Reparando: How This Smartphone Repair Business Went Cashless

Stuttgart-based Reparando is an on-site smartphone repair business founded in July 2015 by Vincent Osterloh, Jakob Schoroth, and Till Kratochwill. The trio met while they were pursuing their master’s degrees in Business Administration and would frequently discuss entrepreneurial ideas, finally settling on Reparando’s concept. The company has grown quickly and now operates in 17 major German cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, and Düsseldorf.

“Starting Reparando was a great team effort. We were excited by the idea that we could repair smartphones on-site. For two days, we had simply been testing the idea in Stuttgart and quickly found out that there is a great demand. Our goal and aspiration was to have an impact and to build a functioning organization. To put it in a nutshell, we see Reparando as an opportunity to help people by repairing their broken smartphones, making these functional again as soon as possible.”

Since providing excellent service is the company’s highest priority, every Reparando technician completes extensive training. In order to offer the quickest, most convenient repairs possible, Reparando technicians are sent to the customer’s location of choice—be it their office or their home. That’s where SumUp comes in:

“When founding Reparando, we needed a solution that could help us deliver an on-site service while being able to avoid cash payments. A mobile card reader with the size and weight of a small wallet was the perfect fit for us and is highly appreciated by our heavily packed technicians.”

Reparando has been using SumUp since the very beginning and they currently have over 50 SumUp PIN+ Card Terminals in use. Every technician has their own card reader and SumUp subaccount, so they may initiate their transactions independently while still operating under the main Reparando account. Amazingly, Reparando has managed to get rid of cash completely, relying entirely on the speed and simplicity of card payments.

“We tell every customer upfront that we accept card payments on-site. Many customers are extremely happy that they do not have to withdraw cash before their repair appointment with Reparando. SumUp is one of the elements which creates a positive as well as hassle free service experience.”

Reparando’s success is due to their tenacity and strategic approach. The founders went to great lengths to fully understand the technological aspects of the business, spending countless nights studying every detail of the phones they planned to repair. They also acquired knowledge and training from industry experts. Furthermore, breaking into the market, building a brand, and differentiating themselves from the competition with a great service experience was a substantial challenge, which they’ve have successfully mastered. Great service, of course, results in happy customers. And, Reparando has many:

“Receiving great feedback and knowing that we make customers happy every day is an incredible feeling. From time to time, our employees even receive presents from customers as we amaze them with our outstanding service. For example, last week, a customer sent a leather wallet along with a personal note to one of our customer service agents to thank him. During one of our first repairs, we met a woman who had not been able to use her phone for days since it fell more than 10 meters from a balcony. After having her phone repaired, she was very thankful and even offered us to stay for dinner.”

Reparando couldn’t offer its unparalleled service without a team of highly motivated employees. Vincent, Jakob, and Till believe that bringing the right group of people together is essential for fostering a positive work environment: their employees often celebrate special occasions together and spend time with one another outside of work hours.

Reparando aims to continue its expansion by offering smartphone repairs to even more German cities. As a long-term goal, they’d like to launch in other countries as well as find ways to increase their already rapid service. Thanks to SumUp’s international focus, Reparando has chosen to continue working with us as their payment partner for this important step.

“With SumUp, accepting card payments is as simple as it could possibly be. It is easy to handle and a cost-effective solution which does not give you any argument for non-use. We strongly recommend using SumUp – the value which is added to your business is tremendous.”