Who Is The Gizmo Guy?
The Gizmo Guy is a lovely chap, called Mike, who’s lived in Epsom for 20 years.
With nearly four decades in the computer industry, he’s worked as an IT support guy, an IT manager, consultant & programmer. You name it, he’s done it!
Now, Mike’s hoping to do ‘his bit’ by helping the people who need his skills the most: the over 60s!
If He Has So Much Commercial Experience, Why Is Mike Doing This?
Well, it’s a long story so please bare with us!
The idea for the The Gizmo Guy came about from a chance meeting he had with a charming 90 year old lady in his local coffee shop. As the weeks passed, Mike would often bump into her & they'd have a natter over a brew.
The lady ‘hadn’t a clue about anything technical’ so, one day, she asked him for help with her Smartphone. Pretty soon, he was regularly fixing things on the device & taught her how to use it. He showed her how to connect it to Wi-Fi how to install & uninstall apps, use loyalty cards, email, social media - all sorts of things!
He introduced her to many other services, too, like video streaming & online shopping, & even sourced her first-ever laptop, which he set it up in her lounge: feverishly tapping away, running updates, optimising settings, installing apps & so on.
While he was there, she asked him to take a look at her flat's Internet connection, & satellite TV. This he did gladly, even speaking to her estate manager to help get these fixed.
As the weeks passed, he patiently showed her how to use the laptop, often over a latte & a slice of cake in their local coffee shop. Pretty soon, she was using it like a pro!
The Lady Had A Problem
Sadly, the lady lived alone, miles away from her family.
Her youngest son lived alone, too & had difficulty getting around. As the lady had difficulty getting about herself, she had no option but to spend many hundreds of pounds a year on long, gruelling taxi rides just to see him.
Zoom To The Rescue!
When Mike found out about this, he had a brainwave.
He demonstrated WhatsApp & Zoom to her & suggested she could use them to ‘remotely visit’ her son over the Internet.
He explained that, although ‘it wouldn't be quite the same’ as physically visiting him, these apps offered completely free, far more convenient & safer ways to see her son than sitting for hours in expensive cabs. They, also provided a much better service than talking over the phone as they’d allow them to both hear & see each other on their laptops.
The lady thought it was a great idea, so he set up a recurring meeting for them on Zoom & emailed her son with the appropriate instructions & login details.
From that point on, they could talk to & see each other every day, any time they liked, from the comfort of their armchairs & without the lady spending a fortune on exhausting & potentially risky cab journeys.
Mike Has An Epiphany!
Mike’s suggestion had in a small, but significant way, changed their lives & the happy outcome had given him a level of pride & satisfaction in his profession that he hadn’t felt in ages: he had made, in his modest way, a ‘difference’.
The Gizmo Guy Is Born!
Then it dawned on him that there must be hundreds of older people, in Epsom alone, who, like the lady, struggle with technology & miss-out on all the advantages & life-enhancements it has to offer, simply because there is no-one there to help.
Surprised at how little technical support there was for Seniors, Mike decided to set up the The Gizmo Guy in the spring of 2024.The rest, as they say, is history!
Need Help?
If you have any ‘techie’ problem or haven’t a clue how to use your ‘tech’, call Mike today on: 07767 470675 or email him at: Contact@TheGizmoGuy.Co.Uk.
(top tip: if you click on the blue email address it’ll directly take you to a handy contact form for you to fill in).
If he’s out on a call, he’ll do his best get back to you within 24 hrs. He hasn’t forgotten you - promise!