|
I just happen to think about this last night, and I wonder; Do you think communities like this one and other very credible ones hurt the small-business PC tech shops, because a lot of us do get very good answers/responses/opinions from sites like this versus having to pay $125,377,436.99 to have some 19-year old at "the shop" tell us that our HDD is on it's way out, or we need new RAM? |
|
While I agree there may be some "scam artists" out there, I think many overstate the issue and the comment "over-charge you for some repair that takes less than half an hour" is misleading. As a former small business IT consultant I can tell you this, first and foremost the idea of business is to make money, hopefully to succeed and make a decent living. Running a small business has many, many unforeseen expenses to the average person. What might seem like "over-charging" typically doesn't even really cover what they need to make. I had to work 60 hours a week to get 20 billable hours along with another roughly 20 hours a week travelling between appointments and another 20 hours a week administrating things. In that 20 hours a week I need to charge enough to pay my expenses that week, phone/data services? Gas to and from service calls? Insurance (auto and business) oh and let's not forget taxes! As a self-employed small business you have to pay both your half of payroll witholdings plus the employer half, plus B&O taxes!! Now let's say you charged $50 per hour with a one hour minimum. Well all fine and good you made a $1000 that week right? Wrong, after all the taxes you are at about $740, now on an average week I spent $180 on gas (that $3.30 a gallon hurts huh?) well now we are at oh $560, well what about insurance, cellphone, data for a laptop, miscellaneous expenses like web hosting, advertising etc? Ok now we are at about $350 for the week net in your pocket for what on the surface looks like "over-charging" now divide that $350 by the 60 hours it took to earn that money and you are at $6 bucks an hour... Yep what scammers! 1
Woah woah....slow down killer. As I just added to my question a minute ago; I don't not think techs are "over-priced", as I do know what it's like to have to "make a living". What I'm talking about are the places that want to charge you ridiculous prices to tell you the "simple" things that I'm sure you have even dealt with before - such as the "oh my god, why am I even here" type call....when they could have just gone to Google, typed in their problem, and found a forum like this, and within possibly even less than 5 minutes have their problem solved. Wasn't in any way to say that techs over-charge their clients, or to say that all techs give shotty service...just the stupid ones. You, obviously are not one of the stupid ones...! LOL :) 1
I'm not trying to criticize PC-techs, I was just saying that the minority of them that do over-charge people would be the only ones who would be hurt by Lockergnome.net . |
|
It hurts scam artists who like to over-charge you for some repair that takes less than half an hour. It can help most PC-tech small businesses though, because they can use this site to gain info on what they're repairing and useful tips on repairing it. |
|
As a computer tech, I am torn on the issue. I hate to charge people that I know can't afford much, but on the other hand, here you're the expert who certainly has bills to pay as well. Then theres the penny pinching clients who want to know exactly what you were doing for every moment of such and such install or virus scan. And you're like, "Yes, it really did take six hours to install the operating system." It's a tough business. In any business there can be opportunists. |
|
NO I don't think so at all. Small business tech support helps people that don't know how to do something, and it is done professionally. Where on here you don't know the person, the person's degree, the person's knowledge, etc. right? |
|
An average PC user, who's used to taking his/her computer to a techie, won't think about sites like this. Those who at least try fixing their computer before taking it down the street would search all the places anyway and perhaps seek help from here as well. I do agree about scam artists. They charge you for everything, even if you've got a loose cable. |
One thing I guess I should add here, is that I am a very tech/computer-literate person. I am not biased in thinking that PC-techs are "over-paid", but I have witnessed so many times people getting "lame" answers for the price they're being charged, or in fact the "wrong" diagnosis sometimes, where we have so many knowledgable people, INCLUDING techs out there, that are willing to lend us their brain and expertise to help others in community forums like this, and usually helping the other person out, correctly, narrowing things down and being able to get to the root of the problem. I have seen so many posts saying "CANT BOOT - HELP!" or "WHY WONT WINDOWS RECOGNIZE THE DRIVERS FOR PRODUCT 'x' ".........and generally LOTS of times you see towards the end of the postings things like "that did it! That was all it was! Thanks!!"....and the like.
So, a heart-felt thank you to those who take the time to help others, essentially for the good of just "helping others".