Long time reader, first time caller.
At the place I work we recently had an irate customer, all of whose complaints can be traced back to our check-in procedure. Without getting into how we do it (since I now need to remediate the whole procedure over the head of our lead tech) we need a better way of doing things. I was hoping to see how you all do this. I am especially interested to know what, if any, check-in/database software you may use to generate a printout. No detail is too small since I need to scrap what I've inherited and rebuild from 0.
-Tom
Tom, I had three or four stores and we used the same procedure for four that we did for one store. So regardless of your size you might like this. I never found a software I liked and was considering outsourcing it to India to have a custom made package as what I want is very specific.
We had one manager/sales/service person who did all the customer contact (accept when she went to lunch). Then we had a senior tech who did bench work and out calls and a jr tech that did only bench work so he was supervised all the time either by the manager or the senior tech.
Our hours were limited to 9am - 6pm six days a week mainly so that myself and my managers could have at least one day off each week. Our revenues are 80% labor/service and 10% new computer sales and 10% used refurbs or accessories. COGS is about 50% of new sales and 15% of new accessories/refurb computers. This works out to COGS of less than 6% of gross each month. Our labor costs are about 25% of gross including manager's salary.
So 3 man shop.
We started out cheap. Used $119 Quickbooks pro single user. Manager would create the contact a print out a job order (estatemate).
Job order had all contact information but with a few other items:
we now collect email with phone and cell and work numbers
Password?
Where did you hear from us? YP? Paper? ONLINE? GOOGLE? other?____
What are the symptoms or purpose of call?
Slow, locked up, pop ups, virus removal, tune up, general check up
other..... dead, other hardware failure.....
Do you have a backup of your files? DO you require a backup? Y N
Free diagnoses with repair.
$39.99 30 minutes of bench time min chg for any computer checked in.
We would then look at the machine and the tech would communicate to the manager what is wrong or required. WE do not do work beyond the first 30 minutes without further approval.
The manager would then call the client, wait for call back if not able to reach them. Techs cannot work on pcs without job order so the manager holds same until the authorization is made and then returns the paperwork to the machine so it can be repaired once authorized.
The manager would get authorization to spend more than the $39.99 if it wasn't already given at check in. Our regular customers usually just say fix it if its under $200.
We offer same day service. You must give us authorization to fix it by 1pm to get it back by 6pm and it must not require a non standard part that must be ordred.
When the person calls back with authorization for the backup and or repair or new parts then they are given a estimate time to pick up the computer but asked to call first before picking it up to see if any thing unforseen occured.
If service only it is done the same day. If we have the part in stock like a HD, ATX or mATX PSU, Ram, MOBO, CPU, Case, Fans or switches we fix it same day. Laptops parts require waiting on ordering parts.
When a backup is requested we have a backup check list which is emailed to them and must be returned for us to proceed..
"we are not responsible for your files even if you hire us to back them up or recover them." "You must tell us each file or types of files to be backed up or they will not be backed up."
check list;
outlook or outlook express
contact list and favorites
My docs or My Files (wordperfect)
My photos or Kodac if in stalled
My music or ebooks?
acctg data? Which brand? QB? other?
checking book program? Money? Quicken? Other?
tax program? Which years? Which names?
Are their files on the desktop?
What users or profiles must be backed up or checked? Only one/default? who else?
Backup is $99.99 for up to 1 DVD backed up. Beyond that it is $10 per DVD plus $59.99 per hour plus orginal $99.99 but we only charge time from after the first DVD burnt.
The job order is held by the manager until authorization and check list are returned then she turns it back to the tech bench for who ever is available to finish the job. Once finished the pc is put on the customer rack and paperwork turned over to manager for final invoice to be printed. Manager calls the customer to pickup their computer and tell them the total charges.
Occationally during a restore we have to call and tell them that the hd is bad or memory or motherboard. At that point we tell them that the diagnoses of those elements diag is done during the interagation by the OS as it installs and advise whether its worth fixing the pc or putting money with the expected repair cost to buy a new or refurb computer instead. We charge $100 to transfer files and settings from old to new pc unless data recovery is required.
Anything other than a drag and drop or xcopy from their old drive to the new computer becomes data recovery and a minimum $250 charge with no guarantee of success.
