When Linden Online internet café and call centre was established, the goal was to enhance the technological capability of Region Ten residents through a unique customer service experience, equipment and the infrastructure and ambience that supports it.
Residents of the region, visitors and overseas-based Lindeners, who have visited Linden Online over the eight years, have at one time or the other, received holiday gift items like Christmas cards and CDs; light refreshments from the café or even a cold cup of water from the water fountain.
Linden Online owners, Winston and Abiola Smith, pointed out that back in December 2001, when they opened the café at Republic Avenue, internet cafés were experiencing a boom in the community, but none operated on the scale of Linden Online. The café opened with 10 computers having browsing capability and also offered a series of computer training services to adults for a fee and free classes to secondary school students from Wismar and Mackenzie. Computer literacy classes were also offered and on the café’s fifth anniversary a computer literacy computer competition was held, that saw Mackenzie High School winning.
Customers, Winston and Abiola said, were introduced to the internet in a way that they could have appreciated all the different things the internet has to offer. As a result, customers were offered guidance to use the computer and to create email addresses free; and this service still continues. Pensioners and coconut vendors are among the customers of the café, an example of how the service is reaching all sections of the community. “We are a little bit proud of that,” Winston said, speaking about the reach of Linden Online. And during large events in the community the media is also accommodated at the café.
The motivation behind the multi-million Linden Online belongs to Abiola, a University of Guyana Computer Science graduate, who said, “it’s what I like to do,” speaking about her love for computers. And it is this love for computers and Abiola’s knowledge of the machines that fed and propelled her to encourage her husband Winston to invest in the business. Winston, a Region Ten Councillor and a businessman in the forestry sector said he supported his wife’s decision. Abiola related that they were seeking to invest in a business and she felt that they could merge her love for computers and provide a service at a cost. “We invested a significant amount of money,” Winston said, in the infrastructure and equipment to open the café.
Because the café opened on such a large scale at the time, Abiola said, it could be credited with introducing the internet on a wider scale to Linden, since not many homes had computers at the time and it lifted the bar in terms of service.
Linden Online was also among the first internet cafés to introduce wireless internet. Linden Online opens from 8 am to 10 pm on week days and 3 pm to 10 pm on Sundays and holidays.
Come next year the café plans to revive the educational aspect of its service, among schools and to give substantial prizes to schools participating in its computer literacy competitions, after a lull in this type of activity at the cafe.
The paid adult educational services were also put on hold, after a number of the trainees found it difficult to get jobs after training.
This year the café underwent, an over $4 million upgrade and re-opened with 10 improved computer systems, much smaller than the original 10 computers and offeringmore features. Phone booths were installed for more privacy and the café was fully air-conditioned. At the moment there are three customer representatives and a cleaner are on staff.
This multi-million dollar upgrade came after the Smiths had ceased managing the facility themselves for over a year and a half, but resumed management responsibilities this year. And next year these computers are to be further upgraded to include television access and for energy efficiency. The general service will also include next year a full document centre that will accommodate the photocopying and printing of architectural plans. Winston explained that this type of service is in demand in the community and many persons travel to the city to access the service. In addition, customers will be able to pay bills through Bill Direct.
The café plans to branch out as well into the interior, namely Mahdia next year end. Based on a survey conducted by the business, a number of persons from outlying areas use its services. The internet café market is inconsistent. It is seasonal for mainly all services, that is, during the school holidays and the Christmas holidays, when a lot of Lindeners return home and generally there is increased traffic at the café.
The economics in the region, Winston said makes the market seasonal — unemployment and limited income circulation. Nevertheless, Winston said he was very optimistic with the opening of the Takutu Bridge, that links Guyana with Brazil, and that is why they are investing in the café. To this end, he is also working to get a multi-bus park at Wismar for buses plying the Linden/Mahdia/Lethem road, in anticipation of heavy traffic on the road.
Abiola can converse in Portuguese and Linden Online in the past had offered free space for the teaching of Portuguese.