Finding a good person or company to repair your computer is the same as trying to find a good car mechanic, doctor, builder or contractor. You’re looking for someone honest, trustworthy and knowledgeable about their subject who will give you a good value and fix your problem without a lot of nonsense and hassle. Alas, the consumer is at an amazing disadvantage here because s/he often knows little about how the computer really works and is kind-of at the mercy of the tech they select – choose wisely.
But how to choose wisely? I’ve worked with a lot of clients who, let me say it honestly and plainly, have been ripped-off by their previous tech. There is a lot to write on this topic and a lot of sad and infuriating stories. Let me briefly sum up the observations I have made.
Don’t presume your prospective tech is some kind of genius.
Most techs I know are nerds, that doesn’t mean they’re smart, it means they get on with computers better than they do people. Based on my experience (and a Freshman year spent as a Psych major) I would guess the average IQ of the technicians I know is about the same as the population at large, 100. That means for every tech that’s a genius, there is one with a two-digit IQ. Now you’re no moron yourself (obviously, since you’re reading this blog), so don’t be intimidated to ask questions about what your tech (prospective or otherwise) is planning to do with your computer, what does s/he think the root cause of your problem is? What are the other possibilities? How will s/he determine what the real problem is? What is the procedure to fix the problem? It’s a cliche but there really is no such thing as a stupid question; if your tech makes you feel like there is, then find a different one.
Use those on-line repair services with caution
OK, I would say this, I’m a local tech and the on-line services are my competitors. But just because I’m not impartial doesn’t mean I’m not correct. I’m sure some customers have had good results from the on-line services, some have not. The customers that come to me after trying one of the online services tell me that they have spent hours on the phone trying to repair problems (you normally have to sit and watch them the whole time). I have had more than one customer that has been up-sold to virus repair when all they had was a simple configuration problem (in fact, I had a customer who took a brand new computer home from the store, had a problem with it, called an on-line service and was told she had a massive virus infection – the computer was brand new for goodness sake!). Again, I’m sure some of these guys are honest but the barriers to entry are small for this business and the accountability is very low if you have a bad experience. If you still think I’m making this up, here is an independent example: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/03/avast-antivirus-drops-iyogi-support/
Low-ball pricing is not uncommon, understand the full costs for repairs before committing to a technician or company
I’ve been doing this a few years now and I can tell you that I do not think it’s possible to make a go of this business if your average revenue per customer is under $100. Now, there are guys that are moonlighting and advertising on Craigslist for $25 and storefronts with signs claiming $50 repairs. Maybe these guys are financial geniuses or repair philanthropists but I doubt it. There are a tonne of hidden costs in this business, insurance, taxes, business licenses, postage on parts ordered and ones that are returned defective, out-of-pocket replacement parts for things that break while you’re fixing something else, lots of equipment, inventory, discs, hard drives, thumbdrives and DVD drives. The cost of software is significant. And if you have a storefront there is rent, heat and payroll. Make sure you understand the advertised price and the maximum price, the points in between and how your repair might jump from one to the other.
It is not normal to lose either your data or programs when you get a virus
I’ve written about this at length elsewhere but the quick version is that a good technician will be able to remove a virus from a computer without disturbing any of the user’s programs or files. Yes, sometimes it is unavoidable, the operating system can be so damaged it is either impossible or unwise to try and fix it, but this is not the normal case. A good technician will know when to do which but not until s/he examines the computer thoroughly.
Look for reviews and referrals but…
Internet reviews can be very helpful but there are a few things to watch out for. The way most review sites work (including Google) a crafty business owner can write all the reviews himself (in fact that’s exactly what one of my competitors in town has done). I assume it is intuitively obvious that this level of dishonesty is not a good sign for your doing business with a company. If you are reading reviews, look for specificity in the review and a diversity of customers. Look for whether the reviews are current, a bunch of reviews in a short time period and then no reviews often can mean that the business owner has hired a company to give him good reviews or s/he’s written them his/herself. You might also check one of the more reputable review sites. (Neither I nor many of my colleagues much care for Yelp where some claim to see a relationship between paid advertisers and good reviews but this is one place to go, Angie’s list is another one that I think is more reputable). The BBB is a good resource here as well, are they listed?
OK, next time I will write about 10 Questions to Ask Your Prospective Computer Repair Shop.
