Geeks to the Rescue in Portland, ME

I have yet another "Geek to the rescue" story to tell. No, I am not an actor, and yes, I really am a customer just like you (hopefully) who just happened to have the need to be saved (yet again) from the treachery of cyberspace, a virus (perhaps), and the perils of using Microsoft Vista (nobody asked me!).

As a consultant, trainer, speaker, writer, I travel a lot and this past week found myself at the Eastland Park Hotel in beautiful downtown Portland, Maine, delivering a training program. I carry an LCD projector and laptop with me for my PowerPoint presentation, and have never had a problem with the computer. Now the LCD is another story. On another trip, just after purchase, the $350 bulb in my new projector blew out, leaving me with no A/V. Thanks to Circuit City and their more than generous return policy, I was given a brand new one (I had just asked for a replacement bulb). (Sorry, Best Buy, but they beat you on price for the same model.) However, every time I push the "Power" button on the LCD, I hold my breath, remembering the loud "pop" sound of that fateful day, hoping that I won't have another equipment failure.

As I was setting up the equipment on that Monday morning in Maine, I hooked up the laptop and projector, carefully pushed "power" (no popping sound) and then powered up the laptop. I entered my password, then got an error message that my password was not recognized. I tried again, but got into a maddening loop of entering the password, logging off, logging on, and then the same message. I was frantic, thinking I would have to do my program sans the dazzling PP presentation. Visions of shadow puppets against a blank screen, and recreating the graphics on a flip chart brought fear and terror to my heart. There was no reasoning with the laptop. No go. Nada.

Remembering my previous encounters, I immediately thought of the Geek Squad. Surely, they had one in Portland. To my relief, there was, and after a call to the Best Buy at the Maine Mall, I felt relief was only a cab ride away. After my program was over at 4, I got a cab and off to the mall. A very nice agent named Jeramy came to my rescue. Again, dressed in his official Geek Squad uniform, badge on his belt, he quickly assessed the problem. However, it appeared first that my laptop had a corrupted file, and the initial phone analysis of just a password change was not possible. I believe my pleading, positive affirmations that he was indeed a "genius" who could master anything, and my look of panic made him keep exploring possibilities. After conferring with another Geek at the desk, he successfully circumvented the nasty error message through safe mode and was able to set back my computer to a few days prior to the message. He logged off, and we held our collective breaths while he tried to log on again! Miracles do happen, there is an Easter Bunny, and good guys (and geeks) win in the end. There is no sweeter sound than the login tune for Microsoft and no greater sight than my desktop on the laptop screen (he also removed the password login screen). We cheered, we laughed, we cried (or at least I did). For a mere 30-minute counter charge, I was back in business.

Whether in Savannah, GA, Portland, ME, or anywhere else the 11,000 Geeks are on duty, you can rest assured that they can help. I was able to do my presentation the next day in all it's PowerPoint glory, and then go on to Bangor, Maine and do the same. Not resting on his laurels, Jeramy also personally escorted me to the business supply section (I wanted to get some overheads just in case), and had Ian, one of the store's Business Technology Professionals touch base to be sure all my needs were met.

A very class act. Experts that don't let you down. Best Buy and Geek Squad made a great team. Courteous, professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated to finding solutions. Fast and Economical!

What else can I say? Thanks to the Geek Squad once again.