Every month Cellular Repair School highlights one of our brightest cell phone repair students in the industry. This months spotlight goes to Heidi Large of XCell Repair Service located nation wide.
Cellular Repair School:
Q: Tell us a little about your background prior to mobile device repair Heidi. Was it at all technology-related?
Heidi:
A: Not at all. As soon as I graduated high school, I joined the US Navy and then Naval Reserves as a Master At Arms (Military Police). When I turned 21, I became a police officer in Knoxville, TN and did that for around 10 years. After I left the police force I became some what of a job Gypsy: Software support, retail, rickshaw operator, bartender.
But even as child I was taking items apart. It got so bad that no one would buy me electronics anymore. It wasn’t taking things apart that was the problem, it was putting it back together! I continued this throughout my youth and into adulthood until I got pretty good at it. I’ve always had repairs in the background regarless of what I was doing.
Cellular Repair School:
Q:Do you remember the first day you wanted to be in the cell phone repair business?
Heidi:
A: I do! When mobile devices came onto the market I was amazed and fascinated with them, and the ability to walk around with a phone that was not attached to a 35 foot, coiled tangled mess! I was instantly in love. My very first phone was a bag phone for my car and I felt really special having that. I had the Motorola StarTac which is still one of my favorite phones to date.
After a while I started buying and selling the phones as a side hobby and business. I started noticing that no one would try to sell a damaged phone and how awesome it would be to get them, repair and resell. I realized the profit I could make on each one so that’s what I did.
Several years later I was a bartender and still in the buy / sell trade of cell phones trying’ to repair the damaged one’s for resell. The repairing wasn’t going to well for me at that time because I wasn’t one to get my “YouTube Degree” on cell phone repair. I was more of a hands on personality type at the time.
Now, during this time, my father and mother got long cancer around the same time. I was very fortunate and highly blessed with Grace to have a partner that encouraged me to quit my job and take care of my family, which I did. Three years later my Father passed and my Mother was doing better, or as good as can be expected through it all.
I was left without a job and nothing really mind blowing as far as a resume. I was lost and not sure what direction to go. One day it just hit me, ‘go get professionally trained for repairs’. After much investigation on all the repair schools at the time, there was no other logical choice than Cellular Repair School! Booked it and the rest is history.
Cellular Repair School:
Q: What has been your biggest challenges in the cell phone repair business?
Heidi:
A: Taking it slow and easy! Having discipline when that little voice in the back of your head says “STOP, don’t do that during repairs and you actually stop!! That is something that can not be taught no matter how many times you are told to be slow and methodical with repairs. It takes getting your butt handed to you every time you think you know better and tear something every time.
Cellular Repair School:
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment in your cell phone repair career?
Heidi:
A: Becoming Director of Repairs for a Cell phone Accessory company called “XCell Wireless”. Xcell Wireless has several stores up and down the Southeastern United States and provides phone cases, phone charges, screen protectors and many other types of phone related items.
The owner wanted to step up his business to the next level by also offering repairs. That’s where I came into the picture. I am in charge of opening, supplying and training at every location, current and upcoming, in the company. After that, I am the technicians direct contact for anything he or she might need.
Working for “XCell Wireless” has been an amazing, educational and fun roller coaster ride of a lifetime. This is a family to me by all true definition of the word. THANK YOU TEAM!!! I could not have done anything without each and every one of you.
Cellular Repair School:
Q: How Do You Feel About The Repair Industry And What Do You Think The Future Holds For This Industry…and How Do You Plan On Adapting To The Changes?
Heidi:
A: This question instantly made me think of a Motorola Engineer named Martin Cooper. Around forty years ago, Mr. Cooper had the insane idea that he wanted people to have the ability to actually carry their phones. In 1973 he was the very first person to make a cell phone call.
The phone he used weighed 2 pounds, only lasted 35 minutes on a ten hour charge and had a hefty price tag of around $4,000 dollars!! This is amazing considering how far we have come.
As far as the future I can safely say that personal electronic repairs are here to stay for a very long time. I love all the directions and advancements in this industry.
I foresee the following as very much the future of smartphones: Wearable morph phones, modular phones, projected touch screens, self powering phones, unlimited possibilities of NFC technology, virtual reality and even artificial intelligence just to name a few.
As far as adapting…education education education, train, share!
Cellular Repair School:
Q:: Making money is great, but what do you value the most at the end of the day?
Heidi:
A: I know everyone say’s the same thing, but it always has been and still is the most satisfying thing to take a non working device and making it work again. I never get tired of this. The fulfilled feeling I get and face you get from the customers.
I also take great pride making all my technicians successful in this industry. Nothing feels better than giving an individual a career! Today, this is the most fulfilling aspect of my job. Educating and support.
Cellular Repair School:
Q: You offer all types of repairs and your location ; what tools do you find absolutely necessary for this repair? How long does it take for you to complete?
Heidi:
A: If I wanted to speed through a repair, I can do most under 20 minutes BUT I NEVER do that. I don’t care how busy I am, I will not sacrifice the quality of my work by rushing the repair. People pay good money for our service and I’m going to make sure they get what they paid for and much more. I not only train my techs the same way, I also train to completely clean and sanitize all the inside and out.
My favorite tool is the soldering pic I have. The one with the blue plastic on it. It has a very sharp point yet is very strong. Next is the iSesamo Opening Tool.
I’m funny about my repair tools. Allot of them have nothing to do with electronic repairs at all. Example would be my sets of gaping gauges used to gap spark plugs. They come in different thicknesses right down to paper thin. I use these on a ton of repairs. They are especially handy removing glass off a phone without damaging the LCD because they are so thin.
To help rebuild iPod, iPad and iPhone frames, I use a 5oz tack hammer along with different sized pin punches. They work perfect for me. Lastly, I love my scissors which are actually quilter snippets that I found at Wal-mart in the craft section. They are so handy when cutting a lot of Kapton tape double sided tape because they are spring loaded.
Cellular Repair School:
Q: How has cellular repair school helped you achieve what you’ve accomplished in the cell phone repair industry.
Heidi:
A: Cellular Repair School not only helped me with repairs, but also gave me the courage to take the necessary steps to move forward in this industry. They educated me so that I was so much more confident in my repairs, dealing with customers and all business aspects of repairs.
I can’t say enough about CRS and it’s instructors. It’s been years since I went but even today, right now, I can call on William or anyone else and they are there for me every time!!
Every business has uniqueness, unique talent, unique product, unique service, unique capacity; the trick is to find it and capitalize on it
— CellularRepairSchool (@cellularrepairs) March 29, 2015
