CMT CMT Business Operations & Ethics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of maintaining a written repair agreement with each customer?
- To legally define the scope of work, pricing, and liability for both parties (Correct answer)
- To satisfy IRS audit requirements only
- To track inventory levels
- To register the repair with the manufacturer
Correct answer: To legally define the scope of work, pricing, and liability for both parties
A signed repair agreement protects both the technician and customer by documenting mutual expectations.
Question 2: Under what circumstances can a mobile repair technician legally access data on a customer's device?
- Only to the extent necessary to diagnose and repair the reported issue, with customer consent (Correct answer)
- Freely, since the device is in their possession
- To back up the device without being asked
- Never under any circumstances
Correct answer: Only to the extent necessary to diagnose and repair the reported issue, with customer consent
Accessing customer data beyond what is needed for the repair may violate privacy laws and professional ethics.
Question 3: A repair shop finds a device abandoned after 90 days of no customer contact. What is the appropriate action?
- Follow state abandoned property laws, which typically require documented contact attempts before disposal (Correct answer)
- Immediately resell or discard the device
- Donate it to charity without documentation
- Keep it as store property with no further steps
Correct answer: Follow state abandoned property laws, which typically require documented contact attempts before disposal
Abandoned property laws vary by state but generally require documented outreach attempts before any disposition.
Question 4: What does the Right to Repair movement primarily advocate for in the mobile tech industry?
- Consumers and independent technicians having access to parts, tools, and documentation to repair devices (Correct answer)
- Mandating manufacturer-only repair for all devices
- Free repairs covered by manufacturers
- Elimination of third-party repair shops
Correct answer: Consumers and independent technicians having access to parts, tools, and documentation to repair devices
Right to Repair legislation aims to break manufacturer monopolies on parts and documentation.
Question 5: Which practice is considered unethical in mobile device repair?
- Billing for parts that were not used or replacing parts that did not need replacement (Correct answer)
- Disclosing repair limitations to a customer
- Offering a parts warranty
- Using refurbished components with customer consent
Correct answer: Billing for parts that were not used or replacing parts that did not need replacement
Charging for unneeded or unused work is fraudulent and violates professional ethics standards.
Question 6: What is the recommended practice when a technician discovers illegal content on a customer's device?
- Stop accessing the device, document the discovery, and report it to law enforcement per applicable laws (Correct answer)
- Delete the content immediately and say nothing
- Complete the repair and notify the customer
- Post publicly about the discovery
Correct answer: Stop accessing the device, document the discovery, and report it to law enforcement per applicable laws
Technicians who discover illegal content have legal and ethical obligations that vary by jurisdiction but generally require reporting.
CMT CMT Business Operations & Ethics 1
What is the primary purpose of maintaining a written repair agreement with each customer?