How to Select a Trustworthy Computer Repair Provider or Technician
Author: Bill Arnoldi
Have you ever wondered how you can recognize youre picking the right computer repair and support company?
Have you ever stressed about wasting your hard-earned money on untested technicians and unneeded parts and equipment purchases?
Did you ever have a tech come out to repair your system just to tell you that you needed to buy a new computer without even genuinely trying to repair yours?
You probably realize how important it is to select your computer support company wisely and to have an experienced technician providing service to you so you can get your computer repaired speedily and the right way and at a fair price.
Alas, sometimes individuals end up going through a few service suppliers and expend a lot of money before they find a computer repair service provider that they are comfortable with.
What most people determine out after finally getting a computer repair company or technician they like is the one with the most experience is the one they chose.
Hello, my name is Bill Arnoldi. I am the owner of FireBall Tech in Tucson, AZ, a Tucson computer repair tech support company, and a former CTO of 16 years for a multi-million dollar tech company.
In the next several paragraphs I will share with you some very helpful information and why it is important to know.
Early on in my experience, in my 16 years as C.T.O. of a multi-million dollar tech company and as an proprietor and co-owner of various I.T. companies, I found that when I employed new employees, I would always get the better employees from those prospects 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 fresh or recently out of schooling with all their certifications and academic degrees, the employees would come either to myself or one of the senior I.T. managers to solve even the most basic of troubles.
There was always one major factor that caused this to occur. The employees' lacked knowledge of the fundamental processes and relationships active in computer engineering 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 plenty of book and lab knowledge, enough of theory, but no real-world practical knowledge. This knowledge can only come from years of experience.
Now, I am not suggesting that this is the rule. There were decidedly the occasional gems that hung in so hard to figure out a trouble, never giving up, exploring, making continual attempts, and finally solving the trouble whilst gleaming that knowledge they required along the way. But in general, the greatest 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 essence, when you, the consumer, select a company to supply you with computer support help, you are hiring 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 proper and at a fair price.
One of the most irritating things that I have experienced over my many years in the industry is when the supplier, employee or vendor quickly determines that the single answer to my problem is to buy new equipment. That instantly becomes a cause for worry for me when this occurs. I begin to question their competence in being able to provide me with genuine service and wonder if they have an ulterior motive. Sometimes I question if their true objective is just to get me to buy new stuff from them, not always keeping my best financial concerns in mind. Sure, sometimes it does make 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 quickly form such a conclusion that cannot generally be arrived at without first putting forth an attempt to properly diagnose and troubleshoot the trouble is unreliable. When that attempt is not evident to me, I am highly questionable of a recommendation to spend money on new equipment, as should any wise person.
This correlates to experiences I have been told of by some of my own clients wherein the technician appears to speed to advise the purchase of new computers and equipment. All too often, it turned out, the technician was likewise being compensated either by commissions or other incentives from their company, that motivate them to sell, sell, sell... oftentimes when not required.
Try to find a company that believes in frugality and tries to avoid needless expense and waste. Sometimes all an individual can afford is barely what they require to get by on. The service provider you choose should work with you and your economical requirements.
The personality of the technician you choose is important as well.. A company's technicians should be very personable and sincere and demonstrate professional and dependable demeanor. If you have ever had an encounter with some companies, especially the big chain ones, then you may have experienced a tech that made you feel unschooled or ignorant, or was intimidating to you. Thats regrettable. Techs are there to provide you with great service, not to inflate their own self-worth by exhibiting some form of superiority complex about their accomplished expertise. Look for experienced and knowledgeable technicians doing their best to help you out and explain things in common terminology to help you understand what's going on. Stuff occurs to computers, its just a fact of life. It even occurs to the greatest 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.
Keep a look out for guarantees that in essence say that you will not be charged if it cannot be fixed. It sounds fantastic to the customer as a way to make sure they are going to get something in return for their money, and it is a great marketing line for the company, but if it were truly implemented at face value, the company would risk losing lots of revenue. So, then, you may wonder why, do you find those types of guarantees being extended? First of all, I suggest you read the fine print. You will have to sign a service agreement and there may be something in there that spells out exactly how that "guarantee" applies. Broadly speaking, such a guarantee means that the customer must accept any resolution proposed, regardless of the cost, to fix the problem. This may include full replacement of the equipment. If the customer rejects the resolution offered, then the guarantee may not apply. That is the loophole for the "fix". These guarantees look great up front, but is really not even logical to expect 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 final result. It just should not cost an arm and a leg.
Not all technical issues are repaired as easily as we anticipate. After all, a tech never actually knows how bad the trouble is or what the reason is until he can actually get his hands on the equipment and diagnose it. Once he figures out the problem, it may not be worth the expense to repair it. And, it will normally cost to have a tech arrive at that conclusion. A diagnostic and/or troubleshooting fee is standard in these situations.. After all, you were still supplied with service to ensure what is required to be done to remedy the problem. When selecting a company or technician, make sure to know their fee schedule when this happens. Many service providers will even credit a percentage or all of the diagnostic charges towards succeeding patronage or the purchase of new equipment from them if so decided 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 company's expense of dispatching a tech out to the client.
There are most invariably mileage or travel fees for on-site services..To put it bluntly, time is money and the company needs to collect for not only fuel and vehicle wear and tear, but for the time that the technician is sitting in traffic. Whether they are being productive or not, in common a company still has to pay their techs based on time. Thus, there are travel or mileage fees. Look for the best deal you can find when added to the on-site hourly or flat rate.
Finally, I want to convey to you, that you should choose a company or technician that will empower you with the ability to help keep the problem from happening again. If the reason can be found, the technician should explain what measures, if any, that can be taken to perhaps preclude recurrence. Sure, they could take your money for another on-site call for the identical problem at a subsequent date when it recurs, and do that over and over, but that would be unethical and downright reprobate in my judgment. Look for a company or technician willing to help you with an ounce of prevention through some suggestions so you can save the pound of cure in expense afterwards.
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 knowledge? Google them on the Internet. Look up the names of the principles of the company. Get recommendations from friends or associates. However you do it, just do it before determining on whom to hire.
In conclusion, I hope you found this information usable in assisting you to choose a authentic computer repair company or technician. You can also find other associated useable computer technology hints at our website at FireBallTech.com. Thanks for reading, Bill Arnoldi
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1786012_10.html
About the Author: Bill Arnoldi is the owner of Fireball Tech Tucson Computer Repair and Core Business Strategies, an former IT executive with over 18 years of experience in system design, networking and Internet marketing including SEO, SEM, WSO.
http://www.fireballtech.com
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