Find Local Computer Repair

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Good memory..
FIRST!

second

In the Uk, stores like PCWorld charge £25 (that’s about $50 - depending on the exchange rate at the time) to install USB devices and drivers. This is so sick it is not even funny…totally rip-off.

Anyone in the greater seattle area, I am at your service :)

PCworld will charge you £30.00/$60.00 for file transfer… OMG File transfer is sooooo easy… Network cable! Derrrr !

-Sirton

Anyone in the uk near bury st eds or colchester or around there needs there mac or pc repaired im at your service

Chris do you remember the day usb came out? does anyone?

wiki it.

Great article Chris. I have a couple of points to make though.

Keep in mind that I’m a PC technician who does repair as a “side job”.

I don’t necessarily agree with “Peace of mind will always be found at the In-store repair”. There are too many issues that have reported about the repair centers in the “Big Box” type stores. Most of these techs appear to be wet behind the years without any real experience and (my assumption here) are thrown into the job without much training other than to “push sales towards goods sold at the store”. On the other hand, a good local tech who’s only there to fix the computer doesn’t have a hardware bias nor being paid any commission by suggesting that its a hardware issue.

Of course there are exceptions to these rules as some local techs do also sell hardware too.

Maybe I’M the exception, but I for the most part prefer when a customer would sit down with me and discuss the problems at the PC instead of jsut saying “Go fix it. I’ll be in the other room”. I’d personally rather them explain what they’re trying to do and what the perceive as the problem. Sometimes its just a training issue. Othertimes, its an easy fix that I can use as a lesson for them. I might be cutting off my nose despite my face, but I’m of the opinion that a good tech can help teach his customers. That usually gives them a better feeling of trust towards me too which could mean more repeat business and more “word of mouth” business.

You said my name! lol

I love to send the old DELL PC to any house (At least in Orlando FL) that is willing to fix it for $50 or less. But avoid the in mall or small business guys that would charge for see the PC without touching it, $75 dollars!

Ok…. I have some suggestions…

1) If you can do it your self… do it!
2) If you can’t do it your self… search around for someone to do it for you. Look for the best price, yet highly qualified.
3) If they do In-Home service for a little bit more… do it! This gives the chance for you to learn as well as make sure nothing fishy is going on.
4) Get free estimates. This is the best idea of them all, well… besides diy. If you notice that one place is dramatically cheaper than the rest… it may not be a good idea to to use that company.
BONUS TIP : Try to find repair men that have certifications. This will not only tell you that they are legit… but that they actually know what they are doing as well.

Thanks for the tips…I’m thinking about getting a broken one from my Dads work, and we may get someone to fix it. Thanks.

Dont forget to ask the technician or the store/local if they take any static electricity precaution, static can damage your computer.

I have noticed myself that big corp. tech stores charge an arm and a leg. I went to several local tech shops and loved their service and prices. One that I went to was so nice and welcoming that I do business with them all the time. It’s nice to go to a tech service shop and they know you and help you in any way they can. Sometimes, the big corp. places lose sight of the customers and spend more time worrying about their high prices and trying to be the best.

I dont think small repair places are good, they can screw you over and theres nowhere you can go for help.

thanks my teachers computer power supply whent bad ill have to tell him about this thanks

Good Blog chris.

But Growing up, local computer repair shops existed in our town, but they wasn’t much that good, like say for example like when u buy a part at “reinglolds tech” here, in order for you to get the part, he has to install it for you, but he don’t tell you this until you actually buy it and he orders it from whatever he gets his parts. but as I got older and the internet became a thing, and plus living by a Tiger Direct Outlet, I’m more of fixing my own computers, and others by buying things parts online and visiting my local tiger direct, other than actually going to a technician. We had so many bad experiences that we had no choice to learn how to do so ourselves, and from those bad experiences from local dealers, made us as well refrain from in store dealers, as we feared the same experience. But in the end, i and others learned about our computers and as well save us alot of money in the long run.

♫Harlan♫

Hi Everyone,
Personally, I am a little reluctant to go to a small local computer repair store. I just don’t know what kind of service and expertise the technicians have. I feel more comfortable going with a larger, more established company. There are usually things like guarantees and certifications that make me feel that there is at least a certain level of knowledge that all the employees have. That’s just my opinion.
Siamese27

I’ve had a technition at Best Buy tell me he did not know what a solid state hard drive way - so sometimes I question what these store-employed techs even know.

As to what Chris mentioned, I have actually heard a tech at a Circuit City tell a woman he could have someone come to her house and help her install the external harddrive.

thanx alot! honestly i was about to take my computer to best buy to get it fixed (something wrong inside the pc, hopefully minor!) but i called in advanced and explained my problem and an estimate was more or less $300! i really love my computer so i figured it was worth it, but now i think u just convinced me to have a local tech (friend) to check it out to see if there is ANYTHING he can help me with! thanks alot chris, these vids are a great help!

i never used any paid computer technician because we had many friends that know how to fix computers when i was a kid. now im older and i know how to fix most things by myself and serching for solutions on google helps sooooo much, u can always find someone with the same problem on some forums. i think the problem with fixing computers is that many repair men take lots of money for fixing simple things especially when you dont know much about computers and dont know how simple is it.

I can fix most computer problems myself unless its an internal problem that needs advanced testing equipment.

I fix my own computers and my family’s but since my i have fixed my neighbors computers but i never know how much to charge so i just tell the to give me what ever they want. I would suggest that instead of going to geek squad or something like that try to find some one areound you who knows about computers

I totally agree. This article really helps me. I used to think that the geek squad was the best thing since sliced bread. Now I know more and I know many reputable computer builders/technicians. Keep up the good work, this article showed me some things I didn’t even know before!

There are good points to this video. However when my last computer was still under the 1st year warranty my harddrive failed then the processor went bad . I called the company (maker) both times and had to take it where they told me to for repairs. I had no choice and had to leave my computer there trusting that the warranty work would be right. The work was done right. Computer was finally fixed. You just never know and should check out any place or person doing repairs. I was lucky.

Chris you just saved me $30! thank you!.

I’m a small computer tech myself, and reading this entry and the subsequent comments has been interesting.

I have a bit of an issue with the last point on Chris’ blog entry. While it’s a good idea in general - from the point of view of the computer tech it can sometimes be a pain.

Those who ask the occasional question or wait quietly while I work are fine and usually welcome, as I can ask them further estions if I need to.

But having someone looking over your shoulder at every move is a bit distracting to me, and having someone continually asking questions, giving comments, chatting, or even just trying to engage me in small-talk is very distracting and tends to make the job go a lot longer as I lose my train of thought or have to divide my attention to talking to them.

As an up and coming tech myself I would have to both agree and disagree with your post and the comments that have been left by your readers. Generally you are going to get your best service from local independent techs. Often these local techs are professional IT people who are employed with local companies and do repair work on the side (at least the ones without storefronts). However I would also say that if your computer is under warranty you should at least have it looked at by the authorized repair site defined by your warranty. If the problem is covered by the warranty then you have a repaired computer at no charge. But always remember to shop around and compare prices and customer reviews whenever possible.

Also, it has been my experience with the big box stores that the persons at the counters in the stores generally are not required to have any repair skills in order to receive their positions. Some are qualified repair persons and some aren’t, welcome to the **** shoot.

I remember Packard Smells. Took me about 2 hours to figure out how to crash Kidspace so I could get to the Windows 3.1 desktop.

I have had some of the worst experiences with Best Buy. I had bought warranty on my computer and everything! And they said that it didn’t count for my screen which was really cracked because. My brother was coming back from college and he had taken my computer since his just didn’t work! And when he was getting his luggage from the plain the guy who was taking it out for him had accidentally dropped it and it totally ruined the screen and keyboard. So I just got that fixed and my brother gave me this computer and went and convinced my dad to buy him a mac. It cost me like 900$ only to end up having my motherboard also damaged. :(

Good blog Chris, but being a local tech I take exception with the statement,”most techs would sacrifice their job for a component”.
I would never remove anything from a customers machine for my own use, I was taught at a very young age that this behavior was called Theft.
I run a small tech service, and do make house calls, and enjoy talking to the customers about the capabilities of their machines that they are not using. I don’t think you get that kind of service from commercial computer stores.

I’ll only buy from gateway

w00t Gateway yeah!

adding ram at best buy will cost $45.99 :O, its just like putting a memory card in a ps2…

I have to take exception with a couple of points of this article. I haven’t watched the video. The whole article in general seems to be slanted in the favor of the big boys. The first bullet… why would you need to check references for a local shop, but not the big boys? The second bullet… The local guy works almost totally on word of mouth and reference. If the local guy is stealing/swapping components, he’ll loose his job as well b\c of a lack of work. The fifth bullet… leaving the local tech alone with your computer. As if a big box tech is more trustworthy? I always spend time discussing the problem with the client and then the solution afterwards. I find that if I have to hold a conversation with a client while troubleshooting, the repair takes twice as long. I always answer all questions and etc. but prefer to do it before or after the repair is complete.

The printed article seems to point to the local guy as a thief and a cheat. Most will find a reputable, local tech to be more skilled, cheaper, more accommodating, and more thorough. You have to remember that the local tech doesn’t use big advertisements to get customers, but word of mouth.

why is your date on 2008

USB keys fit in ethernet ports. Try it. (please dont….but they do, seriously)

I do computer repair mostly for friends. Anytime a part is faulty I always give them the old part back. You should always request the old parts from them.

i found four USB ports on the back of my computer that i didnt know i had. that makes a total of 8

I love gateway, but I haven’t purchased a desktop in over 10 years, but I like their laptops.

Many times, you can find a technician with much more experience than those working for the big box stores. There is more risk, though, since you don’t have a large corporation backing the work. Check out Chris Pirillo’s article and video, “Find Local Computer Repair” tips on finding a reputable local technician. One example of local support would be Loren Nason of Future of Real Estate Technology. Geek Squad – Probably the best know of the big box store services, the Geek Squad is Best Buy’s in-house

Pirillo youre ridiculous and not tech smart.

I ran across this posting by accident, and while I usually enjoy your stuff, I have to take exception with general tone of this article/video Chris. You all but recommended the “Big Boys” by implying that local techs are sneaky and dishonest and out to take advantage of every unwary customer. When did big box stores become the safe place?

As one of those “small local repairmen”, I live and die by reputation and customer referrals. I’m not working for $10/hr and a Best Buy discount until a “real job” comes along. My business is how I feed my family. As such, I care for and protect my customers interests to a fault. I’m looking for a long-term relationship (because it is mutually beneficial), and glowing referrals to friends and associates, not just a chance to take their money once. I ALWAYS go the extra mile.

Unlike a couple of the previous response posts, I don’t mind the small talk and being watched while I work on a computer - in fact, that’s how I get to know my customer in order to bring things to the table that he/she can use. However, If a system cannot be repaired within an hour or two onsite, I will take it with me for repairs. According to your implications, this is only so I can steal someone’s components. How insulting and utterly ridiculous!

As far as prices, I have the same rate structure as when I started back in 1995. The big box stores certainly provide a massive contrast in pricing. Yes, I have a minimum charge to make a trip to your home or office, but for the most part, my charges are typically 1/3 of what similar services are at the “Nerd Herd”. Besides, I find and fix ALL the problems while I’m there, not just the finite discrete one the customer identified from a price list or a google search.

Lastly… EVERYONE has a nephew, neighbor, or friend that is a “computer genius”. Do you have any idea how much money could be saved if people DON’T let that guy touch their computer first? Would you let the neighbors’ kid dig up your back yard to fix your plumbing? Then why would you let him near what has become the center of your communication, finance, and entertainment?

Don’t gamble. Hire a professional: someone that makes his living solving the kind of problem you are having. You can go to a big box store if spending the extra money there makes you feel safe. Or… you can find a local tech that lives in, works in, and serves the community where you live. Obviously I can’t speak to every situation, but you will most likely be thrilled you did.

If you can’t find someone in YOUR neighborhood, you can always find me at http://www.IowaComputerRepair.com.