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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 7/25/2009 4:24:42 AM | Yeah thats why we have 3rd party encryption software.
So infact there is no such thing as security in windows until you impliment a security policy! | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 7/25/2009 4:28:23 AM | So could a 6 year old child!
A 5foot fall on to a hard floor will have the same effect and would cost most money to fix it.
Its not hard is it buy software, but i guess it looks good better in some cases to remind people you can do it :) | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 7/25/2009 8:20:18 AM | The PC repair market here is saturated...I mean I go on craigslist posting my services and looking for gigs and it's like...there's just TONS of ads of people saying they'll come fix your computer for $25...and normally it's the same 10 to 15 people flooding the posts with their crap.
Case in point..I had one guy email me last week to go look at his machine. This guy sounded really anal about what he wanted done and how he wanted things done. turns out he had gotten one of these $25 guys show up and when it was all said and done...the computer didn't work and he had a $400 bill....$25 to show up and $75/hour.
I got a lot goin against me...these guys either quickly obtained A+ or fraudently obtained one while I'm just going on 15 years of expierence combined with having seen all kinds of crazy crap over the years. The problem with his HDD....he had a bad interface adapter (the adapter that connects the hard drive to the laptop's propritary port) combined with a HDD that had a bad partition table. So..here's an "A+" certified technican charging top dollar for service and he couldn't fix a SIMPLE problem like that. It took me I think a grand total of 20 minutes with really $0 in parts. His HDD? I booted a linux live-cd and created a new blank partition table and had another program attempt to "guess" the partitions...since it was partitioned as one large drive...simply writing a new partition using all available sectors recovered ALL his data....he didn't want to pay that guy $400 (and never did)...but he gladly whipped out his wallet and handed me $300...which was WAYY more than I originally said.
I run in to that with hard drives a LOT. The partition table gets hosed for whatever reasons and all the shops are "you need a new HDD". I actually got FIRED one time from a computer repair shop because I fixed a HDD in 5 minutes by refreshing the partition table rather than selling them a new drive....I just kind of looked at that employer and was like "that's fine..I'm not going to work for a crooked repair shop anyway".
But...that doesn't really tell you how much you can trust your repair guy. Generally if they charge a lot and have an intelligent sounding answer to everything....there's a chance they're playing you off for a chump..throwing intelligent words to make you feel better (I've worked in various service-call based/repair industries and I've had to do it myself)...but..if the computer guy is charging you a cheap rate and stares at your screen with a "wtf" look on his face and is like "i got no clue what this problem is....chances are he's never seen it...if they'll admit they don't know what a problem is when it's unique...you can GENERALLY trust they're not out to rip you off.
My email box floods now because this one guy told 3 friends...and those three friends got my service and told 3 friends each....i mean, just in a week i went from 0 service requests to 50. | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 7/26/2009 10:24:05 AM | I'm usually the guy who gets called after people try college kids and local stores 1st because of my reputation. I get the calls that people start getting WGA notifications after their pc was fixed (people stealing xp keys and putting on pirated copies), their screen is hard to use (disability options messed with) etc...
I've been fired from repair shops for doing genuinely good fixes instead of selling new hardware; Which is largely why i moved more into IT (large networks, servers, services). Fixing a regular PC is child's play but i'll still do it if someone recommends me, since I always feel better after doing a proper job and making the client happy. | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/26/2009 7:36:35 PM | | that business isnt doing to well in this economy, especially with computer prices so low. Alot of people just buy a new one when the old one gets problems. | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/26/2009 10:38:54 PM | The market is flooded that's for sure, but it's not a new thing.
'Back in the day' (Yes i've been doing it that long and i am that old!) lawyers jumped ship to get into the pc market because of the mark-ups and none that i ran across knew much more than how to turn one on and create an invoice.
A+ certs are a joke, knew someone that was A+ certified and they fried 2 system boards because they couldn't insert memory chips properly.
As far as my thoughts on the dishonest techs, the more the merrier.
My business is running strong, referrals are #1 and w/all the dishonest/shade tree techs out there, almost everyone that walks out of my shop grabs a hand full of business cards to give to their friends/neighbors!
Someone mentioned earlier about doing freebies, i do the same. If the work can be performed in the front of my shop, theres no charge, everything done in the back is pretty much flat rate - so few if any surprises when the bill comes. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 33 | |
| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/27/2009 12:37:28 PM |
A+ certs are a joke, knew someone that was A+ certified and they fried 2 system boards because they couldn't insert memory chips properly.
A lot of people these days recognize that an A+ cert is required for any entry level tech position so they browse to something like actualtests.com & memorize the questions to pass the test. & it applies to more than A+, people will go through all the main ones(A+,N+,MCSE, MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, CCNA, etc...) we call them 'Cert Jockeys' here (ability to memorize questions for a test but no technical skill) ...like the people who walk proud in that 'Geek Squad' Shirt, they may not be able to fix anything but sure studied hard for that cert  | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/27/2009 2:15:07 PM |
like the people who walk proud in that 'Geek Squad' Shirt
..I've got a Geek Squad t-shirt...I found it at a thrift store...I paid a $1 for it...I've got that and a orange shirt that's got a HUGE word bubble that simply says "geek". GeekSquad shirt gets reactions of "oh man I bet you can really fix a computer" to "you guys screwed up my computer"....I've worn it on jobs and people were like "wait, I didn't call geek squad"...i tend to tell them "you didn't...i beat up a geek squad kid for not being able to fix a PC and stole his t-shirt"...it gets some laughs...
no, what i find more bothersome are the ego complexes the GS employees tend to get. When I went to buy memory for my laptop the geek squad guy acted like since I wasn't going to pay him to install it, he refused to sell it to me becuase "it wasn't compatible", when I asked him what was...he said "you'd have to bring the laptop in"....then he said "but we'll clean your spyware out for free" and I brought up how people have had their computers wiped just for that purpose...then I brought up "well, see, for starters, I don't even run windows"....then he threw "oh, then it probably doesn't have the drivers you need"....i looked at him and was like "you don't...need..drivers...for....RAM", of course by this time...the "head geek" walks over to see what we're yelling about..obviously able to tell i'm irritated and have pissed the GS employee off...I don't remember exactly what happened...I wound up getting my ram at a discount and they wound up leaving me alone....i do recall at one point telling the guy "obviously your A+ certification is worthless..what'd you do memorize the questions?"
that's normal for me though...I can walk in to almost any consumer electronics store and start talking WAYYY over the sales people's head...and for the last few years the people at Radio Shack don't even have any idea what i'm talking about. "you need any help?" "yeah, i'm lookin for an LM833 opamp" ".....a wha?" "this thing I just found in the drawer"...and every time I'm in there and someone asks them something confusing...the one guy that's been there is like "see that dude...go ask him...he doesn't work here but he should" | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/27/2009 2:27:04 PM |
..I've got a Geek Squad t-shirt...I found it at a thrift store...I paid a $1 for it
You paid too much for it :)
no, what i find more bothersome are the ego complexes the GS employees tend to get. When I went to buy memory for my laptop the geek squad guy acted like since I wasn't going to pay him to install it, he refused to sell it to me becuase "it wasn't compatible", when I asked him what was...he said "you'd have to bring the laptop in"....then he said "but we'll clean your spyware out for free" and I brought up how people have had their computers wiped just for that purpose...then I brought up "well, see, for starters, I don't even run windows"....then he threw "oh, then it probably doesn't have the drivers you need"....i looked at him and was like "you don't...need..drivers...for....RAM", of course by this time...the "head geek" walks over to see what we're yelling about..obviously able to tell i'm irritated and have pissed the GS employee off...I don't remember exactly what happened...I wound up getting my ram at a discount and they wound up leaving me alone....i do recall at one point telling the guy "obviously your A+ certification is worthless..what'd you do memorize the questions?"
That is what happens when you combine forced suit attire onto high school kids. You want an even better laugh? Watch Geeksquad try to sell services on a Macbook Best Buy sells. NOW THAT IS FUNNY!
Would go something like...
GS Agent: Now I recommend you get some anti-virus / anti-spyware for this Macbook, you never know when you're going to end up catching a virus from one of those nasty Windows PCs.
Customer: Um ok, so what do you recommend and how much?
GS Agent: Ummm..... Trend Micro! We can even install it for you too!
Customer: OK!
Minutes later....
GS Agent: Why can't this focking thing install?
Some random person: Because it is for Windows ONLY.
GS Agent: F$%k
Customer: Is my computer ready?
GS Agent: Almost! We have problems with the software though, you'll need to buy a different version of anti-virus/anti-spyware software. Unfortunately we don't sell Mac software.
Customer: OK I'll just return the software then.
GS Agent: Sorry, the software has been opened, it is non-returnable.
Customer: Why the f$$k did I even come here today? | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/27/2009 2:59:15 PM |
]A lot of people these days recognize that an A+ cert ....
I've been doing computers since 75, i've had tons of classes in programming and os's including unix, main frames to mini's. The PC's i picked up on my own and pretty much every class i took (just to get a cert) asked me to teach because of the experience i already had.
When people come to me looking for a job i skim the education area mainly to see how much money they wasted and jump to the experience part. w/out experience you essentially need to train them. Not something i'd do for someone that walked in off the street, been there, done that and they ended up moving on to bigger and better things and wasted my time!
As far as the nerd herd, do a torrent search for their handbook, it's written for a mentally handicapped person and if memory serves ... starts out w/them trying to decide if they should wear pants or not... these are the people that they send out to client homes - and without supervision. At the stores they may have one person that has a clue about pc's but from what i've heard they are not top of the line themselves. To me looks like a bunch of monkeys beating on a system w/one person trying to keep them inline | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 7/27/2009 10:11:52 PM | I have been in the computer business almost 21 years. When I fix a computer at their home, I give them the bad part pack (Ram Hard drive CD Rom. ) Before I replace something I give them the information about what it cost and if it is worth fixing. I have found that the average computer last between 3 to 5 years. I say that because of the larger, faster software released and also because the hardware starts to go.
If the client chooses to replace a part, I exchange parts and explain what I am doing. Computers are not as expensive as they once were. Sometimes it is not worth fixes computers especially if they are older than 5 years. I try to give my clients all the options so they can make an informed decision.
My regular clients have the opportunity to call me for phone support and if it is something I can talk them through I do. I stay away from selling hardware or software. Just service. Any job is followed up with a phone call to see if all is working well. All the networks I set up come with classes.
Through the years I have seen some Techs that I would not allow near any of my computers. Like any profession there are some good and some bad. | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/27/2009 10:42:30 PM | One of my new clients dealt with the Geek Squad. I had to go and get their computer from them. Had it for almost 2 weeks and then said they needed more Ram. The laptop had 3 gig. The computer was just over a year old. They told her she may also need a new hard drive. The client did not need either. When one of my clients found out, he told her to call me before she agreed to anything.
What had happened was the client interrupted an update and it wasn't booting properly. Then she tried to fix it herself. Windows had a couple of blown files. I removed the hard drive and converted it to an external drive. I backed up the data, whipped the C: Drive and reinstalled windows. Copied the files back and she was fine. The GS squad wanted a several hundred dollars for parts and labor. I charged her 75.00 to get the computer back up. Over the last 2 years she has sent me 11 new clients, four of them commercial clients. | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/28/2009 1:35:17 AM | That seems to be their fix for everything, replace the hard drive.
And like you i stick with service, few systems when i get a deal on them but even that is seldom.
Find that most systems last forever, short of the hard drive failures and in a few systems the caps go bad but all in all as long as the system can use the current technology i keep them running (hard drives/virus scanners etc), 98 systems i'll fix but only if they owner doesn't want to migrate to vista (and who can blame them?)
For me, i'll be running 2k3 server and xp until they come out with something worth while! | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/28/2009 8:16:50 PM | hi all.....
i've wondered for a while.....
with vista is it better to use sleep, hibernate or turn off my pc altogether?
i've been told that sleep (or warm boot as it can be called) has some advantages because there is less stress than cold booting components.
i admit i often use hibernate but am i being lazy and should i turn off my laptop when not in use?
thanks for the top advice i know will be forwarded..... | |
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| how do i trust my c technician?.....
Posted: 7/28/2009 11:16:41 PM | I always tell everyone to power it off!
I ran across a Sony Laptop that the owner put to sleep w/Vista, it never woke up!
Had to be sent back to sony....
Apparently a bug in the OS if you can believe that! | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 7/30/2009 8:10:31 AM | computer shops are like car shops
some you can trust some you can't but its hard to tell which is which so if you find a good one id say stick with it
also the reason they ask for the password on it is so they can easily get into it
almost all tech people should be able to easily break into a machine and ether remove the password all together or figure it out its just they don't want to spend the 10 minutes it takes to do so. | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 7:15:58 AM | | Best way is to test your computer technician. Open up the computer and disconnect the power cable to the hard drive ever so slightly so it won't power up. Take it into a shop and see what they say. If they give you the wrong diagnosis it's time to look for a new computer shop. | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 10:41:06 AM | There's so much good stuff in this thread. I do Help Desk by day and pc repairs (home visits and drop offs) in spare time for extra cash but also for the hands-on that HD doesn't allow.
Make a good CYA contract up saying you are not responsible for things that could go wrong.Things go wrong sometimes and it's not your fault so make sure they sign it...no sign, no fix. This is gold, I'm gonna definitely institute something like this.
In my 6 or so years of experience, it's like someone said - most repairs are smooth and easy cash. There's the other 10% that end up being a pain in the a$$ and cost me money (in time spent), or occasionally a bad decision on my part to "fix" rather than wipe and reinstall off the bat not realizing how hosed something is. Live and learn. I advertise but get most work by word of mouth from happy customers.
Yeah, with pc prices so low, more folks are looking askance at fixing their slightly older pcs .. things are definitely changing.
Re: trust though, I've always found it really funny how I place an ad in one of those little local rags that you throw away unless you need a service person. I show up, assess the issue and often walk out carrying their PC with me 15 minutes later. It's definitely a leap of faith on their part! Then again, I guess a middle-aged woman doesn't engender that much fear.  It makes me laugh though. | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 12:38:06 PM | Think i missed the CYA comment, I have a T&C all clients sign (Terms and Conditions) this explains the possible problems with some repairs (mainly virus related), has them sign a section that allows me to sign EULA's for them, gets the administrative user account and password, explains backup options for data protection and the like - It's 1 full page with the back section explaining the backup options in more detail. So far I've never had a problem with any of it, everyone seems more than willing to give me any information, including their system. Very few have ever read it and just sign, i explain it to them as a hold harmless in case i break something, they all usually laugh and sign away!
Guessing the trust issue isn't much of a problem for me mainly because 99.9% of my business is referral, and multiples at that. One lady came all the way down south from north stl and said 3 people from the area referred me to her.
So far i've found word of mouth best - i'm still looking for alternatives but so far, nothing else seems to work, news papers have been a total bust and waste of cash. | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 1:32:24 PM |
Think i missed the CYA comment, I have a T&C all clients sign (Terms and Conditions) this explains the possible problems with some repairs (mainly virus related), has them sign a section that allows me to sign EULA's for them, gets the administrative user account and password, explains backup options for data protection and the like - It's 1 full page with the back section explaining the backup options in more detail. So far I've never had a problem with any of it, everyone seems more than willing to give me any information, including their system. Very few have ever read it and just sign, i explain it to them as a hold harmless in case i break something, they all usually laugh and sign away!
Guessing the trust issue isn't much of a problem for me mainly because 99.9% of my business is referral, and multiples at that. One lady came all the way down south from north stl and said 3 people from the area referred me to her.
So far i've found word of mouth best - i'm still looking for alternatives but so far, nothing else seems to work, news papers have been a total bust and waste of cash.
Word of mouth is the best advertiser you could have, especially in such a flooded market of fly-by-night computer repair shops, or big named ones (cough: G$$ksquad)
To the OP:
The person who recommended a little test is in the right direction for finding out if you can trust a computer technician or not. Although it might turn out to be costly, as some techs may charge you a diagnostics fee just to tell you it was that all along. That can be pretty steep in some cases.
Generally if you get a tech through word of mouth, you can be assured that they usually worth a damn if you trust your source. If a computer technician / computer repair shop correctly (& quickly) diagnoses the test to be the problem and doesn't charge you for it then that usually is a good sign that they aren't interested in the money and they won't jack up the price by doing unneeded repairs.
(Does it make it wrong for someone to charge you for this test? No, but for something so simple, it is just the right thing to do.)
Best thing to do would be to try to get a tech through a good, trust source (friend, family,etc..) and then you can talk to them, in a SHORT interview sort of way to tell if they truly are worth it. (Write notes or take mental notes on the following)
1. How do they talk to you.
--- Do they talk above you? Under you? Belittle you? Are they arrogant in their answers? Do they sound rushed? Are they professional? Do they cuss? (Is anything said under their breath that you catch?) Do they sound frustrated? Bothered? Etc..
2. Do they really listen?
--- Do they bring back parts of the conversation said minutes ago? Do they summarize what you've told them and how they portray what the problem might be? Do they constantly say: Huh? Pardon? Etc.. (Is it due to poor call reception or are they not listening?)
3. How well they explain their answer to your question.
---- Do they give answers that you can understand? Do they give answers that go over your head without any other explanation? Etc.. Do they get upset and your rebuttal questions if they don't explain themselves in a way that you understand? See #2 Do they really listen? for other examples.
4. Background / References
---- Certifications? Work Experience? Estimated # of clients? Type of clients? Etc..
5. Appearance
--- Do they dress professionally? (Do they have piercings, tattoos, clean shaven, is their hair done properly)
------ This section is your personal preference, but it is something to think about if the computer tech, in your fashion sense or the business world, is not up to code with be professional.
5. Time frame of repair / Cost / Appointment / Call-back
---- Do they give you an ETA on how long it will take to diagnose? Repair? Is the time frame acceptable to you? Is the cost within reason? (Do they charge per job, or by hour? What is their minimum hourly charge? What is their maximum? If hourly, is the price common in your area? Research how long whatever they are doing would take. Example: Virus removal varies depending on what you have, but a simple wireless access point install + 1 computer setup should only take an hour tops providing there are no external problems. Knowing up front how long a job is suppose to take helps you if they state they need more time / and examine the reasons why they need more time) How do they handle their diagnose & repair contracts?-(eg: Do they call first or do they do the work and then call after getting your signature in a blanket diagnose/repair situation?) Are they punctual with appointments and call-backs?
6. How did it turn out?
---- Are you happy with the result if you did hire them? Cost? Etc..
I'm not saying everything has to be answered when trying to find a computer technician. These are just things you'll want to think about before hiring someone, or re-hiring them in the future.
Could mean the difference between hiring some idiot who wrecks your computer / steals your information or someone who gets the job done and in a timely fashion without problems.
The good thing is, there are hundreds of people / companies to choose from.
The bad thing is, there are hundreds of people / companies to choose from. | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 3:41:52 PM | All good points that should be used with anyone you do business with....
Well all but the business dress code, I gave up the corporate image when i retired years ago, me in a suit/tie?? Someone best be buying me dinner!!!  | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 4:01:56 PM | | Nice laundry list N3T_K1LLA, and that's why I'm sure most of my clients come back. The ability and willingness to explain technical issues to someone who's not technical is something clients value. Bayotle - just wondering, did you write your T&C doc yourself or use a template? Thanks | |
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| how do i trust my computer technician?.....
Posted: 8/4/2009 5:44:51 PM | | Karen, Probably a little of both, i've been using it so long i couldn't tell you for sure. Though i'd be hard pressed to tell you where you could find a template.....? | |
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