With many people hiring technicians off of sites such as Craigslist it is very important that you find out if your dealing with a legit tech that can do your computer repair right or somebody you should avoid.
In the almost 30 years I have worked as a Computer Technician I have seen many people get scammed by dishonest or unqualified Technicians. When your deciding on a person to help you with a repair you may wish to consider the points on this checklist to insure that your about to hire somebody that will get your computer repair done right.
1. The Technician or shop has a Business License:
A business license shows that the technician or shop is legal and less likely to be running any repair scam. If a “tech” is doing things “under the table” and cutting corners with the law what corners will they cut with you and your repair?
2. A Professional, Full Time Technicians:
Make sure this is how they make their living and not a side job.
Being a Professional Technician is a full time job. Besides being busy doing repairs a good tech is spending much of their time learning about new software and hardware, getting all the latest drivers and security updates etc…
If it’s a side job or hobby they are not putting in the time to stay current and do you know if they be around when you really need them?
3. Written Warranties and Receipts on all Work Performed:
Make sure any guarantees are written on paper or they are useless. Ask for a copy of their warranty before doing business and read it so you know before you start a repair what your options will be if something should go wrong.
And always make sure you get a receipt, every time no matter what.
4. Realistic Pricing:
You get what you pay for. We all know that. If somebody is offering service that seems dirt cheap find out why. Make sure you know about any extra charges that may come up. Such as travel time. Or rates that shoot up after you used the first block of “cheap” time. Lookout for “deals” that claim to give you free time or hardware.
Everything has to be paid for at some point and its the customer that always pays. Otherwise the company could not stay in business. No problem with looking for a good deal. Always look around. But keep in mind that your computer and software cost you a fair amount of money. Do you want to trust it to somebody that thinks their service has less value then a pizza delivered to your door?
5. Real World Contact Information:
If a Technician does not list a phone number and they use only anonymous email accounts such as hotmail ask yourself why? Should they claim its to stop spam and telemarketers ask yourself if you want a technician that does not know how to use caller ID and a simple spam filter on their own systems working on yours.
Will you be able to find that anonymous somebody if something goes wrong with your repair? Real businesses list their phone, email and websites as they want to make it easy for you to contact them. If you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to find the “tech” ask yourself why? If you had a business would you hide from customers?
6. Certifications:
Many Technicians advertising online are not certified, so ask if they are and then ask for proof. Its always a good sign when you can see that the Technician your thinking about using has taken the extra step and verified their knowledge through testing. Never be afraid to ask somebody your thinking about using if they are qualified. And if for whatever reason they can not prove it, stay away from them.
7. Experience:
As with most things in life nothing beats real world experience. Ask anybody your thinking about using how much real world computer repair experience they have. If they name just one or two places they have worked at or they are still in school or have less then 10 years experience then more often then not they will not have the level of experience you’ll need.
8. Other points to remember…
Don’t let yourself be rushed. Make sure you call around so you have an idea what is being offered by different businesses. Ask all of your questions and make sure you feel comfortable. If your being rushed or the Technician is too busy to help you then you need to call somebody else.
Does the Technician ask you questions? If they do and listen to what you have to say its a good sign. If they also try to help you over the phone or email then its an even better sign. A real Technician will try and help you if they can before setting up a service call or having you come to their shop.
You have spent lots of money on your computer and its software. It holds information that you use and need everyday and some of its data is priceless to you. Make sure your investment is secure by calling for professional computer help when you need it.
