Repairing your smartphone or your washing machine is not as difficult as you might think. In any case, this is the message that Boulanger sends with its “self-repair” program, which encourages the general public to grab their screwdriver.
Repair is on the rise. After Samsung, Google and Apple, it’s Boulanger’s turn to offer a new repair assistance service. The seller of electrical and electronic devices has announced a strengthening of its after-sales service to support those who would like to get their hands dirty.
More specifically, the French retailer will provide personalized resources and assistance to encourage its customers to repair devices that are no longer covered by the warranty. This concerns smartphones, connected objects, scooters, but also small and large household appliances.
To encourage “self-repair”, the dealer has set up a site dedicated to the purchase of spare parts (in partnership with the SOS-Accessory site), video tutorials will be available for the repair of the most common breakdowns and repair specialists will be available by video to support everyday handymen and handywomen. Of course, it will always be possible to bring your device to have it repaired in store, or even to bring in a service provider for repairs at home.
Towards 1.2 million products repaired in 2022
The French brand has noble ambitions to support this new program. In 2022, the brand hopes to help repair “1.2 million products […], including more than 400,000, directly with customers”. According to the brand, “Today, 70% of breakdowns are repairable” and a more sustainable approach to electrical and electronic appliances would reduce the sector’s already heavy carbon footprint.
“Boulanger made the responsible choice of reparability and durability, which today responds to consumer demand. It presupposes the existence of an adapted customer service, which must accompany this strong growth and go further by anticipating next issues”, points out David Tourquetil, head of services at Boulanger. This measure comes after the establishment of the repairability index in 2021 and before the arrival of the repair assistance fund, scheduled for the end of 2022. At the same time, the company will hire 150 technicians to respond to this growing demand for reparability.