Running a Mini Repair Shop – JSS3 Computer Hardware & GSM Repair Lesson Note (Second Term)

A mini repair shop role-play is a classroom exercise in which students act as technicians, customers and observers to practise handling a repair from the first greeting to payment.

Class: JSS 3
Subject: Computer Hardware and GSM Repair
Focus: Role-play exercise and real-world simulation.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Follow the five steps of the Technician’s Path when a customer brings a faulty device.
2. Explain a simple hardware fault to a customer in plain English.
3. Calculate a fair price from the cost of the part and the service fee.
4. Complete a job card with the details needed to return the right device to the right person.
5. Deal politely with angry, hurried and bargaining customers.

What is a Mini ICT Hub?

A Mini ICT Hub is a small classroom repair shop set up for practice, where students run a repair as if it were real.

• Setting: the classroom becomes the shop, and students act as business owners and customers.
• Aim: to see if you can handle a repair from the moment the customer walks in until the bill is paid.

What is tested in the exercise?

Three skills are tested: technical knowledge, customer service and pricing.

1. Technical knowledge: can you explain the fault correctly?
2. Customer service: are you polite and honest?
3. Pricing: can you calculate a fair profit?

What does each technician need in the shop?

Every technician needs four items to make the shop look real.

• Workbench: a desk kept clean and tidy.
• Tools: a few tools, even if they are only for show today, such as a screwdriver set.
• Job card or logbook: a piece of paper for writing the details of each job.
• Price list: your charges, decided before you start.

What are the roles in the role-play?

The class is divided into three groups: technicians, customers and observers.

Role 1: The Technicians

• Listen: hear the customer’s complaint fully.
• Inspect: examine the “broken” device.
• Explain: say what is wrong in simple words.
• Price: give a clear charge.
• Behave: be professional and keep your workbench clean.

Role 2: The Customers

• Gadgets: bring “broken” devices, such as your own phone or a notebook pretending to be a laptop.
• Nice customers: polite and patient.
• Difficult customers: some are in a big hurry, and others argue and try to reduce the price.
• The secret: technicians must not know which type of customer you are playing.

Role 3: The Observers (The Judges)

Observers walk around with a pen and paper and mark the technicians.

What are the steps of the Technician’s Path?

The Technician’s Path is the five-step routine a technician follows when a customer comes to the desk.

1. The Welcome: greet the customer. “Good morning! Welcome to [Your Name] Repairs. How can I help you today?”
2. The Interview: ask questions about the fault. “When did it stop working? Did it fall in water? Was it charging when it went off?”
3. The Diagnosis: look at the device, use your “tools”, then explain the problem simply. “Your charging port is dusty and needs cleaning.”
4. The Quote (Pricing): tell the customer the cost. “The part is ₦1,000 and my service fee is ₦500. Total is ₦1,500.”
5. The Job Card: write the customer’s name and the phone’s serial number, so you do not give the wrong phone to the wrong person later.

How do you fill in a job card?

A job card is a written record of each device brought to the shop.

• Customer’s name: so you know who owns the device.
• Phone number: so you can call when the job is done.
• Device and serial number: to identify the exact device. On a phone, the IMEI number is shown by dialling *#06#.
• Fault reported: what the customer says is wrong.
• Quoted price: the agreed total.
• Date: the day the device was received.

How do you calculate a fair price?

A fair price covers the cost of the part and your service fee, and leaves a profit.

• Total charge: cost of the part to the customer + service fee.
• Profit: selling price minus the cost price.
• Loss: happens when you charge less than the cost price.

• Tip: decide your charges before you start, and write them on your price list.

What are the practice scenarios?

There are three scenarios to act out: the water damage panic, the angry student and the bargain hunter.

Scenario A: The “Water Damage” Panic

• Situation: a customer runs in crying that their phone fell in a bucket of water. They want to turn it on to check their photos.
• Technician’s task: stop them from turning it on, explain why it is dangerous, and explain what the cleaning process will be.
• Why it is dangerous: power running through a wet circuit board can cause a short circuit and more damage.
• Safe advice: switch the phone off, do not charge it, and remove the battery, SIM and memory card if they can be removed.
• Cleaning process: open the phone, clean the board with a suitable cleaning liquid such as isopropyl alcohol, and let it dry fully before testing.

Scenario B: The “Angry Student”

• Situation: a student brings back a laptop you “fixed” yesterday, complaining it is still slow.
• Technician’s task: do not get angry, check the laptop again, and apologise for the trouble.
• Find out: is it a new problem or the old one?

Scenario C: The “Bargain Hunter”

• Situation: a customer wants to change a screen. You charge ₦10,000, but they say they only have ₦4,000.
• Technician’s task: politely explain the cost of the screen and why you cannot do it for that price without losing money.
• Example: if the screen cost you ₦8,000, charging ₦4,000 means a loss of ₦4,000.

How should a technician deal with customers?

A good technician is polite, honest and clear with every customer.

• Be polite: greet every customer and stay calm, even with difficult ones.
• Be honest: tell the true fault and the true price.
• Use simple words: avoid technical terms the customer cannot follow.
• Stay neat: a clean workbench shows care.
• Keep records: always complete the job card.

Evaluation

Discuss these questions after the role-play.

1. What was the hardest part about talking to the “Difficult Customer”?
2. Did anyone forget to write down the customer’s name? Why is that a problem?
3. How did it feel to tell a customer a price? Were you confident or shy?
4. What is one thing you would do differently if a real customer walked in right now?

Assignment

Write a short job card and price list for a phone with a damaged screen. Include the customer’s name, the fault, the part cost, your service fee and the total to pay.