Weathering the COVID-19 Pandemic with Kindness
At the end of March, 2020, as the COVID pandemic forced us all to stay home and find new ways to cope with business, we at ComputerCare brainstormed how we could continue to help our walk-in clients. Apple Genius Bars had closed, as had the Best Buy Geek Squad. At the same time, the new work-from-home workforce needed even more tech support, thanks to increased reliance on their devices to stay connected and get their jobs done. Suddenly that cracked screen on an iPhone, or that recurring screen-of-death on a laptop or tablet became major obstacles for clients, instead of just moderate annoyances they could worry about later. Now they found themselves struggling to maintain their workload in settings their jobs weren’t designed for, without the same support and assistance that more visible essential services received on the front lines.
With this in mind, we at ComputerCare tried to help out. We had to balance our own concerns for employee safety with our clients’ need for assistance, so we invented a hygienic and secure drop-off system for our Bay Area and Seattle locations. Walk-in clients became drop-by clients. After they created an appointment with us, they received access to a locker reserved for their device, and then once the device was ready to go, it was returned to them through the same easy (and easily sanitized) route. We put a lot of effort into this solution and found that within a few days of being up-and-running, we already had increasing numbers of clients needing our help. We have kept our noses to the grindstone and done as much as we can to make sure our services are speedy and safe for our clients’ sake.
And then, without any expectation on our part, something wonderful started happening. Client gifts began showing up as thank-yous. After one lady picked up her device, we found a box of specialty candy for us in her locker. A gentleman gave us two bottles of hand-sanitizer (which we all know is as rare as diamonds these days!) since he had extra and knew we could use it. A client who makes masks also had a stash of n95 masks at home; he decided that since he could make his own mask for safety, he would offer us the medical grade ones. Considering that we are handling devices all day long and then trying to remember not to touch our faces after, this gift especially made us realize how thoughtful people really are in difficult times.
As we all know, the world is completely topsy-turvy right now, and things we took completely for granted, like feeling safe at work, are no longer something we can count on. At ComputerCare, as we work hard to make sure the WFH workforce can have at least one reliable option for hardware support and repairs, we have felt the strain of these changes. We are happy to put in the effort, since we know our clients are also dealing with the complete change of their work life, loss of access to important services, and perhaps job insecurity about being able to keep up in the new environment. At the same time, though, it can be discouraging for our techs to feel on edge all the time about potential exposure to the virus, and it can be daunting to deal with the extra work created by making sure the procedure is safe for our clients, too.
That was why these gestures of kindness and consideration in the form of client gifts are making such a big impact. Our whole organization feels humbled and grateful to be working with and for such generous clients, who take the time to express their appreciation in such concrete and helpful ways. It makes us realize how much community matters. We have tried to help others, and now they are trying to help us. That cycle strengthens us, even as we all deal with our struggles.
Now we want to share this story as our way of saying thank you. At ComputerCare, we are touched and encouraged to know that we work for such great people. We know you, our clients, have your own set of difficulties and frustrations to deal with, so the fact that these client gifts showed up to thank us for smoothing your path even a little bit really warms our hearts. Our promise is to stay open, offering safe support and service, for as long as the crazy situation lasts.
