How Do You Charge For This?

[DocGreen]

Computer comes in for a virus removal. You give your customer an estimate for virus removal and tell them you'll have it finished ___________.

Through the course of your virus removal you realize that the virus has totally hosed the OS, and it's damaged beyond repair. You now have to do a Factory Restore to take care of the damage caused by the virus.

So...

Do you still bill this as Virus removal? Do you bill it as Virus Removal + Factory Restore? Or maybe just Factory Restore?

 

[Kitten Kong]

What is the difference in cost between a nuke n pave/factory restore, and a virus removal?

I would personally just do the restore cost, but add a little onto it. Tell the truth though, you removed all the viruses, but in the course of the removal, you have had to do a system reset.

My difference between the 2 is £10, so I would charge the higher end on your scenario.

 

[DocGreen]

My difference is about $10... (I thought it was more). Yeah, sounds fair to me.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Think of it this way. If you took your car in to have a flat fixed and upon dismounting the tire they find that the tire is unrepairable can you sell them a new tire AND charge to fix a flat? Removing the virus didn't fix the system. If you don't charge by the hour then you need to charge whatever results in the repair.

 

[DocGreen]

Good analogy. I'm always worried that the customer will think I'm trying to pull a bait-and-switch with them... but at the same time I don't like the idea of giving away hours of free service. You'd think I'd be used to this by now, lol.

 

[kwest]

I would call and tell them the virus damaged the os and charge them for a factory restore. No charge for virus removal because it didnt fix the computer.

 

[DocGreen]

What I ended up doing was discounting the virus removal by 75%, and then adding the charge for the factory restore as well.

I did this because even though the virus removal didn't leave the OS in tip-top shape, I did spend a significant amount of time doing it, and did technically remove all the viruses. Not really my fault... but because I'm not a jerk I want to cut the customer a nice break.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I'd have a tough time charging for a virus removal that failed (in that it didn't leave a viable system) as well as the re-install. The customer basically got no value from the virus removal. It sucks to spend way too much time trying to fix a problem only to have the effort wasted, but I always try to see things from the customer's point of view and charge accordingly.

 

[TenYardFight]

Virus Removal is same charge as wipe and reload, so we try to recognize early when a wipe and reload would better serve the customer. We would try to never have "hours" in a system before making that call.

 

[katz]

This is why I tend to "keep it simple" with my rates. I basically charge $79 flat rate service, any parts additional. I don't really "do" just a virus removal, per se; rather I follow the Carey Holzman approach to computer repair.

That way, I know I have all the bases covered. I suppose I should charge more for a factory restore or full install, but at my present workload it isn't hurting me yet.

When/if I get a "brick & mortar" shop I may have to adjust the rate a bit.

To me, it gets a bit confusing to the customer when a shop has a rate list with 20 different charges on it, a different one for each level of repair/data backup/virus removal/restore/etc..

It is confusing because most times the customer hasn't a clue what they need & the shop could be ripping them off anyway. I like to try to avoid the confusion.

YMMV

 

[DocGreen]

I'd have a tough time charging for a virus removal that failed (in that it didn't leave a viable system) as well as the re-install. The customer basically got no value from the virus removal. It sucks to spend way too much time trying to fix a problem only to have the effort wasted, but I always try to see things from the customer's point of view and charge accordingly.

Thing is, I wasn't aware of the leftover corruption until the end when I tried to update Windows and all her runtimes. Literally everything else is working just fine.

Another issue is, the customer is a professional photographer, and has a lot of very expensive, highly customized software installed. Reinstalling everything after a restore is going to be significantly more complicated for her than it would be for the average user. I did identify right away the potential need for a restore, but with that in mind I wanted to be absolutely sure that it was the only way. My customers love that about us... we go the extra mile to make sure things are done completely and properly. We don't just immediately resort to factory restores like some shops in town. 9 times out of 10 we end up coming in at the quoted rate without any issues. When we don't, the customer is given a detailed explanation of what extra steps are needed and why they're necessary. They generally appreciate the honesty and don't mind paying extra to have things done right. They're still getting way more value for my services than they would somewhere else.

Virus Removal is same charge as wipe and reload, so we try to recognize early when a wipe and reload would better serve the customer. We would try to never have "hours" in a system before making that call.

Our restore is only $10 more that virus removal... altogether the customer's bill was only like an extra $20.

This is why I tend to "keep it simple" with my rates. I basically charge $79 flat rate service, any parts additional. I don't really "do" just a virus removal, per se; rather I follow the Carey Holzman approach to computer repair.

That way, I know I have all the bases covered. I suppose I should charge more for a factory restore or full install, but at my present workload it isn't hurting me yet.

When/if I get a "brick & mortar" shop I may have to adjust the rate a bit.

To me, it gets a bit confusing to the customer when a shop has a rate list with 20 different charges on it, a different one for each level of repair/data backup/virus removal/restore/etc..

It is confusing because most times the customer hasn't a clue what they need & the shop could be ripping them off anyway. I like to try to avoid the confusion.

YMMV

Our prices aren't posted anywhere, so we don't have the confusion, really. We just quote them a price and let them know if anything changes.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Thing is, I wasn't aware of the leftover corruption until the end when I tried to update Windows and all her runtimes. Literally everything else is working just fine.

Unless I see that the windows updates stopped within a week or 2 of when the customer says the virus started then repairing windows updates is seperate because chances are the virus didnt break windows updates to a point where it cant be fixed manually.

Edit: to clarify, ill make an attempt to fix it but i most certainly will charge for the virus removal service if I can't repair windows updates if I don't believe the updates to be broken by the virus.

 

[Rosco]

i would have charged the reload price. no way it would have charged for the virus. But at the same time my system reload is $25 more than a virus so it would wind up being the same as what you charged.

 

[Lefty]

I charge the same rate for virus removals and reloads. However in your case I would have treated the data backup/restore and software installation as out-of-scope labor and charged accordingly.

 

[DocGreen]

It sounds like we're all doing it a little different, but ending up at the same place.

 

[altrenda]

I have a couple questions.
Do you warn customers before you start that virus/malware may damage the OS and that a re install may be necessary? And do you inform the customer before you re install? Or do you return the computer and them tell them?

For those that charge a flat rate and say that your fee is similar for removal or nuke and pave, I assume that the N&P is OS only, no software. Does it include backup and restore of data?

Our customers (small business/home based business) get upset if we would return a machine with only the OS installed.

 

[DocGreen]

I've admittedly not mentioned the possibility of virus removal damaging the OS... that's something I should start doing.

I do, however, always inform the customer if there's a change to the services being performed... especially if that change involves wiping out their hard drive or an increase in the bill. And yes, data backup is always included, and if I happen to have access to the apps I'll re-install them as well. If they want ALL their apps reinstalled, that would be an additional charge. (I Always re-install the basic stuff... runtimes, pdf reader, office if they had it, browsers, av)

 

[altrenda]

I learned to tell the client that the virus/malware might damage the OS beyond repair, rather than damage caused by the removal process. They are happy when it isn't necessary and makes it easier to tell them when it does become necessary.

And I always say "You want your software re installed, of course." At my hourly rate. Either with their original disks or repurchase if they don't have it. Turns your $80 Nuke and Pave into a $200+ job and a computer that's ready to go. Customers seem happier that way.

 

[TenYardFight]

For those that charge a flat rate and say that your fee is similar for removal or nuke and pave, I assume that the N&P is OS only, no software. Does it include backup and restore of data?

Good question. Virus removal is the same as Nuke and Pave with no data. Data adds 50% to the cost.

I used to think people were generally happier when we don't have to nuke, but the way viruses are these days, I realize many of them are better off with a clean slate.

 

[DocGreen]

Good question. Virus removal is the same as Nuke and Pave with no data. Data adds 50% to the cost.

I used to think people were generally happier when we don't have to nuke, but the way viruses are these days, I realize many of them are better off with a clean slate.

That's the impression I get as well.