As I've been working, and reading more and more on
this site I've noticed the perspective that the average client has.
When looking for a part or when they encounter a problem:>
1. Look at the price of that gee...
2. Well if I ordered it online I'd have to pay for shipping, and then wait for it.
3. I need it NOW.
4. It's not working, hmm... I could call tech support. But then I have to wait forever!
5. (Sometimes) Let me google it... Oh gee this looks complicated.
6. Alright, I'll just pay someone to do it, rather than spending my time
on the phone with tech support or trying to learn to figure it out.
We get calls from the people that can afford our services, even though they may be reluctant to call and spend the money to have us come out, they will.
Not the people that can't afford to call someone so they will either live with it, or just wait on the phone for 30+ minutes for tech support.
I've noticed that sometimes we are made out to be the bad guys, because we charge s=so much But from the perspective I'm finding, some of the same people that complain about us and what we charge are CREATING a market for us.
When the average consumer spends money they expect to have something new, shiny, fantastic etc. When you are selling services they have nothing
to play with, try out use etc. So therefore they might wince at spending the money on our services YET they will spend that same amount of money on a new device etc. Without even thinking twice about it.
Even when they do buy something new, I feel that they are still creating a market for us, because more than likely they will need help with that new device of theirs.
Manufactures of electronic items have to be very competitive when
it comes to the market. To cut cost they have moved call centers to other countries and don't spend much on giving them actual training.
Why? Because when people shop for electronics they don't think about support, and it's difficult to gauge one company against another in terms of support.
To most consumers support doesn't really matter, they are not going to call the number listed on most equipment and wait for a tech. I've had clients that won't wait for 10 let alone 30 minutes to speak with someone.
People always complain about, why is it so complicated, why can't they provide good support. The answer is simple, because you won't pay for it! Some of the first costs that a company can cut are support, and making sure that the manual is easy to read and well written.
Besides most people don't read the manual anyway, they automatically assume that it's going to be complicated and hard to understand.
It's not just our time but also our knowledge that people are paying for. We work in a field where we have to constantly train.
Some people don't understand it all to begin with, so they make us look like the bad guys, it's all a conspiracy made to make "geeks" rich (by the way I don't like that word) Some people don't understand the amount of work it takes us because we are not doing physical work. They get irritated when we press a few buttons and click a few things and it's all fixed.
Work does not have to be physical to be work, just because we are not digging holes doesn't mean that we are not working.
From our perspective-Mainly mine
The people that call us can afford our services, or they wouldn't call us.
When I started doing this on the side I thought "Gee people charge $$$ for this? What a rip off! That took me 15 Minutes" I thought that I was doing a great thing by charging $30,$40,$50, to fix a computer. I was amazed that people would pay someone $200 to come to their house and fix their computer. I thought "It's not like I have any overhead other than fuel" "Besides, my car gets 27-30 MPG anyway". As far as my time went I thought "What else would I be doing anyway?".
I had it in my head that I was doing a really good thing by fixing stuff for people and giving them a great deal. I thought "wow" I remember when
my family got our first computer, my parents couldn't afford to spend money on a part plus $50 to have it installed. And I don't mean couldn't as in wouldn't pay either. Dad worked for the local government doing grunt work on our city's infrastructure, mom didn't have a job and they had three boys to raise and a fourth one on the way. My dad got promoted to supervisor but still was the lowest paid supervisor in the department so that helped.
He bought us a computer that year, a low end model but still a computer none the less. We weren't "poor" but just very few steps above it.
My mom watched the budget like a HAWK, if I wanted or needed something
I had to see if their was a cheaper alternative, if it was cheaper online etc.
Then she would "consider" it. (Maybe my mother should have worked for the government ) I was to young to get a job and they wanted me to focus on school anyway. We had a warranty on our computer, so when something broke and a tech came out to replace a part I was amazed, most of them would teach me things and show me how they did their work.
They were amazed that a 14 year old had the patience and the desire to learn this stuff.
So for me there was no, I'll buy it here and end up paying extra for it because I need it, NOW!
So therefore my outlook is very different.
That's why I thought I was doing something great by charging so little for what seemed so easy to me. So if I did work for someone with kids I always thought, "They'll be able to put food on the table with the money they saved". I thought I was helping everyone, which I was. It seemed amazing and unbelievable that people would charge so much more than what the average person made an hour. I thought "How can you justify charging even $40 and hour?" "The average person makes no where near that an hour, they'd have to work all day just to pay you forONE HOUR of your work.
I based most of my thoughts on they way I grew up, thinking that "wow those guys charge so much to do that? It's so easy now that I know how to do it!"
But then after doing the work more frequently the past year, and finding this website I realized something. I thought, wait a minute? The people that I'm helping were quick to pay extra for something just to have it now. They bought electronic toys and gadgets at the drop of a hat. Most of them had iPhones, iPods, nice cell phones, brand new computers, large flat screen televisions, MP3 players, home theater systems etc.
I thought to myself? No you can't look at it that way, you just have sour grapes. That's just selfish. You shouldn't think that way.
But then, it came to me! Can they afford services or are they just reluctant to pay? Then I realized "Your parents couldn't afford to pay, growing up you weren't poor, but your family had no large T.V's, no home theater systems etc." We didn't even get a dvd player until 2005. And we used our original computer for years. Whereas most of the people I was doing work for had many brand new machines etc. Most people are just reluctant to pay to have someone fix or set something up, they'd rather buy gadgets because then they have something new to use. Just like how most people would rather have something new rather than pay someone to do something for them.
Again I thought "No, that's jealousy talking to you"
But then I realized "No, you're not jealous, you've just been cheating yourself"
It's not their fault they can afford that stuff, it's your problem for not realizing that you need money to continue your training and keep up with technology. It doesn't mean that you have to start ripping people off or cheating them. It just means you need to get your prices in line with your profession.
Working as an in-store tech I was SHOCKED when people would pay such large amounts of money to have work done in-shop. When I started working their it was difficult for me to sell our services and make suggestions because I couldn't believe we (or any other place) charged so much!
I still have a slight reaction when people bring a computer in and drop so much money to have it fixed. Or to have a new computer set up for them.
But as I said, my reactions are based on how I grew up.
I feel as techs (NOT GEEKS) we all have a habit of reading manuals, looking up things, and figuring things out. We also have patience!
Whereas the people we work for, don't have the patience or the want to spend the time to do this stuff. I'd like to believe that not all but some of the stuff isn't as complicated as people think it is. They just assume it is and complain. (Except when it comes time to wireless routers, they think you plug it in and just use it, and then they wonder why it doesn't work well or why it's so slow) They'd rather be done with it and just use it. Most people don't even read the simplest of manuals! They see a "thick" manual and think that it is going to take to long to read, despite the fact that that "thick" manual has pages in English, Spanish, French, and sometimes other languages. If they opened it up they'd realize this.
Slowly but surely I'm starting to understand that we are not just being payed for our time, but our knowledge, patience and intelligence. While we are not respected like those in other professions are, because we don't all have degrees or have to pass a bar exam. They still need us.
I've come to realize that for the most part our services are in a way, "A luxury" that doesn't mean we should charge $400 an hour, in fact luxury is too strong of a word. But when you think about it most of the consumer electronics out there are luxury's.
I feel that there are quite a few of us who are newer to the biz that need to realize this. If someone can afford to buy a fancy cellphone, or a brand new this or that, they can obviously afford to pay us for our services.
Just as I have realized that my family situation was different, couldn't pay, not wouldn't.
This doesn't mean that I can't cut people breaks, or do favors for people.
It just means that I have a business to run, and if we charge very low rates for everything and can't pay our bills are they going to miss us if we have to quit?
NO, they will be worried about their own bills. So therefore we need to lookout for ourselves first. Our clients will go on to the next tech company even if they charge more.
I want to know, what are your thoughts and opinions on this?
What's YOUR perspective?
this site I've noticed the perspective that the average client has.
When looking for a part or when they encounter a problem:>
1. Look at the price of that gee...
2. Well if I ordered it online I'd have to pay for shipping, and then wait for it.
3. I need it NOW.
4. It's not working, hmm... I could call tech support. But then I have to wait forever!
5. (Sometimes) Let me google it... Oh gee this looks complicated.
6. Alright, I'll just pay someone to do it, rather than spending my time
on the phone with tech support or trying to learn to figure it out.
We get calls from the people that can afford our services, even though they may be reluctant to call and spend the money to have us come out, they will.
Not the people that can't afford to call someone so they will either live with it, or just wait on the phone for 30+ minutes for tech support.
I've noticed that sometimes we are made out to be the bad guys, because we charge s=so much But from the perspective I'm finding, some of the same people that complain about us and what we charge are CREATING a market for us.
When the average consumer spends money they expect to have something new, shiny, fantastic etc. When you are selling services they have nothing
to play with, try out use etc. So therefore they might wince at spending the money on our services YET they will spend that same amount of money on a new device etc. Without even thinking twice about it.
Even when they do buy something new, I feel that they are still creating a market for us, because more than likely they will need help with that new device of theirs.
Manufactures of electronic items have to be very competitive when
it comes to the market. To cut cost they have moved call centers to other countries and don't spend much on giving them actual training.
Why? Because when people shop for electronics they don't think about support, and it's difficult to gauge one company against another in terms of support.
To most consumers support doesn't really matter, they are not going to call the number listed on most equipment and wait for a tech. I've had clients that won't wait for 10 let alone 30 minutes to speak with someone.
People always complain about, why is it so complicated, why can't they provide good support. The answer is simple, because you won't pay for it! Some of the first costs that a company can cut are support, and making sure that the manual is easy to read and well written.
Besides most people don't read the manual anyway, they automatically assume that it's going to be complicated and hard to understand.
It's not just our time but also our knowledge that people are paying for. We work in a field where we have to constantly train.
Some people don't understand it all to begin with, so they make us look like the bad guys, it's all a conspiracy made to make "geeks" rich (by the way I don't like that word) Some people don't understand the amount of work it takes us because we are not doing physical work. They get irritated when we press a few buttons and click a few things and it's all fixed.
Work does not have to be physical to be work, just because we are not digging holes doesn't mean that we are not working.
From our perspective-Mainly mine
The people that call us can afford our services, or they wouldn't call us.
When I started doing this on the side I thought "Gee people charge $$$ for this? What a rip off! That took me 15 Minutes" I thought that I was doing a great thing by charging $30,$40,$50, to fix a computer. I was amazed that people would pay someone $200 to come to their house and fix their computer. I thought "It's not like I have any overhead other than fuel" "Besides, my car gets 27-30 MPG anyway". As far as my time went I thought "What else would I be doing anyway?".
I had it in my head that I was doing a really good thing by fixing stuff for people and giving them a great deal. I thought "wow" I remember when
my family got our first computer, my parents couldn't afford to spend money on a part plus $50 to have it installed. And I don't mean couldn't as in wouldn't pay either. Dad worked for the local government doing grunt work on our city's infrastructure, mom didn't have a job and they had three boys to raise and a fourth one on the way. My dad got promoted to supervisor but still was the lowest paid supervisor in the department so that helped.
He bought us a computer that year, a low end model but still a computer none the less. We weren't "poor" but just very few steps above it.
My mom watched the budget like a HAWK, if I wanted or needed something
I had to see if their was a cheaper alternative, if it was cheaper online etc.
Then she would "consider" it. (Maybe my mother should have worked for the government
) I was to young to get a job and they wanted me to focus on school anyway. We had a warranty on our computer, so when something broke and a tech came out to replace a part I was amazed, most of them would teach me things and show me how they did their work.They were amazed that a 14 year old had the patience and the desire to learn this stuff.
So for me there was no, I'll buy it here and end up paying extra for it because I need it, NOW!
So therefore my outlook is very different.
That's why I thought I was doing something great by charging so little for what seemed so easy to me. So if I did work for someone with kids I always thought, "They'll be able to put food on the table with the money they saved". I thought I was helping everyone, which I was. It seemed amazing and unbelievable that people would charge so much more than what the average person made an hour. I thought "How can you justify charging even $40 and hour?" "The average person makes no where near that an hour, they'd have to work all day just to pay you forONE HOUR of your work.
I based most of my thoughts on they way I grew up, thinking that "wow those guys charge so much to do that? It's so easy now that I know how to do it!"
But then after doing the work more frequently the past year, and finding this website I realized something. I thought, wait a minute? The people that I'm helping were quick to pay extra for something just to have it now. They bought electronic toys and gadgets at the drop of a hat. Most of them had iPhones, iPods, nice cell phones, brand new computers, large flat screen televisions, MP3 players, home theater systems etc.
I thought to myself? No you can't look at it that way, you just have sour grapes. That's just selfish. You shouldn't think that way.
But then, it came to me! Can they afford services or are they just reluctant to pay? Then I realized "Your parents couldn't afford to pay, growing up you weren't poor, but your family had no large T.V's, no home theater systems etc." We didn't even get a dvd player until 2005. And we used our original computer for years. Whereas most of the people I was doing work for had many brand new machines etc. Most people are just reluctant to pay to have someone fix or set something up, they'd rather buy gadgets because then they have something new to use. Just like how most people would rather have something new rather than pay someone to do something for them.
Again I thought "No, that's jealousy talking to you"
But then I realized "No, you're not jealous, you've just been cheating yourself"
It's not their fault they can afford that stuff, it's your problem for not realizing that you need money to continue your training and keep up with technology. It doesn't mean that you have to start ripping people off or cheating them. It just means you need to get your prices in line with your profession.
Working as an in-store tech I was SHOCKED when people would pay such large amounts of money to have work done in-shop. When I started working their it was difficult for me to sell our services and make suggestions because I couldn't believe we (or any other place) charged so much!
I still have a slight reaction when people bring a computer in and drop so much money to have it fixed. Or to have a new computer set up for them.
But as I said, my reactions are based on how I grew up.
I feel as techs (NOT GEEKS) we all have a habit of reading manuals, looking up things, and figuring things out. We also have patience!
Whereas the people we work for, don't have the patience or the want to spend the time to do this stuff. I'd like to believe that not all but some of the stuff isn't as complicated as people think it is. They just assume it is and complain. (Except when it comes time to wireless routers, they think you plug it in and just use it, and then they wonder why it doesn't work well or why it's so slow) They'd rather be done with it and just use it. Most people don't even read the simplest of manuals! They see a "thick" manual and think that it is going to take to long to read, despite the fact that that "thick" manual has pages in English, Spanish, French, and sometimes other languages. If they opened it up they'd realize this.
Slowly but surely I'm starting to understand that we are not just being payed for our time, but our knowledge, patience and intelligence. While we are not respected like those in other professions are, because we don't all have degrees or have to pass a bar exam. They still need us.
I've come to realize that for the most part our services are in a way, "A luxury" that doesn't mean we should charge $400 an hour, in fact luxury is too strong of a word. But when you think about it most of the consumer electronics out there are luxury's.
I feel that there are quite a few of us who are newer to the biz that need to realize this. If someone can afford to buy a fancy cellphone, or a brand new this or that, they can obviously afford to pay us for our services.
Just as I have realized that my family situation was different, couldn't pay, not wouldn't.
This doesn't mean that I can't cut people breaks, or do favors for people.
It just means that I have a business to run, and if we charge very low rates for everything and can't pay our bills are they going to miss us if we have to quit?
NO, they will be worried about their own bills. So therefore we need to lookout for ourselves first. Our clients will go on to the next tech company even if they charge more.
I want to know, what are your thoughts and opinions on this?
What's YOUR perspective?
