PAY up Suker

[papablista]

I spend hours upon hours on the phone /web and in person giving advice and fixing PC's should I charge people ,I like doing it especially for the low income peeps, but I'm finding that it is costing me lots o Quid, I hate to charge people but I dont wanna stop helping (addiction) How much should I charge USD per hour

 

[austing]

I spend hours upon hours on the phone /web and in person giving advice and fixing PC's should I charge people ,I like doing it especially for the low income peeps, but I'm finding that it is costing me lots o Quid, I hate to charge people but I dont wanna stop helping (addiction) How much should I charge USD per hour

Thats hard because there are times where youl do something to help, and its not the solution, then what? You're not A+ certified, you cant be held accountable for that.

I usually just have my friends and family pay me 5$ for small stuff, 10$ for large stuff.

If you want a real job doing this, get your A+ and get a job as an IT for ASUS USA or something.

 

[papablista]

Thats hard because there are times where youl do something to help, and its not the solution, then what? You're not A+ certified, you cant be held accountable for that.

I usually just have my friends and family pay me 5$ for small stuff, 10$ for large stuff.

If you want a real job doing this, get your A+ and get a job as an IT for ASUS USA or something.

I am actually A+certified. I've been doing this since early 94" I've had jobs in IT &Tech, I only charge friends and family (usually what it cost me rounded to the highest $)when i build a Custom job, If they refer someone to me(my family's co-workers usuallyand I have ads on C-List) I tell her to quote $20 an hour and that works out fine,with my other work I find it hard to get the time to do the pro bono, It's the ("friends"only see them when they need PC work) that seem to think i have nothing better to do, quoted two of them $20 and hour with a one hour minimum for some simple virus/malware removal & a memory upgrade, one's still running a infected PC,the other just said forget it, I mean that's $69 to 89 at a retail shop, I'm not Bill Gates but my time is worth something know what I mean. ( Darn Leecher's)


Thanks for your reply,

 

[austing]

I am actually A+certified. I've been doing this since early 94" I've had jobs in IT &Tech, I only charge friends and family (usually what it cost me rounded to the highest $)when i build a Custom job, If they refer someone to me(my family's co-workers usuallyand I have ads on C-List) I tell her to quote $20 an hour and that works out fine,with my other work I find it hard to get the time to do the pro bono, It's the ("friends"only see them when they need PC work) that seem to think i have nothing better to do, quoted two of them $20 and hour with a one hour minimum for some simple virus/malware removal & a memory upgrade, one's still running a infected PC,the other just said forget it, I mean that's $69 to 89 at a retail shop, I'm not Bill Gates but my time is worth something know what I mean. ( Darn Leecher's)


Thanks for your reply,

Well, if you come at them with 'Shops charge this, and what I can do for you is this' they may be more inclined, especially if you make them feel good about how much faster it will be when its done. Also, things like a memory upgrade, getting them say 1600 mhz memory instead of 1333 mhz memory will get them to see a faster PC when its done, and will keep them coming back.

Another thing to think about is that some people have the money to just buy another PC and are willing to do that than spend time getting perfectly fine PC's fixed.

 

[papablista]

austing wrote "Well, if you come at them with 'Shops charge this,"

Yea, done that too. Here's what I do.
Ex:Bring me a PC to have the thermal paste replaced on the CPU.
Open case and clean w/ compressed air.
Check for loose connections, insure proper fan & PSU operation,
Remove heat-sink/fan clean old thermal paste check surface for marring,remove fan from heat sink &clean,
Reapply quality thermal paste, re-install H/S & Fan, check for loose connections again,
Fire it up check operation with hardware monitor, check BIOS settings & OS for rouge programs or malware,etc.
Place a copy of "How to upgrade your PC in "My Documents"folder. :lol:
Close it up wipe it down,

Dial the PH#
Your bill is : $25 That's fair wouldn't you say?
Or I can just tell them, "UsE tHe GooGLe" and do it yourselves

 

[austing]

austing wrote "Well, if you come at them with 'Shops charge this,"

Yea, done that too. Here's what I do.
Ex:Bring me a PC to have the thermal paste replaced on the CPU.
Open case and clean w/ compressed air.
Check for loose connections, insure proper fan & PSU operation,
Remove heat-sink/fan clean old thermal paste check surface for marring,remove fan from heat sink &clean,
Reapply quality thermal paste, re-install H/S & Fan, check for loose connections again,
Fire it up check operation with hardware monitor, check BIOS settings & OS for rouge programs or malware,etc.
Place a copy of "How to upgrade your PC in "My Documents"folder. :lol:
Close it up wipe it down,

Dial the PH#
Your bill is : $25 That's fair wouldn't you say?
Or I can just tell them, "UsE tHe GooGLe" and do it yourselves

I learn everything with google C:

And yea, 25$ is a steal if you open the side of a PC and say 'dafuq is this?'

 

[Saga Lout]

This is a no-brainer - you either do this for a living and charge people who come to you or you don't! I do and when folks call me they know there's a charge. If I don't think someone can afford to pay me, I don't bother asking for money. Running my business doesn't stop me giving free advice over the 'phone (as long as I'm not paying for the call ) or putting up any help I can on here and other fora. As to friends, anyone expecting free help is probably asking for it to work the other way round. I frequently swap some PC work for some work on my car, plumbing, roof etc.