By now you are aware that we launched our Private Beta yesterday. Things are going great! Diego and I are both quite pleased with the results from the chat sessions yesterday. Customer service was exceptional and tech support was top notch. We did notice a few little things that may help with chat communication. Ok, correction. I noticed a few things that I think might help. You see, I always think of my folks and how they would react to certain words or certain computer terms.

• So I have come up with a little list for us all to think about (and add to in the comments section).
• Start Menu may be confusing. Try saying something like Start button or Start icon. (use visual terms)
• Folder direction can be abbreviated by using alligators. For instance, Start > Control Panel > Display > Desktop Tab
• Spell out acronyms like SP. Not everyone knows it stand for Service Pack

Can anyone think of any others?

I value honesty above all else. Anyone that knows me knows that as well. Today Diego had to be very honest with me.

I am writing this post because I think it is important for us all to realize how human each and everyone one of us is; from the top down.

This morning Diego and I were chatting online and I responded to him in a less than cordial manner. It was borderline unprofessional. I meant nothing by it but he read it as being a bit abrasive. It then came to my attention that in some forums and in some chats I tend to write very quickly and forget that my messages are not always read as I hear them in my head. And for that I apologize to each one of you. I realize now that this is a huge challenge I am facing. But I am committing to it because it will bleed into my communication with customers. It is probably something we will all want to be concerned with. How do we chat in such a way that balances the line of “fake polite” and “genuine courtesy and professionalism”.

I would love to hear how some of you maintain such great chattitudes and if any of you practice how you conduct chat conversations. This is where I become the student so please, teach away!

I think by now we all know the history of computers. We have all seen that lasting image of the old guy in the white lab coat standing in front of the large machine with wheels and cranks and hoses and the caption, “the world’s first super computer.” It is timeless and to people like me is the equivalent of cave drawings to an anthropologist; fascinating and revealing all at once. So imagine my excitement when I came across this amazing museum site. Located in Mountain View, California this place seems like a geek dream. I guess until I can get to CA again I will just have to settle for a virtual tour.

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.

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.

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.

I remember those days in elementary and middle school when our class would prepare for the state-issued standardized tests. As if monks in an abbey processional my teacher would repeat aloud the test mantra, “Make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep, eat a good, well-balanced breakfast and please bring two, sharpened #2 pencils.” By the time I graduated 5th grade I had almost perfected my quasi-concerned, overly-articulated teacher impression. So what does all this mean to the MinuteFix Community? Ladies and gents, it is test time. (A shutter washed over the keyboards) If you will remember I mentioned during early recruiting that we will find our team of Certified MinuteFix Technicians through a process of proficiency testing. The subjects are: English Proficiency, Anti-Virus, Customer Service, PC Misc., Vista and Windows. You can expect questions like:

1. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. Choose the correct word to complete the question:
She read the story _________.
o allowed
o aloud
o a loud
o alowd

-AND-
2. Which tool is built into Windows XP for the purpose of managing imaging devices?
o Imaging Wizard in Accessories
o Scanners and Cameras in Control Panel
o Cameras in Control Panel
o Printers and Scanners

But never fear my friends. I know that each of you is a highly qualified technician with the capacity to impart your knowledge to others. If not, you will have other opportunities to become part of MinuteFix. Until we release the tests though (which rumor has as being in the next 14 days) you have ample opportunity to amp up what you know and eliminate what you may not know. Oh, and don’t worry. I have to take the test too!

The playwright and critic George Barnard Shaw is quoted as saying, “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” Apparently no one in the Bush administration read that passage though when searching for wisdom in the wake of the California fires. How do we know this? Because as you can see in the news clip below FEMA and the related Bush admin. served up a phony press conference. Watch:

So what does this have to do with MinuteFix? It is this simple. As we continue to grow and add potential technicians and team members we want to be known as an honest company. We aren’t trying to lie, cheat, steal or even pull the wool over someones eyes. We are open and honest about what we do and even though we are connected via chat messaging we still want to act as if we are sitting eye-to-eye with someone in their home. It is the only way to do business.

I really have been scratching my head trying to figure out how to populate our technician community in what seems to be such a short amount of time. The answer is quite easy though. I like to call it the facebook game. On facebook we have all been bitten by a vampire or somone has written on our funwall or something of that nature. In order to reap the real benefits of that gift we have to install that app on our own profile. It is a viral thing if I have ever seen one. Now, I am not saying that MinuteFix is going to have little vampire apps. What I am saying though is that as a technician you will inevitably tell someone that you are part of this thriving community of computer support. They may even become interested and excited. But, to reap the real benefits they will have to become a technician themselves. In order to back in the afterglow of helping someone who may not be very computer literate is something that much be experienced and not just heard about. It is a marvelous virus to catch.

Customer Service. It is not a proper noun, per sé. It is nothing more than a description of a department that is usually filled with operators and phone banks. Not with MinuteFix though. Customer Service is a proper noun. It is a title. It is even a badge, if you will, and one we wear with honor. Some dictionaries define C.S. as the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. In this case that purchase is your skill as Technical Support. You want the customer to be happy from the moment you begin to chat. We are providers and as such should look for every opportunity to satiate the needs of our customer.