How to deal with Customers Getting Reinfected

[StreetHacker]

SO had a customer today that I yelled at and told them to FUK OFF..Heres the story

They brought me there computer in 1 week ago for a virus removal. I charge a additonal $25 to start working on there computer right away along with the $60 Labor fee. I fixed there computer that day also skipping the 6 other computers ahead of them. Computer has been working great for the week she has had it but the other day it got another virus. Now I offered to put on Norton AV the first time she was at the shop she declined saying she would put on a free AV =).. Well she was EXTREMELY upset that she had to pay again 1 week later that she got reinfected. ON all my paper work I have disclaimers about how I am NOT responsible for reinfection that I only put a 24 Hour Warranty on Virus Removals. Well she stormed out after paying me and said she was never coming back. Well I already lost her as a customer so I went outside and told her the next time she comes back to me I will be charging her Double for her attitude and I still will be cheaper then all the techs in my town (they all charge by the hour minimum of 2 hours)..Anyways how do you guys deal with telling people about getting reinfected?

 

[lewis159]

Now I offered to put on Norton AV the first time she was at the shop she declined saying she would put on a free AV =)..

did the computer come back with a AV on it?
and same virus

 

[ell]

I don't let a pc out the door without protection, I install MSE or avira N/C and guarantee for two days.

 

[tempusfugit]

First, why did you need to "skip 6 other computers" to work on a virus??

Second, any way would have been a better to handle the situation than the way you did it.

Even if I pinpoint the reinfection through history etc, I'll still clean it again for free, inform them of the site that reinfected them(usually they get pretty red faced because its a porn site), and inform them that next time they will be paying no matter what, along with giving them a 5 minute crash course on not downloading random things from random sites, clicking on banners, installing toolbars, etc.

If she posts a review saying you cussed her out, you could possibly lose HUNDREDS of customers for what could have been an hour labor.

You need to put yourself in the customer's shoes every time you interact with them. Pretending you know nothing about computers, how would you feel if you paid to have a problem remedied, and you had the same problem 1 week later?? Even if you have a written in stone reinfection policy, you still have to understand when the customer gets upset..

Finally, there IS a chance, no matter how good you are, that the virus is better than you. Yes viruses do reinfect, even after a week. Viruses are evolving each and every day, and there are people that are a lot smarter than you or I, and making a lot more money off of them writing them.

 

[StreetHacker]

Ok i use to put AV on there BUT the free 1s suck! Who are you kidding I work on countless computers with AVG, AVAST, MSE and they are all infected hardly ever see 1 infected with Norton on it. SO I will NOT install a AV unless they pay for it That way if they get a virus I wont hear "Well you installed a AV on it why did it get a virus"

Also I skipped 6 computers because I work on 8 Computers at a time I currently was working on 8 and had 6 more waiting to be worked on so THEY either PAY a priority fee and they skip the line or they have to wait untill I go through the computers that are ahead of them.

ALSO why would I clean a infected computer again spending another 1 hour on there computer fixing something they broke again. Thats like going to a body shop because U BACK up into a tree them fixing it u takeing ur car out for a drive and u backing up into a tree again RU seriously going to fix it for them again for free? I DONT THINK SO time is money.

The computer came back 1 week later with a tottaly different virus (this time it was 1 of those virus that HIDE your files)

 

[dbdawn]

You yelled at the customer and followed her out the door and let her know that she was not welcome. This is not the right way to handle the situation, bad business.

I always install MS Security Essentials. It may not catch everything but it is better than nothing and protects the customer.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

Ok i use to put AV on there BUT the free 1s suck!

I would use free Avira or free Avast! over paid Norton any day! That woman will no doubt tell everyone she knows about her experience. Word of mouth weighs heavy.

 

[StreetHacker]

Dont get me wrong I love all the free 1s they bring me lots of money.. For all you people that USE the free1s and recomend THANK YOU =)

http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart2.php

Avast Blocked 92.8%
AvG Blocked 98%
AVRIA Blocked 98.4%
SYMANTEC BLOCKED 99.6%

Also look at this

http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart3.php

NOTICE NORTON IS STEADY AT THE TOP ALL THE FREE 1S HAVE LOTS OF DIPS

Im sorry but for around $4 a month NORTON is Worth it

 

[tempusfugit]

Ok i use to put AV on there BUT the free 1s suck! Who are you kidding I work on countless computers with AVG, AVAST, MSE and they are all infected hardly ever see 1 infected with Norton on it. SO I will NOT install a AV unless they pay for it That way if they get a virus I wont hear "Well you installed a AV on it why did it get a virus"

I get more infected McAfee, norton, trend micro than avira or mse. Truth is the average virus customer will get infected pretty much no matter what. They will ignore the browser warning, the windows warning, and the av warning.

They'll also tell you they take care of their own av, and then run McAfee/Norton for 6 months after it expires..

ALSO why would I clean a infected computer again spending another 1 hour on there computer fixing something they broke again. Thats like going to a body shop because U BACK up into a tree them fixing it u takeing ur car out for a drive and u backing up into a tree again RU seriously going to fix it for them again for free? I DONT THINK SO time is money.

The computer came back 1 week later with a tottaly different virus (this time it was 1 of those virus that HIDE your files)

Time is money, but one bad review outweighs 10 good ones. 2-3 bad reviews would be tough to recover from. Then it doesn't matter who backed the computer into the virus.

Part of why some people charge more than 60 for viruses is to cover the cost of irrational reinfected clients that come with the territory.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

Well I already lost her as a customer so I went outside and told her the next time she comes back to me I will be charging her Double for her attitude and I still will be cheaper then all the techs in my town (they all charge by the hour minimum of 2 hours)..

Bad move and very unprofessional.

Anyways how do you guys deal with telling people about getting reinfected?

Not sure if you've already searched the forums for the many previous discussions on this but the keyword you're looking for is "reinfected".

 

[MobileTechie]

I have to agree with the OP that MSE and many other free AVs are just not up to the job and I see infected machines running them very frequently. Norton is a good product these days. I don't see many infected machines where they've actually kept up to day paying for it which is good considering the large proportion of the market they have. The lab tests show it's one of the best around. I'd have no problems recommending it, if it wasn't for the fact that Kaspersky is even better.

But that is beside the point really. How you deal with reinfections depends on your policy which you should make very clear verbally before they leave and in writing of course, so they are not under any illusions. If you're happy with your policy then you should enforce it but enforce it as nicely as possible.If she's still yelling then I just keep apologising as nicely as possible and repeating my position and asking her to justify hers. Normally people will try to justify their position and the obvious one in this case would be that they accuse you of not removing it in the first place. You can counter that by saying "I'm sure that isn't the case but if it turns out it is then obviously there is no charge. The last scan I ran on your PC was using XYZ which showed zero infections. Leave it with me, I'll run that same scan on it again and when you come back you can look at the results yourself. If that same s/w finds infections then that will prove the infections came in after it left the shop. If You can then decide what you want to do".

You are going to get people who you cannot make happy without bending to their unreasonable demands. Such if life. Some people will leave angry you didn't do what they demanded. But if you're pleasant about it then most won't bother to complain. If you chase them down the road getting in the last word they probably will.

 

[StreetHacker]

MOBILE u said it right! I seriously love free AV because of the money it brings me..AND i can get norton for $9 bucks and charge $50 for it installed bring my bill to $110 for a virus removal and a GREAT AV.. My policy is 24 hours if there is a issue they need to report it the next day. ALSO it states that on my paper work 2xs and THEY have to inital next to it at CHECK IN. ON CHECKOUT it says it yet again and states about reinfection. This lady seriously ****** me off because she thought I was scamming her which I was not and yelled at me.. Im sorry i can only be nice for some time b4 I tell some1 to **** OFF espicaly when they are telling me how to run my job. Ive been open for 4+ Years now and I have seen MANY computer shops open and close not to toot my own horn but they where WAY more expensive, USED pirtied SOFTWARE (Can count the many times i have seen a bootleg copy of windows), and ALWAYS leave a google redirect virus on the computer (I guess they have not heard of TDSSKILLER) had 2 computers come in yesterday with NORTON on them they thought it was a virus but it was the HPSERVICE in the SVCHOST that was eating up all there CPU not a virus...Had 3 Compe in with AVG on it and all where infected with a rouge software...LOVE U AVG THANKS FOR ALL THE MONEY U R MAKING ME!

 

[Cornerstone Technologies]

I have wanted to let my emotions loose on a customer, but I have the self control to be professional and keep my mouth shut.

Your procedures probably need tightened up for a solid policy about reinfection. My policy is pretty basic. If the client comes in for a virus issue, and declines my recommended antivirus solution, then there is zero warranty. If they purchase what I suggest, then I quietly will warranty their system for 30 or 60 days, depending on how I gauge their attitude. If they get a solution from somewhere else, even if it is the one I suggested, I tend to not warranty any reinfections.

Attacking free antivirus software is your prerogative, but the onus comes back on you for procedures that created an issue. Just because it is on your invoice does not equal understanding. If you explain it verbally, then that might clear up confusion and expectations, but it doesn't sound like you do that. Simple fact is, you let her leave your shop without protection and didnt warn her of the consequences and cost for follow up infection.

Chasing a customer out of your shop to their car is extreme and in my opinion, a hostile act. Loosing your cool and loosing your mind will only damage your business in the long run. If you have employees, you are actually giving permission for this sort of behavior and opening the door up for your customers to be treated like **** because of ego.

I can respect your decision on antivirus policy to an extent, but cant respect your stance and behavior toward clients. That is the sort of behavior that helps paint us all with a broad brush and makes us look like assholes collectively, when it is an individual that can't conduct himself properly.

 

[MobileTechie]

MOBILE u said it right! I seriously love free AV because of the money it brings me..AND i can get norton for $9 bucks and charge $50 for it installed bring my bill to $110 for a virus removal and a GREAT AV.. My policy is 24 hours if there is a issue they need to report it the next day. ALSO it states that on my paper work 2xs and THEY have to inital next to it at CHECK IN. ON CHECKOUT it says it yet again and states about reinfection. This lady seriously ****** me off because she thought I was scamming her which I was not and yelled at me.. Im sorry i can only be nice for some time b4 I tell some1 to **** OFF espicaly when they are telling me how to run my job. Ive been open for 4+ Years now and I have seen MANY computer shops open and close not to toot my own horn but they where WAY more expensive, USED pirtied SOFTWARE (Can count the many times i have seen a bootleg copy of windows), and ALWAYS leave a google redirect virus on the computer (I guess they have not heard of TDSSKILLER) had 2 computers come in yesterday with NORTON on them they thought it was a virus but it was the HPSERVICE in the SVCHOST that was eating up all there CPU not a virus...Had 3 Compe in with AVG on it and all where infected with a rouge software...LOVE U AVG THANKS FOR ALL THE MONEY U R MAKING ME!

Any chance you would write in a normal English style with non txt spellings and proper punctuation etc? Unlike a lot of forums we've managed to keep a reasonable level of post grammar and punctuation which seems to lead to better quality posting. I know it can hard if you are using a smartphone but the effort is appreciated!

 

[StreetHacker]

Yah sorry about my txting im on a tablet that I got for $40 with a keyboard and selling them at my shop for $150 and they rock but I type very fast on the touch screen!

FYI follow up, customer bad mouthed me to another customer that is somewhat intelligent about computers and he set her straight and said he didnt blame me for blowing up on them " I know how her attitude is" and just for that he is now bringing in his laptop to put NORTON on it because his FREE AV keeps bugging him to buy the PAY version.... I love this job

I am I running a business but im keeping it real with customers and I think that is why my business is doing so well after 4+ Years.

 

[Cornerstone Technologies]

Some people will leave angry you didn't do what they demanded. But if you're pleasant about it then most won't bother to complain. If you chase them down the road getting in the last word they probably will.

This exactly. By chasing this woman down, you ensured she tells everyone how threatening you are, and maybe some stuff that is actual fiction. I believe your mouth and attitude will ultimately damage your business if you feel that it is okay that you behaved the way you did. Most people know at least 12 people they can directly influence. those people know another 12 that will learn of your actions. That is easily 144 people that will indirectly know to avoid you. Its a sociological fact that bad news travels faster than good. Good luck with your business, you will need it and some pixie dust.

 

[tempusfugit]

I wonder why Norton scores so high on "real world" tests(I like how even they put quotes on real world). Its almost like symantec compiles the list of known viruses or something.

Another reason why it might perform better, is because it doesn't give you the option to ignore viruses in a lot of versions, it just automatically "cures" them - this can be good for some customers, but annoying for false positives.

Finally, half of my virus customers are running 6-10 year old computers, that will honestly run slower than 90% of viruses out there will make them, and become pretty close to unusable with a bloated product like mcafee or norton..

We put MSE on all virus computers, all reinstalls, all tune-ups that don't have antivirus, all new builds. Added up I've probably installed MSE on 3-400 machines in the last 6 months. I can't think of a single reinfection that didn't have ignores in the MSE history.

 

[FoolishTech]

Ok i use to put AV on there BUT the free 1s suck! Who are you kidding I work on countless computers with AVG, AVAST, MSE and they are all infected hardly ever see 1 infected with Norton on it.

Then you either don't have many customers that use Norton (by some sheer coincidence), or you don't have many customers at all... Granted Norton is better then they used to be, in a LOT of aspects and I'll give them that, but they are still second-rate IMO. Norton & McAfee seem to keep me in business considerably better than MSSE/Avast/AVG, take that however you will.

If I *had* to recommend a paid A/V solution I would recommend Trend Micro WFBS (not the bloated consumer version)... That comes from much experience with business clients who use it as opposed to those who use that horrible Symantec Endpoint Protection...

But personally, I don't recommend ANY antivirus to ANYONE if I can help it - paid or otherwise - just to cover my own butt. What I recommend is safe browsing habits, as opposed to putting my faith into software protection.

Someone else in this thread already said it right but I'll reiterate in my own words - if someone gets infected once, they are likely to get infected again. It doesn't matter what A/V you put on there, they will do it if they try - and they always *try* ...

I am I running a business but im keeping it real with customers and I think that is why my business is doing so well after 4+ Years.

Glad you're doing well, but judging one's own business prosperity is always subject to a *biased opinion* and you should realize that perhaps you could be doing *better* than you already are - that is what we as business owners strive for.

Part of doing better might mean that your idea of "keeping it real" may need some adjusting. If it didn't, then why on earth have you had this trouble to begin with, and why were you posting on TN about what to do?

One thing I would start with that always works for me, is to set the client's expectations ahead of time. If you don't warranty your labor against reinfection beyond 24 hours, they need to know that from your mouth, not your paperwork. But along with this, you need to explain WHY. You must make them understand how they get infected in the first place, and naturally how it can happen again 5 minutes after a removal. Let them know that anti-virus won't protect them by itself - they need to understand and practice safe browsing and email handling. They also need to know how to recognize unwanted popups, fraudulent A/V from real alerts, and last to know that few things in life are truly free, so not to seek out free software they see out there on the internet that some ad convinces them that they need (e.g. registry cleaners, performance enhancers, etc.)

Once I set the customer's expectations, explain these things, then I don't have problems with that customer if they get reinfected. Plain and simple. If they do get reinfected, often they come back to me and say something like "I did it again..."

Also like another said, if you keep chasing customers out of your store remember that bad news travels faster than good.

 

[acesdeals]

in my opinion norton and mcafee all the tops are bloated and slow down your pc

i usually just install a free version and its fine, plus usually its malware thats the problem now not viruses

my friend got viruses all the time, so i just build him a pc based firewall and since then he can watch all the p0rn he wants and has not bothered me since

 

[Berk]

While I don't have my own business setup yet, I have worked in the industry for years, and have helped people on the side. I usually try and convince people to purchase a lighter weight AV solution. I've personally had good luck with Bitdefender.

If they don't want to pay for something I'll put something free on their computer like AVG.

I think the biggest thing I stress is proper browsing habits. My parents who live across the US from me still have me help on their computers. It took a couple of years, but I have finally helped rid them of bad habits in their internet surfing.

Also something that I have found that people like (unless they want to go look at the pron that is) is setting them up for free content filtering, such as OpenDNS. I find that by setting up their account, putting in the content filtering they are looking to have, and then educating them on how to manage it helps a lot to prevent reinfections.

When they can't go to the site and screw up their computer, then you don't have to worry about it as much.

I don't know about other people's opinions, but I feel its worth my 15 minutes to set things like that up and not having the same crap to deal with every two weeks.