 DavidNow accepting new patientsPremium,VIP
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL
kudos:78
 ·DIRECTV
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·magicjack.com
·Google Voice
·AT&T Southwest
1 edit | reply to icex
Re: What to charge customer for changing their mind? well not to burst anyone's bubble or add to any more fire arguements. I do repair work on the side as well. most times if it's an easy $100 or less fix I will take it on. Other times I just flat out tell them "Buy a new one!" I figure they are not going to pay what you or I are worth and android pads are cheaper. I have a laptop at home I quoted repairs of parts alone of $120 and that wasn't for software reload costs I figured about $50 for a reload.
In the end... they bought a new one!
So that's what I do now more or less, cause the industry is driving them to it!
I got tired of getting "Dump offs".
A "dump off" is when people just leave the laptop/desktop and go buy a new one and I am left with the non-working unit and for some reason they don't want it back or I can't get a hold of them again. I decided at that point it goes on a 90 day clock. If you were really that interested in getting it back, you would have taken it back by now!
--
If you have a topic in the direct forum please reply to it or a post of mine, I get a notification when you do this.
Koetting Ford, Granite City, illinois... YOU'RE FIRED!!
|
|
 icexPremium
join:2004-05-22
USA
·Frontier Communi..
| I understand about the dump offs. I actualy have built quiet a few new computers for customers (keep in mind when I build them, I let them know what the warranty on the parts are, like if its ram its limited lifetime warranty, if its the CPU its usualy 2-3 years, etc and just charge labor to install it) and they let me have their old machine.
I actualy have a laptop here somewere that I charged a girl $25 to look at and diagnose the problem with the battery, she never came and got it. Been here for 3-4 years now.
That's something I wrote into my contract to have people sign now (I done it last night) is that if they don't come and get it within 30 days I will offer it to them at invoice cost + a percentage, after that its mine to do whatever I want with it.
--
The Gun News Blog, the latest information on the firearm industry. |
|
AsherN
join:2010-08-23
Thornhill, ON | reply to icex
Re: What to charge customer for changing their mind? Building computers is a losing proposition. Unless the customer has very special needs, you can get warranted, off the shelf units cheaper.
UNless it's an unusual case, $50-75 covers virus removal. Clock actual keyboard time. It does not matter if the scan takes 6 hours. It's still 10 minutes to install the AV software and start it. |
|
 not
@comcast.net | reply to icex
If the system is older than 4 years, what you should have done initially was inform the user that it might be worth their interest to save up their money (sounds like money is an issue anyway) and possibly invest in a new machine for X-Mas. Given your $465 just to rebuild the PC with aftermarket parts, it would have been better to save up a couple hundred more and buy something new with a warranty.
Either way, you shouldn't have continued to do work on it on your own without having your payment. So, you're now stuck with just getting paid $25 per your original statement to the customer. |
|
 ptrowskiGot Helix?Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4
·VOIPo
| reply to icex
said by icex:Wow, your a researcher eh? I do computer repair on the side, and do the IT work for the law firm when they need it. Might be weekly work, might be 2-3 months before they need work.
Oh and abour your comment about the pegatron board, your right, same computer. Congratulations.
So instead of being able to fix it, you basically wanted to replace everything. You then got mad when the customer said no to that. And of course they didn't want a new case, they wanted their computer fixed, not replaced.
--
"So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."
Have you been touched by his noodly appendage? »www.venganza.org |
|
Reviews:
 ·Cogeco Cable
| reply to icex
said by icex:FYI, I'm not going to sit here for hours upon hours removing virus's using multiple programs to do it just to charge them $35 and I don't think anyone else is
That's the difference between you and a repair outlet, as a repair outlet would remove the virus in a PE environment then scan multiple systems on their bench and charge an appropriate amount of money based on the hour of hands on work and not the time to 'sit there for hours'.
I'd say $65 for a thorough virus cleaning is a fair deal for both parties.
As for your diagnostic work, I think it may make sense to change the way you do things and appropriately charge for the hours it takes for your hands on work. If it takes you 45 minutes to diagnose a failed motherboard, you charge 0.75 x $rate and that's that. If they choose to upgrade with you as well, then perhaps you'll give them a deal.
Your procedures or rules may be affecting your ability to provide a fair deal for both parties. |
|
 CheesePremium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
kudos:1 | reply to icex
So, it's to much, but she will ship to FL to get it fixed? Um...  |
|
DavidNow accepting new patientsPremium,VIP
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL
kudos:78 | reply to AsherN
I actually have a notepad document on my desktop so when I start working on it and stop working on it. I thought about getting an amano punch clock for this (sams sells them for like $60) as it would be quicker and easier. |
|
 CylonRedPremium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | reply to Cheese
said by Cheese:So, it's to much, but she will ship to FL to get it fixed? Um...
There is nothing he can do about what she told him. She was just providing an excuse.
--
Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
|
|
|
icexPremium
join:2004-05-22
USA Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
| reply to ptrowski
Re: What to charge customer for changing their mind? First, I dident get mad, I could care less what they want to do.
I told the customer we could put a new motherboard in it --- but the pegatron motherboard ships from China which would take 2-3 weeks to get in, if not longer.
I told the customer I could upgrade the machine and build a better, faster machine. Keep in mind the pegatron motherboard was $120 + shipping from China, wait time etc. THE CUSTOMER said they dident want the motherboard from china they would rather me UPGRADE it. |
|
icexPremium
join:2004-05-22
USA | reply to David
Check amazon for a price on those. I thought about doing that for my excavation business, but most people prefer a daily flat rate around here anymore. |
|
ptrowskiGot Helix?Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4 Reviews:
·VOIPo
| reply to icex
Nice try. The wait wouldn't factor into it as they came for a repair. You couldn't fix it as is evident by your other thread, so my guess would be you told them that it would take all that to repair it, not upgrade. Why? Because either way they would have waited either for the board from China or to save up the cash. |
|
icexPremium
join:2004-05-22
USA Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
| Realy, you calling me a liar? The customer specificaly told me on the phone they dident want to wait on the motherboard to come from China. I told them we could upgrade it with newer parts and she said that was fine she would have the money ready the first of November. Call me a liar all you want, realy don't care. |
|
ptrowskiGot Helix?Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4 | Yes. Things just don't add up. |
|
icexPremium
join:2004-05-22
USA | Ok. |
|
