Is you PC down? Viruses all around? Who you gonna call? GEEK SQUAD!!

Some sad stories have happy endings, there is a fairy godmother, and the good guys do win in the end. And, yes Margaret, there is a double agent from the Geek Squad who can unravel the mysteries of your PC, banish the boogeymen, viruses, trojans, worms and other evil things inside the hard drive, make the sun shine again and make the rainbow appear after the storm.

I know this is true, because my very own (well, scheduled to arrive) double agent saved the day (or I should say my desktop) on Saturday morning. He also synced up two laptops, moved files, and make all sorts of other tweeks that left the PC purring and running like the winner at the Kentucky Derby. The appointment was for "between noon and 4 p.m.," and at about 12 noon on the dot I got a call from him, saying he was in range and would be there shortly. I didn't know what to expect, since I had only seen "agents" at the store, but he certainly did not disappoint. I opened the door, and I could swear I saw rays of light emanating from behind him as he stood on the porch, black shoes shining, dressed in full Geek Double Agent attire (black pants, white dress shirt, black tie), with very cool black sunglasses to complete the picture. Calm, cool, collected, and very polite, warm, friendy smile. I knew this was going to be a pleasant experience. After talking just a few minutes I had complete confidence that this Geek knew what he was doing, and he had the great customer service skills necessary to assure me that he could take care of whatever ills had beset my PC.

During the five hours that he worked on the PC and laptops, my husband and I wandered in and out of the office, answering questions, chatting, and watching as he worked his magic. Armed with the proper tools (a portfolio of CDs) he took the PC through extensive diagnostics and tackled each problem one-by-one, taking them to the mat and scoring points each time.

What was remarkable was that he didn't seem to be "on the clock" and took time to be sure that we were completely satisfied with the outcome, and was happy to answer any questions and make modifications that would make the PC and laptops perform even better. I was impressed with his professionalism, confidence and respectful demeanor. I was amazed with his expertise and knowledge and ability to walk into a realtively unknown situation and handle it with ease. The cost of the in-home service was well worth the price, and the ease of scheduling a plus. If I hadn't procrastinated, a double agent could have been in my home the day after I visited the store (Wedneday). As it was, he was available the following Saturday.

One software package, ACT! was a new one to him, and was the only trojan standing after the service call. Still inoperable, he apolgized for not having the key to that one, but promised to do some research on it. Also, he reminded us that the work is guaranteed for 30 days, so if we need him, he's only a call away to the Geek Squad 800-number. We have also found a few files that we forgot to ask him to move (we have two user accounts on the desktop), and will be testing the 30-day guarantee this week.

Often, in home service providers are an annoyance, are in a hurry to get done and get out, are non-communicative, defensive, or know-it-alls who talk down to you. Not the Geeks from Best Buy. Either their parents or Best Buy's training taught them what customer service is all about. When we asked him about retrieving data from a hard drive had been dropped on the floor, he let us know that Best Buy has a new provider that can do a diagnostic for $59.95, and let us know if there is any hope for the data. We promptly took it to our local Best Buy with high hopes that somewhere there is a double agent (or just an agent) that can coax the data out of it. That will be my next story. Hopefully, it will have as happy an ending as this one.

"Double Agents" to the Rescue

Somehow, a trojan horse or worm or virus has attacked my desktop, wiping out all the Microsoft programs. And, the trojan is at the gate of my hard drive, because it has blocked re-installation. I shop at Best Buy a lot, and have engaged the "Geek Squad" occasionally with a question, but now I really needed their help. So, off I went to Best Buy to set up an appointment. I could have called them up, or went online, but since I was out running errands anyway, thoughI would stop in for a few minutes and set up a service call.

How naive and foolish that was! I got in line behind about four other people. From the looks on their faces -- clenched teeth, glazed eyes -- I could see they had been there for awhile. There were two "agents" behind the counter, helping two customers. The time went by, and the line got longer, but no progress at the counter. I was quickly taken into the brotherhood/sisterhood of the waiting line, and we commiserated with each other. Some people were holding computer towers or other pieces of equipment, and as time went by they engaged in some creative balancing acts, leaning them agains the posts of the line barriers, holding them like teddy bears, or sitting on them.

As we waited, I noticed a lot of "geek" personnel (you can tell from their shirts) milling around, walking in and out of an office next to the counters or from behind the curtains behind the counter, but none of them noticed the line and came to help more customers. At one point, one of the agents finished with a customer and then, instead of taking the next customer, proceeded to put papers away, wandered around, disappeared for awhile behind the curtains, all the while deftly avoiding eye contact with the customers in the line. At one point this agent was carrying a CD behind the counter and in a surprise move, snapped the CD in half, sending shards of the CD into the air, some showering us with plastic missles. Not even a warning "incoming" or "fore!" A comment from one guy in the line got no response, not even a look or a nod. We began to feel like the Whos from Whoville in the Dr. Seuss book. Were we so insignificant that no one noticed us?

I noticed that when a transaction was completed, the agent would make some entries in a register and then leave the counter, walk to the back of the store, and return with papers in his hand. This happened every time. I wonder why, since they were techno-geeks, they didn't figure out that if you put the printer behind the counter you can save a lot of time walking back and forth. It didn't escape the brother/sisterhood in the line. We watched as this was repeated time and again.

Finally, I got to the front of the line, and was told that I had to call the 800-Geek line to set up an appointment, but that one of their "double agents" (the double agents do the in-home service) may be available as early as that afternoon. My hour in line got me information that I could have found if there was an "info" only line, or a poster somewhere with that info and the number.

Putting the printer at the counter where the transactions are completed, posting information for customers, making eye contact, and refraining from actions that can put your customers in jeopardy are only a few of the observations for making this customer service experience better. How is your customer service area arranged? Where is your equipment? What about signage, and flow? A simple analysis of these items and some observation can make a big difference to your customers and help keep their attitude positive while they are waiting. As for me, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my "double agent" tomorrow. I wonder if he will arrive by scaling the back garden wall, or be dropped out of a helicopter, or something equally 007-ish. I don't really care, just so long as he can slay a trojan, squash a worm or cure a virus.

Have a great weekend.

Waiting for Service

Since I travel quite a bit, I have to squeeze in "home stuff" when I'm in town. This time the list of stuff includes the usual like going to the cleaners, shopping for jazzy clothes to take when I'm back on the road (thanks Ann Taylor Loft for the great $25 off when you spend $50 coupons), and cleaning (yuk!).

It's also time to tackle some larger issues, like the sectional that we bought six months ago that now looks like a large beige sharpei dog with folds of wrinkled fabric on the cushions, deep depressions in cushions long after the "sitters" have left, and seat cushions that no longer line up like soldiers on the parade field. I am also anticipating a return trip by the bug guy to re-spray for the pesky little german roaches that still roam occasionally over the kitchen countertops, inside the dishwasher, oblivious to the sprays and traps that were supposed to drop them in their tracks.

Waiting for service has become a commonplace thing. Some businesses, like the bug guy, schedule service at a particular time so you can plan your day around them. Others, like the furniture company, will call me tonight (as if it's a national secret) and let me know when they will be coming tomorrow. It won't be a definite time, just a range, say like between 10 and "whenever we feel like showing up." Fortunately, I have the flexibility to be home at random hours during the day to meet these people. Not so when I had a "real job" and had to squeeze service people in before 9 or after 5, or race home to be there or convince my husband to come home early to meet them.

That I have to spend time doing this at all is what irks me and most people that have to return or redo some service or product. If the quality of the product was what it should have been in the first place (and promised) or the bug spray service had knocked the little buggers off like it was supposed to (in one service, guaranteed), I could be off to the beach or taking advantage of the 20% off coupon at Steinmart this morning. But, here I am, sitting captive in my own home, not daring to leave lest someone show up early (or on time, God forbid) and I miss them. I would then have to endure a scolding from their customer service rep for missing my appointment, and then reschedule and do this all over again.

People are busy, with busy lives and not a lot of discretionary time to sit and wait. With prices going up for just about everything, shoppers are becoming more discerning. If I have to spend time after the sale to fix things or replace them, I will be less likely to return to the same store or service provider. Give me the "one-night-stand." I'm looking for vendors that see me once, take my money, and leave me with nothing but pleasant memories. I like to be the one to rekindle the relationship by seeking them out and buying again, not to cry, complain, and tell them why they've done me wrong. Who needs another disfunctional relationship?

Service providers take a lot of heat, since they are often fixing problems they had no part in creating. Companies spend a lot of money and create a lot of ill will when they have to send service workers out to fix things. They could be spending that money on new products, marketing, or printing up those great 20% off coupons to bring in new business. If I have to wait, let it be for the guys from Publisher's Clearing House with that $1 million check. That's worth waiting for.

Water, Batteries and TP

This month is shaping up to be an active one for hurricanes. I happened to be in Jacksonville when Fay blew in (only a tropical storm) and she managed to shut down the town, close stores, and send rain and debris flying sideways in heavy winds all day and night. Midway in the second day of training the chandelier in the meeting room sprung a leak, showering water all over the table with all the AV equipment.

The hotel was very accommodating, but with all the rain and humidity, (and being Florida) when I got wet, it was almost impossible to dry out, even overnight. My one pair of comfortable shoes were soaked inside and out, and never did dry out over the three days I was in Jacksonville. Everything in the hotel room seemed damp, and I swear the bottomof my socks were wet when I walked on the carpet.

I made it out of Jacksonville and finally dried out, but now there are three possible hurricanes out in the Atlantic, all three with "cones of concern" projected to come up the eastern seaboard. Here we go again. Rain, damp, light fixtures that become upside-down fountains. Now, at home, we are urged to prepare for the worst, and go out and stock up on a few essentials -- bottled water, batteries and, most essential, toilet paper. On my trip to Sam's Club today, I was able to get all three, and a few other things on the survival list. Interesting how survival comes down to a shopping list of items that are so commonplace that we don't think of them when the sun is shining and there are no swirling masses on the weather map with names like Fay, Katrina and Hugo.

When disasters loom at work, what is on your list of survival items? Without electricity, lights, and air conditioning, what would you use to keep things going? Once when the electricity went out at the Resort where I was working, the servers at the restaurants had to write up manual tickets, make change (without the registers telling how much to return), and wash dishes by hand. We found out how unprepared our employees were to handle simple tasks like legibly writing up tickets, doing simple math to add up charges, figure sales tax and make change. And how unaccustomed they were to rolling up their sleeves and take on the unpleasant and repetitive task of washing dishes quickly in order to reset tables and take care of customers. Essential skills like math, writing, and innovation are often overlooked in employee training, but like water, batteries and toilet paper, they can surely keep you going when the lights go out (and the electricity is off). Working Smart means being prepared for whatever comes down the pike. How prepared is your workplace? What's on your "Essentials List?"

Welcome to Working Smart Works!!!

I haven't seen many news articles lately where some HR person put a gun to an applicant's head and forced them to take a job. Most people take a shower, brush their teeth, put on their best "interview" suit or dress, shine their shoes, pick up a leather portfolio (with a great interview pen inside), and print off a couple copies of that professionally scripted resume. Then they head out for an interview hoping to make the final cut, and ulitmiately become the workplace version of "American Idol Employee." Take center stage, hear the roar of the crowd, see the paystub with their name on it, slide into their new leather chair behind their new mahogany desk.

Unfortunately, some workplaces more closely resemble "Survivor -- Workplace." When the employee shows up on the first day, the job they interviewed for has changed and the manager they interviewed with has moved on. The co-workers who were friendly in the interview are now suspicious of their ambition and fear their credentials. The new employee is either ignored, tolerated, or fed misinformation.

If you have to work at all, it makes sense to work smart! That means that you choose the job, the company, the hours, the terms. Sound impossible? Well, if you work for someone else, at some point you are going to voluntarily sign on the dotted line and agree to whatever was said (promised, written) in the interview and your offer letter. So, be smart about it and choose well.

If you work for yourself, you have more freedom to choose, but you still will sign a contract, agreement, or proposal promising to show up at the company or client's place of business, or deliver a product at some point in time. Either way, there is an agreement to deliver something and you have a chance to name the terms, the place, the timing and the compensation. Again, choose well, because you are committing precious time that could be used doing something else (and possibly more fun, challenging and lucrative).

This blog will discuss all aspects of what we call "working" and propose ways to work smart. We all know how to work hard, put in long hours, be productive. But are we working smart -- leveraging our days on the job to that next level, more recognition, building that resume, enjoying more free time and control of our life on the job? Or maybe just chukking it all and going on your own. I'll share my experiences, trials, tribulations, elations, triumphs and lessons learned. Share yours with me.

As I travel around the country consulting, training, writing and speaking, I am struck by the attitude of so many workers, regardless of the level -- boredom, stressed out, angry, negative, just "hanging on". There are some bright spots, someone who has found a way to make work interesting or bearable until they can leave at the end of the day and get on with their real life. Work should be real life, too -- fun, engaging, positive, rewarding, challenging, creative.

What makes you jump out of bed every morning and get to work (hopefully on time). Other than having to pay the bills, what is it about your job makes you (or you wish it would) willingly spend most of your waking hours four or five days a week working? What issues would you like to discuss? Have answers to? Log on to see what creative ways people are learning to work smart, join me in my travels, and find out who out there is really taking care of the customer.

Mary N-H