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

LEE929394 said:
The guy wants to give me £40, maybe just except £20 or just do it for free?
What's your views? (keep my morals or be the geek for hire and take the cash!) ;)
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if it is a mate and not just some random acquaintance then don't charge them money for helping them out

the acceptable method of charging ought to be beers and not just they get the first round in - i.e. next time you're out they go to the bar and get you a beer, when that finishes they go to the bar and get you another and it carries on to an acceptable total relative to the amount of effort you put into helping them out.

end result is you want get pestered for every little IT problem everyone has, you don't feel awkward taking money from a friend and you get to not have to mess about queuing at the bar on your next night out.

Edit (Also note - if you don't go out drinking with them then they aren't really your 'mate' thus you should simply take the 40 quid)
 
Hah dowie, that reminds me .. two mates owe me a couple of pints each of spending 2 hours helping them with Uni work :D
 
rypt said:
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.
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I suppose it is all down to individual preference at the end of the day - personally I'd never install Symantec on any of my systems. Can't comment on Sophos as I've never used it.

However we're straying off topic here - as i've said before I wouldn't accept cash as payment for services rendered (pc related ;)) but beer / whisky is always nice ;)
 
Richdog said:
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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Exactly the point I was trying to make, I just couldn't be bothered to further explain it after seeing it fly straight over his head :p
 
Richdog said:
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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How would you describe installing an operating system if it's not just clicking a few buttons?
How would you describe installing security software?
If I remember correctly, its just clicking a few buttons. We're not talking about using command line here, there is a GUI.

If that's outside someone's comfort zone, I'm shocked.
 
If someone starting to take the pee, not paying you after lots of work etc, would you say it's rude to ask for money for your hard work?
 
tchan_4 said:
How would you describe installing an operating system if it's not just clicking a few buttons?
How would you describe installing security software?
If I remember correctly, its just clicking a few buttons. We're not talking about using command line here, there is a GUI.

If that's outside someone's comfort zone, I'm shocked.
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Well prepare to be shocked as some people are technophobes. We arent which is why this seems rediculously easy. Many dont know or WANT to know what harddrive to install to for example.
I get your POV but many people cant or wont do what you ask as computers are outside thier comfort zone whereas a lot of us are enthusiasts or professionals. Its simple if you think about it.
 
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Persil said:
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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Amen!:cool:
 
My dads comfort zone doesnt include copy and paste ffs.

He really doesnt care and just uses his laptop from the purpose it was given to him by his employer.

installing an OS is rocket science to him despite it being a few clicks, in fact if I asked him what OS the computer was running he wouldnt have a clue what I was talking about. He confuses office with windows for example....

Thats another discussion point, how many of you have sorted someone comp out only to be told the version of windows doesn't have word like the old one they had......
(idiots)
 
I just work on a "favours" system.

I do the work, and as long as it's not too serious, I don't charge for it. If they offer to "tip" then that's up to them - i'll accept it.

Then when I need a favour back I expect them to do the same (reasonable things I need help with).

If they don't help back then they get put onto my other list, and then when they come crying they get told where to go.

I prefer this as a lot of people have much better things you can take advantage of than money - once I helped a friend's parents out with fixing their PC, and as a reward, asked if I could take said friend (their daughter) on a date, as I quite fancied her (they were very protective). I got permission, and it was a good evening! :D
 
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tchan_4 said:
If you want to charge your friends to do a monkey job, I can't stop you from doing that.

Goodbye.
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Hello.

Yes, to me it's a monkey job too, I agree with that, but to the people that ring me up becuase they don't know how to fix a problem on their system it is skilled work, you keep saying all you do is a 'few clicks' yeah that's right, I'm sure there is a man/woman that works in nuclear power plant that will tell you if they had to define their job in the most basic and stupidly simplistic way they would say "we only turn a few knobs" :rolleyes:.

Now I'm not saying that what I do is important and intelligent work, it's not, but it is a skill, and it's a skill that there is demand for in the consumer market place on a mass scale. I live in a small town and there are 4 computer repair centres here that all charge quite a substantial amount of money for 'just a few clicks', around the world hundreds of thousands and probably millions of company's offer this service to consumers, so you carry on selling yourself short, becuase this monkey is making some monies.
 
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tchan_4 said:
How would you describe installing an operating system if it's not just clicking a few buttons?
How would you describe installing security software?
If I remember correctly, its just clicking a few buttons. We're not talking about using command line here, there is a GUI.

If that's outside someone's comfort zone, I'm shocked.
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If you are shocked that installing an OS and other general windows troubleshooting is outside other peoples comfort zones then you must know **** all about IT support, or never worked in that sector for any time. Seriously, you'd have to be clueless to think that. I've seen it so many times it's not even funny.

What you're effectively saying is that ANY task that is easy to the person doing it does not require any skill, and therefore payment. Well i'll tell you what, lets just stop all trades now shall we? Ludicrous logic. You're perspective on this is warped so i'll just leave it alone now and agree to disagree... because otherwise it will go around and around in circles with you repeating the same silly irrelevant points over and over again.
 
tchan_4 said:
How would you describe installing an operating system if it's not just clicking a few buttons?
How would you describe installing security software?
If I remember correctly, its just clicking a few buttons. We're not talking about using command line here, there is a GUI.

If that's outside someone's comfort zone, I'm shocked.
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So you are shocked that someone cannot do what you can :rolleyes:
You just don't get it do you?
I make my living doing this and the majority of clients I have cannot even access the BIOS screen and would be terrified to even try.
I started my own business doing this as all the friends and acquaintances computers I was fixing became ridiculous and took up so much time.
As has been pointed out it is only easy if you know how to do it. What is your field of expertise, job BTW
 
Ah, now it's a field of expertise.

These 'skills' which you all have could by learned by anyone with a reasonable level of logical reasoning in a day. I have an nephew of 9 years old who is probably as computer savvy as everyone here. Sorry if you're getting offended by the insinuation that actually you're not all IT experts, but you're not.
 
I charge as it means I get money if I do it. Also means less people want you to fix their pc as they have to pay. I have a sliding scheme the busier I am the more I will charge! obviously family get very cheap rates.
 
I always accept Beer regardless but come over all polite when moneys discussed - "oh no I couldn't accept" said until the moneys put away.
 
likwid said:
Ah, now it's a field of expertise.

These 'skills' which you all have could by learned by anyone with a reasonable level of logical reasoning in a day. I have an nephew of 9 years old who is probably as computer savvy as everyone here. Sorry if you're getting offended by the insinuation that actually you're not all IT experts, but you're not.
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Lucky me being able to fool a company into paying me a not inconsiderable sum for the skills of a nine year old for the past 11 years...
 
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