Re: What would be a fair price?

I felt the same way before I opened my own shop. I learned real quick that I
wasn't charging enough (I was charging what I used to when I did it on the
side). When you have overhead like rent, electricity, business insurance,
health insurance, alarm, etc it really adds up I found. I am still very fair
with my customers and offer the best price in the area with flat rates for
all services, except the rare occaion when I do an onsite visit. I bend over
backwards to make sure their problems are resolved and they are completely
satisfied. Happy customers tell their friends and family about me. Remember,
people are not just paying for your time they are paying for your skills. If
you don't know how to do something, you have to pay someone to do it. I
actually have a guy that has a small on-the-side shop in a nearby town that
brings me work he is not comfortable with like laptop repairs. What seems
very simple to us (like an OS install) can be very complicated for someone
without the skills or knowlege. $60 is about right for a format and install
of windows. If you install all the patches and updates, it can be time
consuming and your time is valuable. For a system build including an OS
install you should charge more. I charge $99. It is a couple of hours or
more worth of work. Anyway when I did it on the side a lot of times I would
just ask them what they wanted to pay. It was almost always more than I
would have asked and if they are happy with it, that is what is most
important.


"Larry Roberts" <skin-e@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:g6aq62514ei2sp7vstsmgkj2t0r1nlum7v@xxxxxxxxxx
I was wondering what you would charge (if at all) for PC
repair work if you don't do it for a living?
I've been repairing, and building systems since 94' when I
tackled installing a 14.4K RPI chip modem into a Packard Bell 486 with
a built in 2400baud modem card, and no technical help except for txt
files downloaded from local BBS systems. (Packard Bell tech said to
"rip the modem card off the mainboard) :O . I have taught myself over
the years from personal expirence, the web, and forums like this. I
have never taken a computer course except for Computer Lit., &
Computer Science in HS back in 91', & 92'. Not much training back in
those days.
However family, friends, and friends of family trust me to do
repairs, and build them PCs. So far, no complaints. I don't charge my
brother for if it was not for him buying that old Packard Bell PC long
ago, I might be "pointing & clicking" my around the net blindly today.
I tell my family that I don't mind doing work on their systems for
free, but they still give me payment anyways. Usally more than what I
think is fair.
7 years ago I took a "straight through" ethernet cable to a
local PC repair shop to have it changed to a "cross over"
configuration. They told me I would have to leave it for a couple of
days, and the charge would be $37.00. ($35 hourly labor + parts fee
with a 1 hour min.) I said thanks, and left. Down the road I noticed a
networking specialist bussiness, and took it there. They dd it in 5
min., and charged $2.00 ($1.50 for the part, & $.50 for a coke from
the machine)
Going by what local shops charge, I usally charge $20.00 flat
fee for software related repair, and $30.00 flat fee for hardware
related labor. (This is if I have to get into the case). I don't
charge anything for connecting keyboards, mice, monitors, speakers,
and such. Most of the time people pay more. Someone once gave $50.00
labor for building them a PC, and another gave me $60.00 for doing a
format, and reinstall of Windows. I tell them that what I charge is
good enough, but they always say it would cost them more to bring it
to a shop, and give more.
Does what I charge sound fair? I hate it when bussinesses
charge full labor price for a 5 min job, and I try to avoid looking
like this.


.

Loading