do you charge for labor when installing memory/gfx cards?

[slightlyhuman]

if you do, how much?

example: got a laptop with 2x512MB memory. they want 2GB. I got on newegg, found ram and ordered it. will install it when it gets here.

also installing an agp gfx card so they can play games(well, her 6yo)..

again not much to it but do people that do pc work on the side(ie. college students, etc.) is it ok to charge a little?

 

[Injury]

$20.

No matter how easy it is, if you do it for free, you're forever their bitch.

 

[Woosta]

$100

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: DeePee
if you do, how much?

example: got a laptop with 2x512MB memory. they want 2GB. I got on newegg, found ram and ordered it. will install it when it gets here.

also installing an agp gfx card so they can play games(well, her 6yo)..

again not much to it but do people that do pc work on the side(ie. college students, etc.) is it ok to charge a little?

$60-100/hr is normal. Depends on your market.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Find what people pay at Geek Squad and their competitors, do it for 10% less, and move on with life. If you choose a different rate, justify it and go for it, you have nothing to lose.

 

[olds]

Pics of mom, first

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Pics of mom, first

AAAAAAAAhahahahahahahahahaha...

 

[slightlyhuman]

alright next question.

and i know right off the bat i'm working for cheap but that's ok. i usually do formats regardless(most take 1-2.5hrs most of the time i think) for $75.

i've never really done hourly charges due to sometimes drivers can be a pain in the ass and take a few more hours to do.

so if you guys wouldn't mind telling me what you charge for an hour or if you have flat rates please...

:beer:

i mainly do it because i enjoy it but i might start charging more since i'm starting nursing school and want to quit my job to focus on school.

 

[zanejohnson]

Originally posted by: DeePee
alright next question.

and i know right off the bat i'm working for cheap but that's ok. i usually do formats regardless(most take 1-2.5hrs most of the time i think) for $75.

i've never really done hourly charges due to sometimes drivers can be a pain in the ass and take a few more hours to do.

so if you guys wouldn't mind telling me what you charge for an hour or if you have flat rates please...

:beer:

i mainly do it because i enjoy it but i might start charging more since i'm starting nursing school and want to quit my job to focus on school.

55 an hour, 1.5 hours for a format/reinstall..

 

[sniperruff]

you can ask for favors back when you do favors for them.

you can ask for $20 or whatever now, or maybe these people will hook you up with a job/apt/car whatever later on.

 

[tranceport]

$175 an hour, 4 hour min. +travel and 1.5x overtime

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: Injury
$20.

No matter how easy it is, if you do it for free, you're forever their bitch.

ahah how true

 

[AAjax]

Originally posted by: Injury
$20.

No matter how easy it is, if you do it for free, you're forever their bitch.

Truer words were never spoken.

 

[Q]

Some of these rates seem really high...

 

[Juno]

every time i build a computer for someone, i charge $100 flat; no more or less. i also charge $50 for upgrades.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Quintox
Some of these rates seem really high...

first, you *have* to charge or, as mentioned, youll be their bitch and get a call for everything, and get nothing out of it. nobodys time is worth nada. i wouldnt dare charge immediate family or someone im close to. anyone else is paying.

second, you have to charge enough for it to be worth it. when i did satellite/network stuff we charged $60 to *show up* and evaluate. if it only took a few minutes to fix, i left it at $60, anything else was $60/hr. given what gas costs these days, and the hassle working with computers can be, i wouldnt charge less than $40 an hour.

plumbers, electricians, other service guys are going to charge at least that, probably more, because its what they do....why shouldnt a computer tech?

 

[Imdmn04]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: DeePee
if you do, how much?

example: got a laptop with 2x512MB memory. they want 2GB. I got on newegg, found ram and ordered it. will install it when it gets here.

also installing an agp gfx card so they can play games(well, her 6yo)..

again not much to it but do people that do pc work on the side(ie. college students, etc.) is it ok to charge a little?

$60-100/hr is normal. Depends on your market.

Is that why Geek Squad makes $15/hr?

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: Imdmn04

Is that why Geek Squad makes $15/hr?

What geek squad charges and what geek squad employees makes is completely unrelated.

 

[invidia]

I usually charge $125-$200 an hour depending on the job. My last job was quite complex and it needed to be done immediately within the weekend. Charged them $450 an hour and completed it in 5.5 hours.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: Imdmn04

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: DeePee
if you do, how much?

example: got a laptop with 2x512MB memory. they want 2GB. I got on newegg, found ram and ordered it. will install it when it gets here.

also installing an agp gfx card so they can play games(well, her 6yo)..

again not much to it but do people that do pc work on the side(ie. college students, etc.) is it ok to charge a little?

$60-100/hr is normal. Depends on your market.

Is that why Geek Squad makes $15/hr?

No, thats why Geek Squad charges $229.99 for 30 minutes

 

[slightlyhuman]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: Imdmn04

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: DeePee
if you do, how much?

example: got a laptop with 2x512MB memory. they want 2GB. I got on newegg, found ram and ordered it. will install it when it gets here.

also installing an agp gfx card so they can play games(well, her 6yo)..

again not much to it but do people that do pc work on the side(ie. college students, etc.) is it ok to charge a little?

$60-100/hr is normal. Depends on your market.

Is that why Geek Squad makes $15/hr?

No, thats why Geek Squad charges $229.99 for 30 minutes

wonder how much they charge for a reinstall of an OS..

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
you can ask for favors back when you do favors for them.

you can ask for $20 or whatever now, or maybe these people will hook you up with a job/apt/car whatever later on.

lol... right... but only if you think that's really worth being free 24/7 tech support for each and every little issue people have. Someday, you'll learn that if you set your prices REALLY freaking high, you'll get enough people to bite that you'll still be making the same amount of money but doing a small portion of the work... solely because people don't want to take the time to learn how to do something and can't even be bothered to find out what is involved in the process.

Believe it or not, you have a skill that 99 out of 100 people probably don't have. No matter how easy it is, this is the benefit you reap for being educated on something. Think about this... people pay $30 for an oil change that takes about 10 minutes (a team of 2-3 people can easily do 4-5 cars at once)... the materials cost in the area of $5-$10 at your average chain auto parts store. That means labor = $20 for 10 minutes... as in... $120/hr for very, very, basic car maintenance.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: invidia
I usually charge $125-$200 an hour depending on the job. My last job was quite complex and it needed to be done immediately within the weekend. Charged them $450 an hour and completed it in 5.5 hours.

LOL

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: Imdmn04

Is that why Geek Squad makes $15/hr?

No, thats why Geek Squad charges $229.99 for 30 minutes

Not exactly correct. The $229 charge is for service at your home or office- so it includes travel time. If you bring the computer to them, it's "only" $129.

Not saying that $129/half hour is anything to sneeze at.

 

[Arcadio]

I charge $60 an hour at home (20 mile radius). $40 an hour in the shop.