Today we’d like to introduce you to Amara Clevenger.
Hi Amara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a Michigan-native and an MSU graduate. I moved to Lansing for college, but loved the Eastside neighborhood so much, I bought a house here & stayed. After graduating, I started working at Apple while figuring out what to do next. It turns out the path I had started was the right one for me. After nearly 5 years at Apple, I transferred to Capitol Macintosh to focus more on customers & repairs. Eventually, when the shop went up for sale, I decided to purchase it. To every repair and sale at Capitol Macintosh we being our belief that technology should not be a barrier to anyone. We are here to help you with as much or as little integration with technology as you desire in your daily life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The original owner retired in 2020, and the owner that took over really let the place fall apart. When I took back over with the passion to continue the original customer service Cap Mac was known for, I had an uphill battle of poor reputation, cancelled contracts, and an out-of state owner. I took back over and made the customer experience number one priority again. We are proud to be part of Eastside Lansing and try to give back to the community. We offer pre-owned machines at low prices to accommodate the number of students in Lansing, and help them achieve their goals. We offer free information and basic diagnostics at the counter, and try to keep as many services as possible low-cost or cost-free to help those that can’t afford an outrageous bench fee at other retailers. And we offer a local alternative to the big box stores that make customers feel like a number in an assembly line. Everything we do is in the focus of serving our local community.
We’ve been impressed with Capitol Macintosh, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Capitol Macintosh was the first Apple store in Lansing, long before an Apple retail store ever existed in the city. Since then, we have grown to specialize in Macs, PCs, game consoles, iPhones, and many other pieces of technology. Our attention to customer service sets us apart from other computer stores in the area. We focus on making sure the customer is informed and understands each step of our repair process. We are the only computer store in the city that has data recovery as our number one priority, rather that expecting it of the customer. Women only make up about 44% of business ownership, and only 10% of computer repair, making women-owned computer repair one of the least represented. We are proud that we bring that individual touch to an industry long-dominated by those who are not always the most approachable. Capitol Macintosh is one of the only women-owned computer repair & sales companies in the country. We are very proud of our relationships with our customers, and their loyalty is what makes this job worth every day we do it.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Our general manager and primary technician, Viviano, is a Michigan native & Eastside local who has been with Capitol Macintosh for about eight years. He has worked under all previous owners and has watched the transition of Capitol Macintosh in all of it’s phases. With a degree in computer analyzation & programming, Viviano has championed the training of new technicians in Mac, Windows, and Linux machines, as well as being a invaluable resource of information for our customers. When asked about what brought him to repairing computers, he said, “Well, I’ve always taken things apart, I figured it was about time that I should start putting them back together.” And that’s what’s he’s been doing since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LansingCapMac.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LansingCapMac/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LansingCapMac/
