By Tom Clifford
A modest setting, in the cramped space behind the constantly ringing tills of a major supermarket, is the workplace of a man and his team that perform technical wizardry on a daily basis. Broken phones, cracked screens, loss of connectivity, who you gonna call? Well, no one because your phone’s broken but you will schedule a visit to arguably the island’s tech go-to man to get it fixed.
Rish Vora, a graduate of Milton Peters College, studied technology near Brisbane before returning to the island and launching his own business. Twelve years ago he set up Tech Hub on Bush Road, in the Carrefour building, where he works with three colleagues.
‘’In some ways,’’ he says ‘’the island is well set up in terms of computers. But the system is fragmented. Too many networks. Roaming is a problem.’’ This, as the phrase goes, comes with the territory. Small areas with dual jurisdictions are not ideal for tech users.
His easy repertoire with customers is clearly evident. Many who come into his hub don’t actually have the technical background to describe their problem. I include myself in this category. But like a good doctor he discusses the ailment with you in simple terms. His diagnosis is always beneficial and indeed compassionate. In the first 5 minutes or so I was in the shop I counted eight customers. A steady stream of visitors means that he often has to take lunch standing, as he was when I came by.
One of the great ironies is that the communication industry, with passwords, digital codes, is deeply impersonal. When customers come in, often unsure of themselves in such an environment “it’s important to keep it personal’’.
With growing demand for his services, plans to expand must have crossed his mind.
‘’Yes, but I want to keep it local. If I was a big company setting up and I wanted to expand I would bring in outsiders. But I am a small company and I want to keep the workforce local. Domestic expertise is important. We know many of our customers and they know us.’’
Sometimes too well. Tech addiction is a problem. ‘’Just today a man came in to have his phone fixed. I said it would take a couple of days. He’s rung me seven times already to see when it will be in his pocket again.’’
He has a hill to climb, literally, if he wants to set up a new business in a spot he has been eyeing.
Simpson Bay, a twenty-minute drive over a nearby big hill or small mountain is his somewhat surprising choice.
“It’s where the yachts are,’’ he says. It’s not, he insists, just a question of money. Those involved in maritime activity need reliable tech. And they need tech advice when they dock here for just a few days.
For all his success in the sector the proud father of a seven-year-old girl fires a shot across the bow, warning about the dangers of tech exposure at too young an age.
“Children must be able to play and read books. They have to enjoy a childhood. Later on in life they can use technology, but first let them play.’’
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A northern side apple tart
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