Should I do PC repair on the side?

Asif Dasl

joehalford01 wrote: »

If I started up again, I'd would probably only take computers running windows vista or newer. I'm so done with XP.

I would have to agree, even those early Vista laptops have seen better days at this stage. Anything with XP you are better spending the money on to getting a new laptop than get it fixed. Vista came out the end of 2006 so those early ones could probably go as well, but it depends if they have the money for a new laptop & some people really hold on too long...

techdudehere

I've never romanticized the notion of working on consumer systems. If I were to do this, I would set policies and stick by them. The following list would be non-negotiable.

1) All repairs will be billed unless it is deemed the repair was unsuccessful at the time of pickup. Customer has the right to quickly inspect the equipment before paying in full. Inspection shall take no longer than 15 minutes or additional billing will be incurred. No hardware shall be returned to its owner until the bill has been settled in full. Any additional issues or support will be billed unless bill is waived by repairer at the sole discretion of repairer.

2) Data backup is the responsibility of the client. Any backup performed is done so as an additional safeguard. In practice, I would always backup the user profile at the very least. However, home users tend to scatter things everywhere.

3) Repairs are performed for specific issues and cover only those issues.

4) Customer is responsible for taking notes on how the system should be reassembled prior to bringing it in. Additional consultation may result in fees.

In this line of work, people can really waste your time. You need to focus on billable work. It's great to take care of clients, but if you're not careful you will have all the non-paying clients as return customers since no one else will tolerate them. That will lead to a downward spiral. You have to make the paying customers priority #1, the customers who tend to take a lot of resources to maintain compared to what is billable are not customers at all. They are costing you too much stress for not enough money. It's better to spend that time developing the right clients than dealing with the wrong ones. As IT becomes more mature, the work has become more hectic and stressful. However, the notion that software and support should be low cost should also be disappearing. This is a legitimate business and there is little reason to fudge the billing in the customers favor or provide extra support at no cost. The customers who demand such things are no customers at all and will soon find that such things will not be found in a mature industry.

Kai123

techdudehere wrote: »

I've never romanticized the notion of working on consumer systems. If I were to do this, I would set policies and stick by them. The following list would be non-negotiable.
...snip....

I read about someone in the states earning about 70k dollars a year doing domestic IT repairs. He had a list of very strict policies like this which sound great, but I think alot of people hit a wall when trying to put it to practice. How can you let customers inspect hardware and not return hardware if payment is not recieved? You would be taking it back out of their house if you had issues, or kicking them out of yours.

Putting data resonsibility onto the customer is worth having some kind of wavier form alone. I would have no problem telling a customer that and going through the contract.

I have an idea of what I need to have in regards to a contract and what needs to be on it, and your totally right about some customers being a drain and they should be dropped. I forget that I am the one providing the service they cant provide themselves, instead of feeling lucky to have the customer in the first place. They need something fix, they pay you to fix it.

Im late for work, otherwise this post would of been much longer.

Kai.

N2IT

logisticalstyles wrote: »

I've found laptop repairs to be pretty easy. ...snip....

Especially Dells they are simple to take apart and put back together. Lenovos have a thing for screws, but aren't bad.

Kai123

Asif Dasl, you mentioned before that with the certs I have and plan on getting, with a bit of experience I would be very employable. Would refurbishing/stripping computers be considered something good to have on the cv? The big plan was to get in a helpdesk role to eventually go into networking. Maybe getting out of the bakery, into somewhere like PC World and try and get the network internship at Camara will be the better path to take.

If I got a job in IT tomorrow, then I would not consider trying to do earn money on the side. Would your friend still have a copy of that wavier form??

Kai.

N2IT

Absolutely list that on your resume/CV.

Kai123

Asif Dasl wrote: »

As for the form, I wouldn't advise using it at all, it was adapted from a corporate waiver and totally inappropriate for home users that want something simple, you know 5 short rules or something. And the other thing is it raises doubts in Irish peoples minds anyway, if he needs this huge form to cover his ass so much then he must not know what he his doing... if it worked I would have used it myself

Yes I would list any relevant IT experience you've got on your CV - you sound young which probably means you've got time on your hands, so if you don't waste that then you could go places. Choose a route, Cisco or Microsoft whichever interests you the most, then I would say even go on a 3 day week (I'm serious), see if you can get the dole for the other 2 days and offer your services to MS or Cisco partners for free (hopefully you are getting dole for the other 2 days). Spend as much time as you can now to knock out the CCNA or the Windows 7 exam (both in an ideal world) and see if you can get some side work to suppliment your income.

I'm dead serious about the 3 day week if you can can get the dole for the other 2, bust your balls while you're young to get in to a better position. I don't know if there is a shortage for CCNAs but this won't do you any harm you know. There are plenty of helpdesk jobs around but I think you are better spending your time on getting the certs, find an IT job then start working on the next ones, move on 6 months later. Helpdesk is a soul destroying place.

Don't forget you can post your CV in the forums for review.

Im 25. I need to be out of the bakery by the time im 26 in November. 5 years in a low paying job is soul destorying. My employer wont give me 3 days a week anyway since im the only baker. Depressingly if I was on the dole I would be on a network engineer internship in no time.

I am getting married in August, so any chance of less pay is out of the question for the next 5 months. I want to be a network engineer, so CCNA is a must. I cant become a network engineer without any form of IT experience, so the alternative is to gain MS certs, get a helpdesk job and then the CCNA.

The volunteering is very new to me, and the internship would be working on a small network (50 odd devices) running a Ubuntu Server. There is a NOC in Blanch for weekend work which, at the moment would be the dream job. 10pm to 10am Saturday and Sunday. All that is missing on my CV is the CCNA and Linux experience.

Regarding trying to find work, Im almost there. I was lacking in confidence and "soft skills", both of which are not an issue anymore since volunteering at Camara.

Kai.

exampasser

I used to do PC repair as a side job but I've stopped due to Tightwad clients that want to pay me next to nothing and people that come back months later and blame any new problems on me.

Kai123

exampasser wrote: »

I used to do PC repair as a side job but I've stopped due to Tightwad clients that want to pay me next to nothing and people that come back months later and blame any new problems on me.

That is where the contract comes in. If I was doing this, I would write what the job was and what I fixed, then anything outside that is their problem. If they still want to blame you, then its a customer you dont want.

Kai.

Kai123

I raise thee, old thread from the depths of history!

4 months have past. Feels like a year since I made the last post.

I had to turn down interviews for two 3-month contract roles for a helpdesk tech position, because im getting married at the end of August. My current employer decided I cant have the second week off, which has lead to some very difficult decisions. Getting a new job asap, no matter where or try the sole trader route and...fix computers. I have no intention of going back to work for the second week. I get paid min-wage and to be treated like ****, its not like I dont have options.

That out of the way...I recently fixed someones PC who wanted a clean install of Win7 over a pirated copy of XP. They bought a win7 upgrade and started giving it to friends, who luckily I managed to get them to get it back before they used the key. They tried to install it once, but locked themselves out of admin group with no-way of getting back in. I charged 20 euro to install windows 7.

Two points worth mentioning. I told them to back up important photos because I will not be responsible for any data loss. *GASP*

I have nooooo idea why I thought it would be such an issue to push the point. Then, In about a sentence I can write it, have it printed, and its done. It basically mentions that you are responsible for backing up your data, and I am not responsible if data is lost while working on the computer. I can very easily explain why they have to sign it, and its very, very rare, and if it does happen it generally is not by mistake, but a consequence of what needed to be done to fix the problem. They can put all the photos/videos they want to keep and I will back them up onto a DVD for 6 euro.

If I start making money from this, I will eventually build a dedicated server for full-backups.

Invoicing as to not get the "but it broke a week later". PC Servicing does xyz for fix rate of 30 euro. PC repair 30 euro for the first hour +10 euro per hour after. Hardware upgrades. Free consultation, 30 euro +the item value. DONE. Invoice whats done, what it fixes, and you cant have anyone complaining. I plan on having a pdf or printed sheet with the pc servicing, with some details about the programs installed and how to use them.

All I need is a business current account and that's it. I will be using my name as the business so nothing to do apart from lodging money from this into the business account.

I dont know whats happened in 4 months, but reading back my old posts I dont know why I was so scared of contracts.

Kai.

Kai123

I start a new job next week doing servicing, laptop and phone screen repairs. The guy im working for owns a ink re-fill shop, and gets asked regularly about laptop repairs. Im hired since he wants someone who knows what they are doing, but this is a great opportunity to put so much great advice in this thread to practice.

I have a small weekly wage but paid on commission. He would only need 5 clients a week and id be making more then I do now for less hours.

I've check out to replace laptop and phone screens and its simple enough. Hopefully he will give me the flexibility to offer many more services and make more money doing something I love. The big grand plan is to offer IT support for small and medium businesses, so it puts my CCNA studies into a new perspective, and I get to study for the CCDA which is will be very refreshing.

Thanks forum. I had this thread in my mind when I got the interview for the role and I feel compelled to update it.

I think what im trying to say is FINALLY!

Kai.

Asif Dasl

Congrats on the new job. At least it gets your foot in the door somewhere IT related. Keep applying for Cisco jobs though. Do plenty of flyers to keep business coming in, there is plenty of competition for laptop repairs and the like. Hopefully you get some SME work or a Cisco job might pop up somewhere for you. Congrats again.