Payment for Computer Repairs
- Thread starter Antar Bolaeisk
- Start date
Did a pc job last night for an oldish couple; the man was disabled and they worked hard doing charity work. After finishing the job they asked how much and after a moments thought said £15.
"£15" the man exclaimed.
I kept my mouth shut and there was a long pause before he said that the previous man they called charged £50 for just setting up router.
I was relieved initially by this but then thought that I should have charged a little more. I'm a softie though.
"£15" the man exclaimed.
I kept my mouth shut and there was a long pause before he said that the previous man they called charged £50 for just setting up router.
I was relieved initially by this but then thought that I should have charged a little more. I'm a softie though.
Then that serves them right for not shopping around. Would you think you were being "exploited" if you bought a TV from <ShopNameHere> and a week later noticed it being sold for half the price in <ShopName2Here>? Or would you just feel like an idiot for not checking prices first?
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Associate
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I havent charged ever for this service but most of the time people give you stuff just beacuse they are greatfull, if anyone needs beer just come my house, way too much to drink!!!!! 
Obviously price is going to be different on products....... i'm talking mainly about price of a service. e.g. computer repair... i think some people/businesses here are passing on extra costs to customer whereas maybe some people/businesses here dont. I could be petty and just say the former are being more greedy
but its not that simple. Depends on a ton of other factors. But should they factor in these costs and add it to the cost of the service?Heres another question: do you think ethics has any place in business?
Of course, I would far rather give slightly more of my money to an ethical company, than less to an unethical (unfortunately it's very hard to tell which are which 
)
Do you mind me asking what your job is?
Edit: Of course these factors should be included, one that springs to mind is the reputation of the company.
You would be far more likely to spend a little more on a well known company with a good reputation, than some guy working from a shed, purely because you know they will do a good job.
On the topic of computer repairs, that's why you often find that people who don't know much are more likely to go somewhere like PurpleShirtWorld, than to a guy with a little shop, purely because they have heard of them through advertising and so it seems like a more "secure" company. (Of course anyone who actually knows what they are doing will stay well clear XD)
)Do you mind me asking what your job is?
Edit: Of course these factors should be included, one that springs to mind is the reputation of the company.
You would be far more likely to spend a little more on a well known company with a good reputation, than some guy working from a shed, purely because you know they will do a good job.
On the topic of computer repairs, that's why you often find that people who don't know much are more likely to go somewhere like PurpleShirtWorld, than to a guy with a little shop, purely because they have heard of them through advertising and so it seems like a more "secure" company. (Of course anyone who actually knows what they are doing will stay well clear XD)
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Don't you guys install things like Spybot S&D on their computers and show them how to use it? I know it would mean they don't call you out as much but they must wonder why they're paying £30-£50 to call a guy out every few months.
If I paid someone £50 I'd expect them to show me ways to prevent getting spyware or viruses again.
If I paid someone £50 I'd expect them to show me ways to prevent getting spyware or viruses again.
Don
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I really need to get in on this. I regulary get paid by my family when I do stuff for them (I dont ask, and often attempt to refuse, it feels so wrong doing such simple stuff and get paid for it!). Just a couple of cash in hand jobs a week will be a great little sideline for me without using up too much time.
Its so easy to forget that the most basic things that we can all do with PCs are simply beyond the comprehension of most people we know. This means we have a marketable skill.
Its so easy to forget that the most basic things that we can all do with PCs are simply beyond the comprehension of most people we know. This means we have a marketable skill.
Soldato
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You can show them I guess but technicaly unless its a tutorial service then No, if you show them how to fix there own pcs then thats less money for you afterwards...
I deal with many customers on a daily basis so many that I forget them the next day... but many say to me how come your doing things so quick I joke to them its my job that way you cannot see the magic I perform they always get the message but then frankly im not there to teach them how to use a pc if they want that it should be 30-50 quid an hour at best.
Soldato
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[TW]Fox;11193821 said:
Yeah why not I do healthchecks daily basis but cos im an techguy @ purpleworld we however charge 50 quid for a healthcheck, but our systems are so bad its an automated program that just checks for viruses/spyware and runs disk cleanup at the end.
Pretty pathetic, so I just do msconfig starup tuning, Cleanup! or CCcleaner and run 2-3 virus/spyware proggys and 50 quid, but majority of the time I find there gonna need a full system restore cos there machines just too messed up or too slow.
A healthchecks a con at the end of the day frankly.... but dont tell anyone I said that lol
i cleaned up a friend's pc once with over 600,000 virus's on it
wish i'd charged him that..
Repeat business!
I do this at work for people for free, they bring it in and say... have a look. This is a freindly place that the MD wants to keep, unsure if I can really say "Gimmie some money", definatly not on company time, but I'm more then happy to do it at home...if I get paid.
lofl
first thing I do when someone brings a pc/laptop around for me to clean is remove all Norton software..
What would you suggest then? It's better than nothing, and most of the time people aren't willing to pay money for something they can't see any tangible benefit from
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Well, other day there the Manager at work rag me and asked me what was wrong with the computer as it wasn't starting up. From the description it sounded like it wasn't getting past the post screen and figured that he could probably try a CMOS reset.
Now that to you and I is no big deal but to him he just wouldn't be able to do it even if I were to talk him through it, he'd be to afraid of blowing something up. Anyways, he asked me to come in and fix it becuase someone had set the wrong prices for the show times and the cinema stood to lose quite a lot of money.
Before I went in though I was going to charge €50 for call-out seen as how this was outside my sheduled hours, he quibbled about it saying how I'd always done stuff like this before without charging anything extra than my normal hourly rate, €9.50, but he did agree to it. Turns out a CMOS reset was all it took and everything went back to normal so €50 for five minutes work and twenty minutes travel time.
Completely agree with evryone saying they're paying for the knowledge as well as just the bit of work that has to be done.
I still do this sort of stuff free for family though... wouldn't see the money anyway even if I did charge them.
Now that to you and I is no big deal but to him he just wouldn't be able to do it even if I were to talk him through it, he'd be to afraid of blowing something up. Anyways, he asked me to come in and fix it becuase someone had set the wrong prices for the show times and the cinema stood to lose quite a lot of money.
Before I went in though I was going to charge €50 for call-out seen as how this was outside my sheduled hours, he quibbled about it saying how I'd always done stuff like this before without charging anything extra than my normal hourly rate, €9.50, but he did agree to it. Turns out a CMOS reset was all it took and everything went back to normal so €50 for five minutes work and twenty minutes travel time.
Completely agree with evryone saying they're paying for the knowledge as well as just the bit of work that has to be done.
I still do this sort of stuff free for family though... wouldn't see the money anyway even if I did charge them.
Of course, I would far rather give slightly more of my money to an ethical company, than less to an unethical (unfortunately it's very hard to tell which are which
Do you mind me asking what your job is?
Copyright librarian (now do you get why i sometimes complain about certain threads mods...
). Also worked as an assistant buyer previously, helped out in CAB (hasnt everyone?) which got me interested in consumer rights stuff.My advice to anyone being hassled by any kind of business is: Respond to them the way a business would, start charging them for your time and effort for things that you have to do for them.....they suddenly become a heck of a lot more responsive.