Accepting money to fix a work mate/ friend's computer?

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Richdog said:
Unfortunate school brat? Interesting terminology. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. You can live in cloud cuckoo land... i'll live in the real world... and we'll all live happily ever after. :D
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'unfortunate school brat attitude'. You know, name calling, churlishness.
 
How about just ration favours to your closest friends? these people are most likely to do favours in return. They'd also hopefully think about actually annoying you.
 
I've built, fixed, cleaned etc many computers for friends, work mates etc and will never charge - they have all given me something in return, be it a favour, some of thier time or a bottle of wine. I wont take money as then it feels like a job and I'd be oblidged to do it to a timescale. I just ask them to drop the box round, tell them I'll get it done as soon as I can, then call them and they pick it up - no hastle. If you are going round to thier house etc then it becomes more difficult - the only time i'll do an on-site is if I have built and sold them a computer - bit like a guarantee etc! (again no profit)
 
Charge by the time. Most basic stuff can be done in less than an hour, unless their PC is horrendously slow, and you shouldn't therefore be taking more than about £10-15, assuming they're local friends, as like some people have said the vast majority of this sort of stuff is donkey work.
 
People often offer money because they feel obliged to. Likewise, people often refuse payment for doing what is ultimately a favour because they feel obliged to.

My friends and I operate a favour system. I do a favour for one of my friends, he does a favour for me in return. Simples.

I fix his computer; clear his daughter's laptop of donkeyporn (just for example!); and help programme his Sky + box all in one evening, and in return he calls in a few favours of his own from our other friends and gets my car serviced for next to nothing.

Hurrah!
 
Why would anybody want to give up valuable weekend time for fixing a PC? Sure you may at a push want to help a good mate out on a rare occasion but for a coworker?

I can't speak for the rest of you but backing up and fixing somebody's PC sounds like a bad way of spending parts of my weekend even for a small cash fee.

For years I've always told people at work I won't fix their home computer. I've had techs work for me with peoples computers lined up for taking home and when these people have said to me: Why don't you do it? I simply raise my eyebrow and simply state that they cannot afford me.

The only computers I fix are my PC (and that very rarely needs fixing) and my step-sons and I don't do either of them at the weekend.

All my serious stuff gets done on my MacBook and backed up as well.
 
LordSplodge said:
Why would anybody want to give up valuable weekend time for fixing a PC? Sure you may at a push want to help a good mate out on a rare occasion but for a coworker?

I can't speak for the rest of you but backing up and fixing somebody's PC sounds like a bad way of spending parts of my weekend even for a small cash fee.

For years I've always told people at work I won't fix their home computer. I've had techs work for me with peoples computers lined up for taking home and when these people have said to me: Why don't you do it? I simply raise my eyebrow and simply state that they cannot afford me.

The only computers I fix are my PC (and that very rarely needs fixing) and my step-sons and I don't do either of them at the weekend.

All my serious stuff gets done on my MacBook and backed up as well.
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You wouldn't be giving up your weekend and you wouldn't have to do at the weekend.
If you are giving up your whole weekend to re-install an operating system, you're doing something terribly wrong.

Why do some people think backing up / re-installing windows is a complex job and that their time is worth their friends' money?
 
tchan_4 said:
You wouldn't be giving up your weekend and you wouldn't have to do at the weekend.
If you are giving up your whole weekend to re-install an operating system, you're doing something terribly wrong.

Why do some people think backing up / re-installing windows is a complex job and that their time is worth their friends' money?
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No job is complex if you know how to do it. If someone doesn't know how to sort out their PC then resolving that issue is complex. If someone doesn't know how to plaster a wall then that job is complex. On the flip side if you know how to do either then they become trivial simple tasks which are simply time consuming. People aren't born with an innate ability to do either so why do you seem to think that because they know how to maintain a PC that it should be free to do so? I can't imagine you'd expect a friend of yours to plaster a wall for you for free just because they can.
 
SKaRT said:
No job is complex if you know how to do it. If someone doesn't know how to sort out their PC then resolving that issue is complex. If someone doesn't know how to plaster a wall then that job is complex. On the flip side if you know how to do either then they become trivial simple tasks which are simply time consuming. People aren't born with an innate ability to do either so why do you seem to think that because they know how to maintain a PC that it should be free to do so? I can't imagine you'd expect a friend of yours to plaster a wall for you for free just because they can.
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Can't compare plastering a wall with clicking a few buttons.
 
I usually get the call about once a month to sort my father in laws computer - due to work commitments I didn't have time last week to look at his computer so he decided to take his pc tower to a local shop to be "fixed"

They found 92 viruses and trojans (allegedly) - cleared it for him, and charged him £30.00 for the privelage :eek:

Though I'd never dream of taking money from family members, sometime's it is better to accept a small fee (case of beer or something) for doing the work rather than seeing them blatently ripped off!
 
tchan_4 said:
Can't compare plastering a wall with clicking a few buttons.
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Good god it's like having a debate with a brick wall... it is NOT simply clicking a few buttons. It is knowing what to do and how to resolve any problems that may occurr, which involves knowledge, experience... and time.

Plastering is just slapping some plaster on a wall... right? Making a table simply knocking a few pieces of wood together? etc etc.

Something is only easy if you know how to do it... if not and it's well outside of your comfort zone then it's complex. That is simple logic.
 
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Sonea Fifer said:
Barclay's customer here - so my Kaspersky is also free ;)
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Yer, but it's not as good :)

Either way, I've never had any family computer get infected with either Symantec or Sophos on them, they've always stopped stuff provided they are up-to-date.
 
Been doing IT for more years than i care to mention . Only do repairs for close family for free everyone else gets charged . Spent to many nights round peoples houses for a "drink" supporting software i never installed and called at all hours to fix stuff..

So finally said enough was enough and started charging . There still happy im happy and i dont get people calling my day and night .

You may think its fine to do freebies but eventually it never stops and ends up taking all your spare time .

Persil
 
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