I’m often asked why I started my business. There were a few reasons but it comes down this.
Several years ago, I was working at a computer software company when my dad, then in his mid 70s, called. I could hear the frustration in his voice. He had just purchased his first iPhone and said, “The guy at the phone store said I needed a password. I’ve been on the phone for an hour and no one can tell me what it is.”
I thought, what password does he mean? The passcode to get into his phone? A password for his email? I thought about it on my drive over to help him.
Did anyone on the phone ask what the screen looked like? If he had described it as the keypad, they could have helped him with the passcode. If they had asked him to read what he saw on the screen, they could have learned if he needed his Apple ID or a Wi-Fi password. But I imagined they just heard a confused, older man and passed him on to the next customer service rep.
I realized there was most likely no one on that 800 number who would give my father the respect and the patience he deserved.
Just this week, a client told me over the phone that her “typing didn’t go to her computer.” I asked a few questions and realized she needed new batteries in her keyboard. When another client was concerned that I was changing the filename on her Keynote presentation, I realized she thought we were changing the title on the slide. It just takes listening and asking the right questions.
So why did I start my business? I didn’t want anyone to go through what my father did. When you’re working with new technology, you want someone who is patient and understanding to show you the way. Without ever passing you on to the next customer service rep.
NANCY SPEAR Nancy's Tech Help for Older Adults
info@nancys-tech-help.com www.nancys-tech-help.com 310-365-9951