Have you ever had a computer problem that caused your computer to be "down" for long periods of time, or longer than you WANTED it to be? Have
you had problems such as: your computer works just fine, but for some reason you are unable to connect to the internet? Has a PC virus
ever attacked your computer, and caused data loss of any type or an unbootable computer?
How about problems printing a document in Windows? The GOOD news is, there are many shops and people to choose from, when it's time to have your computer repaired. The BAD news is, it is easy to get "ripped off", either by paying more for a repair than the repair was worth, or paying for a repair that wasn't successfully completed.
Wait,
there's
more good news! We are ready to act as the "PC Savior",
and give you advice on what to look for when getting
your computer repaired, or computer service. First of
all, computer repair charges vary, depending on where
you live, but generally you can expect to pay anywhere
between $30.00 to $100.00 per hour for a repair job.
Let's start at the "low end", $30.00 an hour. It's
possible to find an individual technician charging that
amount, especially if that person is working out of
his/her home. Lower overhead to operate would usually
equal lower prices.
On the other
hand, chances are you won't find a "brick and mortar" computer business, operated from a commercial space, charging
$30.00 an hour, unless it is a FIRST TIME CUSTOMER discount, or a limited promotion. Businesses that have to pay
for leasing space, electricity, employees, inventory, etc, will have to roll those operating costs into their pricing
structure (or in other words...what YOU pay!)
$50.00 seems reasonable for computer service, but then again it depends on what is included with the service.
I have heard of many shops that charge $50.00 an hour to repair a computer that is "dropped off" to the shop, and
picked up when repaired. Those shops charge $75.00 an hour for "field work", or when a technician drives to the home
(or place of business) to repair the computer, or possibly take it back to the shop for further diagnosis/repair.
It is important to know what the minimum billable rate is for a repair, in other words what you will pay for a job
that only took 20 minutes to complete at a $50.00 per hour billing rate.
Many shops charge a minimum of ONE hour,
regardless of how little time - less than an hour, it took to repair the PC. In other words, if the minimum billable rate is one hour, and your PC took 30 minutes to complete, you will still pay $50.00. $100.00 an hour seems a steep price to pay for a repair, and it really is! There are many companies that will charge you $100.00 flat, just to take a look inside your computer!
Along with that, they will also charge by the hour to REPAIR it!
So
imagine, you take you shiny Compaq computer to your
neighborhood GEEKS R US store, and tell them you don't
know why the computer keeps resetting on it's own. John
Doe tells you that they will need to keep your compuer
for 24 hours, and they will contact you tomorrow with an
estimate.
You wait at home impatiently for that call...and wait....and wait.. Finally during hour 23, they call you saying: "Sir, your power supply is bad and that's why your computer is restarting on it's own. The price for a new power supply is $70.00, and it will take 2 hours to install it. Total price: $370.00 minus your $100.00 deposit for a balance of $270.00 !(You faint upon hearing that)
$270.00 !?!? Just to change a power supply?? Sounds expensive huh? That's because it IS! You should always look for a company that has verificable references, even if it's only two or three previously satisfied customers. Also, you want to know upfront, what they think the problem COULD be - based on you giving them specific details on when the problem started, what kind of PC you had,
when you last installed software/downloaded; what operatin system you use...etc.
It is also very important to ask how long a job takes on average, after having a good idea of what the problem(s) could be. That is prevention from having your computer fixed, anxious to pick it up; only to find out that you can't afford the fees, and you now have NO computer.
Next, inquire on flat rates. For instance, you have a virus problem, or you think you do. Your computer shuts off randomly, sends emails to people without your knowledge, and it's slower than a snail in the sand. You haven't installed any new hardware or software, and you only go online to browse the net and send emails. You scan your computer and VOILA...a virus is found!
Instead of paying an hourly rate not knowing how long it may take to "kill" this virus, look for a company that has a flat rate for cleaning viruses and spyware. So, instead of paying $50.00 per hour - for a job that will take 2, or 3 hours (for example), you can pay $75.00 for the "Virus Removal Special." You may have just saved $25-$125.00 ! WHY...you ask? Because, at $50.00 per hour, if the job took 2 hours, you pay only $100.00. If the job took 3 hours, you pay jut $150.00. If the job took 4 hours, you pay only $200.00. GET IT NOW?
GOOD!
I hope you have been able to understand some very important details when having your computer diagnosed and repaired. It's always wise to find an honest shop/technician that fits YOUR budget, or will work with your budget. Also, a company that takes pride in doing a good job, and earning a customer for life...YOU!
Have you ever had a computer problem that caused your computer to be "down" for long periods of time, or longer than you WANTED it to be? Have
you had problems such as: your computer works just fine, but for some reason you are unable to connect to the internet? Has a PC virus
ever attacked your computer, and caused data loss of any type or an unbootable computer? 
