What Computer Repairs / IT Requests Do You Dislike Most?

Can you delete some files from my computer to make it go faster

The countless times I have been asked to remove pictures or other files onto a USB stick they think it will speed up their computer
I guess because when it was new it was faster without pictures removing pictures will make it fast again

It doesn't help that you have big box stores pushing sales to make there tiny margins, and its all based on customer naivety and misinformation, anything to sell that computer for there 4% (or whatever it is they make) margin.
I do see this a lot though and the mutant of times we have had to "try" and explain what Gigabytes actually means.

Although is it actually that bad that people don't understand ?
I have and always will say if you don't understand something do not worry, call the professional. I don't know the various names of the parts of my toilet, what I know is when I pull the lever (or push the button) the toilet flushes, if it stops working I'll call a plumber, it doesn't matter to me how it works nor do i know what is a good toilet or manufacturer of toilet parts, I rely on my plumber for that.
 
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- Find my iPhone/iPad and lock codes.
- Less than helpful symptom descriptions: "It's defective", "It's not working as it's supposed to". Well thanks, that'll make it a breeze to diagnose...
- People who talk to much, before getting to the actual meat of the problem.
 
- Less than helpful symptom descriptions: "It's defective", "It's not working as it's supposed to". Well thanks, that'll make it a breeze to diagnose...

This one kills me.

Even worse when they only provide their own (usually incorrect) diagnosis instead of any symptoms "It has viruses that need removed" ... I boot it up, run scans, totally clean, no pop-ups or any sign of infection... Turns out to be something completely unrelated like a BSOD and they assumed it was caused by a virus.

Seriously considering a diagnostic fee on top of the repair charge if clients can't provide an accurate description of their issue.
 
"2 weeks ago....a red box along the top where that line is and the computer wouldn't work...got a message that said something about blah, blah, so I just clicked it off and then the computer shutdown....stupid thing!"

"No problems.. Just let me get my Crystal Ball!"
 
Yeah, you guys need to stop asking "what's wrong with it?" and start asking "what is it doing wrong?"

Most people will then describe the actual symptoms, not what their self diagnosis was.

But my boss at my full time job is horrible at this if he does the check in. Literally there have been check ins with the only words being "not working" or "virus" and every... F-ing.... Time the customer is upset that we didn't fix their issues with it because we find and fix something else. So now we have to call them back and ask them all the check in questions over the phone and apologize that "the guy" who checked it in didn't write down their problems or ask what was actually wrong. Makes us look like idiots and in sure we've lost customers because of it.
 
I always ask the customer to "describe the issue".. and usually this is a typical response.
Describe is not a good word, because then people want to tell a story. Sometimes you need the whole story, but usually not.

I also sometimes ask "ok, but what does it do now?" if they start off on a story. The stubborn ones I'll need to lead along.

"ok so what happens when you press the power button?"
"Nothing it's just dead"
"ok, so you doesn't see any lights or hear the fan spins up? "
" yeah, I see the lights and then that big HP screen comes on, but then it's dead and I can't do anything"
"ok so you can't get to the main screen with all your icons? "
" naw, I see that but like when I hit the E icon nothing comes up"
"ok is there an error message or anything on it? "
" yea says something about Internet connection or something "

And then I check it in, flip the wifi switch back on, call them 2hrs later and say it's fixed, and that'll be $49+tax please.
 
When the client starts the conversation with "I'm stupid about computers" I know I will have a long day.

Unless it turns out that the person is actually just stupid, I really don't mind those or onsite time - I'm generally decent at explaining to people what's going on in terms that make sense to them, or in giving them the general overview and getting them to understand that what I'm dealing with are the fiddly details that won't mean anything to them anyway.
 
Describe is not a good word, because then people want to tell a story. Sometimes you need the whole story, but usually not.

I also sometimes ask "ok, but what does it do now?" if they start off on a story. The stubborn ones I'll need to lead along.

"ok so what happens when you press the power button?"
"Nothing it's just dead"
"ok, so you doesn't see any lights or hear the fan spins up? "
" yeah, I see the lights and then that big HP screen comes on, but then it's dead and I can't do anything"
"ok so you can't get to the main screen with all your icons? "
" naw, I see that but like when I hit the E icon nothing comes up"
"ok is there an error message or anything on it? "
" yea says something about Internet connection or something "

And then I check it in, flip the wifi switch back on, call them 2hrs later and say it's fixed, and that'll be $49+tax please.

This is the one we see very often, people really don't know how to use computers.
But to re-iterate what has already been said

"I've got this problem"
"ok so what is it doing, or not doing ?"

Seems to work well for me, they boot it up as part of the booking in process at our shop (assuming it does boot) so that I can get a full understanding of what exactly it is that they want doing.

What is a PITA is the people that seem to have no problem using a machine that is BIBLICALLY slow, I'm taking 5 - 10 minutes to get to windows desktop and another 5 - 10 minutes before the machine is usable and that ISN'T the complaint. so finding out exactly what they want doing talks around 30 minutes just because they don't care how slow their machine is.
 
Ok, what's happening?

It's not letting me do X
It's just coming up "error"
It said X, so I clicked it because it worried me and now everything's gone
I normally get 10 emails a day, but yesterday I only got 6
And then everything just went
I don't know, but here's how it's affecting me on an emotional, logistical, financial, spiritual level
 
Besides printers, my other dislike is when someone is using a program you have never heard of, or never used before and expect you to be an expert on it. The people that use family genealogy programs can be especially frustrating. "I'm missing a section of my family tree! Why can't you rebuild it for me?" I'm sorry it is totally my fault for not knowing your family history and who your relatives from the 1800's are so that I could rebuild it for you.
 
And then I check it in, flip the wifi switch back on, call them 2hrs later and say it's fixed, and that'll be $49+tax please.

LOL. What does the receipt say? Something like that I generally don't charge for. I simply run a full diagnostic on the computer (because they're going to pay the diagnostic either way because they checked it in) and if I find anything else while I'm doing it, that's more money for me! And if I can't find anything wrong I tell them what they did (accidentally hit the wifi switch), tell them I did full diagnostics and couldn't find anything else wrong with it, and then they pay for the $70 diagnostic fee.
 
I generally dislike Internet related repairs.

What should be a quick and simple repair drags most of the time because clients change their router log in details - then lose them, or fiddle with settings and passwords without knowing what they're doing.

"My password is ALWAYS the dogs name"
"What's your dog called?"
"Benji"
"That doesn't work"
"Try Fido"
"That doesn't work either"
*43 former clients dogs later*
"Try Keith"
"GOT IT - that worked. Keith is a strange name for a dog though"
"Oh that's not the dogs name - that's my ex husbands name from 23 years ago"......

Or

"I ALWAYS use the same password for everything"
"OK, so what's your password - I need to log in"
"Its fido2012"
"Great, I'm in. So I'll just sort that email issue for you then....... oh, that password isn't working with your email client"
"No of course not, my password for that is barry1926".
"Ah I see. Right, I need to sort that router issue out too. I'll just log in...... oh, neither of those passwords work with your router."
"No, that password is... oh, erm.... I can't remember it. Does it matter?"
"Its thought you used the same password for everything Mrs Payne?"
"We'll yes, I do, apart from all those ones you asked me for......."

*sigh*

Give me a laptop riddled with malware instead. The more the better. I love those. No better feeling than repairing a laptop that was absolutely riddled with viruses and struggling to run - and cleaning it up so that it's runs like new again. I could do those all day, every day. Love it.
 
LOL. What does the receipt say? Something like that I generally don't charge for.
I don't usually charge for it either, but when they're being so obtuse about what the problem is and I have to claw my way through their density I then charge them. Line item was the Diagnostic Fee.
 
Besides printers, my other dislike is when someone is using a program you have never heard of, or never used before and expect you to be an expert on it. The people that use family genealogy programs can be especially frustrating. "I'm missing a section of my family tree! Why can't you rebuild it for me?" I'm sorry it is totally my fault for not knowing your family history and who your relatives from the 1800's are so that I could rebuild it for you.

Yes I hate genealogy programs or any questions related to them lol. I'm not into it I guess is probably the most likely reason for it.
 
But my boss at my full time job is horrible at this if he does the check in. Literally there have been check ins with the only words being "not working" or "virus" and every... F-ing.... Time the customer is upset that we didn't fix their issues with it because we find and fix something else. So now we have to call them back and ask them all the check in questions over the phone and apologize that "the guy" who checked it in didn't write down their problems or ask what was actually wrong. Makes us look like idiots and in sure we've lost customers because of it.

Hah, I was cleaning out old pics from my phone and found a perfect example of this that I took.
xxRxL8h.jpg


Thanks, that really narrows it down. I ended up giving it back to them because I couldn't find anything wrong. They brought it back a day later and explained (to me this time, after digging for more helpful replies than "Its just not working!" ) that it wouldn't power on. Because their power supply went bad.

But "ERRORS" is literally something he will write when checking in a PC too. I HATE it.
 
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