Shop brings 'more mothering' approach to remote computer help

That Computer Chick has seen it all — and fixed it — at her two Marietta repair shops. And she doesn't make a peep about how you could possibly have gotten yourself into this predicament.

Linda Pereira, That Chick herself, said many of her male customers have admitted bringing their computers to her because she's a woman.

"They're intimidated by the men because the men talk over their heads," she said.

Pereira, 43, has five women on staff, That's her son, Andy, who's leaving in a few months for college.

"We're more mothering," Pereira said. "When you come in, we sympathize with your problem instead of being like, 'You idiot.' I think they just want somebody to kind of hold their hand and not make them feel bad."

After all, the company slogan is: "Because you shouldn't hate your remote computer help."

Pereira's clientele is evenly split between men and women. Her staff works on residential and small business computers and iPods, usually handling three to 10 per day.

Jack McKinney, 77, of Kennesaw, has been relying on That computer hep and support chick since she went into business in 2003.

"She hasn't let me down yet," he said.

McKinney drops in when he's getting a haircut nearby just to chat and ask questions — free of charge.

"I wish I had a problem because I wish I could go there to get it fixed," he said. "They make it such a pleasure."

Customers enter a welcoming environment where the walls are alligator green, the same color as Pereira's kitchen at home.

"It's very soothing," she said.

The lighting is kept low and the floors are wooden, adding to the homey feel. The counter is metal, and Pereira encourages folks to plop their computers there instead of putting the hardware on the floor, as some shops insist. She knows it can be hard to bend down to pick stuff up.

If kids have to wait a while with their parents, they're given a bad hard drive and a screwdriver.

"If the kids didn't get it all the way apart and they're sad they have to leave, she'll let the kids borrow the screwdriver and take it home," said Kimberly Austin, a senior technician.

That Computer Chick expects customers to return the favor and be nice, too.

If they're rude, they run the risk of being assessed a $50 meanie fee. Pereira hasn't charged "the attitude adjustment" fee yet, but has called people and asked them to apologize to her staff. She's kicked some of them out, too.

"I've kicked out more women than men," she said with a laugh. "Some of them will apologize, and others will just decide not to come back, and we're OK with that, too."

That Computer Chick promotes its family-oriented services, and will help with content filters for children.

If people want to know what their spouses have been up to, Pereira said, "I will give them all the data and I sit down with them privately. "

She works with counseling agencies to refer spouses with addiction problems.

The company also has a donation program, refurbishing cast-off equipment from customers and giving it to people in need.

In Katrina's aftermath Pereira and one of her two daughters drove to New Orleans with five complete systems.

"When people call and ask me, 'Do you have something really cheap? I always ask them, 'Are you having a difficult time? Are you struggling?' I say, 'I can't sell you one, but I'll give you one.'

"That's because my customers donated the equipment. If you donate equipment, I'll donate my time."

Pereira requires her staff to have a volunteer background in the community. She said they make the best employees. She has hired both men and women but has a strict "no nerd" policy.

"You can tell a major nerd," she said, "and I have fired many, many a major nerd."

So, how does a nerd get fired? "They start messing with my equipment and that's when I'm done," Pereira said, laughing.

Whatever their gender, Pereira's staff does what they call "that chick thing," customizing computers without any bells and whistles.

For example, they put your data back where you left it, "instead putting it in some bizarre folder," Pereira said.

But they do take out the bugs — sometimes literally.

Pereira's staff has found spiders and cockroaches — dead and alive — inside computers.

And that's not all they discover.

Betsy Collins, 19, who is working her way up to junior tech, recalls the sluyrping noise a keboard made when Pereira removed it from a laptop.

A man had forgotten to mention that his wife had spilled a milkshake on it.

"The milkshake had actually melted onto the motherboard and then it fried the computer," Collins said. That Computer Chick's most amazing discovery? How about 122,000 pieces of spyware in a woman's computer? And Pereira would have found more if the power hadn't gone out in the shop.

"She just had kids," Pereira said, "and kids will go on everything. They don't have anything in their brain saying, 'Oh, I shouldn't go on that Web site.' "

She gave the customer a copy of "Cheep Tips" to avoid the same problem.

The guidelines are so good they've cut down on some repeat business, but Pereira makes up for it with referrals.

And that chick thing applies across the motherboard.

Austin remembers working on a new hard drive one day. "Then 'puff!' this cloud of smoke came out of the computer," she said.

What color was it? Pink, of course.

Spyware everywhere

The computer terms "trojan" and "spyware," often don't register with customers. So, she explains that each one is like having a fire in your house.

"You wonder, 'Why can't I sit on the couch?' Because the couch is on fire. When people use these antispyware support services common among computer enthusiasts to actually remove these viruses , all they're doing is putting water on the fire and putting it out. So, now, you just have a charred couch."

So, does Linda Pereira take out the couch and put a new couch in?

"I can't," she said. "I have to rebuild the whole house.

http://www.foxriverantiques.com

Source: ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2008/06/27/that_computer_chick.html

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