Are you worried you will pick a computer repair company that will do a poor job?
Have you ever worried about wasting your hard-earned money on inexperienced technicians and needless parts and equipment purchases?
Do you want to engage a technician that will really try to repair your computer instead of selling you a new one?
The importance of finding a dependable and trustworthy computer repair tech or company is the optimal way to ensure that you are having your repairs done fast and at a fair price.
The sad fact is, that all too frequently, a person goes through a few hard experiences before they get a good technician or company.
But, once they do, they discover that the best computer support has come from a company or an individual that has been vetted for offering quality computer service.
Hi, I’m Bill Arnoldi, founder and owner of FireBall Tech in Aliso Viejo, California.
In the next several paragraphs I will share with you some very helpful information and why it is important to know.
Early in my over 16 year vocation as a C.T.O. and owner of several tech companies, I found that when I hired new employees, I would always get the better employees from those candidates that had a resume of long-term hands-on experience in the tech skill for which I was recruiting. All too often, and nearly without fail, after hiring candidates that were newly or recently out of school with all their certificates and degrees, the employees would come either to myself or one of the ranking I.T. managers to solve even the most elementary of troubles.
There was always one major factor that caused this to occur. The employees’ lacked knowledge of the main processes and relationships active in computer technology that enable a person to draw informed conclusions to resolve problems. Put plainly, they did not understand how things work. And how could they? They had enough of book and lab knowledge, plenty of theory, but no real-world working knowledge. This knowledge can only come from years of experience.
It should be noted that this was not the rule, but was the case in the majority of circumstances. There were unquestionably the special gems that hung in so hard to resolve a problem, never giving up, researching, making repetitive attempts, and eventually resolving the trouble whilst gleaming that knowledge they needed on the way. But in general, the best solutions we ever measured came from those with a lot of hands-on and subject experience.
You might be saying: “Sure, Bill, that’s all great, but how does that help me choose a good computer support company or technician for my needs?”
Well, in effect, when you, the consumer, choose a company to furnish you with computer support help, you are employing them just as you would an employee for yourself. And with that in mind, you want to make sure you hire someone with experience to get the job done right and at a fair price.
Something that I have experienced over the many years I have been in the technology industry is the vendor or supplier, and sometimes the employee that routinely rushes to the decision that the only solution to the technical trouble is to upgrade or buy new equipment. That immediately becomes a reason for worry for me when this happens. I begin to doubt their competency in being able to supply me with good service and wonder if they have an secret motive. Sometimes I question if their actual objective is just to get me to buy new stuff from them, not always keeping my best financial interests in mind. Sure, sometimes it does make good sense to invest in new equipment, but I want to know that doing so is necessary and/or beneficial to me in some way. To rapidly form such a conclusion that cannot by and large be arrived at without first putting forth an effort to properly diagnose and troubleshoot the problem is unreliable. When that attempt is not apparent to me, I am highly suspect of a recommendation to spend money on new equipment, as should any prudent person.
This is similar to some of the experiences that my own customers have conveyed to me where they likewise have had a service supplier rush to advocate that they buy new or upgraded equipment. Sometimes, it was discovered, and too frequently, that the service provider had an stake in selling the new equipment or service either through some commission agreement or revenue sharing agreement. In essence, this motivated the service provider to sell rather than fix equipment, and oftentimes when it was not needed.
Try to find a company that believes in frugality and tries to avoid needless expense and waste. Sometimes all a person can afford is barely what they need to get by on. The repair company you select should work with you and your budget.
Personality is really crucial as well. After all, in my company, we desire our clients to have a positive experience with our service. Most of our business comes from word of mouth testimonial, and we want that to continue. A company’s service personnel should be very personable and genuine and exhibit professional and trustworthy behavior. If you have ever dealt with some companies, particularly the big chain ones, then you may have experienced a tech that made you feel uneducated or ignorant, or was frustrating to you. Thats unfortunate. Service people are there to provide you with great service, not to bolster their own self-worth by exhibiting some sort of superiority complex about their technical expertise. Look for experienced and educated technicians doing their best to help you out and explain things in common language to help you understand what’s going on. Stuff occurs to computers, its just a fact of life. It even occurs to the best technicians in the business and even to me personally. So don’t feel bad when it does, and avoid those self-important ego-driven tech people.
Beware of guarantees that in effect say, “If we can’t fix it, you don’t pay.” Here is why. From the consumer’s stand point, this sounds like a good way to feel secure that they won’t risk paying money for a failed tech call, and for the company, it is a great selling instrument, but truth be stated, if it were executed at face value, it could mean economic suicide for the company. Why are those guarantees even provided? You will most likely need to sign a service agreement. Read the fine print about the gurantee. In general practice, these guarantees demand the client to accept any solution that the technician proposes to solve the problem, even up to and including requiring them to buy totally new equipment. And therein lies their “fix”, as in the phrase, “If we can’t fix it… Get it? Then, if the client refuses the fix, the guarantee does not apply. These guarantees look great up front, but is really not even logical to anticipate it. A company is not going to gamble and risk losing money. Realistically, a person should expect to pay something when a tech comes out or they take a computer in for repair, regardless of the result. It just should not cost an arm and a leg.
Not every problem can be repaired as anticipated. The technician really never knows what the extent of the problem is until they are able to get into the equipment and look into the problem. Sometimes the cost of a repair can be more than it is worth to the client. And sometimes, it costs to arrive at that conclusion. A diagnostic and/or troubleshooting fee is standard in these situations.. After all, you were still supplied with service to ascertain what is needed to be completed to remedy the trouble. When picking out a company, make certain to know the fee schedule when this happens. Numerous support companies will even credit a portion or all of the diagnostic fees towards future business or the purchase of new equipment from them if so determined by the client. If they do not extend any sort of fee credit, then the fee should be minimum, usually an amount adequate to cover the PC repair company’s expense of sending a tech out to the client.
There are most invariably mileage or travel fees for on-site services.. Of Course this is because time is money, and the company has to pay expenses of the technician by the hour, irrespective of whether they are being productive on-site or just sitting around in traffic. Factor in the mileage or travel fees into the other fees to see what kind of deal you are getting.
Finally, I want to communicate to you, that you should select a computer support company or technician that will empower you with the ability to help keep the problem from happening again. If the cause can be determined, the technician should explain what measures, if any, that can be taken to possibly preclude recurrence. Sure, they could take your money for another on-site call for the identical problem at a later date when it recurs, and do that over and over, but that would be unethical and downright dishonest in my judgment. Search for a company or technician happy to help you with an ounce of prevention through some suggestions so you can save the pound of cure in expense later.
The bottom line is this. When selecting a computer repair company or technician, do a little research. Ask them questions, how long have they been around? What is their background? Google them on the Internet. Look up the names of the principles of the company. Get testimonials from acquaintances or associates. However you do it, just do it before deciding on whom to hire.
In closing, I hope you heard this information usable in helping you to pick out a reliable computer repair company or technician. You can also find other related useable computer technology tips at our website at FireBallTech.com. Thanks for reading, Bill Arnoldi