Your good with computers aren't ya?

bigbadcon

Firstly apologies for the rant..

Im just wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me.

I am constantly being annoyed by friends,family,friends of family etc to fix problems with their computers.

They see me as the designated computer guy and its really annoying.
Dont get me wrong im always ready to help my family and friends but some of them take the piss after a while.

Like I often get friends of my family ringing me asking me if they can drop down their computer so I can get rid of a virus they have on their pc.

What annoys me is that whatever the job is might take you 2-3 hours to do. I have better things to be doing with my spare time than fixing other peoples computers cause they were on some dodgy porn site and got more than they bargained for.

If you asked a painter down to your house to do a job that took him 3 hours he would be paid for the work but with me all I get is barely a thanks.

I dont want money off these people just to be left alone. I learned about computers from trial and error and the internet etc so why cant they??

ntlbell

say no or start charging.

goodlad

I was the exact same a few years ago.

I just started charging them. I thought that would of stopped them bothering me but it didnt.

At least now when they bother me with problems i get money for it

TerrorFirmer

What really gets on my tits is people who continuously ask me questions about various software, and all I say it 'How the hell would I know, I've never used it' - without fail they all say 'But I thought you said you were good with computers??' My manager is work one day called me in to ask me a question about database software - and he actually got annoyed when I said I hadn't a clue and sort of implied I was lying when I said I was good with computers. Some people are just too thick to differentiate between hardware and software.

Tallon

lol, so true.... I hate asking for money, but I also hate wasting my time, so I just say no

Burgo

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Some people are just too thick to differentiate between hardware and software.

Even more than that,people expect you to know Everything about computers and every bit of software created.

bigbadcon

The worst is...How do I put photos from my camera onto my bebo?

"Ok firstly you go to windows explorer and then you put the photos from your camera onto your pc."

And then you realise that they have no idea what windows explorer is....

Why would you buy a digital camera if you have no notion how to connect it to a PC.


GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

ShooterSF

This is how I started a PC repair biz Never could be arsed doing it in college, self taught and figured if you don't have the piece of paper people won't want you to repair it. How wrong I was

I do hate the expectation that you know every piece of software out there. It's like expecting your mechanic to know how to work your scrolling LED display just cause it's in your car.

FruitLover

ntlbell wrote: »

say no or start charging.

Either that, or demand good/services in return (pizzas or handjobs, depending on gender of requester).

bigbadcon

These cheered me up a little..

http://www.justinball.com/2007/10/08/no-i-wont-fix-your-computer/

http://www.lushtshirts.co.uk/no-wont-fix-your-computer-p-587.html

biko

I do it and get paid in pints usually - win-win

spurious

Me - So how old is the PC you have?
Them - I got it about ten years ago.

:eek:

Creamy Goodness

scene 1:
Me: "what kind of computer do you have?"
Them: "it's a white one"

scene 2:
Them: "my printer is broken, you do Computer Science, you should be able to fix it!"
Me: "nah the hint is in the title you need a Printer Scientist, i haven't a ****ing clue about printers!"

scene 3:
Them: "you're good at computers right?"
Me: "yeh kinda"
Them: "cool so can you tune the analogue stations on my new tv?"

i've just given up to be honest. virii and malware are the ****ing worst things ever, depending on the pc it can be multiple scans at about an hour each. just fecking buy anti virus or better yet don't use windows :pac:

It BeeMee

spurious wrote: »

Me - So how old is the PC you have?
Them - I got it about ten years ago.

...but it hasn't been used much so it's still pretty new...

ITDept

ntlbell wrote: »

say no or start charging.

I think a good bottle of red is usually fair compensation... and it helps me unwind after having to carefully phrase 'the problem has occured between the keyboard and the seat' for the nth time to avoid upsetting the in-laws.

Auvers

ITDept wrote: »

'the problem has occured between the keyboard and the seat' for the nth time to avoid upsetting the in-laws.

ahh the auld PEBKAC error

i have used it many times

dlofnep

lol - and yes, it's that exact phrase too.

I don't mind helping out the family, but when you work in IT support all day, and then come home and have to setup a network for someone, or remove umteen viruses from a computer - it gets tedious.

nice1franko

I feel your pain OP. I'm forever fixing pc's/talking people through fixing them over the phone.

The last couple of months I've got really, really, sick of it.

When I was first 'good with computers' (i.e. was 15 or so), I'd be flattered when asked to fix a computer and was more than happy to help out. Over the years, that became just 'happy to help out'... 12 years later, while still happy to help I couldn't help notice that I'm being taken advantage of by some people.

For example, over Christmas, I was asked to fix about 5 laptops over Christmas. Two were for Family - and that's fine - but the others were people who're friends of family/family of friends (people who I'd know well enough to say hello to on the street) assuming I'd have no problem calling over to spend anything up to 4 hours in front of their pc's (trouble shooting, wiping drives, installing os, antivirus, searching online for drivers, ordering replacement parts etc etc)... 'thanks' and a cup of tea is all you get but if you called some of these people (plumbers, sparks, carpenters etc) to yours for a few hours work you'd be charged - no doubt about it. (BTW, I've mates who are tradesmen and I'm always glad to help them out and they've often done jobs for me for nowt too).
/rant

new rant
AND, Others who are closer to me have got so used to having someone in the know that they will not even attempt anything remotely technical because they know I'm on hand. E.g. 'we got broadband, the box and all arrived, can you call over and set it up, we wouldn't have a clue' or any other number of other queries that would be easily answered by google... what, my time's worth less than yours???
/new rant

Anyway, I really don't want to charge.... so new policy is this:
1) tell them I haven't a clue off the top of my head - their best bet would be to google it
2) if it's a new pc tell them the best bet thing to do would be contact tech support.
3) 'go slow'... I'm up to my neck you can drop it over to me but I've no idea when I'll get to it.

zod

when at a pc and now all spyware free .. take a ghost image
create a boot ghost DVD with image on
auto image pc on DVD boot

give DVD to X .. mark as "TO BE USED IN EMERGENCY"
tell them to email all docs to gmail account always

Shiny

It happens to me all the time!

Thankfully I never built a PC for anyone that wasn't capable of
fixing it themselves. I have heard stories about guys building
computers for family and indirectly making themselves targets
for a lifetime free tech support.

Most people that ask me for help usually pay quite well
but this may be because I am a student and they feel
sorry for me. :rolleyes:

I am finding that the biggest issues these days are backing up
peoples photos and removing all the crap they have downloaded
over their new broadband connections.

Burgo

nice1franko wrote: »

1) tell them I haven't a clue off the top of my head - their best bet would be to google it

yeah this has been my main response as of late.works like a charm!

also try http://lmgtfy.com/

the_syco

Meh. Used to do this all the time. Then I started to tell people to buy a Dell. Heck, I don't feel bad sending them to PC World.

I don't bother telling them to do a virus scan. Most times I tell them the site to install it from, and tell them to select default settings.

Overheal

Whats a good rate to charge people though. I do my cousin's stuff for free because they let me use the spare room and the kitchen whenever and however the hell I want. But I got a little pissy when I spent 3 days troubleshooting the strangest home wireless setup I have ever seen only for them to somehow break it 2 days later. There must be a portal to bermuda in the basement or its built on an indian burial ground. Or it was a problem with the DSL not getting along with the router. Either way I had my fill.

97i9y3941

if i was chargeing,i would charge about €30-€50,they can **** off then,i know thats what they would charge in a shop to fit an cd drive/ram into a computer

Joseph

I'd be in a very similar position as the OP. Everyone I know is constantly asking me to do jobs for them, at first I was sort of chuffed with myself. Them coming to me for advice was nice

After awhile when your getting phone calls nearly every single day someone you know asking you to do a job. When you do pop down and spend 2 hours fixing it for them - they are constantly hovered over you while you are working (GOD! thats so annoying) thinking that it is a 2 minute job "have you sorted it yet?" "did you find out what caused it?" "that's a strange one isnt it, gonna be done soon?"

Jesus christ and I can't ask for money becuase that would look bad, and I cant say no because that would ALSO look bad. Christ.

Latchy

PEBKAC is an acronym which stands for "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair".[1] The phrase is used by computer experts as a humorous[2] way to describe user errors.

I love it

Guy I know makes a nice few quid from fixing PC's .His complaint like OP is he doesnt have enough time to do as many as he can and it intrudes on his family life a lot. Everybody gets tired of the ol puter after to much usage .

Anti

I just simply flat out refuse to help people these days. Oh your pc is broken... Shame that.

nice1franko

Burgo wrote: »

also try http://lmgtfy.com/

Can't wait for the next call now, just so I can use that :pac:

I was having a moan about this to my bro the other week and he says "well you know what they say, 'if you work for nothing you’ll never be idle'".

I didn't know they said that. Obviously some truth in it though.

bigbadcon

actually come to think of it my door bell is broke...

wonder did I help any electricians with their pcs hmmm...

AlmightyCushion

I hate this stupid question. The answer is always yes but you're make me regret that. Next door neighbour is the worst for this type of crap. Always asking me to setup things like 90 year old printers with a computer made by cavemen from rocks and some twigs.

the_syco

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I hate this stupid question. The answer is always yes but you're make me regret that. Next door neighbour is the worst for this type of crap. Always asking me to setup things like 90 year old printers with a computer made by cavemen from rocks and some twigs.

LOL. Neighbour replaced one 386 with another 386 which in fact had less RAM, a smaller HDD, but the case (yup, that's right, the case) was bigger, he thought it would be better.

Advised him to get a €300 Dell. Being over there once since then, and nothing since. Advise you to do the same. Look out for the Dell deals, and tell them to get one with 2GB's of RAM, otherwise he'll think his 386 is faster (set everything to "classic view").

Ginger

I must be lucky then, I get paid in decent red wine or quality whiskeys..

Tho there have been moments. Spent 12 hours setting up 3 PCs in parallel. Remoted into 2 from the one that I was finishing up..took a while that one..

Lately I have turned into the hands off and getting them to think about why it may be broken so that they learn.. People get worried they will break it, take away that fear and they start playing and making it work (that or ask their kids to do it )