should I even attempt a small PC installation/repair service?

[gorcorps]

I was just playing with different ideas for part time employment, and the idea for PC installation/repair popped into my head. It would just be something fairly local, and only to get a bit of cash for food and such. Anybody attempted something small and succeed, or was it just a giant PITA?

 

[elmer92413]

From what most people will tell you it's a major PITA, but I happen to think that if done smartly doesn't have to be so bad. Mainly someone who purely provides expertise to select components appropriate to the client (mainly gamers who have enough knowledge but just short of being able to build one on their own) and then assembling the PC for them, but without providing "tech support" perhaps a very limited something goes wrong with the components of the system thing. Your target audience is going to be pretty small and I'd imagine that business would be from word of mouth based on your expertise in building (clean cable management with lots of bells and whistles likes lights and water cooling) and navigating the current ocean of component choices.

 

[Raincity]

Spyware removal and wireless network setups is where the money is. The secret is saying no or I will have to charge you for that. The PITA is that once a customer pays you a $100 for a service they tend to think it comes with unlimited lifetime support.

 

[13Gigatons]

It's not a bad business just be sure to clearly spell out what you cover and for how long and always get your customer to read and sign an agreement.

 

[shortylickens]

I know plenty of little repair shops in my town and they have excellent business.
But they dont leave the store for pickup or delivery and they dont do installation. All their work is right there in front of them.

I agree with other folks that you not offer lifetime support or anything. Keep your rates reasonable but make sure they understand each service costs money. There is no lifetime promise or anything. Dont publish your prices. Always charge a little more than you think its worth and be willing to negotiate. If they whine or bitch, direct them to the Geek Squad.

 

[marvdmartian]

What's wrong, OP? Life stress level not high enough?? 😉

Definitely, pick and choose your clients if you can. And make certain they understand that if they continue to do the stupid stuff that got their computer all screwed up the first time, that it will screw up again, and you will have to charge them to fix it again. You're not responsible for their idiocy, in other words.

Just like every person who complains to me about viruses/malware on their computer, and asks me to take a look at it......and the first thing I see is that they have LimeWire or BearShare installed on their computer, and use it regularly to get "free music". Yeah.....more like free viruses!! :roll:

 

[chusteczka]

If it really interests you then do it. Start small by repairing and building computers for family and friends. There are enough people with computers that need assistance to keep all of us busy. As your skills increase, your methods will improve, and you can then charge more as you repair computers for friends of friends.

 

[OutHouse]

there are like 3-4 of these threads created a month.

 

[Auryg]

Don't. Everyone goes to Geek Squad nowadays. There isn't enough work out there. I've done it for years part time and even had the help of being a local computer/tech columnist, and I know a guy who just quit his job to try to do the same thing and is now regretting it.

 

[IGBT]

most of what you'll end up doing is educating and they all think it's free.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: Auryg
Don't. Everyone goes to Geek Squad nowadays. There isn't enough work out there. I've done it for years part time and even had the help of being a local computer/tech columnist, and I know a guy who just quit his job to try to do the same thing and is now regretting it.

Doesn't seem like the OP's talking a full time job. Just some extra pocket money. I'm actually toying with the idea of offering local low-scale tech support. I have no real need for the money, but it'd be a nice small job to help recharge my savings. Some people mow lawns, some people babysit, no reason someone with decent skills can't offer tech support on the same level. Personally I could offer what most people go to the geek squad for at relatively ridiculously low prices. Only problem is the time commitment. Maybe during the summer. 😛

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: gorcorps
I was just playing with different ideas for part time employment, and the idea for PC installation/repair popped into my head. It would just be something fairly local, and only to get a bit of cash for food and such. Anybody attempted something small and succeed, or was it just a giant PITA?

Only if you don't mind endless calls from grandma unable to get her printer working only to find our 2 hours later she doesn't own one and is feeding the paper into the chassis. Then of course blaming you that it's STILL not working. I'm assuming you are doing home installations and repairs here.

Seriously if you are a really patient man with this type of stuff then go for it!

 

[alevasseur14]

Word got around my full time job that I dabble in the dark art of computer building and repair and now there's a pretty constant bombardment of questions that generally only serve to annoy me. Unless I like the person or we can work out favors on things they can do for me in the future, I give them really, really vague 'answers' to make it look like I don't know what I'm talking about and eventually they leave me alone.

That said, I can get super cheap oil changes for friends and basically free tows at the drop of a hat if I need to, and that's come in handy more than once. The trick is just being able to tell someone it's going to cost X amount and sticking to your guns, something I'm not very good at. Good luck if you do decided to get into it!

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Raincity
The PITA is that once a customer pays you a $100 for a service they tend to think it comes with unlimited lifetime support.

This is one of the largest problems. That being said, there is plenty of money to be had in service. I know an electrical engineer who started his own PC service business and makes enough to have over a dozen minions to do his bidding.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
I know plenty of little repair shops in my town and they have excellent business.
But they dont leave the store for pickup or delivery and they dont do installation. All their work is right there in front of them.

I agree with other folks that you not offer lifetime support or anything. Keep your rates reasonable but make sure they understand each service costs money. There is no lifetime promise or anything. Dont publish your prices. Always charge a little more than you think its worth and be willing to negotiate. If they whine or bitch, direct them to the Geek Squad.

I have to admit, I agree with Shorty on this one.
In fact, if I read your post correctly, there will be good opportunity coming up as people purchase Windows 7 machines and will need them set up.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Raincity
The PITA is that once a customer pays you a $100 for a service they tend to think it comes with unlimited lifetime support.

Here's how I dealt with this issue, back when I did on site setups, etc.
I specified the customer was entitled to one FREE call of up to 10 minutes free phone assistance for every x dollars they spent on the service call.
This gave the customer the feeling he/she was getting something for FREE, but it also let them know that they couldn't just call you forever for free technical support.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

ONLY do it if you have a way to get referrals from people with some money and do in-home service. I have met the owners of all of our local pc repair places and none of them make much money. The walk-in clientele is horrible, and basically the livelyhood of the business relies on business to business services rather than walk-ins.

Years and years ago I worked at the best buy tech bench (awhile before geek squad) and I can assure you that these 'types' of people are the ones that normal IT people have refused to help. They tend to be difficult to work with, and as another OP stated - they want free lifetime support.


I did in-home service for a few years, primarily for coworkers and their friends. I charged $85-$120/hr for in-home service but it varied a lot. If it was someone without a ton of money but easy to work with I would charge next to nothing. It was more of a hobby I guess.

Edit:

As you stated, part-time is the way to go. Get yourself 7-8 very good clients and it's easy to make $1000 a month. Often times if you're good they'll recommend you to friends. I've gotten a lot of business/corporate consulting gigs this way.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: SpatiallyAware
ONLY do it if you have a way to get referrals from people with some money and do in-home service. I have met the owners of all of our local pc repair places and none of them make much money. The walk-in clientele is horrible, and basically the livelyhood of the business relies on business to business services rather than walk-ins.

Years and years ago I worked at the best buy tech bench (awhile before geek squad) and I can assure you that these 'types' of people are the ones that normal IT people have refused to help. They tend to be difficult to work with, and as another OP stated - they want free lifetime support.


I did in-home service for a few years, primarily for coworkers and their friends. I charged $85-$120/hr for in-home service but it varied a lot. If it was someone without a ton of money but easy to work with I would charge next to nothing. It was more of a hobby I guess.

Edit:

As you stated, part-time is the way to go. Get yourself 7-8 very good clients and it's easy to make $1000 a month. Often times if you're good they'll recommend you to friends. I've gotten a lot of business/corporate consulting gigs this way.

I agree with a lot of what you said.
I started back in 1998 by refurbishing old computers and selling them. From that I was able to weed out the wacko customers when I went into repair.
The difficult customers are always a problem in our business. I am always prepared to refund a customers money and tell them that their particular problem is not something I am familiar with, and I send them to a big box store, or geek squad.
What I found out is that I didn't have to worry about them saying bad things about my service. Turns out the wacko customers are known to be wackos by their friends and their bad recommendations won't affect your business.