Computer Repairs & Server Support

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

A. Virus-removal
Disaster recovery
Outlook repair & functionality

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

A. Ask how long they've done this professionally, and what certifications do they carry.

Their stats on a website can be misleading, as great techs may have just joined a support site, and may have few stats to show (yet).

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

A. 2 items:

1. KEEP ALL OF YOUR INSTALL MEDIA (these are the disks that came with your computer, and any programs you purchased.) Here's why this is so very important. Your PC came with install disks. Should your hard drive ever fail, these are the LICENSED disks you'll need to re-install. Otherwise, you'll need to purchase Windows AND Office or whatever programs you use. Nearly every time I've rebuilt PC's, the owners will state "that MS Office came with it." If so, great - where are the MS Office disks then? Not once have these disks been found. Any tech worth their salt, will not install a pirated version of Office on your PC, or any pirated software whatsoever (who knows what's been modified on the software?)
So, keep your software, or be prepared to re-purchase it.


2. BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT FILES.

I can't stress this enough. All harddrives die eventually, and usually with little to no warning. When that happens (if you have no backup), your pictures, doctoral thesis', letters, documents, tax files, etc., etc., are gone if you don't have a back up.

...and by backup, I mean your important data is copied somewhere other than your computers harddrive (external drive, burned dvd, flash drive, web storage ect.)

...and occasionally verified by a test restore.

I've seen grown men cry because they failed to backup years of work and it was all lost in a second.

There are a few companies out there that can pull data off of a failed drive, but it's wildly expensive.... correction, insanely expensive.

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

A. Did you try to search out the answer yourself first? A great way to save $$ is to Google the question. The web has unbelievable resources at your disposal.

ex) Say you wanted to setup gmail in your Outllook program - If you Google it, you'll probably find step by step instructions. You'd be finished with it before you even found a technician to do it for you.

Trust me, techs use Google all the time to solve computer issues.

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

A. I keep finding myself to be the guy that fixes what the previous "tech" messed up *and* the original issue.

My first professional tech job was Windows Tech Support. Starting at the bottom, I quickly rose to the Tier 3 support (there is no tier 4).

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. It tends to excercise my "grey matter muscle". I do so enjoy solving difficult issues.

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

A. the #1 question I've heard is; Why is the first question ALWAYS "is it plugged in"?.

Simply put the answer is twofold - 1. sometimes it's not plugged in, which tends to lead to PC's not booting up. 2. TroubleShooting PC's is somewhat akin to troubleshooting cars. For cars it's typically "spark, fuel, or air" that's the issue. With PC's it's power, hardware, software. You start with the basics everytime and work your way up from there.

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

A. It's a tale of warning: A lawyer friend of mine had their "tech" come in to do some kind of maintenance on their pc. The "tech" in question installed a "pirated virus infested" version of mcafee antivirus.
The machine already had antivirus, and 2 antivirus programs on the same machine tends to break Windows.
When he installed the, (not only unneccessary but virus infested) pirated antivirus program, it mangled his computer and his data....HIS CLIENT DATA.
The "tech" left the computer in a no-boot status, with a bill for (get this) $275.

I managed to repair the machine, and get back most of their data, but it took a fair amount of time. We did find some amusement when we called the "tech" to inquire 1. why did they install mcafee, & 2. how in the world did they get "free" copies of it. The tech never returned that call.

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

A. Not all techs are of the same caliber. You might go to the big box store "nerd squad", and if you ask; you might find out that your "technician" was a pizza delivery guy 4 months ago.

Years of experience and Certifications are your best bet (along with word of mouth). I have 11 years exp, and have A+ (pc hardwared), Server+ (server hardware), MCP (microsoft certified professional), MCSA (MS certified systems admin), MCSE (MS certified engineer), MCITP (MS certified IT professional ) Certifications.

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

A. After completing pre-med (cum luade) in '98, I had the epiphany that my phobia of needles would put a real crimp on my aspirations to be a doctor.
So I went to school for Computer Systems Administration, and have enjoyed my career since.

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

A. Helping out a non-profit Montesorri school with all of their network issues.

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

A. Absolutely. I should weigh my library of computer books - I'd estimate about 400lbs of text. 3 full book cases.

For a computer professional, it's a daunting task to stay abreast of latest computer trends, new programs, new operation systems, etc.

Upgrading skillsets is a continual effort.

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. Cloud Computing is really the next big thing. From a consumer standpoint, it's the same old web. From an admin standpoint, it's a fantastic new technology that actually allows us to do much much more with less.

A quick example of cloud computing that you can try out is the free online office programs. You can use MS Word online, in a web browser for free (excel & powerpoint as well)

www.officelive.com

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I'm currently efforting a Cloud based initiative for a global university. A student computer image program that will let students (globally) use only a web browser to utilize their own virtual computer from any web capable device.

IE: a Sys Admin Student could use their virtual computer via a cell phone, or coffee shop pc, etc.

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

A. I try to keep it simple.
50/hr for PC work
75/hr for Server work

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I'd suggest making sure that computers were your hobby, before trying to make a career of it.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Where is Jet City Tech located?

The office is in downtown Seattle, however we offer onsite work for customers, and remote work via Crossloop Pro www.crossloop.com .