Re: Home service calls

In article <>, Lee Parsons
<> wrote:

> Someone here was bemoaning home service calls -- the dusty dark corner
> where the computer sits, the kitchen chair, the crowded space, etc.
>
> I *love* home service calls and they're my bread-and-butter.
>
> A local ISP provides home calls, but the customer has to pay almost
> $50 for the trip out and then $95/hour.
>
> I charge no trip fee and less per hour, and I'm busy most of the time.
> But I enjoy the service. A lot of my clients in our rural mountain
> area are elderly folks who have one or two computers in their homes,
> have come to computing late in life and love the information and
> communication it gives them.
> But they aren't techs, and when there's a problem they need a
> little help. It's often something small, probably not worth the time
> of your big-shop folks. Yes, it's not always the best of conditions,
> but they have what they have and I refuse to talk down to them or
> ignore their need for service.
> If I need a better chair, I ask for it. If I need a drink of
> water, I ask for it (most of the time they offer). I also ask for the
> vacuum cleaner when approprate!
> A lot of them want to use the computer, but have no interest in
> learning the details of fixing it, and have come to rely on me for
> fixing those little gremlins that come up once in awhile. I also help
> them learn to use their machines and software. In return, I've gotten
> to know a lot of good folks in my region, made money without raping
> them, and enjoy a good reputation. Word of mouth has been phenominal.
>
> Business repairs may make you rich and be easier to work on, but don't
> ignore the satisfaction that can come from helping neighbors and doing
> a little teaching, too.
>
> Lee

There is absolutely nothing wrong with residential service calls- if you
enjoy them, and if your business is geared to them. I do not, and my
business is not geared for them either. I have a regular shop with 4
workbenches and 6 rooms- including storage and snack room, etc.

A service call takes me out of the office for too long, and I prefer to
focus my energies on other things, like other computers, ordering parts,
dealing with customers, payroll, bookkeeping, making deposits, expending
my business into other areas, etc.

I also live in a vastly different area than you. Here, most people do not
feel it is fair to charge them for the pleasure of fixing their
computers. My bench charge is an incredibly fair $50 an hour. I do not
usually even bill for every hour worked. And yet, ppl still complain-
ALOT! I am so sick of hearing how their brother-in-law is a computer
genius, or how the neighbor kid down the street could fix it for $10.
Florida is a very difficult place to earn a living. People retire down
here from up nroth, or from Canada. They expect their retirement to last
them the rest of their lives- and that they should be able to live like a
movie star for it. The Canadians come down with their pensions and are
always whining about how little their Canadian pensions go because the
Canadian dollar has so little value.

Anyone want to buy a computer service center? lol

Ghost

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 21:49:40 GMT, (Ghost) wrote:


>I also live in a vastly different area than you. Here, most people do not
>feel it is fair to charge them for the pleasure of fixing their
>computers.

<G> Yeah, I know that one.


> I am so sick of hearing how their brother-in-law is a computer
>genius, or how the neighbor kid down the street could fix it for $10.

Oh yeah, I get that occasionally, too. I tell them to go ahead and
have them do it if they prefer, and then call me when they want it
done right.
More often than that, though, I get, "My brother-in-law is really
a genius at computers and he took a look at it, but he couldn't get it
to work and so I called you." I then cruise through the settings and I
can "see" where he tried to fix things!


>Florida is a very difficult place to earn a living.

I've heard that. I don't think it's all Northerners though.

> People retire down
>here from up nroth, or from Canada. They expect their retirement to last
>them the rest of their lives- and that they should be able to live like a
>movie star for it.

We get "Snowbirds" up here in N.H., who come up for the summer and
want everything fixed that they didn't get done in Florida before they
left and they want it NOW. Oh, and why can't they get cable internet
here like back home? (Because there ain't no cable of ANY kind here,
idjit. Get a dish like the rest of us!)

Lee

Lee Parsons

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 03:26:16 GMT, (Ghost) wrote:


>LOL... We prolly have some of the same customers.. got a bunch of NH ppl
>down here for the winters.. lol
>
>Wanna trade? I would love to move to NH... wanna move to FL???


Thanks, but no thanks! Humidity and bugs are not my friends.

Lee Parsons

In article <>, Linda
<> wrote:

> Where in Florida? I'm in east central. I agree it is difficult to make
> a living in FL, but I might be interested in purchasing your outfit.
>
> On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 21:49:40 GMT, (Ghost) wrote:
>
> >In article <>, Lee Parsons
> ><> wrote:
> >
> >> Someone here was bemoaning home service calls -- the dusty dark corner
> >> where the computer sits, the kitchen chair, the crowded space, etc.
> >>
> >> I *love* home service calls and they're my bread-and-butter.
> >>
> >> A local ISP provides home calls, but the customer has to pay almost
> >> $50 for the trip out and then $95/hour.
> >>
> >> I charge no trip fee and less per hour, and I'm busy most of the time.
> >> But I enjoy the service. A lot of my clients in our rural mountain
> >> area are elderly folks who have one or two computers in their homes,
> >> have come to computing late in life and love the information and
> >> communication it gives them.
> >> But they aren't techs, and when there's a problem they need a
> >> little help. It's often something small, probably not worth the time
> >> of your big-shop folks. Yes, it's not always the best of conditions,
> >> but they have what they have and I refuse to talk down to them or
> >> ignore their need for service.
> >> If I need a better chair, I ask for it. If I need a drink of
> >> water, I ask for it (most of the time they offer). I also ask for the
> >> vacuum cleaner when approprate!
> >> A lot of them want to use the computer, but have no interest in
> >> learning the details of fixing it, and have come to rely on me for
> >> fixing those little gremlins that come up once in awhile. I also help
> >> them learn to use their machines and software. In return, I've gotten
> >> to know a lot of good folks in my region, made money without raping
> >> them, and enjoy a good reputation. Word of mouth has been phenominal.
> >>
> >> Business repairs may make you rich and be easier to work on, but don't
> >> ignore the satisfaction that can come from helping neighbors and doing
> >> a little teaching, too.
> >>
> >> Lee
> >
> >There is absolutely nothing wrong with residential service calls- if you
> >enjoy them, and if your business is geared to them. I do not, and my
> >business is not geared for them either. I have a regular shop with 4
> >workbenches and 6 rooms- including storage and snack room, etc.
> >
> >A service call takes me out of the office for too long, and I prefer to
> >focus my energies on other things, like other computers, ordering parts,
> >dealing with customers, payroll, bookkeeping, making deposits, expending
> >my business into other areas, etc.
> >
> >I also live in a vastly different area than you. Here, most people do not
> >feel it is fair to charge them for the pleasure of fixing their
> >computers. My bench charge is an incredibly fair $50 an hour. I do not
> >usually even bill for every hour worked. And yet, ppl still complain-
> >ALOT! I am so sick of hearing how their brother-in-law is a computer
> >genius, or how the neighbor kid down the street could fix it for $10.
> >Florida is a very difficult place to earn a living. People retire down
> >here from up nroth, or from Canada. They expect their retirement to last
> >them the rest of their lives- and that they should be able to live like a
> >movie star for it. The Canadians come down with their pensions and are
> >always whining about how little their Canadian pensions go because the
> >Canadian dollar has so little value.
> >
> >Anyone want to buy a computer service center? lol

New Port Richey

Ghost