1

I know there was an older thread that is several years old, but I wanted to see what people are doing about fixing PC’s of co workers?

Do you do it?

How much do you charge if at all?

What kind of turn around time do you tell them?

How do you deal with unreasonable expectations?

My Problem is I always feel guilty about charging people. Usually it is simple problems or just running a bunch of cleaners and optimizing their computers. Does anyone else feel this way or should I stop being so nice? I just had someone ask me to remove the Windows XP Anti Virus (the virus software phishing for credit cards) and they actually gave their information thinking it would go away. (Dohhh) I had them cancel their card.

15 Spice ups
2

My answer to them: No

I don’t do residential services. To much of a headache.

3

HelloGovna wrote:

I know there was an older thread that is several years old, but I wanted to see what people are doing about fixing PC’s of co workers?

Do you do it?

How much do you charge if at all?

What kind of turn around time do you tell them?

How do you deal with unreasonable expectations?

My Problem is I always feel guilty about charging people. Usually it is simple problems or just running a bunch of cleaners and optimizing their computers. Does anyone else feel this way or should I stop being so nice? I just had someone ask me to remove the Windows XP Anti Virus (the virus software phishing for credit cards) and they actually gave their information thinking it would go away. (Dohhh) I had them cancel their card.

That virus is a pain… (I had one similar recently)

For me I dont mind giving advice, helping out but I usually charge dinner/six pack depending on the issue/how long it takes/who it is

4

I tell them they can hire me for $30 an hour like everyone else. If it’s a quick question then whatever but any kind of fix I gotta get some cash. And I don’t do housecalls unless they pay extra.

5

if i like the person, $50 upfront to cover the 1st hour, and $25 an hour after the 1st hour.

If i do not like the person, $100 upfront to cover the 1st hour (or 5 minutes if that is all it takes) and $50-100 per hour for hours after the 1st depending on what is discovered in the 1st hour.

I will only do for free/reduced rates/trade if it is both someone i like and someone who has helped me out in the past (ie: i traded a friend hard drive installation for oil change and tire rotation)

6

I use to charge $50 - $60 for something relatively easy, but then if something else went wrong they expected it for free or telling me how much they expected to be charged. I wont fix friends / co workers PC’s any more, instead i refer them to a local business.

7

I will help them out. I work at a small shop.

It seems that they will get me a gift card for some where.

If they need it fast I tell them to take it to a local shop, and pay for the repair.

8

Rivitir wrote:

My answer to them: No

I don’t do residential services. To much of a headache.

+1 million. Once you start, they corner you every chance they get and expect unlimited lifetime support ~ for free.

9

I seem to be getting a lot of people asking about that FakeAV floating around in the past couple weeks. Good way to make some extra coin, too bad for computer users not being safe enough though. I have never gotten a virus from browsing a website, although I can see how easy it is to have happen if you’re just a regular user.

10

I’ll only do work for a coworker if they are someone I like enough to do something free for them. I have never been paid what I feel my consulting time is worth and not managed to alienate a coworker. If they want to do something I just ask for dinner and a few drinks and call it even. If I am willing to do free work for someone I like them enough to hang out with them.

For everyone else I just tell them I don’t have time and refer them to good people I know who want to do residential work.

11

Personally, I make it a policy to not work on them - too many pitfalls:

  • Once you touch it you own it

  • What if you break it - or its already broken and they blame you

  • Do you really want a co-worker mad at you about their stuff

Check out this thread:

http://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/show/1255

and this thread:

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/92118-the-technician-vs-the-new-computer

and this one:

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/26804-etiquette-on-fixing-a-users-personal-computer?page=4

should give you a good place to start

12

I get asked on occasion by co-workers, but not too often. Now at my church, people ask me more regularly. (maybe there’s a different expectation level there?). Anyway, I tell people I don’t charge but if they insist I say that I never mind a Starbucks card. I just got a call a half hour ago like that from a co-worker about her home laptop. I can already tell she has some sort of browser hijacker which doesn’t sound too tricky. I gave her the line about the Starbucks card but said I don’t charge in general.

13

I usually give out free advice because mostly it’s small easy things. A couple of times I’ve done software instillation on laptops, but people get smart and bring them to work for me to fix where I get paid anyways > .>

Hmm…should I start charging…

14

I’d go with the “buy my lunch” approach for something small. For something bigger, it would probably be more. I helped a guy I know with some more extensive problems without payment, but I told him I expected his help (he’s a mechanic) with my car.

Paying for parts is always the responsibility of the person needing help.

15

For me it depends on the person. If they’re someone that is always nice to me and that I actually like and considering myself to be friends with, then I will, though usually at a price and I still usually tell them that I can’t promise it will be done quickly. And honestly out of 120-130 people in this office, the list of people who’s person computer I’d fix is probably around 5. Anyone else is just a flat out no. I just tell them I can’t spend company time doing it and I just don’t have the time outside of work to do it.

And even for that handful that I will look at, I refuse to make house calls. I don’t care, you can’t pay me enough to take the kind of time out of my non-working hours to leave my house and my family.

The worst part is when they come to your office or stop you in the hallway and say “Hey, I had something weird happen with my home computer the other day…”

16

I have fixed them in the past. Its hard because you know how much little work it takes on some optimizations. But if you charge and hourly fee, and only charge for time actually working(not the tool running) it will be more accurate. I usually charge $60.00 an hour. If you like the person you can drop to $50.00. Its still your time you should get paid. depending on work schedule and projects normally 3-5 days. Unless you are looking at a total rebuild for hardware crashes.

People have to understand that even with you current workload, you can’t be expected to work on personal machines at work. Plain and simple. They can’t demand you have it done at their convenience. If it was your main job, like the box stores then maybe. You can always defer them there if their requests are just off the wall.

17

I understand the “it broke, you own it”, but I’d rather (within reason) be helpful to my co-workers. I have never charged for this. I set the expectation up front. If I sense this is going to be 8+ hour kind of a deal, then I may suggest they find a company to work on it for them. Generally, the things that need to be fixed can be done while I multitask on other things. In addition, if there is any urgency, I will decline because I am doing this just to be helpful. Lastly, when you have seen a lot of crazy things working in this field, if I think something just might be more than a quick fix, I start the fire & brimstone & backup speech.

I haven’t been overwhelmed and, I guess at least for me, I like to help people.

18

I tell them no. Then the word will get around the office and the whole business.

(it is like a high school around here)

My sanity is worth it.

19

I wont help co-workers. Nothing personal, but it gets too annoying in the end.

20

i used to not charge, but as others have said, once you touch it, they often will think you will be on-call for them forever.

I now make it very clear that they are paying for my time at what i consider a reduced rate.

if they stop me in the hall, i will often tell them before they complete asking the question that my Q&A rate is $20 per question, even if i cannot answer it. Usually that slows them down.

My family went to the in-laws for a BDay/Easter gathering and i was not there 5 minutes yet and my bro-in-law apologizes as he hands me the box for his new router and starts peppering me with questions. good thing he is good to my sis-in-law, i answered the easy questions and told him he could pay me to do the hard ones as i was there to relax, not work. he was cool with it.