Tech service providers see spike in calls
While Hatters and the whole world rushed home to set up work stations, take classes or just generally stayed home while connecting with family and friends via video conferencing, technology service providers in Medicine Hat recorded a spike of calls.
That seems to have evened out now, as the second week of social distancing measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 comes to a close.
But many of the local tech companies report that typically mundane problems like finding software, added networks or fixing glitches are now considered, almost panic-inducing problems.
“Overnight to be classified as ‘essential service’ is kind of a weird feeling,” said Jeremy Silver, who is the owner of iFix Phones. His shop did a bristling trade fixing broken, locked and otherwise malfunctioning phones in late March.
Two months ago people might have joked that they couldn’t function without a phone, but now, the idea of being disconnected from friends or family, or from news reports and updates, is a very real fear.
“People who resisted technology – seniors not wanting smartphones, that sort of thing – I don’t hear any of that now,” said Silver.
He feels that the pandemic response, the calls to self isolate, and as much business and personal interactions moving online has long-term implications in professional and personal lives.
Cell-phone apps to interact with doctors. Months, at minimum of online learning for students. Business meetings held on a variety of apps.
Visits to the News website have doubled compared to the same time frame last year and are still increasing, administrators report. Individual visitors have increased 20 per cent since mid-March.
Plus there’s a sociological need to give and get support from those in our circles. Daycare friends are singing songs and having show-and-tell online in virtual playdates arranged by parents. Birthdays, anniversaries, and just good talks, are happening on a variety of social media platforms.
“Technology is how people connect to the whole world,” said Shelley Vorro, the manager of Procomm Solutions in Medicine Hat. The company fielded a flurry of service calls in late March — customers needing to work from home but access office systems. With so many clients slowing operations, however, general calls are down, she said, but inquires are up – as well as by-appointment only service at the firm’s retail phone location.
“(Now) we’re still getting a lot of what-if questions; What if I have to close my business down? As well, our security division is busy, because if a business owner closes, they want to know their property is secure.”
Stu Hickey is part owner of Stumark Technology and says an initial rush to upgrade systems or smooth out wrinkles has passed, but his company is still walking through problems or helping to educate clients.
“There was a big bang at the beginning, when people thought ‘oh, boy, I’ve got to work from home,’” said Hickey. “We’ve fielded a lot of calls from people asking how this or that can be done. It’s settled down now.”
That firm deals mainly with commercial clients who are either now operating remotely, or are seeing operations suspended. That’s freed up time to work with individual clients, including a large customer base of seniors and others who find themselves thrust into a life based on modern technology.
“Now, we’re getting a lot of calls from people who want to know how to FaceTime, or what’s this Zoom thing all about,” said Hickey, referring to video conferencing programs.
Dan Dueck, of Microdyne Computer service in Redcliff, said his firm dealt with increased demands of corporate clients while meeting them remotely and handling an array of questions from the general public about personal computing.
Moving forward, he also sees the potential of pandemics being included as a standard item in business continuity and emergency plans.
“Hopefully we won’t see anything like this again in our lifetimes and children’s lifetimes, but even in natural disasters, people will need and want to have that plan,” he said.