Our Support Process

Stage One

Inbound Receiving/Inspection

• Triage and RMA — When one of our technical support engineers determines that your radio requires a service technician, they issue you a Return Material Authorization (RMA), the number used is the HelpDesk ticket number, underscoring the importance of starting with a Support request.  The RMA documents the details of how to package your radio for a safe trip to Austin
• Intake — Once your product arrives in Austin, our Shipping and Receiving team submits a notification via your HelpDesk ticket indicating your product has been received.  This typically occurs within 24-48 hours of receiving your product but can vary depending on Shipping and Receiving workload
• Visual Inspection — Shipping and Receiving team unpacks and inspects the product to make sure no damage occurred during shipping and the product is in the condition described by the customer.  They record and describe in the ticket, items in the box, the condition of each item, a description of the packaging, and any other relevant information.  This information is normally used internally. If the radio was damaged or received in a condition not noted by the customer, then a descriptive note, along with pictures, is sent to the customer.
• Queue Assignment — Once inspected, an RMA process tracking label is printed, attached to the product and it is transferred to the service queue.

Stage Two

Repair and Assignment to a Service Technician

Our service queue is managed under the FIFO (First In-First Out) method and that process is managed within these prioritized categories:

1. Special Circumstances
2. Warranty Repair
3. Out-of-Warranty Repair
4. Trade-In Product Repair

Once a service technician is assigned a radio from the queue they introduce themselves, via their HelpDesk ticket, and let you, the customer, know that your radio is now on their service bench for diagnostics and repair *.  After another visual inspection the service technician begins their work:

• Problem Reproduction — Before any tests are run, the technician reads through the data collected in the HelpDesk ticket to fully comprehend the nature of and the operational conditions under which the failure occurs. This is where the data collected during the interactions with our Technical Support Team is vital. When possible, pictures or videos of the failure are exceptionally helpful and expedite this part of the process.
• Cleaning, Disassembly, and Repair — The product is cleaned internally, disassembled to the extent required and the faulty components are replaced at one of several rework stations. In rare cases, a circuit board may be sent to a local, specialized vendor for X-RAY or to replace high-density Ball Grid Array (BGA) components.
• Confirmation and Testing — After repairs are completed, the service technician verifies the reported or discovered failure no longer exists and that the repair resolves all issues and verifies the radio meets specifications by subjecting the product to the full suite of factory tests and calibrations. Before the radio leaves the bench, the service technician performs a functional test of the radio ensuring a good user experience when it is returned to you.
• Service Completion — After all repair work is completed, the service technician updates the HelpDesk ticket with the information pertinent to diagnostics, repairs, and test results and assigns the ticket back to Shipping to be repacked for the return journey to your QTH.

* During the repair process, your service tech is available to you through the HelpDesk ticket.  If needed, the service technician may also contact you via telephone for additional information.

Stage Three

The Journey Home

Once the repair is completed, you will receive a notification through the HelpDesk ticket that your product has moved to the Return Shipping/Billing queue.

• Billing — If your product is out-of-warranty, you will receive a repair invoice via Paypal.  This usually occurs on the same day the repaired product is received from the service technician for return processing. In-warranty repairs are processed at no charge. FlexRadio pays the cost of all return shipping fees for in-warranty repairs.
• Cleaning and Repackaging — The product is externally cleaned and properly repackaged for the return journey. If the packaging we received is inadequate in any way, it is either replaced or augmented. When the product transferred from our service facility to Shipping is dependent on the shipping and receiving workload. But usually, it is the same day or the day after repairs are completed.
• Shipping — Once the outbound shipment is ready to be shipped, another note is added to the HelpDesk ticket indicating the product is being returned to the return address and includes tracking information.  Our shipping department always works with customers to accommodate any special shipping/return instructions like a change of address, vacation holds, etc. Please note: Depending on the time of year, this Holiday Season for example, longer than normal delays can occur in all stages. But we always strive to return your radio in top-notch condition and into operating in your shack as soon as possible.