I Love Utter Idiots....

[Tiger Shark]

Phhhht.....

Another idiot I don't have time to waste on.....

[kr5kernel]

Well then let me take the time.

Super:
First off, experience is golden. They will never be able to teach you as much about a field in a book or a class as what you can get in hard working experience. Being self taught allows you to discover things about networks they don't teach you in books. I have been personally working in the field since I was 15 years old. I also hold a degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology. After obtaining that $40,000 piece of paper, you know what looks the best on my resume? My YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

Before you start flaming back "I have an A+ cert" or calling people jerks, why don't you read the story again and take it for what the rest of us did. Funny. It's funny because its true, this same situation could apply to any field.

650 machines maybe a small network to you, but the only that I see as small is you open mindedness towards what started out as a funny post. Minus the fact that someone actually had to deal with morons like that.

[Negative]

I always try to be fair with customers... that's why I'm barely making money from my computer repair business

The problem (at least around here) is that most people know a bunch of self-declared computer geeks: if something goes wrong with their computer, they'll first take it to that co-worker/friend/family member/... . Only if said geek can't fix it, they'll take it to a repair shop. Result: I always get the cases that nobody else can figure out. Not to mention that the self-declared geek who worked on it first, usually did more bad than good.

Those problems usually take hours upon hours to fix. And what do you do then? Charge $500 for a computer that's not even worth half? And what about a computer you spend a couple of hours on, then figure out that it's beyond repair? "Here's your computer... it's going to be $200 for the work... but it's not fixed..."

[kr5kernel]

I do quite a bit of work for older senior citizens and "house calls". I charge way under what it would cost to take their machine to a bestbuy / compusa type place. I am in the same boat with you Negative, with computers being almost dispensible I have to imagine it's hard to make a living do that.

What chaps me, is you get the occaisional person that doesn't realize you are cutting them a break. Say I charge someone $30 an hour to clean up there spyware / virus problems. Say it take me 2 hours, thats $60 out the door. Some people will actually complain that it's too much! Wake up, if they went anywhere else it would be triple that if not more!

[Negative]

Yupyup... I usually try working with flat fee's: I take a look at the problem, then tell the customer I'll do it for a certain amount. If they don't agree, they only pay a "diagnostics fee" of $19. If they do agree, I try to fix it - it often takes way longer than I expected it to take, meaning I end up working for $5 an hour or something

[kr5kernel]

Thats a bum deal Neg, we are the robin hoods of pc repair.

[cacosapo]

I will clean your computer and guarantee it is worm, virus, and spyware free for $100.

Damn. Im loosing money.
For my clients (or anyone that asks for) i just send a (translated) compiled copy of material that i just find here. That includes TS and others' tuts and piece of some useful threads that i use do read.
For free, of course.
BTW, giving advices for free is the best way to get a $$$ customer. And get those for free too

[¤The¤Spe©ialist]

Yeah... I love you too, man.

Another idiot I don't have time to waste on...

Thats the funniest load of crap I've seen here in months. Post about it agian... maybe what you've just said will eventually sound believable.

Jesus guys! What else do yall expect 'eh? Don't they usually place those advice things way in the back of the paper... right next to all the funny personals with pictures of my butt cheeks & not to mention the funnies, right? That in itself is funny.

[morganlefay]

Well..I tend to "help out" co workers, family members, friends etc.

Starts with..."yes I will look at it"...15 mins= 1 bottle of dry red wine

Anything after that...well depends..if it is spyware or a hardware issue....
Before I go further I tell them what my rate is...depending on who it is etc
(if they buy nice wine or cheap wine...how many bottles etc)

Mostly it is spyware....but have had fried hardware..

.we have a local shop that will backup data and reinstall for a set price...I send everone there...if it is an issue I dont think I can resolve and the single bottle of cheap wine just wont cut it
The local are actually really good...and suggest the free products for the user. ..also they recommend routers\firewalls for thier clients.

Mostly what I find...is that most people have had "someone" install a non licensed product\app...and when I ask for the disk..key they expect me to have one for them...NOT!

MLF

EDIT>
as for paper certs...well I wouldnt trade my 10 + years of experience for a piece of paper.....


The technology changes so fast ...you have to self learn...or spend the rest of your days in classes

Personally I am too old for that...and I have the intellegence to pick things up quickly...and if its over my head..I work with someone..who specializes in the issue.

Cant be good at everything...you have to specialize.

"And just cause your a Doctor...dont make you a good one"

[kr5kernel]

been there done that. There is a local shop by me that does virus / spyware removals for free! I would image that hurts there business as it seems like most consumer problems I come across are spyware / virus related.

Builds a good sense of cimmunity though, and people will remember that those guys helped them before. Maybe it does benefit them in the long run.