Company Profile, Staff & History
Company Profile
Blue Ridge Wireless is a privately held company founded in 1998 as an independent dealer selling wireless services. In the years since, Blue Ridge Wireless has evolved into a wireless support and cell phone repair center. Today, we focus on 4 key areas within the wireless industry:
- Cell phone repair and remanufacturing
- Asset Recovery
- Forensics Consulting
- OEM / Specialty accessory sales
We provide repair and remanufacturing services for a variety of manufacturers and handsets. Our client base includes local retail customers, rural wireless service providers as well as third party warranty and protection plan sellers. We offer a range of value added services from drop shipping of repaired units to custom invoicing solutions. Our custom online database provides full detailed tracking of all handsets processed through our various programs. The database allows for accurate inventory control and tracking of the handset throughout the repair / remanufacturing process. As part of the repair process, we offer GSM handset unlocking and handset software updates.
Our Asset Recovery program has been designed to help our large clients recover losses associated with handsets that fall outside of the parameters of their programs. This includes scrap recycling and re-sale of individual / bulk lots. Our primary goal is to generate a revenue stream from otherwise dead or excess inventory for our clients.
Forensics Consulting - We work with law enforcement (including the military, FBI, ATF and Homeland Security), the legal profession, insurance companies and other industries and businesses that need a third party, independent expert to provide data recovery, expert witness testimony and general auditing or consulting on issues arising from the use of cell phones.
We offer a wide range of OEM and high end specialty accessories to support most cell phones.
Staff
We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of employees on staff. Each person brings their own experiences to our shop to help create a relaxed and efficient work environment. The staff works as a team to make sure Blue Ridge Wireless offers the best repair and customer service possible. We are only as good as our people and they are truly valued employees.
Robert Nissenbaum, General Manager (1998)
Amar Tesch, Lead Tech (2008)
Freeman 'Mitch' Mitchell, Customer Service Representative / Retail Sales (2008)
Craig Staples, Customer Service Representative / Retail Sales (2009)
Nicole Nissenbaum, Back office / PR (2007)
History
Blue Ridge Wireless was established in 1998 after the owner's employer (a larger cell phone retailer) went out of business. The goal was to create a cell phone retail center that was unlike any other.
Most retailers at the time offered service from one or two carriers when there were six in the Tucson area. We were the first local wireless store to break the mold and offer services for five carriers side by side. This maximized our ability to compete by having the broadest carrier plans and/or coverage. We were able to concentrate on listening to the customer and selling them what they needed, not what we sold.
As time progressed and others followed suit, we ultimately paired down to the two best carriers in our area. This allowed us to become more knowledgeable about not just the handsets, but the nuances of each network. We remained loyal to the idea of selling the customer only what they needed. To this end, we would still recommend a service we did not offer, even if that meant lost sales. This commitment to customer service has earned us a reputation unmatched by any other cellular phone retailer.
In early 2000, an elderly woman came in looking for a used phone since hers had broken. Not having one to sell, we offered the usual recommendations. Then it dawned on us. We had a box of scrap phones that matched the model she had. We offered to see if we could help her out. She left with a fixed phone (the rear housing merely needed to be replaced) at no charge. Word spread quickly, and it took very little time before we were inundated with requests for replacement parts and repairs ranging from the very simple to those more complex.
We sourced parts, both new and used, and began offering small repairs to complement our phone and accessory sales. Seeing an opportunity to broaden our offerings and expand our repair business, we began to adjust our focus.
Over the years, commissions paid to retailers shrunk, cell phone penetration in the market had grown exponentially, more dealers came into the area driving prices and profit margins down, and the carriers themselves began opening more stores of their own. This put tremendous pressure on the smaller retailers. With many unable to survive, Blue Ridge Wireless leveraged its relationship within the market (customers and competitors) and began to shift solely in to a full service cell phone repair and support center.
As we look forward, we are thankful for that wonderful woman that made all of this possible. If not for a simple repair, Blue Ridge Wireless may have gone the way of many other small retailers who were unable to compete in the ever changing wireless environment.
