Marcus Cook, Director, Mobile Geeks, has been a computer repairs support specialist for longer than ten years and has found that even when technical expertise fails, possessing the right people skills can still save the day.

“I suppose that over the ten and a bit years, I have taken thousands of calls from clients and future clients. I have spent far more time than is good for me glued to the phone, talking people through their computer repairs problems … And I have found that even when my technical knowledge cannot fix the computer over the phone, my people skills can still help me get ahead.”, says Marcus.

Most computer problems Geeks encounter are relatively easy to deal with if one has the right kind of mind and skills to extract the necessary information from the caller. And that is where the real challenge is, because clients tend to have their own ideas of what is important and what is not important for fixing their computer. Some people are also quite confident in their own ability to diagnose the problem; this often interferes with the work of computer repairs specialist. Some are upset, stressed and unable to communicate coherently (Imagine deleting your entire PhD thesis!)

The true skill in being successful in handling calls like these is active listening and communication. The ability to draw an analogy rather than use technical language; the insight to understand how a problem looks from a regular user’s perspective; the patience to calm a nervous client and the presence of mind not to ask unnecessary questions are the real tricks of the trade. These skills are more about people than machines. And support calls are often more about fixing people than fixing computers. ‘That is why Mobile Geeks pay such careful attention to selecting their computer repair specialists. We would rather be smaller but better, than bigger but unable to manage our clients with all the skill, attention and respect they deserve.’, says Marcus.

Over and out

MobileGeekette / Mobile Geeks 1300 883 021