How do you deal with people who ask you to fix their computer? [closed]

Question

Because I'm a programmer, people constantly ask me to fix their computer.

How do you handle this situation? Do you make exceptions for relatives, friends and coworkers? Do you charge people for it?

Answer 1

Here's what you do:

• If it's a Windows box say, "I only know how to fix Macs".
• If it's a Mac say, "I only know how to fix PCs".
• If it's a Linux box say, "You're a Linux user... fix it yourself!"

Answer 2

Here's a win-win:

I have a 12-year old son, so I tell people that my son will fix their computer for $20-$25. Then I tell them to bring the computer over.

I help my son resolve the problem. He learns a little more about computers, makes a few bucks, and has some "job experience".

Folks don't mind paying a kid for something they'd expect for free from me. And I don't have to go to their house.

Answer 3

It's better to pretend you don't know anything about computers.

WHY?

Check out here.

Answer 4

Tell them, it is like asking a psychiatrist to do a brain surgery.

Answer 5

I actually have two hierarchies that govern who and to what extent I will help:

Relationship to Person

• Parents: Just fix it. I owe them that, and then some.

• Siblings: Fix it, expecting a modest favour in return (dinner/pizza/etc.)

• Friends/Relatives: They bring the machine to me, along with booze, and entertain me for the duration. Bartering is also acceptable, if they can offer something I genuinely want.

• Coworkers/Family Friends: Standard consulting fees apply. 2 hour minimum.

Severity of Problem

• Trivial: E-mail a URL to a tutorial/help page. Usually includes screen shots, so it's easier for both of us.

• Minor: If it takes 10 minutes or less (i.e. set up a printer), I just do it on the spot.

• Major: Malware, OS upgrades, etc. Relationship hierarchy applies directly.

• Severe: E.g. system won't boot, hard drive crashed. I tell them truthfully that it's beyond my area of expertise and that they need to get a replacement/repair (hopefully still under warranty).

This tends to work pretty well for me. The only time it gets dicey is when dealing with the "friends who aren't really friends but only call when they want free help." In these rare cases I usually say I'll help but act distracted or incompetent so that they'll just give up and ask somebody else. I don't really care if that's dishonest, they're already being jerks by abusing the very tenuous friendship.

Oh, and one other thing: I make sure that everybody I help understands this hierarchy, so that they don't decide to "recommend" me to all of their family/friends as free labour.

Answer 6

I just ask them to clean my shower in exchange:

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2006-02-01/

Answer 7

Like it or not, you have to make exceptions for family members, in the end they're family, right? When it comes to other people I used to invent some kind of excuse. Anything from "I'm extremely busy at the moment" to not answering their phone calls.

The problem isn't helping them it's 1) you help them once and afterwards you're their official tech support 'dude' and 2) if something worse happens that you did not expect they will kinda blame it on you. In the end I like to keep my distance from them.

I'm gonna link a very funny post from TheOatMeal assuming you have't seen it already. Enjoy :-) http://theoatmeal.com/comics/computers

Answer 8

Say you'll fix their computer. Then open their temporary internet files folder and then look totally shocked when you discover the obligatory hardcore porn images that are bound to be there. They probably will be too ashamed to ever ask again... :)

Answer 9

Eventually if I wear this often enough , people get the hint ;-)

Answer 10

I have an amazon.com wish list. I do genuinely like helping people, however I feel my time is worth something. Where accepting cash may not feel 100% appropriate, sending them my Amazon wish list has worked very well for me.

Answer 11

If it's close friends or family, I just tell them fixing configuration problems isn't my thing, and while I can do it, I can't do it as efficiently as somebody who specializes in this. I also point out that I won't get to it for a while, and point out they're better off going to a hole in the wall computer store & asking them to fix it.

Anybody else, I tell them basically the same thing, but emphasize the 'efficiency' thing, and point out that the people who do specialize in this, charge less than half the hourly rate I do.

In the rare cases where they continue to ask, the focus is turned to how can they find a person who does specialize in this type of thing, and I'm all to happy to help them with that (always for free).

This has been a very effective strategy for me.

Answer 12

I ask them to clean my house. No one has accepted yet.

Answer 13

I just try and fix it for them.

Answer 14

I handle such requests by fixing the computers in question. The requests are rare enough that they don't take up much of my time, and besides, I happen to enjoy mucking about with computers.

Answer 15

I learnt to say no. It's not rude.

You can simply explain that you already have a day job and that so many peoples were asking for help with their computer hardware that you once end up putting multiple hours per week/month in repairing computers for friends/colleagues while you don't really need the extra money. Every peoples whom I have said that have been understanding and usually insist that it's fine if I don't want to do it.

For family members and close friends I usually tell them the same story, but I add that they are on the exception list and that I will be glad to help them. Some of them offers to pay me, but I never accept. If they insist I tell them my usual price is 85$ per hour, two hours minimum :)

Answer 16

Every time I fantasize about telling people to go away, and every time I end up giving in because they're family/friends/girlfriend(I wish :p ). But I have to admit that it's hard to argue against this set of people, so I do have a hierarchy that goes something like this (from the most willing to help to less willing):
girlfriend > family > friends > Hitler > co-workers.

A girlfriend is a no brainer, and friends are usually polite enough about it, and ask only on rare occasions. It's the family members who are the most pushy, but, well... I'm sure it wasn't very fun for your mother to cook for you for 18 years, I suppose you can return the favor, within the limits of it not getting in the way of other things...

But strangers have no business asking you for help, and that includes co-workers. Just charge an outrageous fee and tell them you'll get to it in 2 weeks. That should take care of that.

Answer 17

It's usually an ID10T error. But normally, its a hardware or software issue. So as a website programmer, I simply say "Sorry I only work on websites. Besides, it sounds like a hardware issue, you need a hardware tech, and I don't know anything about that anymore."

Yes, I normally have to make exceptions for friends and family members.. but it irritates me. I almost always will procrastinate on it, since it is low-priority to me.

Answer 18

I usually tell them they need to upgrade.

Answer 19

For Windows:

Person: Blah, blah , blah .... (describing their problem). Me: I don't know the solution to this. You need format. Person: Great, can you do it? Me: No. I don't know how things work on Windows 7. Person: Oh, you run Linux right? Me: Ehm...well, yes. Person: Ok, thanx anyway.

For Ubuntu:

Person: Blah, blah, blah... (usually asking how to make their desktop very cool) Me: I don't remember, google it.

Answer 20

You can try, but some of these people will be the ones that call the monitor "the computer" and not know what the funny little box beneath the desk is. It's probably not worth the energy to clarify. But, sometimes a metaphor can help:

If the computer was a car, the programmer is the one that configures how and when it burns the fuel in different situations before it leaves the factory. The "computer guy" is the mechanic that repairs the car when it breaks or tunes it for speed, or perhaps does an after-market modification.

Answer 21

I will try to fix the computer, and usually I'm failed, because I'm really a programmer not a technician. Next time, they'll think one more time before asking me again.

Answer 22

I actually turned this problem into a small business. I don't make much with it at this point, but it is definitely worth it.

Answer 23

Had the pregnant spouse of a friend of a co-worker call me about a printer problem. Finally, I had to tell her to return it and sat on the phone for what seemed like an hour just listening to her sob. Now I tell horror stories about all the computers I've screwed up. I hate working with: hardware, networking, security, and other people's code. Pretty much in that order.

Answer 24

If it's family or close friends, I fix it if I can, or if I can't I promise to deal with the problem until it's solved (Okey, bring it to me ... sure, just leave on your way' in the mornin' and I'll look it up. I don't think it's serious, but if I can't handle it, I'll take it to ... and you'll get it on Wednesday, latest. I'll give you a call if something needs to be replaced, but it looks like it shouldn't.) Refund usually comes in the form of apfelstrudl on delivery :-)

For pretty much all others, I either help them with a piece of advice or two (which in a lots of cases does help with the problem) or advise them where it would be best for them to take the machine, and so on. Quick internet searches included. And I really don't mind helping people if I can (I don't think most of us in these community sites mind helping, after all.)

Apart from the above, most people don't ask ... although I have the reputation of a "computer guy", I don't however have one of a "chatty guy" - so most never get a chance to ask :-)

Answer 25

Just say, "If you're interested, I'll draw up a quote for you." That usually either makes them a little less interested or makes you a little more spending money. The other option is asking for a favor in return.

Answer 26

In the past I've been fairly amenable to helping friends and family with computer problems (hell, I had to go visit my Great Aunt every time daylight savings changed to update the clock on their VCR).

The worst is going to try and sort out the "family computer" which will usually be virus riddled and have no current security software. It's worse if they have a teenage son as I'll invariably come across their stash of illicit image and movie files that they've hidden away somewhere, and thus end up in the middle of that mess. Disillusioned many a parent.

These days I'll tend to maintain a 15 minute rule. If I'm there and I can fix it in 15 minutes then I'll do it (no charge, even with my customers). I see it as good will. Usually uninstalling any software they don't need, and running ccleaner will clean up a lot of problems. I'll also do a quick scan with stinger and if I find anything let them know that they need to take it somewhere to get more thoroughly looked at.

A lot of the time the simple fact of the matter is the computer is too old and it's not gonna get much faster than it is already.

Aside: I once correctly diagnosed a computer problem my barber was having as a faulty keyboard from the description he gave me during the haircut. Still had to pay for the haircut mind you...

The one exception to the rule is my parents. They always get free computer support 'cause afterall, they supported me through uni and all, so they might as well get something back for it. (Mind you, when I was working from home, I did end up threatening to invoice my Dad if he kept showing up during work hours.) I've also got a reverse VNC system set up so I can remote connect to their desktops to see what's going on.

Answer 27

Happend to me and most developers so many times, what I try to do is to explain the difference between software and hardware and around 50% times I heard that "You are worthless computer engineer if you can't fix computer." I know they said it in frustration because they thought by calling me they will get their job done for free :-P

Sometimes people laungh when I say that even I cal hardware engineer when I face any hardware engineer. :-(

Answer 28

If it's family, I just play dumb (it just confirms what they already thought).

If it's friends, I tell them life's too short to do what I hate - and that's why I started charging friends.

Any body else, "No".

Answer 29

For family members and close friends I usually respond by simply fixing the problem, or at least having a look it. I might grumble about being the PC maintenance guy to myself or on Twitter, but I certainly wouldn't consider charging - if it get's to the point where I think it would take that much of my time then chances are the problem is such that I can simply explain that they should take it to a specialist. I wouldn't take apart someone else's PC for the same reason I don't like to build systems for other people, as I don't want to get the blame for any damaged components.

I find that nearly all problems referred to me are either a slow running computer, or an infected computer where they haven't replaced / purchased the trial AV software that comes pre-installed on most PC's. In both cases, it's usually not that big a deal for me to fix things - I just leave the computer switched on in the corner of the room running whatever diagnostics / clean / repair software it needs to while periodically checking up on it.

Answer 30

I charge em a home cooked dinner, cups of tea and an evening of entertainment. I learn stuff about computers and it makes me feel warm inside to know that I am useful in some way.