Over many years of servicing computers I’ve created assumptions that certain age groups, genders, and demographics use computers in specific ways. Like anyone who works in customer service, we come to expect certain things out of certain people. Those assumptions are not always true.
One of the keys to removing viruses and performing software work is understanding how the customer uses the machine so we can better understand how to proceed. Asking the customer for input saves time and narrows our focus. Computers that have visited Facebook may, for example, contain specific issues carried by threats found mostly on associated web pages.
Age of the user generally dictates the sites they visit and the types of use the machine will have. Older people with laptops generally keep their machine stationary and use it for travel. On the other hand, teenagers are more apt to carry a laptop around the house. Websites and use are generally much different between the two age groups.
I can break it down even more by saying that younger girls tend to use their computers for Facebook, pictures, and if time allows: schoolwork. Young boys tend to do less Facebook than girls; however, they play more video games. Older men and women generally do the same tasks with their computers. Most of the time older men and women tend to use it for communicating with family through Skype and e-mail.
This week I was taken back by a customer who told me she uses her computer for Facebook only. She had come in with some viruses on her computer and had asked us to remove them. When asked if she was the primary user, she retorted that she was the only user. This woman was a seventy six year old Facebook user.
I used to think that demographics played a part in how computers are used. I was wrong with that assumption. One may take for granted the wealthy have high end equipment and all they use it for is surfing stock exchange websites. On the other hand, it could also be assumed that working class people have lower end equipment and use their computers for less-than-savory applications.
Middle class people, like you and me, have some of the nicest equipment that comes through the door. Most purchase computers so they can find jobs, play games, and keep up with changing times. I realized early in my repair career that computers are a great inexpensive hobby. Many people who live in apartments or small homes may have limited space and can’t have big hobbies.
Upper middle class people tend to spend their time doing things like traveling. Though their kids may have expensive, high end equipment, the mother and father tend to spend their money on other ventures. I guess if I owned a yacht, a European sports car, and a summer villa in Paris, I would probably spend less time behind the computer.
People don’t always use computers the way one would expect either. I use a recycling company to haul my steel. During one of his last visits I noticed some valuable items in his van that I assumed he was going to sell separate from the steel scrap. I was surprised to learn that he doesn’t have an eBay account; a natural fit for his business. After showing him the ease of selling online he now has an eBay account and has made extra money selling his goods.
Computer use is not always predictable and sometimes can be just the opposite of what one would expect. Two users who are in the same demographic, share the same gender, and are close in age may not use their computers in the same way. I learned a valuable lesson years ago: always ask, never assume. Having an answer allows us to map the route we take and leaves no room for misinterpretation.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)