Repair Training Resources
A tried and true method of training
Having guides, online resources and other training materials is vital to your training sessions. But to truly get a sense of the repair, going hands-on is the best way to understand how things work, and how your tools and parts will perform in a real-world environment. Here are some of my recommendations for training yourself and other technicians. I'd recommend sourcing an older or already broken iPhone as an example to practice on.
Review the repair guide together (if training others) before you begin the repair. You want to see the entire scope of the repair before you begin. Do you have all the tools? The time? What should you not skip? etc.
Using the guide step-by-step, begin performing the repair. If training another tech, explain what you are doing and why throughout the process. Be methodical, follow-the guide, and over time, you'll be much quicker and more proficient.
Now that you've reviewed the guide, and performed the repair yourself in front of the new tech, now have them complete the repair in front of you, and guide them along if needed.
After reviewing the guide, watching someone repair the device in person, then fixing the device themselves, they'll (and you) will become much more confident in just a matter of hours.
Review - Repair - Redo
iFixit
The highest quality site with in-depth guides to repair the most popular consumer electronics. This is an industry staple for learning how to fix electronics properly and efficiently.
What it's great for:
VERY high-quality guides for flagship consumer electronics for Apple, Samsung, etc.
Free, open-source, and no login/paywall required.
High-quality, industry-recognized tools.
Limited parts are available for purchase including OEM Google Pixel parts.
What it's not great for:
As the main place to buy aftermarket (AM) parts. Their OEM options may be the only place to purchase, but their AM parts tend to be pretty expensive by comparison.
Guides for more obscure phones. It's surprising the number of guides they have for certain phones and not others.
Some tools. While they have the most recognizable tools in the industry, some other brands may be less expensive, and the same if not better.
It's not guided training. it's up to you to decide where you want to start.
VERDICT
This is the tried and true place as the #1 resource for detailed guides on flagship devices. Picking up an iFixit branded toolkit is the defacto for most stores. For parts, it might be worth comparing to other well-known vendors.
Cellbotics Online
Cellbotics has been one of the trusted resources in the industry for some years now. They have a mix of online courses and in-person training that are specifically geared towards training repair technicians in a customer-facing role.
What it's great for:
Guided courses in specific concentrated areas.
FREE content and downloads for business-specific processes for repair shops
Good online support (in my experience) anytime I've needed questions answered
Ability to train multiple techs at the same time
What it's not great for:
Most courses you would want to take, require payment.
Confusing pricing structure and subscription model. Can pay for a class one time for $400 or get a ton of classes for $69/ month and cancel anytime.
Some courses may have topics included that are not relevant to your business
VERDICT
If you are looking for a guided learning experience, Cellbotics might be the best fit for you and your business if you are looking for more of a hands-off approach and want to train multiple technicians, at a cost.
WISE Certification
WISE by CTIA has spent years trying to increase the legitimacy of the repair industry with some success. Their aim is to provide a standard of operations to 3rd parties so customers can expect a consistent and quality experience.
What it's great for:
Legitimacy as most big repair retailers (CPR, UbreakiFix) require WISE certification
Extensive informational material on the wireless industry as a whole, and how much more information on items beyond just repair i.e. best practices, TaC, etc.
Standardization - knowing exactly what each technician level represents.
What it's not great for:
Technician Level 1 certification is a study guide and a 90-minute quiz. It will teach you about repairs, but not the repair themselves.
Unless part of an organization with enterprise pricing, it's $450 to become a level 1 "certified" technician.
Level 2 certification, which is hands-on repair, either requires you to already know repair or take the in-person course at Cellbotics.
VERDICT
While I have appreciated what they have done for the 3rd party repair industry, the level 1 "training" is a mere study guide about repairs. This pay-to-play program has some great marketing value to add legitimacy to your business, but it will not train you or your teams on how to fix phones. This has become one the standard certifications for big repair companies.
YouTube
YouTube can be an amazing resource, but it can also give you inconsistent advice, depending on the video you are watching so you have to be mindful of the part, device, and tools you are using vs what you are watching.
What it's great for and recommended channels
You'll be able to find some version of every repair possible on YT.
Some videos will be an overview, and some will be an extensive step-by-step procedure from start to finish.
MrPhoneDoctor - while this channel may not have the same type of repairs you'll carry, he is very knowledgeable and explains things in an easy-to-understand way.
iFixit - the same quality you would expect from their guides.
TechMD - He has several very detailed start-to-finish videos for many devices.
TheArtofRepair - many different playlists for beginning repairs in a shop setting
Hugh Jeffreys - not your traditional repair channel but a great insight into the repairability of many things.
What it's not great for:
Inconsistency among the same type of repairs
Several different ways to fix the same device using separate parts, video may show one way while you have the other style of part.
May take time and several videos to get a consensus.
Sometimes steps get skipped, without the viewer knowing adding to the confusion.
VERDICT
YouTube will always be a great resource. The best advice is to watch 2-3 sources to get an idea of a recurring theme on a specific repair. Compare that to what you see in the iFixit guide and then you'll have a broader and more accurate way to repair a device. There are endless amazing channels but use caution and several resources.
Vimeo - CPR (Cell Phone Repair)
CPR (Cell Phone Repair) is one of the largest repair franchises in the nation. This is one of the repositories for the repair training resources that they use to train their nationwide technicians.
What it's great for:
Thousands of step-by-step videos for a number of popular devices.
Same video training they use for their thousands of technicians.
What it's not great for:
Can be hard to navigate the video resources.
Some videos need better lighting and hard-to-see details.
VERDICT
Another solid resource from a well-known company.
My Personal Recommendation
Your goals as a repair business may differ from others, so use the combination of resources in how they will best benefit your situation. Have a big group of remote people you want to train? Maybe Cellbotics is best for you. Training individually or just for yourself? Then going the bootstraps way might be best by using YT and iFixit, especially if budget is a concern. A "professional" place will lay out a syllabus for you on what to learn that can easily be created for yourself. An example of an easy place to start where 80% of retail sales come from:
iPhone 7-12 displays
iPhone 7-12 batteries (and safety precautions)
Installing display adhesive
Preventing ESD (electrostatic discharge) damage
Samsung A, J, Note, and Galaxy series
It's fairly easy to fix cell phone displays, but it's the "little" things that add up to make you a reputable repair technician. Get a training device, and tear it apart several times. You'll be surprised at how much you learn from doing that.
Whether you receive expensive or cheap training, you'll only be as good as how seriously you take it.