discussion How much do you charge for PC repairs?

[tzetsin]

heres some simple advice.

Charge what your worth, not what you think your worth.
Charge MORE to go to location and fix it. ALOT more. Enough so that they'll decide to bring it to YOU instead.
Charge LESS to have them bring it to you. you can fix 5 or 6 computers at the same time in your office and only ONE on location.
Home users are whiners and complainers. They'll want it done NOW, for FREE, and OVER THE PHONE. They will make up 80% of your business and earn you 20% of your income. Dont do them any favors.
Businesses will be 20% of your income and earn you 80% of your income. Do WHATEVER it takes to make them happy. Even if its getting off your ol' lady at 2 am because some whiny hotel guest cant connect to facebook.
Bend over backwards for your business accounts. But never forwards.
Get 2, 4 port kvm. You can work on said 6 computers at the same time in very little space.
Get a BlacX dual so that you can take hard drives out of dead computers an back up peoples pics and music. garanteed that is the only think a home user cares about. Other than facebook, which you can get used to explaining how it isnt stored on their computer anyway.
Understand that when people have their pictures folder as their screensaver you WILL see unintentional home porn, and it is NEVER as hot as it sounds.
Get a netbook.
Get a technet subscription.
NEVER use a computers OS restore option. EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO WIPE IT OUT. If the person knew how to use it they wouldnt be bringing it to you, and the manufactures default restore has all the crapware in it that'll make it as useless as the day they bought it.
ALL ANTIVIRUS ARE USELESS. Make sure your customers know this. Provide them with a decent free antivirus. ALWAYS CONVINCE YOUR CUSTOMER TO GET RID OF NORTON. Even if they just paid for a 3 year subscription.

I'm sure i can give more, but i have to run. I'll leave this one piece of advice that is the MOST VALUABLE.

NEVER TAKE A JOB YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT DO.

...OK one more thing...

If you get a computer in that has a virus/malware/ect, and its not a server or some similarly important computer, use the system restore. If that doesnt work REFORMAT IT. It is garanteed gone after 3 hours of backup/reformat/update/restore. That CANNOT be said about trying to "fix" it. and you'll end up charging more for the infection removal than the format is worth.

That said, if the software "repair" will end up costing more than you charge for a reformat, REFORMAT.

OK, now i have to go.

really this time.

Alright, one more before i walk out the door, i'm already late...

If your not on location ( your in your shop) and you can do the job in less than 10 mins... feel free NOT to charge. You'll have some ecstatically happy customers, it really doesnt cost you anything and the free advertising those customers will give you will be worth 100X more than whatever you would have charged. I'm talking things like turning a wireless adapter on a laptop on when their "internet doesnt work" not something like "i have a virus" an you use system restore to fix it. And maby a cut rate for the guy that makes you drive all the way to his house to find out the power button on his monitor is off, an thats the only reason his "computer doesnt turn on"

 

[Perineum]

I never format. It's a pride thing.

 

[Addictedtokaos]

A few years back I used to ask for $60 per hour. Family/friends I dont/didnt charge. Many store Like Futureshop and Bestbuy charge $90 per hour.... and Im sure some of them are knowledgeable but I know many of them are not.

I stopped when I was doing work for this one guy, and the first couple times he paid me, then like other said I would get calls asking to come over right after work because of some stupid emergency... I told him he could get me later for what he owed me. Then he give me a bottle of syrup. I was done.

 

[tzetsin]

I never format. It's a pride thing.

its also retarded. but each to their own. I mean, if you like to charge 200 bucks to waste your time on a computer thats prolly not been reformated in its lifetime, thats up to you, but nothing runs faster than a freshly formated computer... and thats all the customer cares about. other than facebook still works.

That said... if your not set up to do a backup and dont have the proper OS disk handy, I can definatly understand your sentiment.

 

[Addictedtokaos]

Reformatting depends on the circumstance. I usually dont like to either but sometimes there is not a tool or manual fix in the world to recover from what some people do to their computer.

But to say never... LOL - you havent met your match yet.

 

[Perineum]

I don't charge them that much.

What is retarded is all the people who just wipe all the time. Then the shit hits the fan and they don't know what to do. Well I supposed they do..... They come get me. The "wipe and reload" 'techs' don't know what to do.

I do it to "win" and to learn. Every time you wipe you learn nothing.

 

[_dangtx_]

well wiping is fast and easy usually.... as long as you save their docs and stuff...

 

[ilya]

I don't charge them that much.

What is retarded is all the people who just wipe all the time. Then the shit hits the fan and they don't know what to do. Well I supposed they do..... They come get me. The "wipe and reload" 'techs' don't know what to do.

I do it to "win" and to learn. Every time you wipe you learn nothing.

Wiping ensures they don't bug you again for at least 6 months. Learning<<<annoying people in your face all the time.

 

[Perineum]

No it doesn't. Clean is clean. They may infect themselves in 2 weeks.

I try and educate them as well.....

 

[_dangtx_]

well if you install a good free antivirus like avira, then chances are they will be +- ok, but theres never a guarantee.