Canadian Music Trade - August/September 2020 | Page 22

Making the Call
This is about having a good handoff system
from the repair shop to the sales department.
When a technician checks out a guitar and
determines that the cost of repairing it
exceeds 50% of the value of the instrument,
the customer should get a phone call from
a salesperson, explaining the situation and
offering a guitar the shop has for sale that
the customer might prefer to spend their
money on. This provides the customer with
reasonable options, any of which involves
spending money at your shop. Telling them
it’s not worth fixing their guitar and they
should shop around for a new one doesn’t
support your business model.
First and foremost, the service a guitar
shop offers its customers is clarity in
navigating decisions about owning a guitar.
Mapping out available choices within your
business model enables you to offer superior
service, all the while keeping the business
running.
Morgan Ahoff is an
experienced repair
technician based in
Vancouver, BC.
DAVID REYNOLDS
Nightlife Electronics –
Vancouver, BC
Nightlife Electronics is a shop dedicated
to the sale, service, and restoration of new
and vintage synthesizers, drum machines,
DJ equipment, and more.
CMT: Generally speaking, how has offering
repairs and tune-ups benefited your
business? Have you found repair services
have led to other sales or service opportunities
or earned you repeat business?
DR: Having a repair shop has helped our
business greatly. Because0we started0out as
solely a repair shop, we were able to build
a reputation locally as being the “go-to”
specialists for all things synth-related. This
was a big bonus when transitioning to offer
retail sales along with repairs. We know the
equipment inside and out and can offer
insight that most other retailers can’t.0
CMT: What are some of the inherent
challenges or things to keep in mind with
running a successful repair department
that might not seem obvious to anyone
thinking of adding one to their business?
DR: The main challenge is that while it is a
complementary business, it is a completely
additional business. It requires0as much care,
time, and attention as our retail shop and
the workload of having two businesses is
quite significant. The list of qualified/experienced
synth techs in Canada is pretty short
and I handle 95% of the repair work we do.
It’s really not the kind of job you can just
put up a “help wanted” sign for.0
CMT: Did you see an influx in repairs/
tune-ups coming in through the pandemic
lockdowns? If so, to what do you attribute
that, either based on what customers were
telling you or your own observations?
DR: We entered into the lockdown feeling
very uncertain about what might happen
in terms of sales and repairs but were quite
surprised to see things stayed busy and sales
increased. Our repair shop closed early on in
the0lockdown – actually a week before it was
recommended – but gradually started taking
in equipment once we could put safety
procedures in place. This obviously caused
a drop off in repairs early on but once we
reopened, things picked up again quickly.
There are probably many reasons we
saw an uptick in business but I think a lot
of people had more free time to devote to
following their passion of making music,
finishing projects, and just focusing on the
things that make them happy.0
CMT: What about benefits for you and
your staff? Does offering repairs boost
your knowledge on instruments, offer
insights that are helpful on the sales floor
or with ordering, etc.?
DR: We have a small staff here at the shop
and everyone helps out in all aspects of
the0business. Getting hands-on and helping
repair gear has been good for the staff
working here because0it not only helps them
understand gear better for sales but also
builds skills in an area of the industry that is
hard to gain experience with.0
22 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE