I’ve helped repair many of my friends’ phones, and they never worry about the data on their device, they don’t have to. But when I started my own repair business, I found that some people began to stand behind me watching how I handle their phone. Sometimes when I ask for the passcode for their handset they are reluctant to give it to me. It makes things awkward.

Most people aren't concerned about keeping their data safe when getting their phone repaired. If you are worried about keeping your data safe, don’t take your phone to a repair shop without first wiping it clean.

Repair work is based on trust. People come to my shop and choose me to help them fix their gadgets, and I do repair work professionally as a qualified technician. I think it has a foundation of trust. If I haven't earned their trust, I want nothing to do with their devices. No good business relationship can be started on paranoia and skepticism. For those people, their money is not worth the hassle.

There are bound to be 1 or 2 that give you problems over the course of a week, and I want to solve those problems before I give it back. Passwords keep us repair techs from performing tests to see if the device has been fixed or not. You don’t unlock your phone or tell me your password, no repair. I explain it very frankly. I'm not asking for your girlfriend's phone number or your credit card numbers. If you don't trust me with the passcode, why would you let me INSIDE the phone?

Sometimes, I don't want to figure out why people’s digitizer don’t work or why the proximity sensor doesn’t work with them standing there looking over my shoulder the whole time. The people who don't give passcodes are the same motherfuckers who will interrogate you and make you feel like the lowest form of human slime for handing them back a 99% working product instead of a 100% working product, completely oblivious to the fact that they held hostage the piece of information you needed to ensure you gave them a 100% working product.

There are always some customers who are impatient, spoiled or arrogant sanctimoniously annoying you. In fact, I don’t give a shit. That’s why I ask for your password. If they don’t trust me enough to give it to me, I will not repair their phones, even if I can have it 100% ready, 100% working in 20 minutes, but I don't want to do it without trust, because I won't suffer even one second of listening to your tantrum.

I don't mind asking me some stupid questions about some easy repair jobs like some screen replacement or even replacing the charging circuitry on a motherboard. And, I don’t care if they watch me stumble or fail miserably in some steps of handing them back a finalized, working product.

What I DO mind is that the final step, which may lead to imperfection without testing, and that could have been prevented & avoided had you given me your passcode. I don't let others set me up to fail, I do a good enough job of that on my own.