Monday was a record day for Make It Work, Inc.
The Santa Barbara-based on-site tech service added more new customers than it ever has in its 10-year history, founder and CEO Eric Greenspan said Monday afternoon.
“We have more new customers already secured today than we’ve had in the last few years,” Greenspan told Noozhawk.
Make It Work sends technicians to fix and configure “anything that hums, beeps or clicks, from computers to iPods to home theaters.” It will now offer a fixed-price, per-service model rather than an hourly charge, the company announced Monday.
Make It Work technicians can set up customers’ computers, wireless networks and TVs for $99.99, and configure Bluetooth connections, sync iTunes and perform other add-on services for $35.
“We called our team and asked why are things going so well (today), and they said people are very responsive to the new model,” Greenspan said. “Our team is spending less time on the phone and getting more customers because customers know what it will cost and that there’s no nonsense.”
Greenspan’s original model was based on business-to-business transactions, and when more residents requested the service, he used the same structure.
But as Make It Work partners with more e-tailers and retailers such as Costco, and online business increases, fixed-prices just make more sense, Greenspan said.
“Many fixed-price models can be so convoluted and complicated, and when you try to understand the price it’s going to be a different story every time,” he said. “We’re trying to make it as simple, cost-effective and value-driven as possible.”
Most of the company’s revenue comes from installations and configurations.
“The more people buy, the more they need us,” Greenspan said.
While the company “basically ran flat” from 2008 to 2010, business recently has increased.
But last week’s news regarding Best Buy’s consolidation won’t help. Best Buy’s Geek Squad wasn’t a competitor; it brought Make It Work business, Greenspan said.
“I’m not happy about that. I’m concerned the industry in general is heading down a slippery slope like Circuit City,” he said. “I think the world is changing, and unless something big happens, I think this may be a beginning to an end.”
Make It Work has other changes in the works as well, Greenspan added.
“Here we are with a new business model, and we’re on the cusp of some exciting news with some new partners,” he said.
— Noozhawk business writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.