Specialized Computer Software (and Hardware) Consultants

I personally wish I had a phone number that I could dial each time I needed help with a piece of software (or hardware) I just bought. I'm not speaking of only web design software. There are thousands of software programs out there from gaming all the way to complicated business applications. Who would pay for consulting on how to effectively use software? Alot of people who do not like to waste their time. After all time is money to many people!

If you watched 60 Minutes a few months ago, you may have seen the program that talked about large companies such as Dell, Verizon, Microsoft, etc. who are now outsourcing their tech support and customer service to countries outside of the USA and located many thousands of miles away. These support folks in many cases have likely never used the software. I experienced this personally myself twice a few weeks ago (one hardware related and one software related). I paid $350/year for tech support to [Company X] only to be read directly (word for word) from the software's help section by [Company X]'s tech support exactly what I had already read and had at that time displayed on my screen. This was done by a well-mannered fellow who sounded like he was located possibly in the Middle/Far East and did not speak clear English. There was certainly a language barrier problem. It did not take long to conclude he had never used the software. I'm sorry, but as polite, professional and patient as he was, I didn't pay $350 to have someone read me the software's internal software manual. I can read quite well myself. What I hoped to receive was personal phone contact with someone in tech support who was a fluent user of the software and could tell me immediately what I needed to do. I really do not care where this person was located just as long as he/she provided me with the answers I needed. I'm not alone in this situation. My time is too valuable to spend hours researching the manual, searching the internal help section and online forums for something someone who is highly experienced in using the software could tell me in 15 seconds. I'd gladly pay someone a per topic support price or hourly fee for multiple topic support relative to specific software packages.

Outsourcing is great and I'm all for it. But quality customer service should never be sacrificed due to outsourcing. No one wants to waste their time and money speaking to someone about a product or service who has never used it or has little experience with the product. After all, I drive a car, but just because I drive a car does not mean I can fix cars even if I provided a car fixing service at a cheap price. Trust me, you would not want me working on your car. ;)

Again, I am not only talking about web related software here. Think about it. What software do you use all the time and have a large amount of experience using? If you use this software a great deal, you probably do so because you like it. If you like something, chances are you are very good at it. You may even have experience with the last half dozen version of the software, so your market far surpasses only those folks who are using the current version.

Let's not limit this idea to desktop software. There's tons of applications that could be considered software that isn't installed on your desktop. Nor should we exclude hardware from this consultation idea. How many people do you know who have successfully installed and frequently use a new piece of hardware that could provide you with the same service or usage consultation in a blink of an eye. Oh sure, there are millions of computer guru services but how many of them state that they specialize in any specific hardware installations? There is a big difference in describing your computer service as "computer setup" or "networking" or "security" than "seamless integration with ZoneAlarm and Comcast DSL" or "specializing in wireless networking [Company X]'s product".

The best tech support anyone can ever find is someone who uses the software (or hardware) that you want to learn to utilize and it certainly doesn't have to be someone who works for [Company X].

So where would you find potential customers for "specialized" consulting work? Hang out at the tech support forums and usergroups of your favorite software (or hardware) and you will see thousands of lost and frustrated users. Partner with popular companies like BasicTemplates.com who offer a product that can be used with hundreds of specific software packages (HTML editors, graphics software, scripts, etc.) and hardware (graphic tablets). Setup mini-websites using quality, affordable Web Templates to promote your individual specialized service.

And there you go! Another idea to make you more money providing a service relative to a product you already have, enjoy using and the knowledge is already packed into your brain screaming to get out.

If you are an individual who provides this type service for whatever software product or hardware product, why not complete a Job Application with us. We are always looking for talented individuals who are motivated and can provide quality work and services. And so is our LARGE customer database of website owners!