Courierology :

Every day, all around the country, couriers are delivering computer parts to offices, shops, and other commercial premises, and are often asked whether they will be installing them as well. Usually the answer is no, sorry, there will be an engineer along later. The next day the courier may well be back again to pick up the defective equipment and take it back for servicing.

In many cases, there is no other option, as quite a lot of technical expertise can be required to install and set up complex systems. What about simple replacements, though? All that is needed could be just swapping a monitor or printer, making sure the new one works, then taking away the old one, all in the same visit.

This is the work of the technical courier. These are men and women who carry out only “tech”, or “techy” work, or same day couriers, employed or self employed, who will take a normal delivery, or a tech job, as and when they come along.

could you do it?

How do you get into this kind of work, and do you need special skills or experience? Oddly enough the answer to the second question is usually no. With suitable training most of us could do it, at the basic level at least. A bit of experience is useful, confidence that you can do what is required will help, but the ability to ask for help when you need it is essential.

To achieve success in any business, you have to know that whatever question you are asked, the answer is always yes. Can you swap out a monitor, yes, can you change a pin pad on a supermarket checkout, yes!

does it pay?

Is it worth it, though? Well, you really need to get enough of it to make it pay. Individually, the jobs often don't pay very well, but they may only take a few minutes, so if you are quick and efficient, it can be worthwhile, once you know what you are doing.

It may be helpful to have some idea of what sort of things you may be asked to do. Look at the computer on your desk in your office, or at home. You may be asked to replace anything which plugs into it, monitor, mouse, keyboard, printer, router, modem, etc.

Think of a point of sale system in a shop. Again, anything which plugs in can be replaced - pin pad, the little display unit which shows the item just scanned, till drawers, the receipt printer and the little monitor the operator uses.

At a more advanced level, some work may involve opening up the computer, usually to swap a hard drive. You are unlikely to be asked to do anything more technical, at least without some training.

technical courier or computer engineer?

So what is the difference between the technical courier and the computer engineer? They are still worlds apart, really. The tech guy is only replacing something known to be faulty, usually because it is a common fault and replacing the unit is usually the most cost effective thing to do initially. The engineer or technician is able to diagnose faults and carry out much more complex work on servers, networks, etc, although he will of course swap a keyboard if he finds that is why the system is not working.

Several of the big computer suppliers offer installation services, which are usually contracted out to one of the national technical couriers, who in turn will sub-contract the work to a local tech courier.

Some of the large employers will install computers in their employees' homes, either for business use, or as a staff purchase scheme. These are delivered by tech couriers, who take everything out of the box, connect it all up, fire it up, usually all the software is pre-installed, set up the dial up or broadband connection, and maybe provide some basic instruction in how to work it.

You wouldn't think fashion would play a part in providing work, but the latest must have accessory is the flat screen monitor, so, more work for the tech courier, who delivers the new monitors, connects them up and takes away the monsters they have replaced.

So, how do you expand your courier business to take in tech work? You do exactly the same as you do to find other courier work, just target different companies.

Look up the yellow pages and do a Google search, to find out which technical couriers have local depots. Ring them up, go in to see them , explain that you are looking to expand your services into this type of work locally, and will be happy to take anything they can offer you.

Once you have contacted the local ones, then try all the national companies who do not have a local depot. They will have work in your area and will have someone, often working from home, doing their work for them. The usual method is for a trunk or overnight service to drop off their parts in the morning, or the tech courier may pick them up from one of the depots of the national couriers.

When going off to a job there are some basic questions you can ask, which won't make you sound too daft, such as do you have to get the user to power down the system before you replace the part, or can you just “hot swap” it.

Do they want you to change the cable, leads, etc, or just try the new part first, then change the cables if that doesn't work. Sometimes the new part comes as a complete kit, including all fittings, but in many cases you don't have to replace everything.

getting help

If it is something you haven't done before, you can often get someone to talk you through it when you pick up the part, or there may be instructions in the box. For example, you have probably never serviced a photocopier before but when you do you will find instructions inside the box of parts, starting with how to remove the new drum from the box!

Then in the box there is a big sheet with pictures, which shows you exactly what to do. There is a diagram inside the door of the machine, which shows you where everything is, with coloured markings on the parts which need replacing. Finally, if all that wasn't enough, the little display screen on the copier will show a fault if you haven't seated the parts in properly!

Always be prepared to ask for help, including when you are on site, there is usually someone you can ring to talk you through a problem. Don't swap a mouse or keyboard without powering down the system, unless they have usb connections, you can cause damage. If something has no screws visible, and no obvious means of getting a panel off, it usually just pulls off, but be careful!

give it the boot

The most useful tip for anyone working with computers is if something isn't working, restart it. Whatever you are installing may have to picked up by the operating system before it will work. If restarting doesn't work, power down the system, wait for thirty seconds, then switch on again. Remember, computers work by magic, so you sometimes need to know a few special words, like ***&* and $$%** to get them to work!

equipment

Carry a couple each of flat and Philips screwdrivers and a knife (for opening the cartons!) For most jobs that is all you will need, although occasionally a hammer is tempting!

satisfaction

Finally, job satisfaction plays a big part in this. All couriers have known the delight of customers when they are handed whatever it is they have been waiting for to get on with their lives and their businesses.

Tech work means more of this, the smile of the shopkeeper who can process phone cards again, the relief of the garage owner who can print test certificates again, and delight of the kids when you ask them to stick in a CD to test the surround speakers which came with the new family super duper computer system.

Technical courier work – try it, I think you’ll like it.