STAPLES Free Tune Up? What Does Everyone Think Of This?

[MobileTechie]

In the UK so called 'bait-and-switch' sales techniques are illegal under the 'Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008'. Offering 'free' or low cost 'health checks' are likely to fall foul of this law if their is any incitement to upsell to more expensive repair services.

They are perfectly within their rights to attempt to upsell to a more expensive service as long as the free service really is free and they really do offer it and perform it for a decent proportion of people that come in and want it.

It only becomes illegal when they have no real intention of it ever being free for most customers who apply: i.e. you try to get the service and are told you or your situation doesn't qualify so you must pay for a more expensive service, and this happens to most people.

I'm sure Staples' health check really is free. When they find a problem or any other opportunity to sell a product or service off the back of it then they are legally able to do so.

There are scores of legal free or low cost promotions in the UK all the time. Right at the moment there is a TV ad for a Brittania Penny coin which is "free" but you pay the P&P. Firstly I don't believe it costs precisely £2.99 to post a penny. Furthermore you are signing up to an inertia marketing scheme where they send you additional coins every month "for approval". Yes the penny is free if you ignore the P&P but they are upselling to you before you've even got the item by having you sign an ongoing agreement. All perfectly legal. Plenty of tyre centres do free tyre or alignment checks with the obvious intention of upselling you new tyres or alignment.

It sounds like a pretty good idea as long as you can automate the checks to minimise the time spend and get the paperwork legal so that you can delineate between the check-up and the services/parts that actually make you money. You're certainly going to get people in the door and many of them are going to be there because they have problems. A large percentage of computers have infections, bad sectors, not enough RAM, too many startup items, conflicts and so on. You could legally upsell to solving any of those problems. Seems like the sort of thing worth trying for a shop, at least for a limited period to see how it works out.

 

[reesk92]

<sarcasim>sounds a good idea i get a free tune up and i can find out what hardware is broken in my system that i didnt know about </sarcasim>

 

[MLCS]

Story Time!

Customer of mine (I started servicing them after this). HP Comp. Self Employed, quickbooks on the computer. Was backing up to disc every so often.

Took their comp into Staples for their free "tuneup". Staples told her that the system needed to be wiped and reinstalled (still don't know why). They talked her into it, since it was already there and all right? She informed them specifically that she had Quickbooks installed and Pictures and all that needed backed up before they wiped.

Picked up computer, had a fresh install of WinXP and NO backup data. Guess they figured it wasn't important afterall. She lost pictures and about a month of data from Quickbooks. When asked about it he claimed he DID do a backup, but he couldn't find it anywhere, supposedly he lost it? Anyway, yeah... wasn't pretty.

She just purchased a new comp and I'm setting her up with backup software and solutions today. She has nothing but praise for my work, and if anyone ever brings up my charges for a tuneup compared to Staples, I'll have them call this customer!

 

[vdub12]

My tuneups are a flat fee of $130. That includes the standard tuneup stuff, windows updates, defrag, virus protection, and virus removal. I also have a service I do on site that I like to call a dirty tuneup. Basically its just removing services and making the computer faster. I charge $65 for that.

I don't even bother competing with Staples tuneups because they are not tuneups. All they are doing is looking for problems that they can charge the customer for. At best they should be called free diagnostics.

 

[nepcrepair]

Wow. You all have given me allot of great information...Thank you.

I am going to keep my tuneup at $19 (US) hoping to upsell other
services. Perhaps I may do a 1 week sale of a free tuneup just
to see how it goes.

Our tuneup does not include virus removal, that is extra if we find
one. MobileTechie you make a good point. Chances are if someone
comes in for a tuneup it is because there are other issues.

Thanks again all.

 

[MobileTechie]

If I were doing this I think I'd split my service up into basic and advanced tune-ups and only have the basic at a low price or free. You don't want to be doing loads of work for nothing and if you are not then you risk damaging the image of your tune-ups in general. I.e. stick to fault finding, defrag and ccleaner for the basic.

 

[kamo287]

Story Time!

Customer of mine (I started servicing them after this). HP Comp. Self Employed, quickbooks on the computer. Was backing up to disc every so often.

Took their comp into Staples for their free "tuneup". Staples told her that the system needed to be wiped and reinstalled (still don't know why). They talked her into it, since it was already there and all right? She informed them specifically that she had Quickbooks installed and Pictures and all that needed backed up before they wiped.

Picked up computer, had a fresh install of WinXP and NO backup data. Guess they figured it wasn't important afterall. She lost pictures and about a month of data from Quickbooks. When asked about it he claimed he DID do a backup, but he couldn't find it anywhere, supposedly he lost it? Anyway, yeah... wasn't pretty.

She just purchased a new comp and I'm setting her up with backup software and solutions today. She has nothing but praise for my work, and if anyone ever brings up my charges for a tuneup compared to Staples, I'll have them call this customer!

ALMOST the same story here... a customer of mine that moved away (not too far) was having computer problems so she took it down the street to staples and they told her that they needed to reformat her HDD and that nothing was recoverable so no back-up could be done.

She questioned their reasoning and took her laptop home and called me- I told her I would love to drive the 1.5hour trip to her new place and fix it for her. She said yes please! I went over and the issue ended up being some corrupt registry things... fix it-

BUT then i looked at the staples quote/paperwork that she kept and there was no reasoning or anything on why they thought it had to be reformatted. I was a little upset so i drove down the street and asked to speak with the tech listed on the quote. He claimed to not remember that customer or the laptop because they get so much work.... pshhhhh whatever- stop trying to take advantage of little old ladies lol

 

[htfenner]

Staples uses a flash-drive based toolkit called Norton Technician Toolkit for these, and what it specifically does is to scan the computer for viruses/malware, defrag and clean the drive, and clean the registry. At the end of this service, it prints out a report which recommends simple things like RAM or AV protection if necessary for the tech to discuss with the customer.

Is it simple? Absolutely. The customer is going to take that report home with them, so it keeps the language easy to understand, and for a wide variety of customers that come into the store, they often do need to upgrade one or more parts of their machine. Not coincidentally, Staples hopes to get that business as well.

Does anything I have described above sound like it is bad for the customer? If they were to come in to your shop running Vista on 1 gig of RAM with a crawling computer, I would be surprised if you did not recommend they get more RAM. Could you possibly offer better prices or additional service? Absolutely, and that's part of business: trying to offer a better deal for your customers.

I'm making that point to lead me into this one: a lot of you have seen computers come from a big-box store that may have had unnecessary work (from your standpoint of being able to remove viruses without formats, etc), and it's given you a bad taste in your mouth for their service. I'd like to offer another perspective for guys just starting out: the opportunity.

I just graduated from college, and I'm searching for jobs in my career field right now. I do fix computers on the side, but it's not enough to make a living by itself, so I work for a big-box store. I have seen a wide variety of talent there. Some people know how to back up data, do a factory-restore, recommend RAM, and that's about it. From a corporate standpoint, that actually works out pretty well: more serious problems requiring more knowledge get sent to a central depot, and 99% of other software problems can be handled by a backup and restore.

That said, some of the guys (and I'd like to think that I'm included in this crowd) really are a lot better than that. We work very hard and take pride in our work. If a customer comes in, we might still do a format/restore, but we don't just copy the "My Documents" folder if they need Quickbooks or Thunderbird backed up, and we really do try to learn and get better at what we do. As a newer tech, the advantage to working in the big-box store is that I see far more computers than I ever would otherwise, and by sheer volume get experience that otherwise would take me far longer to obtain and thereby making me a better tech. I do research on a problem if I don't know how to fix it, and I make intelligent recommendations to the customer.

I am constrained to certain extents, though the trade-off for getting experience does mean there are certain policies I have to follow (i.e. can't do an in-store replacement of an LCD screen and am limited in where I can get new parts from). The other trade-off is that I have to deal with the same kind of problems from customers looking to get something for nothing without the same compensation from the jobs that go well.

The point I'm trying to make is while the quality of service from a big box store may vary quite a bit, some of the guys there (and again, I'd like to think I'm included on this) work their ass off for the customers. I think there's two things that can be taken away from this: first, if you are new without a large customer base, there's a lot of experience to be had in a big-box store. Two, if you are more established, I think you should meander around your town if you're looking to expand. You might find some talent in these stores that aren't getting paid a whole lot, and be able to pick up some good employees without breaking your bank.

Just a thought.

 

[vdub12]

Staples uses a flash-drive based toolkit called Norton Technician Toolkit for these, and what it specifically does is to scan the computer for viruses/malware, defrag and clean the drive, and clean the registry. At the end of this service, it prints out a report which recommends simple things like RAM or AV protection if necessary for the tech to discuss with the customer.

Is it simple? Absolutely. The customer is going to take that report home with them, so it keeps the language easy to understand, and for a wide variety of customers that come into the store, they often do need to upgrade one or more parts of their machine. Not coincidentally, Staples hopes to get that business as well.

Does anything I have described above sound like it is bad for the customer? If they were to come in to your shop running Vista on 1 gig of RAM with a crawling computer, I would be surprised if you did not recommend they get more RAM. Could you possibly offer better prices or additional service? Absolutely, and that's part of business: trying to offer a better deal for your customers.

I'm making that point to lead me into this one: a lot of you have seen computers come from a big-box store that may have had unnecessary work (from your standpoint of being able to remove viruses without formats, etc), and it's given you a bad taste in your mouth for their service. I'd like to offer another perspective for guys just starting out: the opportunity.

I just graduated from college, and I'm searching for jobs in my career field right now. I do fix computers on the side, but it's not enough to make a living by itself, so I work for a big-box store. I have seen a wide variety of talent there. Some people know how to back up data, do a factory-restore, recommend RAM, and that's about it. From a corporate standpoint, that actually works out pretty well: more serious problems requiring more knowledge get sent to a central depot, and 99% of other software problems can be handled by a backup and restore.

That said, some of the guys (and I'd like to think that I'm included in this crowd) really are a lot better than that. We work very hard and take pride in our work. If a customer comes in, we might still do a format/restore, but we don't just copy the "My Documents" folder if they need Quickbooks or Thunderbird backed up, and we really do try to learn and get better at what we do. As a newer tech, the advantage to working in the big-box store is that I see far more computers than I ever would otherwise, and by sheer volume get experience that otherwise would take me far longer to obtain and thereby making me a better tech. I do research on a problem if I don't know how to fix it, and I make intelligent recommendations to the customer.

I am constrained to certain extents, though the trade-off for getting experience does mean there are certain policies I have to follow (i.e. can't do an in-store replacement of an LCD screen and am limited in where I can get new parts from). The other trade-off is that I have to deal with the same kind of problems from customers looking to get something for nothing without the same compensation from the jobs that go well.

The point I'm trying to make is while the quality of service from a big box store may vary quite a bit, some of the guys there (and again, I'd like to think I'm included on this) work their ass off for the customers. I think there's two things that can be taken away from this: first, if you are new without a large customer base, there's a lot of experience to be had in a big-box store. Two, if you are more established, I think you should meander around your town if you're looking to expand. You might find some talent in these stores that aren't getting paid a whole lot, and be able to pick up some good employees without breaking your bank.

Just a thought.

I would like to comment on a few comments you made in your post as well as make an observation.

First the observation. What this thread is about in a whole is that Staples has a service they call a Tuneup. This has gotten under mine as well as many other techs skin because what they do can by no stretch of the imagination be called a Tuneup. At best its a diagnostic. Because of this i have had customers question and even flat out refuse my Tuneups because they cost $130 and Staples are free. Staples does this on purpose. If enough techs renamed there service to something else Staples would follow and rename theres the same and offer it for free still doing nothing more then diagnosing problems they can charge for. And charge inflated prices to have amateur techs perform.

With this said it gets some techs ****** when they see a pile of computers at the Staples tech station when there techs are just one level above home users. Granted many customers learn there lesson and come to us. However, not after being burned in the first place. Big box stores are all the same it does not mater if its Staples or BB/GS. Yes some are worse then others but they all employ technicians that are very amateur. If they where not green techs they would not be working there in the first place.

Finally why do you think that you can't make a living working on computers. I have been in business for 8 months and in that time I have created a great profitable company. Yes I am new and yes I have not achieved my full potential but I am making a hansom living. It has came with hard work, hours of commitment, and many months of worrying. However, I would not trade it for anything.

I think what gets under most of our skin is while there may be some knowledgeable people working at the big box stores they don't even come close to the experience and skill that we have and sense in many cases we are cheaper then big box stores you have to wonder why we don't have a pile of computers on the bench like Staples does. It all has to do with deceptive marketing like the free tuneups.

 

[maclaptech]

I really think this post has outlived its useful life. It needs to be closed...

 

[htfenner]

I would like to comment on a few comments you made in your post as well as make an observation.

First the observation. What this thread is about in a whole is that Staples has a service they call a Tuneup. This has gotten under mine as well as many other techs skin because what they do can by no stretch of the imagination be called a Tuneup. At best its a diagnostic. Because of this i have had customers question and even flat out refuse my Tuneups because they cost $130 and Staples are free. Staples does this on purpose. If enough techs renamed there service to something else Staples would follow and rename theres the same and offer it for free still doing nothing more then diagnosing problems they can charge for. And charge inflated prices to have amateur techs perform.

With this said it gets some techs ****** when they see a pile of computers at the Staples tech station when there techs are just one level above home users. Granted many customers learn there lesson and come to us. However, not after being burned in the first place. Big box stores are all the same it does not mater if its Staples or BB/GS. Yes some are worse then others but they all employ technicians that are very amateur. If they where not green techs they would not be working there in the first place.

Finally why do you think that you can't make a living working on computers. I have been in business for 8 months and in that time I have created a great profitable company. Yes I am new and yes I have not achieved my full potential but I am making a hansom living. It has came with hard work, hours of commitment, and many months of worrying. However, I would not trade it for anything.

I think what gets under most of our skin is while there may be some knowledgeable people working at the big box stores they don't even come close to the experience and skill that we have and sense in many cases we are cheaper then big box stores you have to wonder why we don't have a pile of computers on the bench like Staples does. It all has to do with deceptive marketing like the free tuneups.

I'm not able to make a living working on computers because I haven't put those hours of commitment, months of worrying, and hard work into a business. If I were to do so, it would take away from the time I spend pursuing my ultimate career goals. I have a great deal of respect for the people who dump their hearts and souls into their business; in this case, however, I'm not attempting to chase that dream, just keep my other dream alive.

I also disagree with the statement that if a tech were worth anything, they wouldn't be working at a box store. It's a lot like saying if an actress were worth anything, she wouldn't be waitressing. In both cases, you absolutely have a point that they haven't made their break yet, but you dismiss them as not having the skill or talent to make that break. In my case, I have student loans to pay, and I went with the people that would hire me right away to keep the wolf away from the door.

I won't drag this thread too much further off-topic, but I'd be happy to discuss this more over PM if you were interested.

 

[BOSS]

Wow. You all have given me allot of great information...Thank you.

I am going to keep my tuneup at $19 (US) hoping to upsell other
services. Perhaps I may do a 1 week sale of a free tuneup just
to see how it goes.

Our tuneup does not include virus removal, that is extra if we find
one. MobileTechie you make a good point. Chances are if someone
comes in for a tuneup it is because there are other issues.

Thanks again all.

I offered a free tuneup/optimization for first time customers. After they see how much better it runs, if they want it next time, they have the option, for a fee of 1 hour of course. This is in shop rates. For virus removal and malware removal, I charge 1 hour for each if it is in shop, but it is in a package. I will not only remove one or the other, I worked on a system where the client said they just got the system back from tech for a virus removal and had the same problem. I checked for viruses, not one (I was curious if they had done what they said they had done), so moved on to my malware removal, full of malware. I cleaned the system, and went to the other techs web site, they charge separately for the two, and then did not even rcommend the other to her. Made me wonder if me prices are too low, because they charged for jut the virus removal what I charge for the whole virus/malware removal.

 

[kamo287]

I really think this post has outlived its useful life. It needs to be closed...

party pooper

but i think i agree

 

[MyITGuyOnLI]

Staples Free Tune-ups

I remember seeing a commercial on TV a few years back about this barber shop. He was charging $20 for a haircut. Competition opened across the street with a banner advertising their haircuts for $10. He couldn't compete with the price and most of his steady customers went across the street.

Well you get what you pay for. The hair cuts sucked! The owner of the barber shop got smart and bought and displayed a new banner over his store that said, "We fix cheap hair cuts!"

Maybe you can use the same tactic.

 

[mike91163]

htfenner:

I really don't want to come across this way, but, you have to be kidding us...or you're a Staples corporate plant. Why? Read on...

Staples uses a flash-drive based toolkit called Norton Technician Toolkit for these, and what it specifically does is to scan the computer for viruses/malware, defrag and clean the drive, and clean the registry.

Yes, it's a Staples-branded version of NTT, which is the "Norton Utilities for Dummies" version. You familiar with the GEICO "caveman" commercials? That's what this P.O.S. is-nothing more, nothing less.

At the end of this service, it prints out a report which recommends simple things like RAM or AV protection if necessary for the tech to discuss with the customer.

Oh no, my friend, there is NO "if" involved here-EVERY system I have ever tested with this Staples-branded tool has ALWAYS shown an "Overall PC Health Assessment" solidly in the "poor" spectrum...even my own personal system...hmm, let me see:

Core i7-920 CPU overclocked from 2.67Ghz to 3.57Ghz, 12GB DDR3-1600, Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard
two WD RaptorX hard drives, 10,000 rpm, in a RAID 0 config, plus two 1.5TB add'l drives
Windows 7 Ultimate x64, fully patched and tweaked
AV/Security software: If it didn't have the Norton or Symantec name, it got a poor rating

So, whether I'm running Kaspersky, Sophos, or any other product; whether I have my drives defragged to ZERO (Disktrix Ultimate Defrag 3, Sysinternals PageDefrag); firewall locked down tighter than Fort Know; if Norton ain't on it, you're junk!

And for a wide variety of customers that come into the store, they often do need to upgrade one or more parts of their machine. Not coincidentally, Staples hopes to get that business as well.

HOPING to get their business is one thing; forcing it down their throat under the guise of a "health assessment" is another.

I'm making that point to lead me into this one: a lot of you have seen computers come from a big-box store that may have had unnecessary work (from your standpoint of being able to remove viruses without formats, etc)

Well, any "tech" who does not have the evaluative skills to use a deductive forensic skills to extract a virus/trojan/malware WITHOUT format/reinstall does NOT have the right to call themselves a "computer technician". Ever heard of a boot CD???

I'd like to offer another perspective for guys just starting out: the opportunity.

I just graduated from college, and I'm searching for jobs in my career field right now. I do fix computers on the side, but it's not enough to make a living by itself, so I work for a big-box store.

So, computers are not your chosen avocation-so I should trust YOU with my computer? And please, define "on the side"-your family and friends?

Some people know how to back up data, do a factory-restore, recommend RAM, and that's about it.

Judging by your comments below, that sounds like your skill level.

From a corporate standpoint, that actually works out pretty well: more serious problems requiring more knowledge get sent to a central depot, and 99% of other software problems can be handled by a backup and restore.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' SERIOUS??? "NUKE AND PUKE" IS YOUR ANSWER? Wow...no wonder skilled, ethical, and honest techs get dirty looks from customers until the customer sees the genuine difference.

I'm not able to make a living working on computers because I haven't put those hours of commitment, months of worrying, and hard work into a business. If I were to do so, it would take away from the time I spend pursuing my ultimate career goals. I have a great deal of respect for the people who dump their hearts and souls into their business; in this case, however, I'm not attempting to chase that dream, just keep my other dream alive.

So, it's OK for you to "sorta" do your computer job because it pays the bills, while you pursue your other "dream", whatever it might be? AND, just because you don't "own" a computer business, doesn't mean you shouldn't WORK at your job as if you did.

Let me tell you something: After getting laid off in October 2008, after 10 years as the sole IT person in a manufacturing company...supporting 80+ end users, 5 servers, desktops, laptops, printers, faxes, you name it...I did my damnedest to find work-but when the unemployment rate in IT triples from 2.3% in 2007 to 7.2% in 2009, it's been difficult. I tried getting a solo tech support business off the ground, but in my area, the numbnuts at GS rule...marketing triumphing over intelligence. So, when unemployment ran out, it became "I gotta do what I gotta do..."

What an eye-opener it has been...and I know now why, in my 30-odd years of employment, I have NEVER worked for a large corporation. Staples likes to pitch their "certified techs"; CERTIFIED BY WHOM??? Not Comp-TIA, that's for sure...oh, but if you watch a 20-slide Powerpoint presentation on the store training PC on how to SELL Office 2010, and take a 10-question "exam" that deals EXCLUSIVELY with selling, that makes you CERTIFIED?

NO, Mr. Fenner, the deal at Staples is simple: They don't give a rat's *ss if you know the FIRST thing about computers...if you can SELL the scummy "protection plans"/extended warranty/ET services/other forms of robbery, you are in like flint. If you're a tech guy, who has skills, and genuinely wants to fix systems, look elsewhere-as I am doing, a mere 2 weeks after starting.

And, here's the bigger joke: While it is stressed very clearly that improper "handling" of customer data is grounds for termination, Staples' training makes NO bones about this: Use of ANY software-even unrestricted freeware-other than the Staples-approved Norton Tech Toolkit will result in immediate termination without warning.

Oh, and please tell me just how standard cookies are such a security risk...so says Staples NTT!

 

[JAG Computers]

htfenner:

I really don't want to come across this way, but, you have to be kidding us...or you're a Staples corporate plant. Why? Read on...



Yes, it's a Staples-branded version of NTT, which is the "Norton Utilities for Dummies" version. You familiar with the GEICO "caveman" commercials? That's what this P.O.S. is-nothing more, nothing less.



Oh no, my friend, there is NO "if" involved here-EVERY system I have ever tested with this Staples-branded tool has ALWAYS shown an "Overall PC Health Assessment" solidly in the "poor" spectrum...even my own personal system...hmm, let me see:

Core i7-920 CPU overclocked from 2.67Ghz to 3.57Ghz, 12GB DDR3-1600, Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard
two WD RaptorX hard drives, 10,000 rpm, in a RAID 0 config, plus two 1.5TB add'l drives
Windows 7 Ultimate x64, fully patched and tweaked
AV/Security software: If it didn't have the Norton or Symantec name, it got a poor rating

So, whether I'm running Kaspersky, Sophos, or any other product; whether I have my drives defragged to ZERO (Disktrix Ultimate Defrag 3, Sysinternals PageDefrag); firewall locked down tighter than Fort Know; if Norton ain't on it, you're junk!



HOPING to get their business is one thing; forcing it down their throat under the guise of a "health assessment" is another.



Well, any "tech" who does not have the evaluative skills to use a deductive forensic skills to extract a virus/trojan/malware WITHOUT format/reinstall does NOT have the right to call themselves a "computer technician". Ever heard of a boot CD???



So, computers are not your chosen avocation-so I should trust YOU with my computer? And please, define "on the side"-your family and friends?



Judging by your comments below, that sounds like your skill level.



ARE YOU FREAKIN' SERIOUS??? "NUKE AND PUKE" IS YOUR ANSWER? Wow...no wonder skilled, ethical, and honest techs get dirty looks from customers until the customer sees the genuine difference.





So, it's OK for you to "sorta" do your computer job because it pays the bills, while you pursue your other "dream", whatever it might be? AND, just because you don't "own" a computer business, doesn't mean you shouldn't WORK at your job as if you did.

Let me tell you something: After getting laid off in October 2008, after 10 years as the sole IT person in a manufacturing company...supporting 80+ end users, 5 servers, desktops, laptops, printers, faxes, you name it...I did my damnedest to find work-but when the unemployment rate in IT triples from 2.3% in 2007 to 7.2% in 2009, it's been difficult. I tried getting a solo tech support business off the ground, but in my area, the numbnuts at GS rule...marketing triumphing over intelligence. So, when unemployment ran out, it became "I gotta do what I gotta do..."

What an eye-opener it has been...and I know now why, in my 30-odd years of employment, I have NEVER worked for a large corporation. Staples likes to pitch their "certified techs"; CERTIFIED BY WHOM??? Not Comp-TIA, that's for sure...oh, but if you watch a 20-slide Powerpoint presentation on the store training PC on how to SELL Office 2010, and take a 10-question "exam" that deals EXCLUSIVELY with selling, that makes you CERTIFIED?

NO, Mr. Fenner, the deal at Staples is simple: They don't give a rat's *ss if you know the FIRST thing about computers...if you can SELL the scummy "protection plans"/extended warranty/ET services/other forms of robbery, you are in like flint. If you're a tech guy, who has skills, and genuinely wants to fix systems, look elsewhere-as I am doing, a mere 2 weeks after starting.

And, here's the bigger joke: While it is stressed very clearly that improper "handling" of customer data is grounds for termination, Staples' training makes NO bones about this: Use of ANY software-even unrestricted freeware-other than the Staples-approved Norton Tech Toolkit will result in immediate termination without warning.

Oh, and please tell me just how standard cookies are such a security risk...so says Staples NTT!

And all this comes from the person with what, 2 posts? And who are you? A newcomer who thinks they can stroll onto technibble and expect us to respect you? At least be constructive about what you have to say.

Treat people better or you will find that no one will take you seriously.

 

[htfenner]

Mike91163:
My post was meant to illustrate three things.
1.) What the tuneup actually does. I was hoping that other techs would be able to use it to compare their own services against to give their customers an accurate idea of what the difference is.

2.) That as a guy just starting out, one way to see a large volume of damaged computers is to work in a big-box store.

3.) That you might find some worthwhile employees who are willing to learn and show up for work every day on time in these stores.

As far as the NTT reports go: I can only speak for myself, but when I present these reports, I explain that the PC health assessment automatically jumps to "poor" if your anti-virus isn't updated or if you don't have any installed. I also explain that the "low" security risk is most likely a tracking cookie and is not anything to worry about as cookies are necessary for many websites to allow you to log in and that they simply indicate you are the same account as you browse the site.

I don't shove anything down anybody's throat, but I really can't think of a good reason why I would not recommend anti-virus if they don't have it, and I typically discuss both paid and free options.

I also explicitly said that from a corporate standpoint, nuke and pave makes sense. It does fix many software problems and also solves the problem of having widely disparate skill levels, since most guys with the skill to do more do not typically work (for long) in retail. Do you and most of the people on this board have better ways? Sure. Personally, I'm happy to know that I can offer superior service for less money.

It sounds like you work for Staples or have recently. You did what you had to do, and so did I. Why are you condemning me for it?

Last (and this isn't really relevant to the topic, but you asked), I recently graduated with a B.S. in Information Technology. I also have my CompTIA A+ certification. I'm applying for jobs right now, and I'm hoping to get my masters in a couple years in Computer Forensics/Intelligence since catching bad guys appeals to me. I'm pursuing jobs within that career field, and starting a business and running it full-time is lower on my list of things to do, though a side business appeals to me since I do like fixing computers.

I lied, I do have one more thing: I don't know everything about computers; I know a bunch, but I'm always willing to learn, and I really don't mind people telling me "Hey, that's the wrong way" or better yet "Hey, there's a better way." I do mind condescending comments. I won't do it to you, so please don't do it to me.

 

[kamo287]

?

on an other note... just because someone has low posts doesnt mean that they are new to the tech world... just new to this forum.

I have been offended a few times now because i have...what under 100 posts?

I am on multiple forums and only here does the post amount actually affect the way people judge what you say- so dumb

 

[Hercomputers]

And all this comes from the person with what, 2 posts? And who are you? A newcomer who thinks they can stroll onto technibble and expect us to respect you? At least be constructive about what you have to say.

Treat people better or you will find that no one will take you seriously.

I'm going to have to co-sign on this too. An person's post count doesn't matter, but being new to TN we are reminded by the TOS to be professional and respectful at all times. There is no reason to shoot down someone else who's trying to do what he/she needs to. Everyone has a situation that only they can work out for themselves.

Kamo287: I don't know what has happened to you to make you feel offended but it should have nothing to do with your post count. Let that go. It's not about quantity or the amount of posts, its about the quality of your posts.

Let's all see how we can help each other in our computer repair business and learn from each other without shooting each other down. It's not necessary.

 

[vdub12]

I'm going to have to co-sign on this too. An person's post count doesn't matter, but being new to TN we are reminded by the TOS to be professional and respectful at all times. There is no reason to shoot down someone else who's trying to do what he/she needs to. Everyone has a situation that only they can work out for themselves.

Kamo287: I don't know what has happened to you to make you feel offended but it should have nothing to do with your post count. Let that go. It's not about quantity or the amount of posts, its about the quality of your posts.

Let's all see how we can help each other in our computer repair business and learn from each other without shooting each other down. It's not necessary.

The problem is that this form is for professionals and there have been countless posts from end users. So post count while it does not mater it does reflect your worth in a way. At least people have gotten to know you and discussed multiple topics with you. While having a very low post count and openly admitting working at a big box store screams end user, or pizza tech at worse.

Its just hard to take someone seriously once they say they are a salesmen, i mean ""tech"" at staples.