Solve : If You Had To Take Your PC In For Repairs....?

1.	Solve : If You Had To Take Your PC In For Repairs....?
Answer» I asked this in another thread, but it was a tangent, I wanted to ask in a separate thread. Sometimes your PC needs something beyond internet help, it needs a live person to diagnose. I think I have been burned using staples, so when I have a problem again, I don't ever want to be in this position. What do you all recommend? Why is it places like staples/best buy aren't that good? As a consumer, that stinks because they are in every market and have easy name recognition! If I have to look in the phone book, well one that varies city to city, and two, tough to know if they are good or bad. Just so I and other like me do not get sucker punched by staples, any general criteria on how to find and where to go for a good in person PC repair (Too bad you all do not solicit yourselves for in person repairs!)You might think about getting a warranty when you buy. But EVEN that can be a risk. http://www.technibble.com/national-it-warranty-companies-the-good-and-the-bad/ BTW, Staples is mentioned in the article.Without knowing any shops where you live (or even where you live for that matter, you don't need to share that here though) we couldn't really recommend a good place to go. Finding a shop without a reliable recommendation is trial and error really. Usually, when you find a good shop, you'll know it. They'll do it right, they won't give you excuses that just aren't possible, and they'll stand by the work they do. They won't do things to prove you wrong, they'll do things to prove themselves right. Look some up in the yellow pages, like I suggested. You don't have to pick one right off the bat, go around and just TALK to a few and get a feel for how they treat their customers. Be straightforward with them, tell them you're looking for a good computer place to rely on. When you find somewhere you think might be pretty good, take your laptop in. Many places will diagnose the problem for little or no charge, and many have a "if we can't fix it, you don't pay" policy as well. Look for things like this as you talk to them.Many Communities have local PC User groups...some even do repairs for people that cannot do it themselves... However they would be the ones to ask for recommendations on good shops. Quote from: bluecountry on September 30, 2011, 11:01:07 PM Why is it places like staples/best buy aren't that good? Although typically I don't really like anecdotes, I feel this is not something that was an isolated incident. I have a friend who used to work at a Future Shop (pretty much the same sort of store as Best Buy). She knew what she was doing. I don't recall the exact occurence, and it was what she told me so it might have be a bit different from what really happened (but I trust her). Anyways, I'm sure you know about all that warranty stuff they are supposed to offer people. They had some "super" plan (or some ridiculous name) that was totally over the top in price. A customer asked about it, and she basically told them "If you are going to get a warranty, just get the regular one". Of course one of the Derps WORKING there heard this utter travesty (Customer service? WHAT? HOW DARE SHE!) and the bossman was not pleased, and she got a lecture about how she should always upsell everything, regardless of- and I quote- "how useless it is to them, because it's money for us". This is quite unfortunately a very common attitude with big box stores, and also some smaller shops. I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense. Even if you were to "lose money" on a repair or sale (By which I mean not squeeze every single cent out of them by making up stuff and trying to sell stupidly overpriced warranties that you can't even use half the time)- you would still gain a loyal customer if you do it right. As far as I'm concerned, if you lie or cheat somebody, they will find out eventually, and even if they didn't, it- well it's just not right, obviously. You are providing a service, and the customer pays for that service. The last thing you want to do is alienate customers which easily falsifiable nonsense, because they will just go elsewhere for that service. Whereas if you establish a repoire as somebody who they can trust to not cheat them for unnecessary money, they won't only become repeat customers, but when one of their friends or relatives has a problem, they might say "Well I know this one place run by a great guy, I get my computer fixed there all the time and he's great"- and word spreads. It's service stores staffed by exactly those types of folks you want to find. I'm sure there are some big box stores that are like that, even up to their managers, but they are still under a lot of pressure from head office to PUSH the unnecessary crap, which puts salt in the tea (so to speak). With a smaller repair shop, it's repeat customers and word of mouth that they rely on to make a REASONABLE profit, not over-the-top upselling and lies. Now, to be fair, this doesn't mean that you can trust every single small operation; there are quite a few unscrupulous ones, so like Quaxo says you'll have to search around. You should be able to tell by their demeanour and conduct, at least hints of their true intentions. Something else I've noticed is that around here Computer Repair shops seem to appear rather often in all sorts of places but I've noticed it's only the ones I hear good things about that last very long, so you might want to see how long they've been in operation.BC_Programmer, you finished September with the best post of the month. He does that regularly...at all times of the Month... Quote from: BC_Programmer on October 01, 2011, 09:54:46 AM They had some "super" plan (or some ridiculous name) that was totally over the top in price. Yeah, when I was in high school I worked in the computer department of a certain large office supply chain. We were required to upsell the extended warranty plans, and we got commission if the customer bought it. The bigger the package they bought, the bigger the commission. Quote As far as I'm concerned, if you lie or cheat somebody, they will find out eventually, and even if they didn't, it- well it's just not right, obviously. You are providing a service, and the customer pays for that service. Absolutely agree with you there BC. Basically, I treat my customers the way I would expect them to treat me if I were their customer. I make money, but I'm not in it for the money. I enjoy this line of work. No lies or trying to lose the customer in technical nonsense they won't understand. Quote I'm sure there are some big box stores that are like that, even up to their managers, but they are still under a lot of pressure from head office to push the unnecessary crap, which puts salt in the tea (so to speak). Our department manager was pretty nuts about pushing that stuff, but our store manager wasn't. He pretty much let me do what I wanted because whatever I was doing, customers were actually coming to find him to compliment me. I remember there was this Nigerian guy who used to always come in with his entourage and he absolutely refused to be helped by anyone but me. Apparently he was a diplomat or something. People would also come in and ask us to do service for them, but at that point in time, our chain didn't do in-house service. We were, however, allowed to do out-of-store service in our own time for the store's customers. I remember one lady wanted to give me $50 just to come over to her house and hook up her new computer she bought from us. I told her it was simple and tried to show her, but she insisted that I just come and do it, which I did. I told her she didn't need to pay me $50 for that, but she insisted on paying me for my time and no less than $50. Good man!

Answer»

I asked this in another thread, but it was a tangent, I wanted to ask in a separate thread.
Sometimes your PC needs something beyond internet help, it needs a live person to diagnose.

I think I have been burned using staples, so when I have a problem again, I don't ever want to be in this position.
What do you all recommend?

Why is it places like staples/best buy aren't that good? As a consumer, that stinks because they are in every market and have easy name recognition!

If I have to look in the phone book, well one that varies city to city, and two, tough to know if they are good or bad.

Just so I and other like me do not get sucker punched by staples, any general criteria on how to find and where to go for a good in person PC repair (Too bad you all do not solicit yourselves for in person repairs!)You might think about getting a warranty when you buy.
But EVEN that can be a risk.
http://www.technibble.com/national-it-warranty-companies-the-good-and-the-bad/

BTW, Staples is mentioned in the article.Without knowing any shops where you live (or even where you live for that matter, you don't need to share that here though) we couldn't really recommend a good place to go.

Finding a shop without a reliable recommendation is trial and error really. Usually, when you find a good shop, you'll know it. They'll do it right, they won't give you excuses that just aren't possible, and they'll stand by the work they do. They won't do things to prove you wrong, they'll do things to prove themselves right.

Look some up in the yellow pages, like I suggested. You don't have to pick one right off the bat, go around and just TALK to a few and get a feel for how they treat their customers. Be straightforward with them, tell them you're looking for a good computer place to rely on.

When you find somewhere you think might be pretty good, take your laptop in. Many places will diagnose the problem for little or no charge, and many have a "if we can't fix it, you don't pay" policy as well. Look for things like this as you talk to them.Many Communities have local PC User groups...some even do repairs for people that cannot do it themselves...
However they would be the ones to ask for recommendations on good shops. Quote from: bluecountry on September 30, 2011, 11:01:07 PM

Why is it places like staples/best buy aren't that good?

Although typically I don't really like anecdotes, I feel this is not something that was an isolated incident.

I have a friend who used to work at a Future Shop (pretty much the same sort of store as Best Buy). She knew what she was doing. I don't recall the exact occurence, and it was what she told me so it might have be a bit different from what really happened (but I trust her). Anyways, I'm sure you know about all that warranty stuff they are supposed to offer people. They had some "super" plan (or some ridiculous name) that was totally over the top in price. A customer asked about it, and she basically told them "If you are going to get a warranty, just get the regular one". Of course one of the Derps WORKING there heard this utter travesty (Customer service? WHAT? HOW DARE SHE!) and the bossman was not pleased, and she got a lecture about how she should always upsell everything, regardless of- and I quote- "how useless it is to them, because it's money for us". This is quite unfortunately a very common attitude with big box stores, and also some smaller shops. I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense. Even if you were to "lose money" on a repair or sale (By which I mean not squeeze every single cent out of them by making up stuff and trying to sell stupidly overpriced warranties that you can't even use half the time)- you would still gain a loyal customer if you do it right. As far as I'm concerned, if you lie or cheat somebody, they will find out eventually, and even if they didn't, it- well it's just not right, obviously. You are providing a service, and the customer pays for that service. The last thing you want to do is alienate customers which easily falsifiable nonsense, because they will just go elsewhere for that service. Whereas if you establish a repoire as somebody who they can trust to not cheat them for unnecessary money, they won't only become repeat customers, but when one of their friends or relatives has a problem, they might say "Well I know this one place run by a great guy, I get my computer fixed there all the time and he's great"- and word spreads.

It's service stores staffed by exactly those types of folks you want to find. I'm sure there are some big box stores that are like that, even up to their managers, but they are still under a lot of pressure from head office to PUSH the unnecessary crap, which puts salt in the tea (so to speak). With a smaller repair shop, it's repeat customers and word of mouth that they rely on to make a REASONABLE profit, not over-the-top upselling and lies. Now, to be fair, this doesn't mean that you can trust every single small operation; there are quite a few unscrupulous ones, so like Quaxo says you'll have to search around. You should be able to tell by their demeanour and conduct, at least hints of their true intentions. Something else I've noticed is that around here Computer Repair shops seem to appear rather often in all sorts of places but I've noticed it's only the ones I hear good things about that last very long, so you might want to see how long they've been in operation.BC_Programmer,
you finished September with the best post of the month.
He does that regularly...at all times of the Month... Quote from: BC_Programmer on October 01, 2011, 09:54:46 AM

They had some "super" plan (or some ridiculous name) that was totally over the top in price.

Yeah, when I was in high school I worked in the computer department of a certain large office supply chain. We were required to upsell the extended warranty plans, and we got commission if the customer bought it. The bigger the package they bought, the bigger the commission.

Quote

As far as I'm concerned, if you lie or cheat somebody, they will find out eventually, and even if they didn't, it- well it's just not right, obviously. You are providing a service, and the customer pays for that service.

Absolutely agree with you there BC. Basically, I treat my customers the way I would expect them to treat me if I were their customer. I make money, but I'm not in it for the money. I enjoy this line of work. No lies or trying to lose the customer in technical nonsense they won't understand.

Quote

I'm sure there are some big box stores that are like that, even up to their managers, but they are still under a lot of pressure from head office to push the unnecessary crap, which puts salt in the tea (so to speak).

Our department manager was pretty nuts about pushing that stuff, but our store manager wasn't. He pretty much let me do what I wanted because whatever I was doing, customers were actually coming to find him to compliment me. I remember there was this Nigerian guy who used to always come in with his entourage and he absolutely refused to be helped by anyone but me. Apparently he was a diplomat or something.

People would also come in and ask us to do service for them, but at that point in time, our chain didn't do in-house service. We were, however, allowed to do out-of-store service in our own time for the store's customers. I remember one lady wanted to give me $50 just to come over to her house and hook up her new computer she bought from us. I told her it was simple and tried to show her, but she insisted that I just come and do it, which I did. I told her she didn't need to pay me $50 for that, but she insisted on paying me for my time and no less than $50. Good man!

Solve : If You Had To Take Your PC In For Repairs....?

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