Inspector gadget

Finding a good technician in Mumbai to repair your electric device after its warranty period is over, is not an easy task. You need immense patience to convince someone to do the task. And when you do manage to do that, you can't shake off the niggling thought that probably you are being conned.

An electrician at work at Theek Kar Do's office at Andheri.u00a0PIC/ Atul Kamble

However, four Mumbaikars have decided to take matters in their hands and set up Theek Kar Do (TKD), a one-stop repair solution for electronics, laptops and home appliances. All you need to do is call them on 8080853853, fill a form on their website - theekkardo.com - and they will take care of everything - right from picking up the faulty appliance, to fixing it and delivering it back.u00a0

TKD has been founded by a motley crew, comprising chartered accountants Hardik Shah and Sonakshi Pratap, IIT aspirant Shantanu Kamath and class 12 student Bhavishya Pratap. Shah explains how the quartet came up with the idea. "All of us wanted to set up something of our own. So we met often and brainstormed on various business plans which were implemented abroad but not utilised in India.

Finally in May this year, we decided to provide something for the after-warranty electronics market. We crib when we have to follow up umpteen times for a technician to repair our non-functioning device and return it without any guarantee of how long it will run. We wanted to provide a solution to people and commenced our trial run on November 29."

TKD has a unique 3-2-1 promise, which roughly translates into three months warranty on products fixed, pickup of product in two hours of the call being placed or the service will be provided for free and one-stop repair shop. However, the initial bit of sailing did see the company tread on choppy waters. Speaking about the struggles they faced, Shah says, "We were short on resources.

So we had to design our website, set up phone connections etc. We have not outsourced any part of the basic work. However, one of our major concerns was hiring people. Since we were juggling our professional/ student life along with TKD, we needed someone to do the daily chores. It was an uphill task to convince people that though we were a start-up, we would pay their salaries on time. Then we also wanted a cell number as a point of contact that would not change in the future. That was quite a task."

Currently TKD services clients between Borivli and Vile Parle. However, Shah and his partners intend to extend their services all over Mumbai in the next few months. The list of products they can fix include, air conditioners, refrigerators, laptops, computers, computer peripherals, televisions, home appliances, microwave ovens and coolers. Interestingly enough, these entrepreneurs are currently being asked to fix more than just electronic appliances. Shah says, "We are flooded with requests of arranging marriages and mending broken hearts as we are Theek Kar Do." Doing it right, quite obviously, is never easy. u00a0