- Nearly one in five (17%) of us, and a quarter of women (25%), are more likely to tremble with frustration than excitement when they're setting up their new gadget on Christmas day. Frustration will be highest amongst the 55+ age bracket (26%) and lowest amongst the 25-34 age group (9%).
- Following simple steps will avoid most cases of "Tech Rage", say the TechGuys
- But a team of TechGuys technicians will be on call on Christmas Day to help those who just can't get their new gadgets to work.
More than a quarter (27%) of UK adults confidently predict that they will receive a battery or mains powered electrical product this Christmas, reveals a national study by the TechGuys, the UK's leading national digital support service for homes. Of the 18-24 year-old age bracket, 38 per cent expect to receive at least one gadget this year.
However, when asked whether they were more likely to tremble with excitement or frustration when setting up their technology on Christmas day, a quarter of women and nearly one in five adults admitted that they'll probably be gnashing their teeth because they can't make it work.
A quarter of us are already resigned to spending between 30 minutes and five hours just setting our technology up on the big day, says the research by YouGov. It has prompted the TechGuys to offer a support service on Christmas Day itself, with hundreds of technicians on standby to talk people through the difficult process.
"Much of this time can be saved by following some very simple advice," said Tim Fairs from the TechGuys. "Most electrical products these days come with a simple quick-start guide that describes the half a dozen or so simple steps needed to get the device up and running quickly. We strongly advise customers not to discard this sheet with the wrapping paper. The next most important advice is to pay very careful attention to the order in which things need to be done. We know that this Christmas, many people will receive laptops, PCs and devices that connect to PCs. Following the guidance on the order in which things need to be connected and switched on will save hours of potential frustration."
But to help ease frustrations, the TechGuys are offering a new "TechFriend" service to advise people how to get the new gadget up and running as swiftly as possible. It's run from a national UK-based call centre where expert technicians will be available around the clock over the Christmas period, including December 25.
"It's no surprise that many of us want to get our new techno-toys up and running on Christmas day," said Tim Fairs from the TechGuys. "We're providing a friendly support service that people can call when they're surrounded by boxes, wrapping paper and parts and don't know what to do next."
The TechGuys also offer an in-store gadget set-up service in all PC World stores. Customers buying gifts from PC World can visit the in-store TechGuys support centre for a range of set-up and installation services.
Longer term, the TechGuys advise customers to spend time leafing through their instruction manuals or calling a TechFriend for advice. Tim Fairs said: "We know from research that the average PC or laptop user only manages to use a very small percentage of the capability of their equipment. People can call us for a friendly chat about how to do something new with their PC - they don't have to wait for something to go wrong."
The TechGuys' five top tips for a hassle-free Christmas day, based on calls to their call centre:
1. Read the quick start guide that comes with most products and follow the directions carefully.
2. Make sure you do things in the right order, especially when setting up a PC, laptop or a device that connects to them.
3. Make sure that all parts are plugged in to the right sockets.
4. Make sure that everything is plugged in a turned on. PC monitors, for example, come with their own power lead that needs to be plugged in and switched on.
5. Don't forget the batteries - and if you're buying a gift, consider setting the product up the day before so that the lucky recipient can start to use it as soon as it's out of the box.
A first aid sheet with hints and tips can also be downloaded from www.thetechguys.com. The TechGuys can be reached on 08456 024024.
