Family + Pc Nerd...

My dad is fairly savvy. He calls up and asks what to buy and heeds the advice, so we generally get off to a good start. The one thing I wish he'd do is note down key passwords, as I end up trying to hack into his email accounts so I can change the password and then set it up on his new laptop or whatever.

My mother in law is the other one I end up helping out, but again she's fairly good at listening and taking advice. I'm not arsed. She babysits for us and helps out with the kids so fair's fair.
 
I've got a variety of people in my family - those who can do it themselves, those who will with a bit of phone support and some that are totally reliant on me to fix it. I'm lucky, though, that it's very much a two way thing so I really don't mind. I fix their PCs, they help me dig a drive, plumb a new rad etc.

Outside of the family, it's usually so straight forward that I'll fix it (provided they drop it off at mine) and just charge £20/30 which they must think is fair because they keep coming back.
 
I absolutely don't mind fixing family computers but it's when I get volunteered for my parents' friends computers that I take exception.

I did help one guy out though. Old couple. I felt sorry for them because their internet wouldn't work and they'd had someone from a PC shop in town come to have a look, who promptly had £100 off them for doing nothing! Yep, he couldn't fix it but charged anyway! :eek:

Turns out their router was crap so I got it working without the router via the modem only. Didn't take any payment for it as I felt they'd paid enough already.

But holy crap! Is that par for the course these days? Charging but not actually fixing the problem?
 
I don't charge family or close friends, friends are mostly in the motor trade so I get freebies that way,

My mum, dad, brother etc Try to pay me but I refuse, my brother is getting better now and can usually fix his own pc.

But I do get allot of trade from my dad with friends from the pub wanting PC's/laptops fixed.
 
Family & Friends is Ok in my experience, but work collegeues who ask you to fix their home computers for free takes the biscuit...especially when they bring it into work without telling you and expect you to take a look at it.
 
iDroid84 said:
I think it's ridiculous how everyone who fixes PCs is treat, I mean people who fix PCs have psychic powers and can fix everything. It's ignorance I think a lot of time.
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When I worked in IT support at a school, we would get called out for anything with a plug, and sometimes things without. Overhead projector broken? Call IT. Light bulb need changing? Call IT. Toilet not flushing? Call IT. Idiots.
 
vonhelmet said:
When I worked in IT support at a school, we would get called out for anything with a plug, and sometimes things without. Overhead projector broken? Call IT. Light bulb need changing? Call IT. Toilet not flushing? Call IT. Idiots.
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Yep, I get it where I work and when I give them a contact number who can deal with other aspects they go in a huff or when I say 'it's not my area', pretty patetic and I think we all need to stand our ground.

Once what 1st line / 2nd line was skilled is now a monkey area. Not worth the qualifications on paper any more.

Gypo said:
Family & Friends is Ok in my experience, but work collegeues who ask you to fix their home computers for free takes the biscuit...especially when they bring it into work without telling you and expect you to take a look at it.
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Stand your ground and say no, or you will do it ourside of work. You could get into serious trouble doing home machines at work. Well atleast I would.
 
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Jaffa_Far said:
and you can't charge family can you?
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IMNSHO you can charge any family you do not live with, as long as you don't take the michael and make clear what you plan to do. They can always go somewhere else. If it belongs to person you live with then it depends on your financial links: if you pay them rent then you can charge. That's for labour: parts can always be charged for, unless the replacement is a spare you have lying around.


M
 
The thing is it doesn't stop with PCs, anything electrical or gadget like and before I know it I have a 101 questions thrown at me...

I'm not an electrician, a BT engineer or Sky installation expert...just an advanced intermediate PC enthausiast...however I do try to be as helpful as possible and give advice.

I'm very patient with PCs and take the time to sort out problems until a solution is achieved, but some people you just can't talk too. I've had a couple of idiots I've dealt with, who just think they know better and don't listen to my recommendations.
 
Jaffa_Far said:
The family know that I know a thing or 3 about PC's,
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You're doing it wrong. You need to shrug, use a confused face and say "Pfff I dunno, It really sounds broken to me, you should just buy a new one."

If they insist you take a look then scratch your head and say things like - "This could be really difficult to fix" and "I'm not sure I can really be of any use here as it sounds borked" So then when they leave their PC at your house you can just sit back and do sweet FA, when they come back to pick it up all you say is you couldn't fix it. :p

Of course the above is heavily dependant on how much you want to help the person out :) and if beer/food will be exchanged for your services.
 
vonhelmet said:
When I worked in IT support at a school, we would get called out for anything with a plug, and sometimes things without. Overhead projector broken? Call IT. Light bulb need changing? Call IT. Toilet not flushing? Call IT. Idiots.
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I remember a few years ago I was catching up with a friend who I hadnt spoken to in a while. I asked how his IT career was going and he goes 'yeah not bad, I've become an AWAP technician now though'. I thought what the hell is an AWAP technician thinking it was some sort of new technology or server or something so I ask him and he replies 'oh anything with a plug. Someone keeps unplugging the microwave and then I get a call to come and reset the clock'
 
J.B said:
I thought what the hell is an AWAP technician thinking it was some sort of new technology or server or something so I ask him and he replies 'oh anything with a plug. Someone keeps unplugging the microwave and then I get a call to come and reset the clock'
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yea sound about right once you do a favour and fix there pc
you will always live to regret it and to make matters worse keep making the same mistake and agree to fix it the next time it gets borked

went from fixing a mates laptop (downloading virus from facebork)
alteast he had listened about never ever giving out his card details :p
to rewiring his light fittings in his home (made the mistake of letting slip i'd converted all mine to led ) :mad:
 
I help family, no problems. I dont charge, but they do give me money! There's a difference.

Worst thing for me is my mum, She pimps me out to her friends! Its so damn hard on me, I have to run around fiddling and screwing with their hardware, always making sure there's no infections and making sure they use decent protection. Generally the job is obvious at first glance, usually just an old bit of kit, in need of a bit of maintenance. I am happy to help though
 
Just tell them that PC's evolve that fast you can't remember how to fix old rig's. It's what I tell them.

I'll only really help out if I think it'll help them, rather than going around and finding they've got a virus from "downloading" stuff.
 
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