IT- starters cost for basic home-help ?

[BoredBloke]

The one that gets me is when people ask you to put a computer together for them that will play all the latest games, on a budget of £50 and then look at you like they have just caught you giving their granny one up the wrong 'un when you tell them 'No windows and office costs money'. And then after 2 years of it working tirelessly downloading all manner of virus riddled sh1t it throws up an error it's suddenly your fault because you built it. It seriously isn't worth it.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Aye BGG

Magnificent !

Splendid work - an all too true tale of the woes of the unfortunate home computer repair man !

[voodooflux]

According to my extended family it costs nothing as they have an "expert" IT contractor in the family who'll give up his weekends to reinstall Windows and faff with wireless settings until it works.

My family have one of those too

[VectraMan]

How much costs to people to get an IT-guy at home to do general home-pc maintenance ,i.e install Office , Install Antivirus , that kind of stuff.

According to my extended family it costs nothing as they have an "expert" IT contractor in the family who'll give up his weekends to reinstall Windows and faff with wireless settings until it works.

[Clippy]

Good insight mate , I know what you are talking about. But I think it is easily preventable by having them sign a piece of paper saying that YOU DID WHAT YOU DID and they ARE OK WITH IT.

Now , they can call any times they want , it is more business.

Also , I am not thinking this for myself but rather have other blokes do this i.e create my *real* businesses.

You've missed the boat on this one.

[juststarting]

Good insight mate , I know what you are talking about. But I think it is easily preventable by having them sign a piece of paper saying that YOU DID WHAT YOU DID and they ARE OK WITH IT.

Now , they can call any times they want , it is more business.

Also , I am not thinking this for myself but rather have other blokes do this i.e create my *real* businesses.

Indeed I did.

It sounds like a good idea to start with. Pop round someone's house, fix a virus-riddled PC, get paid usually cash in hand, and that should be it.

But oh no. Life is never that simple.

Now, as a consultant, I'd trot out the old line about "managing Client expectations."

That may very well work in the professional arena, with business Clients, but dealing with Joe Public is another matter.

You see, after your visit to fix their PC, little Johnny (or his Dad) will be straight on the PC, visiting www.allthepornyoucanget4free.com, and as you are driving down the lane, congratulating yourself on a job well done and £30 in the bank, the PC you so lovingly fixed will be infested again with more viruses quicker than an NHS patient in a dirty ward.

So you get called back, and the call will go something like this.

Punter : "Lo mate. I don't know what you did to my fricking PC, but it's still fekked up"
You : "Well, The virus scan removed everything it could find. You're PC was clean when I left."
Punter : "And I'm telling you sunshine that the PC is knackered even more so. You missed something or your anti-virus software is rubbish. Now get round here and fix the fekking thing properly."
You : "Well, I'm quite happy to charge another call out at standard rate.."
Punter : "You're seriously asking me to pay twice for something that you should have fixed the 1st time round ? Are you having a laugh, geezer ? Get round here and sort it. I'm not paying for your mistakes."

Assuming you do go back and fix the problem, and clearly demonstrate that the PC is clean, you head home, later than usual and just a little bit peeved.

11.30pm that night, the punter calls again. He's been down the pub, and the following converation is not unusual.

Punter "You $"%£$%^, ""£$$, "£"% ! My photo album has disappeared ! What the "£$"£$ have you done to my "$"£$%£$^ computer, you £"%%£, "£$"£$ !
You : "I'm sorry but I'm in bed. I'll call you in the morning."
Punter : "No you "£"£$$%"% won't. You can tell me right "£"£% now how to get my photo album back you "£%". I know where you live you %£$^.
You : "Sir, XYZ enterprises do not tolerate bad language or threats against our staff..I'll do my best to help but...
Punter : "I couldn't give a flying $"£$ about your so-called rules on bad language. You want threats ? I'll give you threats you $"%. Just tell me what to do and I'll $"$" off and leave you in peace."
You : <sigh> "Ok, open up My Documents. The link on the desktop I showed you."
Punter : "WTF ? That picture thingie has gone as well. You $"$%. What have you done to it ?"
You : </cry>

Trust me matey.

You really don't want to go there.

Leave the aggro to the Tech Guys at PCW, and think of it as revenge as a dish best served cold for all those times PCW have stiched you and your mates up.

[Clippy]

Dont listen to BGG - he's keeping all the perks secret.
Fixing home PCs is akin to being a milkman in the 70's.

Housewife: My husbands floppy isn't working
You: I'll install my hard drive
etc etc..

Where do I sign up?

[crack_ho]

Dont listen to BGG - he's keeping all the perks secret.
Fixing home PCs is akin to being a milkman in the 70's.

Housewife: My husbands floppy isn't working
You: I'll install my hard drive
etc etc..

[Board Game Geek]

Indeed I did.

It sounds like a good idea to start with. Pop round someone's house, fix a virus-riddled PC, get paid usually cash in hand, and that should be it.

But oh no. Life is never that simple.

Now, as a consultant, I'd trot out the old line about "managing Client expectations."

That may very well work in the professional arena, with business Clients, but dealing with Joe Public is another matter.

You see, after your visit to fix their PC, little Johnny (or his Dad) will be straight on the PC, visiting www.allthepornyoucanget4free.com, and as you are driving down the lane, congratulating yourself on a job well done and £30 in the bank, the PC you so lovingly fixed will be infested again with more viruses quicker than an NHS patient in a dirty ward.

So you get called back, and the call will go something like this.

Punter : "Lo mate. I don't know what you did to my fricking PC, but it's still fekked up"
You : "Well, The virus scan removed everything it could find. You're PC was clean when I left."
Punter : "And I'm telling you sunshine that the PC is knackered even more so. You missed something or your anti-virus software is rubbish. Now get round here and fix the fekking thing properly."
You : "Well, I'm quite happy to charge another call out at standard rate.."
Punter : "You're seriously asking me to pay twice for something that you should have fixed the 1st time round ? Are you having a laugh, geezer ? Get round here and sort it. I'm not paying for your mistakes."

Assuming you do go back and fix the problem, and clearly demonstrate that the PC is clean, you head home, later than usual and just a little bit peeved.

11.30pm that night, the punter calls again. He's been down the pub, and the following converation is not unusual.

Punter "You $"%£$%^, ""£$$, "£"% ! My photo album has disappeared ! What the "£$"£$ have you done to my "$"£$%£$^ computer, you £"%%£, "£$"£$ !
You : "I'm sorry but I'm in bed. I'll call you in the morning."
Punter : "No you "£"£$$%"% won't. You can tell me right "£"£% now how to get my photo album back you "£%". I know where you live you %£$^.
You : "Sir, XYZ enterprises do not tolerate bad language or threats against our staff..I'll do my best to help but...
Punter : "I couldn't give a flying $"£$ about your so-called rules on bad language. You want threats ? I'll give you threats you $"%. Just tell me what to do and I'll $"$" off and leave you in peace."
You : <sigh> "Ok, open up My Documents. The link on the desktop I showed you."
Punter : "WTF ? That picture thingie has gone as well. You $"$%. What have you done to it ?"
You : </cry>

Trust me matey.

You really don't want to go there.

Leave the aggro to the Tech Guys at PCW, and think of it as revenge as a dish best served cold for all those times PCW have stiched you and your mates up.

[AlfredJPruffock]

When I was benched, I managed to get £30 per hour doing odd jobs like that.

(and wished I had plumbing training...)

There was a thread here last week about this - you should read the comments - by erm , Bored Game Geek - I think that is his nom-de-plume anyway he had several horrors stories of fixing virus-porn-riddled machines and having to explaing that junior has broken the machine (again) by sufing dodgy sites ... might want you to rethink.

[BrowneIssue]

When I was benched, I managed to get £30 per hour doing odd jobs like that.

(and wished I had plumbing training...)

[juststarting]

How much costs to people to get an IT-guy at home to do general home-pc maintenance ,i.e install Office , Install Antivirus , that kind of stuff.