Oh and Huddy, 17 years old? In the head maybe
Absolutely haha I can't even remember being 37, let alone 17!
As for the skilled/ unskilled debate, basically I would have thought that any job that entails some kind of long term training would classify one as being a skilled worker. This includes car mechanics, plumbers, electricians etc. Of course, it's all relative so I wouldn’t expect the aforementioned to be on same king of rate as doctor, for example. Conversely, I wouldn’t expect a complete novice to make a visit to a client who might be experiencing problems.
As I said before, I’d happily pay a mechanic £35 plus to fix my car and I have done. I pay for two benefits in this case: 1. I don’t have clue what I’m doing and 2: It spares me the time. So why would a PC technician be any different?
You have to remember too, unlike most people on these boards, most people I deal with are not only computer illiterate but are actually frightened of doing some thing wrong. So trust also comes into play and it’s important to obtain their trust. Therefore, I don’t tend to charge for my advice and a lot of customers do return because I have gained their confidence and trust.
That said, regardless of that debate, I completed my research before embarking on the work. A majority of people are more than happy to pay £35 to repair their broken or otherwise bugged systems. Remembering too, that this price includes visiting their home or office.
What surprises me is the stark contrast of some peoples expectations from value to “I’ll call you back” but as already answered, people have to find out they are getting the best deal before committing.