dedicated to quality they are by only accepting 2% of applicants. Great idea.
Another ingenious idea. See a problem, fix a problem. Feel a pain, address that pain. AJ is doing a job that fills a need most people hate having to address because it is so expensive to do it at a retail store. People often times just end up buying a whole new phone just because it is such an expensive hassle to fix a broken screen. His interview process shows a FOCUSED company that refuses to sway from its principles.
It seems as if Forsythe has taken advantage of a lucrative gap in the market, especially as people aim to spend less money in a tough economy and do-it-yourself projects increase in popularity. This is such a common problem, it was certainly ingenious to come up with a more efficient, convenient and time and money-saving solution.