FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My regular customers know, if its a 5 minute fix I'll just say buy me a beer or a coffee. Otherwise, $50 for a diagnostic, $25 for a trip fee, $50 an hour. I try to keep any repairs below $200 unless its for more then one system (for example, setting up a network with complex services).
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I generally like to spend a few minutes listening to the customers issue. For my previous customers I always try to spend a few minutes on the phone to resolve their issue before suggesting "checking it in". If its not a quick fix, I like to run a thorough diagnostic. I start with the hard drive diagnostic (diagnostic is a lot of click and wait, since I don't interact too much I charge one hour of labor for these), then (depending on the issue) may opt to make a bit for bit clone of the data (this means ZERO data loss, ever, which is great for everyone). After that I test individual components, starting with the system memory, main board features, connectors (USB/Network/Firewire/etc/Wifi). Often times, through the diagnostic process I'll often fix the issue. If not its usually a hardware issue or data corruption. If the diagnostic does not fix it, I'll let the customer know what the issue is, what the necessary parts or software needed to resolve, and try offer an alternative to repair if I think its in the customers best interest. (A budget desktop can be purchased for $100 with a 90 day warranty, that plus the cost of a data transfer is a lot better then replacing a, say, refurbished main board into the computer with no warranty.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I became Apple certified when I worked for a few different Apple repair shops. Went to college and took every technical course I could for about 7 years. Most of my experience was in the field. I managed about 6 Windows servers for about a year before I had any formal education on the subject. I'd contributed to the Linux Kernel before I took any linux classes. I've always been really hungry for knowledge and passionate about making stuff work.