Teach me please!

[overburnz]

In our line off work i (and i believe many of you) certain times have some customers asking me to teach them to do this or that! Today the request was for me to teach some customer how to install Mac OS on his macbook air so that he could format his macbook for selling.
I told him that i could do it for him (with a cost of course) but i wouldn't teach him how to do my work, because obviously its my livelyhood! (i don't go to my mechanic and ask him to teach me how to change the oil on my car...)
He understood, but i've had some costumers that don't understand and get very "surprised" when i tell them that if they pay me i'll do it for them. Once a coworker of mine had a client saying, when asked to do a fresh install on a windows computer: "but it's just putting the dvd on the computer and install, it's easy, why do i have to pay?" wich he replied "if it's so easy why don't you do it yourself?" (he shouldn't have said that but you should've seen the guys face lol).
So have you ever had this kind of requests from costumers? what do you do?

 

[Markverhyden]

Don't get these very often. But when I do I ask them "how much time do you think it took me to learn <insert skill>". It takes me X time to do this because I spent 20 * X learning it.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

I had a guy come in that couldn't get any WiFi connections to display. It was just the physical switch on the side of the machine. Took more time for him to walk from the door 20 feet to my desk than to fix it. Yet when he left his issue was resolved, yet he was mad when I charged him our minimum $29.95 and just couldn't understand how a couple seconds cost that much, yet it he couldn't fix it for a few days.......

 

[Sky-Knight]

But, isn't that lovely storefront in Iowa free? =/

I usually give away fixes like that, but only under specific conditions wherein I didn't incur any cost. Just by being available with a retail front you have to keep the lights on, rent isn't cheap either.

 

[Krynn72]

I tell them I don't tech my work because I don't know how to teach well, I don't like teaching, and have time sensitive work to do. Because of those things, the cost to get me to teach would be astronomical.

I just tell them to go to Lynda.com.

For over the counter stuff, I do it free and give them a couple businesses cards and say "tell your friends about us". That said I'm more and more inclined to not try to fix anything over the counter, and just check it in with a guestimate of next day turn around. Then I'll fix it in an hour or two and say I had a slot open up early and was able to get to it sooner.

It's kind of annoying how the better and faster you get, the less people are willing to pay, so this avoids all that.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

But, isn't that lovely storefront in Iowa free? =/

I usually give away fixes like that, but only under specific conditions wherein I didn't incur any cost. Just by being available with a retail front you have to keep the lights on, rent isn't cheap either.

Normally I would have done this for free as well, but I was working on 3 other things and it was right before closing and he needed it done now.

 

[occsean]

For over the counter stuff, I do it free and give them a couple businesses cards and say "tell your friends about us". That said I'm more and more inclined to not try to fix anything over the counter, and just check it in with a guestimate of next day turn around. Then I'll fix it in an hour or two and say I had a slot open up early and was able to get to it sooner.

I do the same...Check it in with an expectation of 2-4 days, fix it in 1. Come out looking like a hero.

 

[GTP]

I don't do "free." When asked to do a simple job I always say "yes, but that will be (my minimum fee) $35."
If they agree - I go ahead, If they don't agree or want to argue, I politely show them the door. They always agree!

 

[overburnz]

Same here! If you do a freebie once they 'll always comeback for more and will complaint when you try to charge anything!

 

[Diggs]

I teach just about any time and everything and it's part of my standard fee. I don't understand why some tech are so possessive about a tiny piece of knowledge here and there. That teaching session impresses my clients much more than the 5 minute fix. There's no infringement on my skills or profession. If anything it makes them get in deeper and call me for (paid) help more often.

 

[mdownes]

I've only been asked to teach actual tech stuff once, when a teenager wanted to build his gaming rig under some supervision, in case he fried something. I agreed on condition I got to approve the shopping list in advance. But I'm frequently asked to teach users what I'd consider basic windows/office/web skills. I tell them that I do training in sessions of an hour (at the standard labour rate)and that they should write a prioritised list of what they want to learn and then book a session. They love this. It rarely takes more than 40 minutes before they feel comfortable doing whatever was giving them grief before.

 

[GTP]

I teach just about anytime and everything and it's part of my standard fee. I don't understand why some tech are so possessive about a tiny piece of knowledge here and there. That teaching session impresses my clients much more than the 5 minute fix. There's no infringement on my skills or profession. If anything it makes them get in deeper and call me for help more often.

Yes that's true, but it depends on what "advice" they're looking for. I've had people want me to explain how to fix their computer over the phone, or come in to the workshop so they can show you this "little problem" they have and expect you to fix it or show them how.
Most times the fix isn't simple but they still expect you do do it or free because "it will only take 5 minutes!"

 

[overburnz]

Yes that's true, but it depends on what "advice" they're looking for. I've had people want me to explain how to fix their computer over the phone, or come in to the workshop so they can show you this "little problem" they have and expect you to fix it or show them how.
Most times the fix isn't simple but they still expect you do do it or free because "it will only take 5 minutes!"

^^ this! It's one thing to teach them how to connect to the wi fi and another thing entirely is teaching how to install their OS

 

[Diggs]

Yes that's true, but it depends on what "advice" they're looking for. I've had people want me to explain how to fix their computer over the phone, or come in to the workshop so they can show you this "little problem" they have and expect you to fix it or show them how.
Most times the fix isn't simple but they still expect you do do it or free because "it will only take 5 minutes!"

Agreed! Since I only do on-site that's never a problem for me. (How much phone/remote time you spend with a regular customer/client before the $ start accumulating is another discussion entirely). The clock starts ticking when they answer the door and what ever they want to fix/cover/learn is up to them. As was previously mentioned, I encourage all my customers to keep a list and we'll cover as much or as little of it as they would like when I am there (with $clock ticking).

 

[Krynn72]

Yep, how to use a computer is fine. But asking me to teach how to fix it isn't. Fixing requires a certain type of mind. A inquisitive, troubleshooting mind. You can't teach that in a couple hours.

The people that ask for this kind of teaching are looking for plz bro answers. Oversimplified answers that let them fix their problem without having to understand the core elements involved. Then they'll do that same thing with the next, totally different problem and get upset that it didn't work.

 

[Diggs]

Then they'll do that same thing with the next, totally different problem and get upset that it didn't work.

That was my point that it gets them in deeper and YOU need them to fix it and remind them that is why you do this for a living and thanks for the business.

 

[AndrewFergus]

We have a timer on the front counter, before we start any quick jobs or training we explain we are turning it on. Once we are over the five min mark we start charging $35 in 15min increments. Its saved so many upset customers expecting us to drop everything for 30mins and then not pay a cent. If its clear its way to complicated to simply fix over the counter we then book it in and put it in the queue.

 

[Digital Micro]

Same here! If you do a freebie once they 'll always comeback for more and will complaint when you try to charge anything!

Yep. I charge a diagnostic fee regardless. Even if it was just the switch I still do a hhd and memory check.

 

[overburnz]

since last november i became team leader on my shop, the previous one gave a lot of his time to a LOT of elderly customers, and did not charge one cent! i've managed to "clean those freeloaders" and now it's a lot better, and the monthly revenue has increase 30/35%!!
Now we have a 95% change on making money with every customer we have!

 

[callthatgirl]

I do a lot of teaching with my jobs with Outlook, I can tell the tech savvy ones want to learn the most, and with that, comes more hourly work for me. I will go slower, make them take notes, do it themselves, etc. I don't mind, none want to become experts and take over google and do my job

If they want to learn, just say you go really slow and your teaching rates are triple. That will stop that probably.