Visiting us

How it works on the day

What can you expect if you come and visit us?

DOORS OPEN AT 9.45AM

Repairs start at 10am. When you first arrive at the Tunbridge Wells Repair Cafe you will be greeted at the front desk.

Read more
The main job here is to make a general decision as to whether we are able to repair your item or if it is beyond the scope of the repair café.
We then need to register your repair, you can pre register ahead of the day which can save a wasted trip if we can’t help and also speeds everything up when you arrive, please do that here.   
If you have not pre registered, no problem,  you can register yourself using your phone or if you need help or you do not have a phone, we can help you with registering.
Once you are registered you will receive a registration number, please remember this as you need it to be allocated, you must be allocated or you will not be in the queue and this will waste your time unnecessarily. 

ALLOCATION DESK

You must then visit the allocation desk, this is where we decide which repair station is best for you.

Read more

We allocate you a repair station, which puts you in the queue for that station and you can then grab a cuppa and wait until your name and number are called. If you don’t visit here after registering you will not be placed in the queue and it will waste some of your time and may delay you being seen. Please remember your registration number.

If you have an electrical repair you will likely need to have your item PAT tested. If so you will be directed to the PAT testing area and after that you can grab a cuppa as you wait to be seen by your repairer.

PAT testing or Portable Appliance Testing is important for the safety of everyone. We will ask you to repeat this process after you have seen your repairer.  

If your item fails the PAT test we will place a red failed sticker on it and taken a photograph of this. We advise you not to use the item as it has been deemed unsafe.  

LIVE WAITING TIME DISPlAY screen

As soon as you are allocated, please look at the large live display screen which will give you an indication of your waiting time. 
Read more
The screen shows your estimated waiting time at the point your repair was allocated to your repair station. You can see the current live display screen by clicking here.  
Obviously this is only an estimate as we can’t predict if the repairs ahead of you will take a long time or a short time. The estimate is based on the waiting list and the average time a repair takes on that station.
If at any time to wish to know where you are in the queue for your repair station, if you created an account, you can sign in and go to ‘Track Status of Open Repairs’  and that will tell you. If you did not create an account please ask any member of the team. 
If for whatever reason you are unable to wait and wish to leave we ask that you let us know so we are not calling your name out later on when your repair station comes available.

Grab a snack while you wait

There may be a wait before we call you, please get a drink and a snack as this supports Trinity Theatre.

Read more
The Trinity Theatre does a range of hot and cold drinks plus snacks. We also advise bringing a book or a magazine to read. Our busiest stations are electrical, mechanical and miscellaneous and wait times can exceed 60-90mins, especially for electrical. 
Once there is a space available at a repair station for you, one of our ‘runners’ (in orange bibs) will call your name and registration number and they will escort you to your repair station. 

At the repair station

Once a runner calls you the repairer will then commence their assessment of your item. 
Read more

The repairer will then discuss with you what your options are and you can agree together what you’d like to do. Ideally they will be able to repair your item there and then, if they can’t or they think that you need a spare part, or only a partial repair or no repair is possible or something else, they will let you know.

Once you have finished with your repairer we ask you visit the exit desk so we can sign you out of our system. If you have an electrical repair, before you go to the exit desk, please visit the PAT testing station to have a final PAT test.

Occasionally, your repairer may offer, at their own discretion, to repair your item in their own time. This needs to be discussed and agreed with your repairer and is a private arrangement which is outside the scope of the Tunbridge Wells Repair Café. 

PLEASE VISIT THE EXIT DESK

Once you have finished we ask that you leave via the Exit Desk so we can sign you out and if you wish you can leave a donation. 

Read more

We will ask you a few questions to get some feedback about your experience. You also have the opportunity to give a donation if you wish. We accept cash and cards.

The money we raise helps fund the costs of running the  Tunbridge Wells Repair Café and any surplus goes to our designated charities.  

Everyone that helps with the repair café is a volunteer, no one receives any money for their time.