Last night I was flipping channels when I came across the CBS Sunday Night News. I really am not one to watch an entire news program as I prefer my newsfeeds. However, I was taken by the subject matter that came on my screen. The voice over captivated me. “The increasingly complicated electronics our society relies on have given rise to the geeks, the essential technicians who set up our gadgets. Steve Kroft reports.” The sixteen minute video went on to interview the founder of Geek Squad as well as a few smaller businesses that are catering to the technologically confused.

So why do I mention this? I mention this because before the segment ended the omniscient voice boomed out, “But what is most amazing is that according to many in the field, the technological revolution is only beginning.” We are onto something team; something HUGE. There are people out there who are buying products without any idea how to use them, much less set them up. That is where we come in. With one click on a website the average consumer can tap into our knowledge and allow us to guide them through almost any computer issue they may have. It is exciting stuff.

So as we come into a new year I want to thank you all for your dedication thus far and your humility to serve the general public. It is going to be a great 2008!

To view the video on the CBS site, click here.

As promised earlier we have identified our first technician to become certified. This is quite an occasion considering we have just recently opened our doors to a select group of Beta technicians. So the first Certified MinuteFix Technician to be dubbed so is Jesse Petersen, a Master Microsoft Office Specialist working as a technical editor for a tech contractor as well as student at the University of South Florida. At USF Jesse is well on his way to finishing his 4-year degree in Professional & Technical Writing. He has been working with computers since 1994 and has a wide range of skills with hardware and software, including graphic design and web publishing. In his spare time, he enjoys playing computer games, relaxing with his bride of one year, reading, and cooking. He is on a short hiatus from his professional World of Warcraft blog gitrknowswow until classes start back up in January.

Jesse met MinuteFix CEO Diego Orjuela in Chicago in May at an online publishing conference and have been in touch about tech stuff ever since and looks forward to being a part of the MinuteFix community.

Even though Christmas is here and Thanksgiving is over I still feel an overwhelming desire to say thank you to each MinuteFix team member. Beta testing and even the whole beta experience can be a bit much for all involved. However, the grace and the enthusiasm everyone has shown has really made our post-launch experience awesome. Thank you. People are getting certified and are sharing their stories with each other. It is very cool. One day we will all sit around and talk about the “early days”. Maybe I will even let one of you buy me a mocha! Whatever the case, thank you.

In the meantime I want you all to know that we have taken your suggestions and comments and feedback to heart and have made changes and adjustments to almost everything. Some of the tests have been updated and corrected. The site is running much more smoothly. We could not do this without each of you. Keep ‘em coming. And thank you.

Would you believe I haven’t received an email in my box yet concerning the first to get registered? I know some of you are already registered. I have seen your tests. Which, by the way, might I add are looking really good. We are certainly going to have no problem claiming the spot of best tech support out there. Thank you so much for your excitement and your participation. If you haven’t taken your tests yet…no worries. Take your time. Especially on the Customer Service test. Make sure to read the session manual provided for you before you even consider taking the test. Customer service doesn’t seem too difficult but it is generally what separates good tech support from those guys at the computer store that drive around little PT Cruisers or whatever.

I would also like to encourage each of you look at our Forums and participate. I love chatting with each of you and hearing what you have to say. That page can be found here. So,tomorrow I am going to be flying almost all day so my correspondance will be limited. That will be a great time for us all to get certified, no? If you have questions don’t hesitate to email us. We want to serve you and we are asking you to serve others!

Upon reading this post you are now in one of two categories. The first is those who are not yet certified but are curious about this MinuteFix thing. The second is those who are certified and are siked to have a contest like this thrown their way. Starting today and ending on the last day of our BETA period we are running a contest to see which Certified MinuteFix Technician can achieve the most impressive feedback rating. You see, even though we are serving customers by invite and they are not paying a penny to use our services they are still encouraged to respond to our feedback questions so we can get an accurate view of where we stand in tech support and in customer service. But, what is the prize? The prize is a Timbuk2 ‘Bag In A Box’ valued at $125.

The Timbuk2 ‘Bag in a Box’ is actually a $125 gift card that can be redeemed at www.timbuk2.com for a Custom Messenger Bag or any other product of your liking including the color and style. Now, I personally own a Timbuk2 and I have for about three years now. I love it. It is rugged. It is slick looking. (Even though I get accused of having a man purse, or ‘murse’ for all you Friends fans.) It holds all of my stuff. So, take all of those things plus the fact that you can win it for free and you should have plenty of motivation to sign up, take the certification tests and start serving the confused public.

So, let’s review real quick. What is feedback and how does it work? Well, your feedback is one of the most important pieces of the MinuteFix service. Each time a successful session ends, the customer will be asked to provide a rating for the session. The options are Positive, Neutral, Negative. The ratings are used to determine your feedback score.

• A positive rating increases your score by one
• A neutral rating leaves the score the same
• A negative rating decreases the rating by one

Your feedback score is calculated by adding the number of positive ratings and then subtracting the total negative ratings. Your rating is calculated by dividing the number of positive ratings by your total ratings.
Furthermore, you get positive feedback when a customer is satisfied with the session and gives you a positive mark. The more positive ratings you get, the more money you will ultimately make. In the case of this contest, the more positive ratings you get, the better your chances of winning the bag are. After rating the session, the customer will be able to rate you in these unique areas: speed, communication, technical knowledge and value. They will also be able to leave a written review. The feedback and rating system helps us reward our best technicians with a higher pay scale, and will allow us to send more sessions to the best performers.

I hate going to most grocery stores to buy fresh produce or fruit. Generally it is either underripe or overripe. Neither is an acceptable option in my opinion. Then the item is underripe it is often bitter and causes me to clench my teeth and make a rather ugly face. When it is overripe it gets soggy and discolored and makes me want to just spit it out. But then there are those times when I am driving down the highway and I pass a “mom and pop” stand that has all sorts of fresh fruit and beans and produce. It is a small slice of epicurean heaven. I think this is the same principle that we are going to operate with.

I have been asked a lot since November 15 when the tests will open up and customers will start pouring in. It is coming. That much I promise. However, we haven’t felt that the fruit is ready to pick. Neither it is underripe or overripe, per se. We just don’t think it is as tasty as it could be in another week or so. That is part of our commitment to our customers as well. We refuse to put out a product that doesn’t make them long for more. We don’t want to appear bitter or foul to the buds. Likewise we don’t want to be overly confident and come off as soggy or discolored. We want to be that refreshing “mom and pop” stand that sets it sites on revolutionizing both tech support and customer service. Perhaps that is why we are being so stringent on our tests and our site before we let everyone in. We want each of you to have a pleasurable dining experience too; a technology you can simply sink your teeth into and find complete decadence.

I personally thank each of you for staying loyal and allowing us to farm our fruit for a few more days. We are anxious for you to savor the taste but we are also careful in the time we pick. So for now, rest easy knowing we are watching the branches carefully and making sure all is well for consumption.