TECH
WORDS : SARAH WALKER PHOTO : CHRIS BOOTH
Family firm - MD Bryan Holmes with wife Kelly , iStation ’ s operations director .
Exceptional customer service drives growth for Apple consultant iStation
BIG APPLE
A
passion for exceptional customer service has seen Stockton firm iStation outgrow its premises - and become one of the first third party Apple support companies in the UK to be named an Apple Independent Repair Provider .
The family-run company , owned by Bryan Holmes , has moved from Silver Street to Wellington Square after seeing an increase in business customers of up to 70 per cent since it was established in 2014 . iStation ’ s significant investment in its new store includes state-of-the-art workshop facilities , a training room and meeting room for business customers who want to meet and use Apple technology in a town centre location , along with business and retail customer support areas .
Bryan , who started the business in 2014 after spending more than 30 years working in the IT industry for big names like Hewlett Packard , Shell and BP , said : “ Our business-specific services such as device supply , leasing , installation , support and maintenance allow us to provide a one-stop-shop for all Apple solutions .
“ Partnering and being certified with many Apple recognised hardware and software vendors enables us to deliver the right solution for the needs of businesses .
“ Our biggest focus is high quality customer service and we are big on giving the customer the best experience we can .
“ If you visit our dedicated page at Apple . com , the reviews that we get from customers reflect our commitment to customer service .
“ We are a family-run business and both my wife , operations director Kelly , and
I are out there on a daily basis talking to customers and creating the right impression and service that our customers have come to expect .”
Since 2014 , the company has been a member of the Apple Consultants Network , made up of independent specialists offering IT services and solutions based around Apple products .
Boasting three certified Apple consultants and with more on the horizon , iStation is already the only Appleapproved business consultancy in the Tees region , with the nearest to the south towards Liverpool and the next northern neighbour in Newcastle .
It now launches from its Wellington Square premises as an Apple Independent Repair Provider offering genuine Apple parts sourced from Apple , and using Apple diagnostics , tools and processes to make sure Apple repairs are done safely and reliably .
The business has certainly come a long way since Bryan started the business from home almost seven years ago .
Within two months of setting up in 2014 , the firm moved to an office in Digital House , Stockton and increased its offering to members of the general public .
In October 2016 , iStation moved to a retail site where the firm could run the business-to-business side but also have a shop front .
Initially , it only carried out repairs and provided IT support , but the business soon bowed to customer demand and started selling new and renewed products .
“ That ’ s where the retail side of the business has really grown ,” said Bryan .
Business focus - iStation ' s Bryan Holmes .
“ It ’ s got bigger and bigger over the years and also helps to introduce us to more business-to-business customers .”
Like many IT firms , during the first lockdown , iStation was certainly kept busy with its business customers , many of whom needed help to move their technology home .
The charitable company also supported the provision of 200 iPads to Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation , which distributed them to healthcare settings where loved ones were unable to visit poorly or elderly relatives , but could contact them via Zoom instead .
Bryan believes that supporting charities and being customer-focused pays off for iStation , which gets the majority of its work by recommendation .
Thanks to its growth , Bryan is looking forward to taking on four extra staff serving both the retail and technical side of the business .
“ We ’ ve moved to a bigger site and we ’ ve used the lockdown period to get it 100 per cent the way we want it ,” said Bryan .
“ We ’ re looking forward to welcoming new staff and customers , both business professionals and fans of Apple products alike .”
For more details visit istationonline . co . uk email hello @ istationonline . co . uk or call 01642 450246 . The voice of business in the Tees region | 81