Ok first off let me tell you that I am a part of a smaller company so I may bit biased during this article and may tend to lean more towards the smaller online computer repair shops
as opposed to those bigger chains and smaller local computer repair shops.
Truth is, I could not tell you how many times I hear from our new clients, oh I had my computer worked on by a bigger chain and I didn’t get it back for two weeks or the fees that they paid were outrageous. On many occasions the store representatives were rude and unkind.
Before we go into how to choose the best company for your needs, I would like to tell you a few of the differences between a big chain computer repair company, the smaller local computer company and the online computer repair company.
Some of the bigger chain stores usually have many employees and that can make their overhead extremely outrageous. How can this overhead affect the end consumer, you might ask? If the overhead is high the pricing structure is going to directly affect the consumer. The pricing for services rendered by their employees will directly reflect that overhead. They must pay the technician to look at your computer and fix it, in addition to the receptionist who initially logs into your computer and sells you their services.
Often times the company will try and up sell you a package or upgrade to your machine, which you may or may not need. Big box chain stores will also often have multiple machines to fix on any given day, so chances are you won’t be seeing your computer for at least two weeks. You may also need to watch out for the end fee, a lot of times these bigger companies will perform a service and just charge you with the fee without contacting you to make sure you are interested in such a service. I have seen cases where a customer received the machine back with all the data gone and no one contacted them first to verify that service.
In regards to smaller computer repair shops one must be careful here as well. Just like the bigger chains these shops have overhead and employees to pay also. However their pricing shouldn’t be as high as the bigger chains. Their turnaround time on your machine should be much faster as well, depending on how busy the shop is. Now here is where things get a little sticky, a lot of smaller companies will try to up charge you for extra things done to your machine and if you’re not careful your bill can be astronomical. Just make sure you get a fee quoted to you from the manager or shop owner and you should be ok. Make sure you get it in writing and with their signature. Also make sure they understand that if there are any other additional fees you will not be paying them as you both have agreed on a pricing for repairs to your computer.
Onto the online computer repair companies, one must be extremely careful when picking an online company. First off you won’t be meeting face to face with a store employee so make sure to go through their site well, see if they have reviews from previous clients. Do a little online research to see how long the company has been around. Now these types of companies will typically have the best rates when it comes to fees for services rendered, due to them having the least overhead. Be sure you are not dealing with a huge online repair company, as they will have a larger employee over head. What is nice about this type of service is that your computer doesn’t have to leave the house or the office. You even get to watch everything the technicians are doing to your machine. Your computer will be fixed the same day and the best part is you won’t have to wait weeks to get your computer back.
One of the best ways to choose a computer repair company is to talk and listen to what your friends have to say. See whom they have used and how their experience was. Chances are you will find a computer company that you will use for eons. The best referral for a computer repair company is from their previous clients. Your friends have had an up-close and personal experience with the company and they will tell you the good and the bad.
Another way is online reviews or testimonials; most computer repair companies have a testimonial page and will post both good and bad reviews from their previous clients. Now some may say beware of those companies with only good reviews. I say do a bit more research on the company before you give up on them.
Once you find a company that you think will provide answers to your entire array of computer repair needs, I suggest you give them a call. Let them know a little bit about what’s going on with the computer and what you are looking to achieve with their service.
A few things to consider when you’re talking to a prospective computer repair company.
• Is the person who answers the phone polite or rude (chances are they aren’t just having a bad day and you will continue to be treated this way)
• Ask them about how their fees work. Will they charge you regardless if they fix the problems or not? Is there a bench fee? Most larger companies will charge an up front bench fee that you must pay before they even look at the machine.
• What is their turnaround time, will you get the machine back the same day or will you be waiting weeks to get your computer back?
• Make sure no matter what computer repair company you go with you get a total you will be charged for the work done to the machine. You want this upfront before any work will be done to the computer. I have heard many stories of clients being charged for services done to their machine and they still have the problem they came in with and even a few more.
• Remember all of the above types of companies are a business and they are in business for one reason and that is to make money. Whether they are a big chain, a smaller local company or an online shop, each will have a different set of guidelines that they follow.
I hope this little bit of inside incite will help you in your endeavors of finding the best type of computer repair shop for your needs. I know it can be quite a daunting task but with the above tips you should be able to determine for yourself the best company for your computer.
Written By, Heather Deprey
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