Double trouble for The Troubleshooters

Grant Duxfield's home-based business survives quakes and snow

By Darren Greenwood, Auckland | Friday, 21 October 2011
It is easy to get the impression that Grant Duxfield lives and works inside a giant snow globe.

Duxfield has lived near Christchurch since 2007, running his business, The Troubleshooters, out of his Kaiapoi home for much of that time.

Then the September 2010 earthquake destroyed his house, and shook his computer service company to its core.

“We had things in four locations, and so finding parts and what was necessary to solve issues was a nightmare, very stressful and frustrating. Not having a proper workshop to work from, working from a friend’s place slowed down... work no end,” he says.

Duxfield relocated to Tuahiwi near Woodend.

“The first two months, I barely worked at all. Parts, tools and my computer were in various boxes and not set up correctly. I didn’t have a phone for that amount of time, too,” he explains. “I shared a friend’s office for just the paperwork and email side for a month after that. I borrowed half another friend’s dining/lounge area at the same time. I still use that area sometimes when needing help.”

After the tremors, came the snow in mid-August. Duxfield told Reseller News the extreme weather delayed servicing of clients and delivery of parts. But like many a Cantabarian, Duxfield’s commitment to the region has not been compromised after so much drama.

Duxfield worked for a year as a painter and decorator when he first moved to the region, after spending the previous decade in Auckland with Infolink, where he gained skills in networking, training, call centres, and other areas which he calls “crucial” to his business.

The business has “progressed well”, he says, employing part-time workers “when things get busy”. In the less hectic moments he upgrades the company’s website or catches up with paperwork .

“We focus on upgrading, troubleshooting problems, of course, and building computers,” he says.

As a troubleshooter who is dealing with products that are evolving so quickly, Duxfield bases his business on a process to help his customers stay ahead of the game.

“Knowing that process and where to look for solutions is what the company is all about,” he says.

The Troubleshooters focuses mainly on consumers, but small businesses form 20 percent of his clientele. The company serves North Canterbury, Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Woodend.

Duxfield grew up near Whanganui, but he calls Canterbury home and prefers the region better to Auckland. His business has competition, which he says help to keep him on his toes.

“Solving problems is [our] primary focus,” he says. But the fact that people want their computers back “yesterday” drives his business.

Duxfield uses Altech Computers and Dove Electronics for supplies, with Altech offering “almost everything” in terms of parts and Dove “great to rely on for quick deliveries”. He also uses Laptopbattery.co.nz and Upgradeable.co.nz for hard-to-find parts or peripherals.

Looking ahead, Duxfield is cautious about an uncertain future, hoping for a quick rebuild of Kaiapoi.

“I’m looking forward to the green/red light coming on. Orange at traffic lights is always an emotionally ambivalent colour. Do we make a decision, or do we stop and wait? This is the primary thing for us at the moment,” he says.

Nevertheless, Duxfield is still making plans, with the idea of marketing fully-built computers as his next big offering.

“Gaming and higher-end machines are very cost effective mostly,” he says.

If the winter added to all his troubles, it did have an upside. One day in August he made snowmen, “which is a great way to feel positive about things”.