I'm so aggravated!

[TedKord]

My coworker was complaining that his computer was really slow, with mondo popups.
(A Dell Dimension 4550, 2+ years old)

So I told him to bring the tower in, I'd take it home and cleanup the spyware, uninstall the 500 game demos from all over the internet his kids had downloaded, and clean it up. He said he couldn't do wihout it overnight (and he lives quite a but away from me)

So, I offered to do the work there at work. He bought the tower in, I hooked up a monitor, keyboard and mouse from an unused work computer, uninstalled all the games, ran sypbot and adaware, then cleaned up the registry with JV16 (only deleted the safe keys). Mind you, I didn't charge or trade anything for doing this.

The computer booted up much more quickly there at work, all the popups were gone. But, we have no internet at work, so I couldn't try that. So, when he got it home, some internet sites wouldn't load. Some would. But, the important ones (banking, etc...) he couldn't get.

I tried to troubleshoot over the phone, but I'm no good at that. I need to be sitting there seeing what's going on. He said it was no problem, he was happy it was running better. I told him I'd get him back online, but in the meantime try calling his ISP tech support.

Today, I find out he not only didn't call the tech support, but he paid $300 to some local computer guy to fix it, and is badmouthing me. Now I feel responsible for the $300, because he really can't afford it. I mean, another friend offered to let him borrow his laptop while I took the tower home and got it going again, but he said no.

I think I'm done helping anyone but family.

 

[MX2]

Family is worse

 

[KLin]

Consider it a lesson learned.

 

[tbike06]

What an idiot.

 

[MichaelD]

You have learned the most valuable Computer Guy Lesson of all: Non techie people have no respect for your hard-earned knowledge and deserve whatever trouble they get themselves into.

<--has built way too many systems for friends and family and wound up being Lifetime Tech Support

 

[jpeyton]

In your situation, I would immediately call or e-mail him and let him know that he could have bought a brand new Dell Athlon X2 desktop for $399 shipped (nicely loaded). Then tell him only retards spend $300 to fix a 2 year old computer worth less than $100.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: TedKord

I think I'm done helping anyone but family.

right, but charge your family $300

 

[BobDaMenkey]

I woudln't feel bad about it. He's the one being stuborn about it. He's the one that refused to call tech, and the one that shelled out $300 to get it fixed. If he wants to badmouth you for your free work, that's fine. Since no money exchanged hands, you've got no obligation.

Take it as a lesson learned, and never offer to try and fix something on someone elses computer again. People need to learn how to deal with those kinds of issues on their own. I did

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Yup, I have learned the lesson as well. I help out ~5 people I know for free (friends, 4/5 live in within 100 feet of me). Anyone else is charged.

 

[RapidSnail]

I know exactly how you feel. I've helped close friends, family members, and the like; and almost all of the blame me if something goes wrong after I've fixed their problems. Other times I'll give them advice on software/etc. to help improve the computing experience, but they just ignore what I say until a "professional" tells the what I said in different words.

For instance, I recommended to my good friend that he use Firefox for webrowsing because it was more secure and had much better features than IE. He says he'll try it but never installs it. Later when his PC is bogged down from all the crap on it, he takes it to a BestBuy employee and has them fix it for one-hundred dollars or so. After it has been fixed and cleaned he tells me how great Firefox is that the employee told him to get :roll:. So frustrating dealing with people close to you.

 

[HN]

Originally posted by: MX2times
Family is worse

agreed.

and to helping with computer problems and giving computer advice in general (e.g. what-system/components-should-i-buy type questions), i've practically stopped the whole thing for non-computer people. for them, it's "go with dell" or "go with bestbuy" and i'm done. i will still do all i can for people with a clue or those who i feel will respect the solutions/advice i provide.

 

[imported_KuJaX]

I've learned long ago, don't build systems for friends. Family, okay, because you should help your family out as they should help you with their skills. Howver, friends, friends of the family, relatives, stay away. You wont make a buck and you'll end up spending hours and hours and hours and hours being a slave for whenever it does anything out of the normal.

 

[D1gger]

Been there, done that, and have the t-shirt.

Lesson learned, so now I don't work on any computer but mine, my kids' and my wife's.

 

[jlbenedict]

I wouldn't feel bad at all. Fvck him.. he's the one out $300.. not you.

 

[tfinch2]

I fix my own computer, and the ones in my office. That's it, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I have noticed over the years of building and supporting computers that there is a sizeable group of people who are incapable of taking advice unless they pay for it. The corolary seems to be that the value of service/advice is related to how much is payed for it.

 

[Baked]

Should've format c: when you had the chance.

Recently one of my relatives want to get a new system 'cause the old one I built for them is dying. I recommended Dell. I don't do tech support for anybody.

 

[JohnAn2112]

Originally posted by: MX2times
Family is worse

QFT. Most of the time, if not all, when something goes wrong with my dad's PC, this is how the conversation goes:

Dad: Son, the internet is running slow. Can you look at it?
Me: Sure, dad. I'll be there later today.
Dad: You can't come right now?
Me: No, I'm out running some errands.
Dad: Why can't you come right now?

Yeah, let me drop everything I'm doing so you can surf the internet faster.

 

[montanafan]

Look at it as a blessing in disguise. Now whenever someone at work tries to get you to work on their home computer for them you have an easy out. You can just say, "I would, but after what happened when I tried to help 'Joe' with his computer, I'd rather not do it anymore." Now it's his fault that they can't get free computer help.

 

[Conky]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: Beachboy
No good deed goes unpunished.

So, since the guy was bad-mouthing him, he should beat his ass??

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo

Originally posted by: Beachboy
No good deed goes unpunished.

So, since the guy was bad-mouthing him, he should beat his ass??

That's a bad deed.

 

[TedKord]

My Dad and I both built our own first box at about the same time. (I built my Athlon 750 based box first, and he waited to see how much trouble I had. I told him think of Legos, the only trouble came with installing windows 98 and configuring) Then he built a Duron 700 system.

Actually, he's better than me with software - he knows quite a few programming languages, and even programmed a .zip type program that a few people bought with a shareware license (I think he made about $50!!!!!)

Anyway, the only family I've done any work for is my sister-in-law - and there've been no problems after since I could try everything after. (All I did for her was install my old CDRW, add some extra memory I had lying around, and cleanup spyware)

But as for coworkers - no more. (I don't think I'll be asked anymore, based on the things he's telling everyone about the quality of my service)

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: montanafan
Look at it as a blessing in disguise. Now whenever someone at work tries to get you to work on their home computer for them you have an easy out. You can just say, "I would, but after what happened when I tried to help 'Joe' with his computer, I'd rather not do it anymore." Now it's his fault that they can't get free computer help.

whoa! excellent point!
:thumbsup:

 

[TedKord]

What's really irritating is that some jerk charges $300, probably just to reinstall IE.