Personal Computers Solutions

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. We mostly find ourselves working on Virus Removal, New Computer Setup (and data transfering from older units), New Office Consultations & Set-up, and e-Mail Account Transferring.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. If you are looking for someone to just come in and fix your computers we are not the right company for you. We pride ourselves in assisting users with their computer problems. Education is key with computers and while we fix your computer we also teach you the how's and why's.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Computers are not that hard to fix. If someone is taking hours to repair your computer they are likely milking you for the money. Wiping your computer of all software and reinstalling everything is only the fix in a worst case scenario. If your technican leads with that, he's not willing to try to help you. He just wants to get in and get out with your money.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. 1. How long have you been working on computers?
If they have only 1-3 years experience they've only worked on the most recent versions of Windows. This means the problems they have dealt with are only related to the newer systems. There are a lot of unknown issues that started 10-15 years ago that Microsoft has never resolved that carry over to the new operating systems. Very few newbies know this.
2. How much schooling do you have?
This is a trick question. If their education is solely from the books you don't want them touching your computer systems. Microsoft Training focuses on what they created rather than what breaks. Real world education should be 75% of their education. None of the Microsoft education focuses on troubleshooting.
3. How do you feel about Norton Anti-Virus?
Also a trick question. If the technician recommends 'Free' software or pirated software this person does not respect you or your computers. Pirated software causes issues when you have to upgrade. And 'Free' software offers the same amount of support. If you paid nothing, you get nothing. Anyone who knows the history of Norton knows they are the best product on the market, and also knows why they have a bad reputation.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. We focus on training the user while we fix the issue. We do this because we want to remove the fear of computers. If you just want your computer fixed, please consider someone else. We can fix them, but we'd rather not have to fix the same problem over and over again. That usually means the problem is not fixed properly the first time. When we walk in you can be assued the problem, computer or user, will be corrected permanately.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love to see the light turn on in a clients eyes when they 'get it'. I love to educate and pride myself on speaking English, not Geek.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I had a client call one day complaining that his computer clock was 24 hours fast. I thought for a moment, "If a clock is 24 hours fast it is going to show the same time as it is right now. So how is this caller 'seeing' that the clock is 24 hours fast?" I asked, "Do you mean the date shows tomorrow?" He replied, "Yes." After screaming at him in my head for making me think about that one I calmly said, "Ok, let's change the date then."

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Computer Technicians learn everything about what you do on your computer. There is history everywhere. We spend more time trying to figure out what the problem is than actually fixing it. This happens to take a long time because most clients do not 'come clean' with what they did to cause the problem. We eventually find out and feel lied to and disrespected in regards to our time and efforts. If people would tell us everything first we can fix their computer faster, and have a better relationship going forward.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I have always liked to take apart everything and see how it works. This has allowed me to see from the ground up how things work together. When I started with the IT field I started on a factory floor building computers to order. I believe with that experience and the way I 'think' I am able to turn computers into a real world analogy which I can describe to users. This always helps them understand the concepts much better.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. If you are in the field every day you are getting educated through the school of hard knocks. But that is not enough.

Every IT person you deal with should be at least A+ Certified. This certification covers hardware and software basics. It is essential for any IT person.

But then there are various vendors like Microsoft that have their own certifications. These are moving targets and are not very useful in the field as much as they are when an IT person is trying to get a job. They look great on a resume but offer very little support in the field.

I have years of certifications but to be honest, if I was hiring someone to work for us, A+ Certification would be a requirement, and years in the field a plus.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Ours is not complicated but I felt it was worthy of discussion. We charge flat rates. Having been in the industry for over 19 years I have seen the hourly rate IT professional abuse their clients. I feel that if you know your stuff you should be able to get the work done on average the same amount of time each time. I have taken the average amount of time a job should take and billed for it.

I also have employees and sub-contractors who do work for me. I don't feel it is fair to send in a new employee in and because of his lack of knowledge charge the client for every hour it took for him to fix the problem. It also motivates the employee to not waste our clients time.