PC Repair Guy

As long as they pay, I’ll come & fix things… They are all still using Windows, while I am on Linux since 2005… They don’t listen, but I don’t care, because they pay… My Mac people are stuck with their closed proprietary apps, and can’t transfer music & pics… I tell them, don’t use Mac apps, just get the good ol’ free ones, and you’ll be ok… They don’t listen because their friends tell them iTunes, iPhotos, iThis & iThat is the best thing since slice bread (!!!)

I’ll quit when I find a way to money in an easier way… Still haven’t figured that one out, as I can take sitting in front of a PC and changing PSU, ram etc…

I understand where you are coming from with your “rant”.

One of my pet peeves is people calling me about their network or computer problems when they are on a large network (100’s of users) that I have no control over. My first question normally is, have you called IT? Unfortunately, the answer is usually no and they often state the network admins will not help them (another peeve of mine, people, especially IT power hungry people, not doing their job that they are paid to do.)

Another one, you fix the problem and get called the next day with the same problem. The cause, the client’s friend or buddy and sometimes the client themselves think they should modify what you have done because they know more about the product than you. Why did they not fix the problem in the first place? Nothing more fun than cleaning up other peoples messes.
Dan

Ohhh yes, know exactly what you mean. Though I run my own repair business, I had a customer just last week that kept calling me (even on a Sunday when I would not answer the phone) because he had some form that he wanted to add/subtract names from it.

Being polite at first and made some suggestion, it became very apparent that he wanted me to set up this form. I explained rather bluntly that I am a repair tech, not a data entry person. Go find someone who has mastered all the features of MS Word or similar program and have them do it.

Could have I done it? Yes, probably after a lot of time and trial and error. But he didn’t want to pay for it, he wanted it done as a favor. He even offered to come over and have me show him how to do it thinking that he would not have to pay me for my time.

Just where do these people come from?

Amen, Brother Matt! It is rather frustrating when people keep doing the same things over and over, expecting you to bail them out. And it’s a bit like the mafia, it’s very hard to leave without them dragging you back in (especially if you’re any good at it). It took me moving several states away to break free of it (not the reason I moved, but a nice side effect), although I still maintain relationships with several of my business clients that I do hosted MS Exchange work for.

I will say this much — I am somewhat reassured that I possess a skillset that can help me make a few bucks in the absence of a “day job”. If push came to shove in this economy, it’s good to have that. Not everybody is lucky enough to have the ability to live by their wits.

This is my cureall for other peoples problems.
http://www.lmgtfy.com (its a google type site)

I agree that it can be frustrating to have a customer come back with a similar problem after having tried to explain how they got there to begin with. If they don’t get it, and want to pay again to get out of the same situation that they had paid for before, who am I to question their reasoning? Obviously, if it is a problem that I, inadvertantly, created, I’ll correct it at my expense. But if it is an application problem or os problem that they caused, I try to explain that I can’t be responsible for a wrong reply or an improper shutdown with an application still active etc.

I teach A+ Certification preparation at a local technical college. I try to give my students real life situations that I have encountered during my 15 years of PC repair and 30+ years IT employment at a major airline as a (mainframe) system analyst.

Matt, couldn’t agree more… as a tech I know all to well the “this will just take a minute for you” or “can you fix this for me” etc… At the end of the day… that’s it! After working 25+ years in the industry I’m at the point were 8 hours day is enough

I have made it a personal policy NOT to work on people’s personal computers or tech equipment. If I must make an exception I charge my normal fee……one bag of Dove’s Dark Chocolate. That takes care of my state of mind.

What gets me the most…….
You fix their PC, you tell them to ONLY use the “anti-xxx” you installed (all free programs). THEN because they SEE in an email (or a “friend” tells them) that XXX has an antivirus or trojan remover, or other JUNK, that is supposed to WORK great,, download it.

And you have to “clean” the mess out (yet again).
This doesn’t happen once, twice, or even three times.
This happens at least four times a year.
OH………. but yet….. They hate paying the price for your fixing it.

I agree wholeheartedly. I seem to have become the local neighbourhood PC guru and it’s patently obvious that folk do not have a clue about security and even if they have the appropriate programs on board, they haven’t been updated since the beginning of time! They (or more likely their offspring!) have imported numerous pieces of spyware and junk, which have to cleaned out after the complaint is that the PC is running like there’s treacle in the works. I sometimes think that it should be made illegal to sell a PC without the purchaser obtaining a “driving licence” after a course on the basics.

My first peeve is along the same line as one of Mike’s points. Because I repair computers, I’m supposed to know how to use every feature of every program ever made. I’m not a secretary. If you want to learn about macros in Word or do a mail merge… call an office worker. I’m not in publishing or printing and don’t create documents for a living. My second peeve is just like Matt’s… I don’t know how to use every electronic device ever made out of the box. I may have to read a user’s manual too. You’ve got a strange button on your new scanned?… read the manual. Don’t expect me to come out and read it for you and then not be charged. Take some responsibility and use the bump on your shoulders.

What I hate most? When they call saying:
1st.- The PC YOU fixed have this problem or same problem…etc.
2nd.- Why my PC have a virus (troyan, spyware, etc) if I have an XXX antivirus?

Damn! When they explain their problems using one or both reasons, I just want to take their PCs and crash it in their heads!

Great advice. I dont know how many times I have to tell people the very same things. Glad I’m not the only one.