Grrrrrrr.....why don't people just shut up and listen?!

[Cougar]

<RANT>

Ok, since everyone else likes to rant here, I figured it was my turn. A friend of the family has an old system that he's been wanting to replace/upgrade, but he's been waiting to do so until he's got all the money required. Well, he calls me up with a computer problem (which turned out to be nothing) and then he asks me how computer prices are looking. I tell him that prices have gone down, but the overall system price will be determined by what components he chooses. So he asks me just to give him a price and I tell him again that it depends on what he wants to do with the system. I hear nothing but silence so I figured I'd give him a car analogy to help explain what I mean.

Apparently he didn't like my analogy so he gets all pissed off and says "I feel like I'm talking to a salesman here!". I try to tell him one more time that the price of the system will depend on what components he chooses such as the processor type and speed, the type of video card, amount of memory, etc... This nimrod gets even more pissed off and says "You know I don't understand any of this computer bull$*@! just answer my question and tell me how much a computer costs!" So finally I just spit out a price of $1000 and tell him that he should be able to get a decent system for that much money and with that we ended our conversation.

Now I realize that this fool doesn't know anything about computers (nor do I expect him to), but I tried to explain things to him as calmly and rationally as I could and he nearly bites my head off. I swear I'm just going to tell this joker to go buy a Compaq so he can leave me alone.

</RANT>

 

[dirtboy]

Maybe the best approach would have been to ask him what he planned on doing with the system, then giving him a rough price based on that. I almost don't blame the guy for getting upset. He probably doesn't know anything about processor speeds, ram, etc.

Clearly this guy doesn't need anything fast, so save him some money and get him a decent system.

 

[GrumpyMan]

People like that I tell to get a Dell Dude!

 

[stev0]

dude, he's getting a dell... yea I have problems like this all the time. Some people.... ::sigh::

edit: grr... beat to it. :|

 

[gump47371]

Suggestion:

Don't tell him to buy a cheap one. I would go for a dell rather than a compaq. My girlfriend's stepdad bought one, and I get calls about once a week. "How do I do this? Why does it do this? How can I get it to stop doing this?"

Suggest to him a company with a GOOD customer service, so they can earn their money, and you will keep your hair and sanity.

I also suggest you stay as far away as possible from building him one. Because you then become the CSR.

Clink, clink.

Gump

 

[Cougar]

dirtboy...

The thing is that he seems to want a top of the line system but he doesn't want to pay for it. All he does is surf the net which is why I tried to explain that the system price will be determined by what exactly he wants to do with his system. I've explained to him in the past that if all he does is play games than it would cost more money to build a system than if all he did is surf the net and use Microsoft Office. He just doesn't seem to listen to me when I explain things to him. He just keeps firing back with the same thing "You know I don't understand this crap etc..."

It'll be a cold day in hell before I make the decision as to what system he should buy. I know I'd never hear the end of it, "You made me spend all this money on a system that I don't even need" or "Why didn't you tell me just to spend a little more money so my games would run faster!" or something to that extent. He wants me to make the decision on what's best for him, but I'm not getting stuck holding that bag, that's for dang sure.

 

[wyvrn]

Just tell him to buy a Dell. You can do nothing but get in trouble by building computers for family friends, trust me.

 

[Cougar]

<< Suggestion:

Don't tell him to buy a cheap one. I would go for a dell rather than a compaq. My girlfriend's stepdad bought one, and I get calls about once a week. "How do I do this? Why does it do this? How can I get it to stop doing this?"

Suggest to him a company with a GOOD customer service, so they can earn their money, and you will keep your hair and sanity.

I also suggest you stay as far away as possible from building him one. Because you then become the CSR.

Clink, clink.

Gump >>




Believe me, I know all to well what it's like to get stuck doing customer support for people. That's the reason I stopped building computers (other than for a few close friends and family). The sad thing is that even I do tell him to get a Dell or a Compaq he'll still call me with tech support. Perfect example: about a month ago he couldn't get online and instead of calling up the ISP (which he knows he should do) he calls up me instead.

 

[Maetryx]

I have provided systems for many of my relatives, and once even built the systems for my neighbors. *shudder* It's just awful. Those neighbors told their COUSIN about me, and then I became CSR for the COUSIN(!) too. I get phone calls for computer support from my friends, my family, my pastor, my co-workers, my neighbors, and my gawd damned neighbor's cousin.

When I sent a system to my mother, I tried my hardest to convey to her that there were MANY competent computer guys right there in her own community. She need not call me 2300 miles away to get her questions answered over the phone, which I swear is the god awfulest way to troubleshoot a computer. It doesn't work. She still calls me.

I meet those phone calls with so little enthusiasm, and even blatant displeasure that a lot of them have caught on. Some have even offered to pay me (the neighbors, specifically). DON'T TAKE MONEY. Don't do it. There is an implied warranty if you take money for it.

*shudder*