fixing staff personal machines.

[wijcc]

This is to those who work in IT, how do you feel about staff who bring in their or their families/partners personal desktop/laptops for you to fix/look at?
Do you do it fix it or say no when it is people who you are not really friendly with.. only really become friendly when you want something from you?

P.S. they expect you to do it for free in your own time or company time.

 

[danielanthony]

I've worked in IT for 15 years and never seen people bring their personal PC's to work and expect the internal IT team to fix them.

Does this happen at smaller companies? I've mainly worked at large organisations and just couldn't imagine someone lugging their own tower PC through the front lobby!

 

[wijcc]

happens a lot in my company... small about 50 employees. It is mainly laptops that they bring in these days.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Make sure you don't tread on your work place's toes. You could be pulled in for disciplinary procedures if they find out....

Get them to bring it to you outside of work time to cut out travel cost and don't forget to charge!

 

[kaiowas]

Our place is big enough and with enough policies and processes in place that people know better than to try that one. I occasionally get asked questions about home machines that I'm happy to answer if its simple enough and its someone I get on with. I've done the occasional bit of paid personal work out of hours in the past too but nowadays I decline to get involved on the basis that I've usually had enough of computers by the time my working day is over

 

[wijcc]

I have been at the same company for 12 year now. I won't face any disciplinary procedures or anything.. as management do it even more than non managerial staff.
Just seeing if it happens a lot.. i am getting tired of people doing it now personally.. and will be refusing to do it.

 

[Sash]

My work actually allows users to bring their own machines to use as their own machines. As IT Manager I'm usually a bit :/ about fixing their machines as part of the overall work remit but just get on with it.

My previous work in a major bank they weren't too fussed about me fixing machines and being paid to my own business as long as I did it during coffee/lunch breaks.

 

[tribz]

For people I'm friendly with, no problem most of the time. For decision makers in the business (I work for myself), definately. For people that suddenly become friendly with me around the time they want something looking at, no chance! (excluding aforementioned decision makers)

 

[Feek]

We had one person in our team who was happy to do this sort of thing for anyone. When he left, I made it perfectly clear to anyone that asked that I simply didn't have the time. One person who worked in the same company but at another site actually had a manager bring their personal laptop to me once. I took one look at it, said "That's not a company laptop" and asked the manager to take it back. He apologised for giving it to me in the first place as he hadn't realised it wasn't a company lappy.

 

[wijcc]

That is not so easy to do in a small company. But some people take the p-- around my company.

 

[Jonnybmac]

I dont work in IT, but because my friends and family know im alright with computers, I generally always get asked to fix their pc's.. to reformats, sort virus's out and clean systems up.. i need to learn to say no

 

[Resident]

I dont work in IT, but because my friends and family know im alright with computers, I generally always get asked to fix their pc's.. to reformats, sort virus's out and clean systems up.. i need to learn to say no

I do it for mates, in and out of work and for family. I don't mind because usually they're jobs that take me no more than an hour tops, except full builds which take a bit longer.

99% of the time I get bunged a bit of cash/booze for doing it or I do it as a repayment for a favour they've done for me.

 

[LordSplodge]

Never done this. Never will. One, I don't want to fix your stupid computer for "a few beers" and two: if I did charge they'd run a mile at my rates.

I'm paid to do my day job (IT but not fixing computers) not fix people's personal computers.

 

[tribz]

Never done this. Never will. One, I don't want to fix your stupid computer for "a few beers"

In my younger more naive days, someone paid me with a four pack of beer, minus one can.

 

[LordSplodge]

In my younger more naive days, someone paid me with a four pack of beer, minus one can.

That's a little insulting.

I wonder how many mechanics/lawyers/plumbers/whatever would do their job for a few beers, yet seemingly that seems to be a fair rate for an IT person to look at somebody's **** ten year old laptop.

 

[tribz]

Indeed ... Older and wiser now.

 

[d_brennen]

If you're going to do it, charge and charge well. Once you've touched it, you're somehow responsible to making sure it stays working

I do it, not so much these days, because I charge repair shop rates

 

[neil_g]

Never for free, and anyone expecting that will be told to naff off. Never in work time either, only in lunches or if I'm on call at weekends.

People that ask politely and offer money/biscuits/cake/beer are considered. Generally it depends if they're a complete arse normally or actually an alright person (and/or hot )

 

[Westyfield2]

Person asks first, don't just bring the PC in.
IT staff member fixes it in their own time, not during work time.
Person gives them a bottle of booze, iTunes, cash, whatever.

Job jobbed.

Oh and the personal computer never gets connected to the work LAN, goes on the guest VLAN.

 

[AJK]

Used to happen a lot at a previous employer, a certain set of semi-permanent contract staff used to bring their phones, tablets, laptops and all sorts in all the time asking for help of various kinds. It was usually given, within sensible limits. Small IT departments in SMEs don't always have the option, politically, to refuse!