The European Commission (EC) is implementing a new set of rights and tools to make repair services more accessible and convenient for consumers. These initiatives include a right for consumers to request repair from manufacturers for technically repairable products, an obligation for manufacturers to inform consumers about products they must repair themselves, and the establishment of an online matchmaking platform to connect consumers with local repairers and sellers of refurbished goods. Additionally, the EC will introduce a European Repair Information Form for increased transparency in repair conditions and pricing, as well as develop a European quality standard for repair services, known as the “easy repair” standard, to help consumers identify repairers who adhere to high-quality standards.
How Right of Repair Creates New Business Channels for Display Manufacturers
It seems ridiculous that there has to be regulation to give someone the right to repair something they paid for outright, but there you have it. It’s mostly the result of practices in computing and electronics, particularly for smartphones, where thousands of dollars worth of hardware can be obsolete because one component has failed. Everyone knows what that means when they get a phone with a cracked screen.
No matter how you feel about regulation, there are some considerable benefits to display vendors here. Let’s put aside the cost of replacement of a display panel or screen, whatever the device is. It is always going to be a fraction of the total cost of the actual device itself. The opportunity that arises from this regulation is that it gives display manufacturers another tier of distribution that wasn’t really there before.
Repair shops are going to have to meet certain standards, and they automatically become valued outlets for display components. That’s a good start. However, even more interesting is the opportunity for display manufacturers to leverage these newfound partnerships into a more direct connection with the consumers of their products. In many cases, manufacturers are either ill equipped, or lack any means of direct contact with the people using their displays. That’s a wealth of very granular information and data that could be invaluable in giving display manufacturers insight into the needs of users.
Furthermore, it may also be a situation that may open the door for vendors to service the aftermarket for products that contain the displays of their competitors. There’s a lot that has to happen for that to be possible, but when you consider how Apple was forced by the EC to adopt USB-C as a standard for iPhones it is well within the realms of possibility.
In fact, I would say that the interchangeability of displays in the aftermarket would be an advantage to all display makers. The channel for repairs should never match that for actual products – you don’t want that many failures – but it may make a significant contribution to sales over time. A damaged or failed display is significantly noticeable, the most easily seeable of any possible problems that may arise with a device therefore it should also be the one that has the broadest support available to it.
At times, it seems like there is a phone repair store on every street corner or mall, but they don’t always inspire confidence. A set of standards that raises the quality of the options available to consumers, and provides a clear path for manufacturers to reach their disgruntled users, is a good thing. Happy consumers make for happy consumption scenarios. The knowledge that an investment in an expensive display has mitigated the threat of obsolescence because there are regulated channels for repair may also create opportunities for broader acceptance of new display technologies.
If it ain’t broke you don’t need to fix it, but it’s good to know that when it does break you can fix it. That applies to TVs, digital signage, touchscreens, kiosks, and other display products as much as smartphones. People just need an assurance that they won’t get left to hang dry if something unfortunate happens.
