Computer Repair & Services

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

A. The most common job that we come across is removing Viruses, Worms, Trojans and Malware. The prevalent Malware that we are seeing is a fake Anti-Virus program that tricks the user into thinking that they have a virus and that they should run a scan. As soon as the user clicks to run a scan the Malware is installed and takes over the computer. There are different forms of this fake Anti-Virus, some track all of your keystrokes and sniff out passwords, credit card information and sensitive data, while others trick the user into paying for the service and then proceed to bill the user overwhelmingly for a useless product.

Our other common job is to install/set-up new computers with a suite of software that makes the computer almost impenetrable to attack or user error. We also build a lot of low power (35-40 watt) file servers for homes and offices that have less than 10 computers.

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

A. The greatest advice I have for a customer looking for a computer repair and service company is to take the time and actually call the references that they give you. They did give you references, didn’t they?

CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco and many other companies have certifications that people can earn by taking tests. This does not always constitute a great computer technician as these certifications do not speak of their morals, ethics, demeanor or background.

You are inviting individuals into your home or office that will have access to your most private of data and in some cases this will be your livelihood in total. Do not take the chance, take the time to collect references and actually call the references.

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

A. I think we would want to know how it is possible to figure out so many different things when it comes to problem solving computers, networks and technology in general. The greatest inside secret that we can share is not a secret but the fact that it takes time, experience and patience when it comes to troubleshooting any problem. The primary thing when it comes to technology nowadays is putting a preventative maintenance program into play with constant backups and updated Anti-Virus software along with an understanding of what is safe and what is not safe when it comes to dealing with the Internet.

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

A. When dealing with an individual computer with a problem:
Is it under warranty?
Make/Model/Model Number
Operating System Name?
What is the exact problem and how long has it been occurring?
Have you been backing up the computer?
Is it connected to the Internet?
How is it connected to the Internet? Is it wired or wireless? Is it plugged directly into the broadband/dsl modem or is there a router?
How many people use/share the computer?

When it comes to a new computer:
What will you use it for?
How many programs do you typically have open at one time?
Do you play newer video games on the PC or edit video?
What accessories and peripherals do you currently own and what is the current Make/Model/Model Number and Operating System on your current computer?

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We have a vision of being able to help the community in the future by "Paying I.T. Forward." We're hoping that we'll be able to help schools, seniors and more at little or no cost when it comes to their IT needs.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The greatest thing about being in the computer business for residential and small business is seeing the look on the faces of the people we help. I, Eric L. Johnson, am proud to say that in 18 years of being in this business that I have never had a complaint or an upset customer. As Credo Computer Repair and Services we are on a mission to help people and we are doing just that. We do our best to train every customer to prevent problems from arising and have found that our customers are much happier at work, at home and in life when another form of stress is removed. We feel a great sense of accomplishment when we notice how elated our customers become with less problems and more time to concentrate on the things that matter most.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Is ________ safe?

When it comes to surfing the Internet, downloading files, paying bills, purchasing items, and checking email your Anti-Virus and Software Firewall only serve as bullet-proof vests, if you stick your head out you will leave yourself vulnerable to attack. The best way to avoid being attacked is to learn what is safe and what is not. Let us show you how.

How much will it cost to do ___________?

We will give you an estimate and a max amount of hours that the job will take. We will never charge beyond the max amount of hours that we quote no matter how long the job takes to complete. We also guarantee all of our work in writing on the bottom of the invoice. We never charge for what we do not fix and we never double charge to fix something that should have been fixed the first time around.

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

A. There is not one specific story but here are a few things that have happened to me, the owner of Credo Computer Repair and Services:

Walked into a small business suite to set up a network for five computers and when the work was complete I was somehow tricked into playing receptionist for two hours. Talk about making a customer happy.

I have had residential customers hire me to change air filters in their home, fix the lawnmower, move furniture, fix a leaky faucet and other tasks outside of the realm of computers. I never say no if I feel they really need a helping hand.

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

A. We wish customers understood that fixing, building, installing and dealing with computers is the same as a carpenter building a house, or an accountant crunching numbers, or a lawyer dealing with legal documents, or psychiatrist helping a patient. Everyone has something that they are good at and they go to school for or are self-taught from years of experience and a wontedness to learn more. A lot of customers say, “I do not know how you do that. I could never figure that out.” The typical response to this is, “What do you do for a living? I doubt I could do that.”

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

A. In reference to the current company, Credo Computer Repair and Services, we created the company with a vision of helping people being able to afford computer service at a reasonable rate. We believe that those that serve our community, in any fashion, will have more money to serve their community if we provide them with generous discounts. When it comes to “for profit” businesses we believe that they should be trained in preventative maintenance and security which in turn cuts down on their IT costs.

When it comes to computers in general we got into this line of work because we are great at doing it and we love to help people.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. A recent job that we finished entailed setting up three new computers for an office at an apartment complex. This office was constantly being infiltrated by viruses, loss of network and Internet connectivity, along with having older computers that were slow enough to decrease productivity. The three computers were setup with a suite of software that prevents not only viruses but any changes to the operating system, yet allows the users to save their data. The apartment complex also had two computers for public access that were setup without any Anti-Virus or web filtering. These two computers were installed with another suite of applications that not only prevent changes to the system but also include web filtering, session timers, ability to save data only to removable media, only a web browser and word processing program are allowed to be run, and no programs can be installed. We guaranteed the work on those two computers for the life of the machines, excluding hardware failure.

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

A. We at Credo Computer Repair and Services pride ourselves in staying up to date with the latest hardware and software trends along with social media. We constantly keep track of news and reviews. The owner, Eric L. Johnson, is also a career college student with no thoughts of ever stopping his education.

When it comes to computers and the Internet there is a never ending plethora of information that has to be sifted through, reviewed and put to the test. One of the things we do at Credo is try out all new software on the market and we only recommend what we have found to be the very best when it comes to software and hardware.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. The key number one thing that will be changing in the field of computers is Cloud Computing. This is where not only data is stored on a server that is accessed through the Internet but where the applications themselves are run via the Internet. This will not eliminate the need for local storage but it will keep productivity at a steady flow but eliminating the need for installed software on every computer and the ability to work from more places.

The most exciting change that is years away is quantum computing. Standard computing uses two bits that exist in only two states, one or zero (on or off, like a light switch), whereas with quantum computing the bits (or qubits) can exist as either one, zero or both. With the ability to have both bits on at the same time this “superposition” allows a quantum computer to process much more information and in a shorter amount of time.

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

A. $60/hr On-Site
$55/hr Off-Site (Pick-up Services Available)
--We only charge for keyboard time off-site and not wait time.
$55/hr Online (Training and more)
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$10 for the first ten minutes for those quick fixes via Online Tech Support/CredoRescue and only $0.79/min after that up to 30 minutes. This is great for answering those small questions: How do I open an e-mail attachment? Is this program MalWare? How do I _____?
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Senior/Veteran/Teacher Discounts!

In a bind but need that computer working? We'll work with you. Just call and talk with one of us. We're here to help.