Especially older people/relatives. Not only are they expecting me to fix it, they also are expecting me to drive over there. Seriously wtf. The least they could do is bring it over here. You really can't tell old people bluntly can you? And they don't like driving at night either.
WTF I don't think I'm ever going to tell anybody I work with computers
- Thread starter holden j caufield
- Start date
MagnusTheBrewer
IN MEMORIAM
- Jun 19, 2004
- 24,122
- 1,594
- 126
You can always say no. You just have to be willing to accept the consequences. 
You've got to learn how to play the game. If you really don't feel like doing it in their time frame, claim school/work/church responsibilities. Whichever they find most compelling. Always give them the impression that if it weren't for these onerous duties, they would be your first consideration.
You've got to learn how to play the game. If you really don't feel like doing it in their time frame, claim school/work/church responsibilities. Whichever they find most compelling. Always give them the impression that if it weren't for these onerous duties, they would be your first consideration.
Red Squirrel
No Lifer
Haha welcome to my life. It sucks.
It's actually bad enough that I had to setup a special desk in my office just so I could work on PCs. People also expect you to do it for nothing, when it's family or close friends, this is the part that sucks.
To the average person I actually charge 60 bucks now. I used to only charge 45 but considering the hours I spend (especially it's a vista machine UGH) even 60 is a bargain.
I used to just try to refuse, but now I can actually use the money. Problem is most of the time it's people who would not expect to be charged such as family.
It's actually bad enough that I had to setup a special desk in my office just so I could work on PCs. People also expect you to do it for nothing, when it's family or close friends, this is the part that sucks.
To the average person I actually charge 60 bucks now. I used to only charge 45 but considering the hours I spend (especially it's a vista machine UGH) even 60 is a bargain.
I used to just try to refuse, but now I can actually use the money. Problem is most of the time it's people who would not expect to be charged such as family.
Red Squirrel
No Lifer
So true!
This also works in the corporate world, but with a twist. If you don't support it at all, but it breaks, then starting from that point, you do support it, and then once you fix it, you still support it. Oh what a nightmare lol. I still can't get over this one situation at work. A doctor put medical data on a raid 0. I would not want him to operate on me, he'd make my kidneys raid 0 too when it's suppose to be raid 1!
Meh, my friend thought he had a bad PSU today, go over there, throw in a 450W I had lying around that I know works, he insisted on going out and buying a PSU tester, I wonder how that will work out.
ghost recon88
Diamond Member
- Oct 2, 2005
- 6,196
- 1
- 81
Charge them for labor man, problem solved. It's gotten so bad that now if my friends problem takes more then an hour, I ask for a few bucks. Otherwise I would have computer problems lined up from 8AM-5PM.
LTC8K6
Lifer
- Mar 10, 2004
- 28,520
- 1,576
- 126
I had to quit working on other people's computers...
Quit building them for people, too...
Too much expectation of free work, too much expectation of neverending warranty, too much "But it wasn't doing that before", too much, "I don't click on those links", too many times seeing the same damn problem from the same damn people, too many times built a nice computer and had it come right back FUBAR and somehow my fault...
A neverending hassle.
You fucking clicked on PersonalAV again?!!!!
Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Quit building them for people, too...
Too much expectation of free work, too much expectation of neverending warranty, too much "But it wasn't doing that before", too much, "I don't click on those links", too many times seeing the same damn problem from the same damn people, too many times built a nice computer and had it come right back FUBAR and somehow my fault...
A neverending hassle.
You fucking clicked on PersonalAV again?!!!!
Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Yea since I graduated and actually work in IT now, I have all sorts of relatives calling asking for free tech support. I tell them I need $30/hr with a minimum 1 hour charge if they bring it to me, house calls are 50/hr. That stops the calls really quick, unless it's urgent. Then it's decent easy money.
speg
Diamond Member
amdhunter
Lifer
- May 19, 2003
- 23,332
- 249
- 106
Hahahaha, that's nothing. I hate the people who bring their computer to you -- and then they call you every day until you fix it.
The computer hasn't worked for months, and now you can't live without it?
I hate people that think we enjoy cleaning their mess of a computer.
Do you? Mine seems to accumulate dust every so often, by the way can you manage my cables? I'm piss-poor at that.
amdhunter
Lifer
- May 19, 2003
- 23,332
- 249
- 106
Damn, back in the TBird/Duron days, I used to manage cables really well. I had the whole twisted IDE cables running under the mobo, power supply cables held together with cable ties...etc.
I miss those days...lol
LTC8K6
Lifer
- Mar 10, 2004
- 28,520
- 1,576
- 126
I helped over a dozen family/friends make the switch to Macs. Has been much quieter ever since
They probably can't get on the internet...
amdhunter
Lifer
- May 19, 2003
- 23,332
- 249
- 106
I helped over a dozen family/friends make the switch to Macs. Has been much quieter ever since
That is honestly not a bad idea...lol
Schadenfroh
Elite Member
- Mar 8, 2003
- 38,416
- 4
- 0
I cannot escape it since people eventually discover that I am a computer scientist. I then get the "fix my computer," line when they have problems. Here is ammunition from a famous computer scientist:
"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." - Edsger Dijkstra
Unfortunately, I am then left to explain what computer scientists are good for if they do not fix computers. When I do, their heads explode.
"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." - Edsger Dijkstra
Unfortunately, I am then left to explain what computer scientists are good for if they do not fix computers. When I do, their heads explode.
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