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Why don't people realize PC repair is a normal job?

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Yes, computers and math. A friend of mine once was so sick of being asked for help with math he decided on a "no free mathematcial advice" policy. 😀
 
It's because you are a geek i.e.you 'love' fixing computers and anything you love doing is not considered a job.
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that makes me laugh....it might have been true for me 10 years ago or so, but now I hate even fixing even my own PC's...and yet I'm expected to do it for everybody...not to mention all of the free "upgrades" i'm supposed to give to relatives and friends....just because I work at a computer store doesn't make me the magic PC fix it man with his magic bag of free upgrades
 
Originally posted by: Phoenix86
Because you let them.
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Exactly. Next time somene asks you to do it, why don't you stop taking it up the tailpipe and doing it.

Tell them you don't have the time. Propose those deals of yours and see what they think. No dice? Say "hi" to the geek squad for me!
 
i charge everyone a fee, but 1 guy i fix and get things for comes over and breaks things on my garden or house and carts them away.

because he is good at manual labour and i am good with pc's

its a fair swop
 
My grandmother, who's treated my mom like ****** here lately and quit inviting me to family functions because I tell them like it is, called me the other day for support on her email account/dial up service on a PC I gave her.

I gave her the phone number of the ISP and said "call them". She said "Well can't you help me do it now over the phone?". I said I could, but that my free time was reserved for my sona nd family, and otherwise I bill $85/hr instore and $115/hr onsite.

Needless to say I doubt she'll ever call me again. And before you blast me for doing my grandmother like that I did it for two reasons.....if you give family an inch, they take a mile, and she is satan spawn wrapped in christian clothing.
 
Meh my friends normally buy me food/beer, although about a week ago a friend of mine that I hadn't talked to in a while called me up and asked if I could fix her laptop (dead hard drive) I told her sure, since I haven't seen her in a while and she asked if she could take me out to dinner for my services and I told her that lunch would be better for me (I don't know how cool my gf would be with me going out to dinner with another girl, even if she is just a friend) so anyways I recovered the data from her hard drive, ordered her a new one (larger per her request) installed it, and loaded a clean install of XP. She came by to pick it up and I told her to call me some time that week when she was available for lunch. I wait a week, no call, so I figured she's just been busy so I call her to grab lunch/catch up, it goes to voicemail after a few rings, so I left one. I NEVER GOT A CALL BACK. Now I spent probably 6 hours repairing this thing, and she's too busy to call me back about lunch? Fsck that, no more will I help people with their computer problems. Time is money and I make a LOT more than any of my friends, so when I spend my time fixing their crap it's costing me.
 
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
My grandmother, who's treated my mom like ****** here lately and quit inviting me to family functions because I tell them like it is, called me the other day for support on her email account/dial up service on a PC I gave her.

I gave her the phone number of the ISP and said "call them". She said "Well can't you help me do it now over the phone?". I said I could, but that my free time was reserved for my sona nd family, and otherwise I bill $85/hr instore and $115/hr onsite.

Needless to say I doubt she'll ever call me again. And before you blast me for doing my grandmother like that I did it for two reasons.....if you give family an inch, they take a mile, and she is satan spawn wrapped in christian clothing.
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It's okay. I did the exact same thing to my cousin for the very same reasons. :thumbsup:
 
The vast majority of problems are rather easy. But they should also feel sort of lame for not being able to install a printer.
 
I charge, plain and simple. As far as working for my friends, I give them a good discount.

I wont charge my friend the next time, because he helped me pump some water out of an overflowed window well for free.
 
Originally posted by: Corbett
Something me and some of my coworkers were talking about the other day. Why is it that when someones PC is having problems, you are the first person they call? The problem is they always act like pc repair somehow is not an actual job and therefore you will do it for free because it is such an easy thing to do for people like us?

And why doesnt the same thing go for all other trade? IE - I fix your computer for free. You fix my toilet for free! Why is expecting a plummer friend of yours to fix you toilet for free frowned upon but its the opposite when someone neeeds the darned "Free Sex" icons on their desktops removed that somehow "magically appeared" and they have no idea how they got there?
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because people are stupid. they have been for a long time and the fact they can't fix their own computers just amplifies their own stupidity.

i had a guy come to my place of work, have me fix his computer then try and offer me college football tickets for the bill. this wasn't my company, yet i was supposed to just slip it by my boss that i fixed it for free and got some tickets in return. wtf?
 
Originally posted by: acole1
Originally posted by: Corbett
Something me and some of my coworkers were talking about the other day. Why is it that when someones PC is having problems, you are the first person they call? The problem is they always act like pc repair somehow is not an actual job and therefore you will do it for free because it is such an easy thing to do for people like us?

And why doesnt the same thing go for all other trade? IE - I fix your computer for free. You fix my toilet for free! Why is expecting a plummer friend of yours to fix you toilet for free frowned upon but its the opposite when someone neeeds the darned "Free Sex" icons on their desktops removed that somehow "magically appeared" and they have no idea how they got there?
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I feel the same way but I think most of us don't have the heart to charge someone. I usualy don't for my friends... but they have payed me anyways.

And people can usualy live without their computer working right, but they can't live without a toilet... that might have something to do with it.
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have you ever fixed computers professionally (at a repair depot or store, not for friends)? you'd think being without their computer for an hour was a life or death situation.
 
Well, I'll give the same answer I gave last time this question was asked:
Its because we let them.

Heck, I try not to complain.
I have some buddies I refer to as gearheads, (they dont like the title but hey, fvck em).
Anywho, I've gotten some quick work on my car while helping with their computers. Free oil and an oil change. Granted, I can do that myself at the auto hobby shop for about 5 bucks, but its a nice favor.

Also, when my airsoft rifle was giving me sh1t, one of the guys was kind enough to fix it for me. That may sound minor, but believe me, cracking open a gearbox is a hundred times worse than a swiss clock.
 
Originally posted by: Corbett
Something me and some of my coworkers were talking about the other day. Why is it that when someones PC is having problems, you are the first person they call? The problem is they always act like pc repair somehow is not an actual job and therefore you will do it for free because it is such an easy thing to do for people like us?

And why doesnt the same thing go for all other trade? IE - I fix your computer for free. You fix my toilet for free! Why is expecting a plummer friend of yours to fix you toilet for free frowned upon but its the opposite when someone neeeds the darned "Free Sex" icons on their desktops removed that somehow "magically appeared" and they have no idea how they got there?
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Bartering. And waggy's rite, rant sux...
 
Even my parents slip me a few pounds here and there if I sort their PC out. I give the impression of protesting, of course... 😉
 
I guilt people into payment. I didn't used to, but if you start charging you won't be bothered as often. (and you might make a little side cash)
 
Originally posted by: Corbett
Something me and some of my coworkers were talking about the other day. Why is it that when someones PC is having problems, you are the first person they call? The problem is they always act like pc repair somehow is not an actual job and therefore you will do it for free because it is such an easy thing to do for people like us?

And why doesnt the same thing go for all other trade? IE - I fix your computer for free. You fix my toilet for free! Why is expecting a plummer friend of yours to fix you toilet for free frowned upon but its the opposite when someone neeeds the darned "Free Sex" icons on their desktops removed that somehow "magically appeared" and they have no idea how they got there?
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But they're right, usually it's super easy and doesn't take more than a few minutes to diagnose a problem. A television set on the other hand you have to disassemble and really know what you're doing or you may hurt yourself.

I have my friends buy me stuff. If it's not a friend, they have to pay me with cash.
 
Originally posted by: squirrel dog
Because so many people will do pc repair for free or nearly so . Same with pc sales . At one time there was some money in pc's . Not now . Sales wise small timers anyway .
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Geek Squad makes a good chunk of change, probably because they're endorsed by a huge electronics company. Come on, they'll charge $300 markups on just about anything.

I wish I could convince all of those old people to pay ME $300 to remove some adware.
 
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