Is this the end of the computer repair shop?

[exodus]

my business offering computer repairs, both onsite and in the shop, has been declining for the last couple of years. Some weeks we hardly get any calls at all. I see a number of similar services and shops close down and I know it's not just me.

So I wanted to share what I think are some reasons for this and interested to hear what others think.
1. the dominant reason is people have iphones and ipads etc now that just do not need fixing. Someone said to me recently, do people still have desktops? geesh.
2. back in the early 90's we were removing tons of malware, now they can do it themselves
3. every man and his dog is in this business these days with every weird business name you could think of
4. because of number 3 people in general have a distrust of computer fix guys, while they will happily pay the washing machine repair guy, they are not so happy to pay the computer guy the same amount
5. retail is affected by a gloomy financial thing and no one is spending; just ask the big stores
6. the cost and skill to reach a larger market and let them know you are there (here), beyond free google SERP's, is just beyond the budgets and skills of small pc services.

 

[Krilus]

I think the major part of the decline is that people are using their phones and tablets more now. People are just not as dependent on a computer as they use to be, and when the laptop does get infected with malware, its not a big deal because they can use just use their phone for FB, email, etc. It's tough to say but I think if the small repair shops want to survive they have to evolve with the market and start doing mobile repair too.

I personally don't like that idea - I have a friend that does this and I refer people to him all the time but I don't think its something that can be avoided really. I've been finding things really slow again lately and my phone repair friend is non stop.

If the computer doesnt work, it can wait. If their phone doesn't work it has to get fixed right now; people don't even want to wait a day or two for the repair.

 

[exodus]

good points, but its mostly hardware fixes on phones, ipads and surface i get calls about and refer unto someone else as well. Replacing screens just doesnt excite me for some reason. which is why im trying to find another way to make money. I know an IT guy who shut up shop and started selling security doors!! Geesh.

 

[joydivision]

You really really need to get out of the domestic market, I still cater for the domestic market but it is my business customers that keep me ticking over. I do very little on the repair side these days as well.

Been making quite a bit of money onsite router installs these days as the ISP supplied ones are no longer good enough for many peoples needs. I have been surprised how many people will pay me well over £100 (including the router) to fit and supply them.

 

[gunslinger]

Agreed on all points.

 

[carrcomp]

It really does depend on your area though.

I'm in a unique position as I can generally guess (fairly accurately) the health of my clients.

What I find is that for the most part, the ones that are successful have found a niche to cater to. Find yours, and you'll bounce back.

 

[kwest]

I have been in business for 9 years and this was my best month ever.

But we do everything

Apple and android phones
Residential
Business
Websites
Servers sold three jobs this month.

Business changes so you have to adapt.

 

[mr m]

Yeah, same here in the USA. My clients are disappearing as did the two shops within 10 miles of my semi-rural house. The tablet and smart phone is all the typical user ever really needed. PC's were overkill for the average user who is too obtuse or more accurately, too lazy to learn.

It's the same reason digital cameras took off. Just point, shoot and you have a pic. Even though a manual camera is way more versatile the typical user could care less and wants nothing to do with shutter speeds or aperture stops.

My res clients are drying up but my small biz clients still need the capabilities of a traditional PC. The server market is still strong and that's where the money is but for me, after 39 years of dancing in the high tech arena, I'm done with the stress of the large or small corporate environment. It sounds so cliché but been there, done that. I'm too old to give a **** anymore even though I still need 5 years more until I can fully retire.

I feel for you younger guys. Our field is following the blacksmith, shoe and TV repairman into the sunset.

I remember working on equipment in the 70's that was taller and weighed more than me. As a computer technician we aligned disk drives, adjusted tape drives or replaced IC circuits and never, ever touched the software unlike today where all we do is swap parts or reload a recalcitrant appl. Hence the birth of the pizza tech.

Here's an ironic twist of fate. After the computer giant DEC disappeared from view, one of the smartest techs I ever worked with bid adios to the computer world and bought a, drum roll please, pizzeria in the Adirondack Mountains!

 

[Krilus]

@joydivision Thats a really great idea, do you have any marketing tips on how you are pitching this to your customers?

 

[gunslinger]

If I did iThing and droid repair I'd be making a killing but thats not why I got into this.

 

[carrcomp]

I feel for you younger guys. Our field is following the blacksmith, shoe and TV repairman into the sunset.

It's true. Can't find a good cordwainer anymore.

TV repair isn't dead though. You just can't have it as your only deal anymore.

 

[Krilus]

http://www.cordwainershop.com/
I had to google it

It's true. Can't find a good cordwainer anymore.

TV repair isn't dead though. You just can't have it as your only deal anymore.

 

[carrcomp]

Haha nice!

 

[gadgetfixup]

Yeah, same here in the USA. My clients are disappearing as did the two shops within 10 miles of my semi-rural house. The tablet and smart phone is all the typical user ever really needed. PC's were overkill for the average user who is too obtuse or more accurately, too lazy to learn.

It's the same reason digital cameras took off. Just point, shoot and you have a pic. Even though a manual camera is way more versatile the typical user could care less and wants nothing to do with shutter speeds or aperture stops.

My res clients are drying up but my small biz clients still need the capabilities of a traditional PC. The server market is still strong and that's where the money is but for me, after 39 years of dancing in the high tech arena, I'm done with the stress of the large or small corporate environment. It sounds so cliché but been there, done that. I'm too old to give a **** anymore even though I still need 5 years more until I can fully retire.

I feel for you younger guys. Our field is following the blacksmith, shoe and TV repairman into the sunset.

I remember working on equipment in the 70's that was taller and weighed more than me. As a computer technician we aligned disk drives, adjusted tape drives or replaced IC circuits and never, ever touched the software unlike today where all we do is swap parts or reload a recalcitrant appl. Hence the birth of the pizza tech.

Here's an ironic twist of fate. After the computer giant DEC disappeared from view, one of the smartest techs I ever worked with bid adios to the computer world and bought a, drum roll please, pizzeria in the Adirondack Mountains!

Thanks for the trip back through memory lane. I forgot about the days of disk and tape alignments. Reminded me of a client that turned off backup verification but religiously did 5 backups a week with a tape labeled for each day. When they needed to restore they called me because none would restore. I arrived to find every tape was broken and without verification no errors reported. They only thought they were doing nightly backups.

Yeah you have to adapt or die. Really that is what I enjoy most about the computer business. My first career was an Auto tech. I did vo-tech school, manufacturer training centers, ASE certification and so on. In 10 years I maxed out in that profession and couldn't see myself doing 40 years of repetition. I went back to school and got into the computer business. Never a dull moment and not a whole lot of repetition.

 

[Martyn]

You have to go with the times. Back in the 70s I was doing microfilm, fiche and cameras in the days where you really repaired things. Even in the 5 years I've been running this business things have changed. It's all about being connected and now I get other additional work like TVs, smart phones and that sort of thing. I'm near retirement age but I still adapt to new technology. Been getting a few security camera setups, you know port forwarding etc.

 

['putertutor]

Can't say I completely agree with you

1. the dominant reason is people have iphones and ipads etc now that just do not need fixing. Someone said to me recently, do people still have desktops? geesh.

It's true that mobile devices are far more prevalent today, and for the most part people see these as disposable devices. But I know many shops making good money of just repairing these and nothing more. And yes, people still have desktops. The business market is a long ways away from stepping away from desktops and laptops. I know an old tv tech. He still does that. But he has also had to branch out into other markets as well. What started as strictly tv repair is now a very successful and high end audio/video installation company (or he did, it's been a while since we spoke).

2. back in the early 90's we were removing tons of malware, now they can do it themselves

No. No, they can't. Not well, anyway. I don't know many people that can do this as thoroughly as an experienced tech. Sure, most people can buy/download/run the software we run, but not confidently and often with poor or even damaging results.

3. every man and his dog is in this business these days with every weird business name you could think of

I don't see it that way, but even if so, doesn't that point to a viable, rather than dying industry? The point is to find away to separate yourself from the noise and pizza smell.

4. because of number 3 people in general have a distrust of computer fix guys, while they will happily pay the washing machine repair guy, they are not so happy to pay the computer guy the same amount

The guy down the street doing a poor job may force you to prove you're better than him, but customers are happy to pay for quality work.

6. the cost and skill to reach a larger market and let them know you are there (here), beyond free google SERP's, is just beyond the budgets and skills of small pc services.

Yeah, but then again, I'm not sure how many of us are trying to build an empire.

All that being said, you are right about one thing. Our industry is changing, and we may very well end up a quaint industry like tv/sewing machine/vacuum repair. Still, if you can diversify yourself, roll with the changes, and most importantly, get into servicing businesses over residential, you can certainly have a company that lasts as long as you do.

 

[ComputerPro]

Our business has been great too! I think Best Buy and the other big box stores may have put a dent in the real small mom & pop shops so it really depends. When you think about it people have to get their equipment repaired by 'someone'. Curious to know all the places closing due to 'the industry', where do those local customers now go? Has best buy and other box stores put that much of a dent in the industry in those areas?

I see it evolving per se. Just like those who repaired 'only' desktops eventually had to get into laptops etc. Nowadays, we have to do at least something with tablets, phones etc. Or at least we should as they are really just another form of computer.
However regular virus removals and tune-ups are still very much an everyday thing with us.

I think there are a bunch of factors that lead people to think the industry is dying really. Google (how to's), friends that are so/so at removing malware etc, big box stores that customers now go to. I think the ones who support a good amount of business clients are still doing ok.

Also, what techs are failing? There was a comment above making a reference to some of us not wanting to build an empire. That's key also.
The entrepreneur mindset. Which would apply to any industry really. I am most certainly trying to build an empire. Why else would I even do it. Lately I have heard techs say: I'm not in it for the money, I just like helping people, I want to share my knowledge with people who can't afford big box stores etc. The list goes on. For the record, there is 'nothing wrong' with this mentality. But to help humanity I really think time would be better spent say, volunteering in a soup kitchen, or homeless shelter for example. Running an actual service shop or any company should really be done by those interested in actually making money. The ones that aren't in it to truly make real money are most certainly likely to fail at some point, which i'm sure holds true in any other vertical market also.

Business is a whole different animal and some techs, while being awesome technicians think differently than most true businessmen.
I heard a podcast the other day which had a few guests interviewed, Chris remembers this i'm sure but there were a few things said that made me cringe (well, the businessman in me anyway). No disrespect at all to the guest who said this but I heard Linux systems mentioned as a great seller. The talk was about cheap laptops if I remember correctly and maybe Windows 8 also. It was mentioned something to the effect that the tech liked selling linux systems because he had sold a bunch and the customers never had to come back, ever.! The tech in me thought great! A nice, solid system that will NEVER need service. The business man in me thought WAIT.... so the customers will NEVER be back, EVER??? How will I make any more money after the initial sale? I hear things like this so much in our industry, its so very strange to me. Things like, I leave malware bytes on the system after the repair and teach the customer how to use it and clean it themselves, and then I lock it down super tight so I never have to see them again lol. Maybe i'm just strange or different, but I love seeing customers come through the door. I always suggest they have a professional cleanup / tune-up at least once a year, like an oil change on your car, computers run better when they are maintained.

I think the attitude of " I'm such a good tech that my customers won't be back for several years" is not a good one for business anyway.
This of course could lead into managed services which is a whole different animal but the underlying idea is the same. Businesses need steady income to remain viable.

 

[gadgetfixup]

^^^^^^^^ this 100 times. I think some people get so caught up in the hate for malware, viruses, poor components and bad representatives of the computer techs that they forget this is how we earn money.

As far as the annual tune-up model we do the same for our business clients. Once a year they drop off boxes and laptops for physical and software cleaning. They found this more convenient than waiting for a break-down which always occurs at the worst time. They've also noticed the failures have decreased dramatically. We catch the failing hard drives before data is lost among other advantages. It took us a while to get them trained but now they have their employees schedule their check-ups while their taking their vacations and it works out nicely.

As far as selling computers with Chrome or Linux, we stopped. Our customers aren't savvy enough to understand the shortcomings of alternate operating systems and the support was eating us alive by people that purchased those machines to save a buck but didn't understand the limitations no matter how much time we spent trying to explain it.

More on that point, shops are expected to be experts in computers. To advise clients correctly and look out for their ignorance. I think it's a disservice to recommend an alternative OS to 99% of the common computer user. We see this all the time with people dragging Chromebooks to our store asking us to purchase them. Most purchased at Walmart and shopped based on price. Within weeks they typically figure out the limitations of the Chromebook and then the savings doesn't look so appealing. I'd shy away from selling anything but mainstream OS unless your clients are real geeks and know exactly what they're purchasing.

 

[TechLady]

The business man in me thought WAIT.... so the customers will NEVER be back, EVER??? How will I make any more money after the initial sale?

This is an interesting theory, but let's be honest--we're talking about Windows. There's always going to be issues eventually. And linux...ha ha ha, wow, hardly issue-free (and I say that affectionately).

In my opinion, if you're not even trying to lock down client systems for security, you're not really doing your job. If you're throwing on MSE and calling it a day, your customers are going to wise up eventually, and when they find out how lax you were they will not be a repeat customer. Repeat business may not be your intention precisely, but lax service still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. And they won't like it. I've never gone back to shops that did the minimum on my whatever it is...vacuum, car, whatever. This applies to big box stores too...I would even say especially. I am frequently cleaning up the messes they didn't really finish. Those customers will be looking for YOU when the big box store finishes cleaning out their bank account but not their computer.

There's plenty of other work to be had in the residential market besides the virus stuff. There's smartphone configuring (and attendant security settings), software installation, tutoring how to use social media safely, help with printer shopping, router upgrades, backup solutions, wifi issues, etc., etc. If you aren't getting asked to do anything but virus removals, something's wrong. If they are comfortable with you they will start asking YOU about all the other stuff they need help with--you don't need to upsell much.

Re: linux, I only have one client on 100% linux. I have to say it's worked out extremely well. She never has problems because she has very minimal needs and expectations. But she referred me to her son who is still on Windows and generates plenty of work. So yeah, while I'm not getting tons of work from her machine specifically, the referrals she's given me kinda make up for it. Works for me. But I don't have time to support lots of customer on linux.

Chromebooks are a pretty good sell for a second household computer, I think. Maybe not as the main one but great to have around if your main rig goes down or you just want to check a quick email. And a much better typing experience than you would get with a tablet. I tend to suggest that angle unless their needs truly are absolutely minimal, in which case it might work even as a main rig. They all LOVE hearing "can't get viruses."

 

[ComputerPro]

We, as a company do a very thorough job. If we didn't then we would be the ones complaining about business lol. We resell ESET and other security tools. Re the business mindset I didn't mean to do a poor job to get repeat business, I meant keep an eye on your services offered.
Repeat business is the very core or our operation and our return and referral rate is very, very high.

We do the other services you mentioned with our residential customers also. Everyday actually. You're right about customers asking about other services. I think that's naturally going to happen when you have a good customer base. Sometimes too much so and they bring in TV's, CD players etc and want us to repair them. Luckily we have an electronics repair shop one building down from us so we refer those to them.

With Linux i'm making a general point in a broad sense. If shop A only services Windows systems and shop B only services Linux systems, well... at least we know who's not going to starve at the end of the month. I like a service model based on items that actually need service. Is moving a linux system or two a bad thing? Not at all. It's just I wouldn't make it a huge part of my operation. Personal use that's a whole different story.

My whole point was that for the 'end of the PC repair' thoughts floating around It made me step back and take a look at the landscape. We still have 50-60 systems in our shop at any given time and on-site calls are coming in more than ever. So it makes me think that if we are doing fine then it must be some other factors that make people have those thoughts. And lately in general, I have heard many techs either post or say things that seem counter productive when it comes to business. The other issue I see all the time is pricing. There is no way a company is going to survive (on its own) with $30-$40 flat rate repair charges. That's a whole separate topic though lol, which i'm sure is covered in many other posts.