The Stanford Medicine Tech Bar is a key resource for students, faculty, staff, post-grads and researchers who need on-site, high-touch technical TLC. Located on the ground floor of Lane Library, the Tech Bar has served over 22,000 members of the Stanford Medicine community since it opened in July 2016. “Tech Bartenders” can assist with laptops, mobile devices, applications, general computing questions, resources, and referrals.
With a mission of offering convenient and effective walk-up technical assistance, the Information Resources & Technology (IRT) team is excited to open a new Tech Bar offering for Stanford Medicine clients at the Stanford Redwood City Campus this June.
What’s on the menu at the Tech Bar?
Stanford Medicine has created an ambience that is in many ways is similar to what you could find in a friendly local bar or coffee shop. For example, relaxing lounge-type music is played in the background, there is a virtual large aquarium (Monterey Bay Aquarium on the iMac) and there are high-top tables and sofas where clients can wait in comfort.
If clients are waiting, they have the option of clicking on common issues via the self-help kiosk on iMac and getting a quick webpage answer. Fortunately, most clients don’t need to wait more than five minutes.
The Tech Bar team goes out of their way to make clients feel welcome, reassured, and confident that the technician who is helping them is a master at resolving their problem. With many returning clients, there is a personal memory of client’s situation, problems, needs, and typical issues.
There are several Tech Bartenders that have conversational fluency in non-English languages. This helps provide the best experience possible during a time when the client may be distraught or stressed over computer issues that have caused a work, teaching or study interruption or stoppage.
A concierge experience is provided. Clients are greeted when they sign in and are asked how they can be helped right away. When there is a difficult problem, Tech Bartenders work together to power through the issue by combining their knowledge and experiences. Tech Bartenders take the time to build a professional friendship with clients in resolving their technical issues so that they will come back, and tell their friends about how well they were served.
“Setting the bar” for Stanford Redwood City
For many Stanford Medicine staff members moving to Stanford Redwood City (SRWC), this will be their first opportunity to have convenient access to the Tech Bar.
Although the SRWC Tech Bar on the fourth floor of Discovery Hall is smaller in size than the one on the main campus, it will offer nearly the same service menu. Similar to the one on the main campus, the SWRC Tech Bar will support Stanford Medicine students, faculty and staff.
“While we hope students or faculty stop by if they’re in the Stanford Medicine clinics or on the new campus, on a day-to-day basis we’ll serve mostly support staff from the School of Medicine (SoM) Dean’s units and clinical departments who call Discovery Hall home,” said Roland Narciso, Tech Bar manager.
The Stanford Redwood City Tech Bar will be open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To start, two support technicians will be available full time at SRWC, which will be adjusted as needed to provide additional support during peak periods. Extra resources will be readily available onsite to provide support during the move-in period for Stanford Medicine staff in June.
Tech Bar influencers
With a successful service model in place, other IT support groups have visited the Stanford Medicine Tech Bar to see what makes it such a sensation. Stanford Medicine has shared best practices with groups from University IT, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Children's Health.
An Apple Computer Higher Education representative has even brought some of her clients from other universities to see the service model in action. The Genius Bar staff at the Stanford Shopping Center Apple Store has come to visit and vice versa, enabling both groups to leverage one another’s strengths and resources.
In the future, Stanford Medicine is considering adding another Tech Bar at the Center for Academic Medicine, on the main campus, and the Stanford Research Park area near Porter Drive.
Contact Information
For additional information about the SRWC Stanford Medicine Tech Bar, please visit somtechbar.stanford.edu or contact Mark Riesenberger.
