As you might know, I started User Friendly Computer Services late last year, so I'm definitely still ironing out the kinks. One thing I'm still working on, I'm not ashamed to say, is pricing. Maybe you, the possible future user of our services, can give some input.
Doing some online research, I see that Geek Squad charges 170-300 just to perform a cleanup/diagnostic. That's really high to me. I usually like to charge 50-60 per hour, one hour minimum, and go from there. If we're nearing the one hour mark, I'll give you an estimate of how long it should take and how long it'll cost.
Are customers put off by this kind of vagueness? That's the feedback I'd like if you don't mind. One one hand, I don't want to scare my customers off with a big up-front estimate or huge fixed price. I mean, $300 is well on the road to "just buy a new computer" land. But I'm thinking maybe people don't like to hear "50 bucks to look it over, do some light cleanup, diagnose issues, and we can go from there."
So what do you think?
I'm considering publishing a price list on my site advertising some basic computer and networking services with fixed prices. Would you find that helpful? Would that be more desirable than calling for an estimate?
Most importantly, would you be more inclined to give me business if you knew the exact price up front? :)
I really do value feedback from customers and potential customers, so please let me know what you think. You can add a comment at the bottom of this blog post, or email me directly to let me know what you think, if you don't mind.
Thanks again.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tech guys could be a little nicer
Doing some online research, I came across a thread on the techspot.com forums where one forum member was asking for help with a slow-running PC. After posting a listing of the programs running on his PC, he got this response:
Looks like you have downloaded and installed every bit of junk you could get your hands on, sorry to say this.
I could make a list of what you should uninstall, but I can't be bothered really.
My advice: format c: /u and start from scratch.
Then stop installing junk.
Wow, no wonder non-technical folks are usually wary of asking for help from the people who know computers. Rather than offer constructive help, the poster is dismissive and demeaning, finally offering a suggestion that says "oh, you're beyond help. Wipe the hard drive and start over." The snarky, condescending attitude that is so prevalent in IT industry professionals is evident in forum posts like this. Would it have been hard for the poster here to not be a jerk?
Working in the information technology field for over a decade, I've seen this kind of thing a lot, and it's easy to understand why everyday people who need help with their computers would rather just deal with problems like a slow-running PC than be browbeaten by a guy just because he knows a little more about computers.
I don't think civility from the person fixing your computer or giving computer advice is too much to ask. I don't get that kind of attitude from my mechanic or my dentist. But judging by the behavior of many of my peers, it seems my mechanic should roll his eyes because I can't fix my own brakes and my dentist should make fun of me because I don't know how to perform a root canal.
As an IT professional, I don't feel like I should act that way toward the people I'm supposed to be helping. I don't mock their supposed lack of knowledge; without it, I'd be out of a job! I've fixed home and office computers for all kinds of people from many walks of life; lawyers, writers, programmers, musicians and more. They all know more about their respective fields then I do, and I know more about computers than they do. Mutual respect is a must. If you take anything away from this rambling entry that's kind of sputtering out here, it's this: there ARE decent computer help people out there. Some of us actually do have a personality, aren't making fun of you, and are personally secure enough that we don't need to mock the people we're supposed to be helping to feel better about ourselves.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you find one of the good ones!
Looks like you have downloaded and installed every bit of junk you could get your hands on, sorry to say this.
I could make a list of what you should uninstall, but I can't be bothered really.
My advice: format c: /u and start from scratch.
Then stop installing junk.
Wow, no wonder non-technical folks are usually wary of asking for help from the people who know computers. Rather than offer constructive help, the poster is dismissive and demeaning, finally offering a suggestion that says "oh, you're beyond help. Wipe the hard drive and start over." The snarky, condescending attitude that is so prevalent in IT industry professionals is evident in forum posts like this. Would it have been hard for the poster here to not be a jerk?
Working in the information technology field for over a decade, I've seen this kind of thing a lot, and it's easy to understand why everyday people who need help with their computers would rather just deal with problems like a slow-running PC than be browbeaten by a guy just because he knows a little more about computers.
I don't think civility from the person fixing your computer or giving computer advice is too much to ask. I don't get that kind of attitude from my mechanic or my dentist. But judging by the behavior of many of my peers, it seems my mechanic should roll his eyes because I can't fix my own brakes and my dentist should make fun of me because I don't know how to perform a root canal.
As an IT professional, I don't feel like I should act that way toward the people I'm supposed to be helping. I don't mock their supposed lack of knowledge; without it, I'd be out of a job! I've fixed home and office computers for all kinds of people from many walks of life; lawyers, writers, programmers, musicians and more. They all know more about their respective fields then I do, and I know more about computers than they do. Mutual respect is a must. If you take anything away from this rambling entry that's kind of sputtering out here, it's this: there ARE decent computer help people out there. Some of us actually do have a personality, aren't making fun of you, and are personally secure enough that we don't need to mock the people we're supposed to be helping to feel better about ourselves.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you find one of the good ones!
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