Fears come in all shapes and sizes. Some, such as the fear of spiders are widely known and relatable. However, there is a little-known aversion Brother believes may be limiting workers – printerphobia.
Uneasiness around ink-fuelled office equipment – or printerphobia as it is better known – is, believe-it-or-not, real. And with many of today’s workers either dusting off their home printer or returning to the office, many will once again be shying away from printing and calling for help at the first sign of a problem. That’s why we have decided to help printerphobia sufferers overcome their fears.
Printerphobia – identifying the problem and spotting it in others
Printerphobia is considered to be a form of syskeviphobia – the fear of appliances. When placed in the proximity of a print device, the calm demeanour of printerphobes dissolves. Small, easily resolved print or scan problems trigger disproportionate levels of agitated pacing, muttering and in some cases – arm flailing.
If this is you, it’s probably reassuring to know that you’re not alone. In fact, we suspect you’re part of a large collective of sufferers. But with a little support, we firmly believe we can help to eradicate this irrational fear once and for all.
Perceptions vs current intuitive usability
While printers have become more user-friendly over the years, many of us will not be experiencing the seamless, intuitive experience that the latest Brother devices deliver and dread the thought of using a printer that is complicated and likely to backfire.
But printing doesn’t have to be a scary experience. Brother’s print and scan technology is meticulously designed and engineered for flawless functionality in the office or at home. Our devices offer excellent operational uptime with minimal input, so there’s simply no need to be fearful.
Bringing usage more in-line with new ways of working, items can even be sent to print using apps such as Brother’s iPrint&Scan. This makes printing safe and much, much easier, even for the biggest of printerphobes.
Over-reliance on the resident printer whisperer
Adding to the technical apprehension of printerphobes could be an over-reliance on the resident office print whisperer – the person (and there’s one in every office) – who calmly resolves the print and scan predicaments of flustered colleagues.
Now that many of us are working from home this fear is likely to have extended even further, and calls to IT teams and print whisperers are likely to have rocketed. But we are here to reassure you that there is a simple solution to all your printing worries.
Don’t worry, help is at hand…
Like all fears, printerphobia can be cured. To help printerphobes overcome their wariness and give print whisperers everywhere a much-needed break, Brother has assembled its experts.
In part two of this blog series, we share tips, advice and practical guidance that will render even the most technically unaccomplished printerphobes among you proficient enough to become a print whisperer and become a whizz at printing wherever you are.
We’d love you to share your thoughts and take part in the conversation. Simply use the hashtags #Printerphobia and #PrintWhisperer.
If you still feel uneasy and need help, head over to our Support page, where you can find a range of helpful guides on your specific printer.