Editing Seven questions to ask a PC service tech

What do you do if your desktop is past warranty; toss it in the trash? A lot of folk just ditch the pc right away, while other individuals use their own quick fix. Some don't want to have to deal with the stress and just end up throwing it out. Although just getting a hold of the right technician may equally well be an effortless solution to getting it back to like new shape. Nowadays, quality computer repair professionals are a dime a dozen. In fact, many families have their own number of self-described computer professionals who are more than efficient of doing computer repairs, and doing them well. This will probably sound silly but it's very real. While these specialists have adequate repairing abilities, there are some qualities that separate them from the individual that you actually want working on your computer. The most important of these characteristics being skills, proof, and support. Knowing the right questions is a very crucial part of choosing the right [http://www.pearltrees.com/tie31rene/item141982735 pc repair] . This allows you to split the cream from the crop, guaranteeing that only the best providers work on your computer. <h2>Criteria and Requirements</h2> There are many types of computer certifications in existence. One of the main issues is that the formal certifications are specific only to a given vendor. The issue with certifications in the computer repair field is that most of the highly regarded certifications are vendor-specific. Like, Microsoft offers certification programs for its items, however that doesn't do much good for other operating systems. Another problem is that frequent updates render the certification less reliable. Oracle has certifications. Cisco, IBM, and Dell additionally offer their own certifications. <h2>Accreditation</h2> CompTIA is one famous organization that is one of the few vendor-neutral certification companies. However, other certificates are completely trustworthy, they're still a company looking to make a profit. Their main goal is to gain new subscribers, and thus member fees, so you may experience that your certification requirements are not the level found at a college or university. This doesn't mean that students from this program are not qualified, just that their education may not be as substantial as someone with a 4 year IT degree. Though some one with a 4 year degree is often not running their own company, as many of these workers are hired to bigger companies. The point is, it should always be asked if the expert has a college degree in computers. If they do not or if they answer that they have some kind of "certification" that's fine, just make a note of what the certification is and progress to the next question. You can then progress to the next question. <h2>Practical experience and References</h2> The next concern is how much experience the technician has and how good are they at what they do? Ask them about their experience repairing computers, how long have they been in the business? Do they have any references from past customers? If your tech is skilled, they will often have a list of references set aside for these inquires. Do not worry that this query is rude, it is actually quite common in this business. A skilled professional will be more than happy to provide these references for you. The biggest thing to take away is how long they have been in the computer repair industry. This is important info. It's important to check in on any references you were given. Query what repairs were done to their computer, and what kind of computer or software was repaired. It is also important to find out how much they billed, to make certain that you will not overpay for a comparable repair. Even a glowing review may uncover details about how the technician runs his business. Be careful for those details. Keep in mind, this may feel like a headache presently, but you only need to ask these inquiries once, at the start of your relationship with the specialist. You'll only have to ask these points once, when you first hire the tech. <h2>Techs' Specialty</h2> As formerly stated, Microsoft offers its great number of certifications. However, in much the same way, so does Apple in the form of Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) or Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC). These means the individual has basic support skills to help you out with a Mac. In the same way, CompTIA offers a Linux certification, or technicians can get an LPI certification from the Linux Professional Institute. Outside of operating systems, technicians sometimes specialize in different computer brands, even in the event that they are focused on Windows machines. Case in point, a professional may have worked with Dell computers for so many years that simply from the explanation of the computer issue, he or she can immediately tell you that the most probable cause is a burst capacitor on the motherboard. There are also commonalities that occur with certain makes of computers, so technicians do get used to going through the same ailments over and over again. This is why they become so efficient at working with certain brands. Ask if they have close ties or good working relationships with certain vendors. Just express you're searching for a PC support person you can go back to regularly for computer help. <h2>Ask for Rates and Demand High Cost Limits</h2> Remember that business is not always easy for a computer service technician. It may be difficult to break the ice, because technicians are often taken advantage of. Their relatives may often expect computer service for free. Even those whom they are close to will often ask for free support. Others will pay a fee for repair, and then expect the technician to work for free for many years after. So yes, computer technicians won't take kindly to low offers. Nevertheless, there still will be some shadier technicians to take advantage of the tech-illiterate. This could consist of up charging the hourly price, or saying that a easy job took longer than it truly did. Not knowing any better, folks pay it. Some sites promote for hourly rates, claiming that it takes a long time to do a job correctly. Other men and women in the industry feel that only flat costs per service is fair. My feeling, having dabbled in being a PC support technician for a plenty of clients, is this: Basically, the problem can be simplified down to just a few exclusive causes. One to two hours is typically plenty enough for a professional to narrow it down. So, since most stores require a 1-hour minimal fee, you can simply ask the PC tech if they can spend no more than one hour problem solving before reporting back to you as to whether it'll take extra time and cost more money. Hourly rates fluctuate, but can range anywhere from $20 to $70 or more. This all is dependent on the demand for the services. Despite of the cost, just request the utmost diagnostic time, and if they resist, go elsewhere. <h2>How Data Safety is Controlled</h2> One of the most essential things that the PC tech does is insure that your computer is returned as close to its initial state as possible. This is just a way for the specialist to restore your computer back to the state was in when you last used it. There is no cause to leave your work, or other personal files to risk. This complete system usually means: <ul><li>1. Backing up significant documents, such as financial records or irreplaceable photographs, onto a USB drive or external hard drive.</li> <li>2. The following step is to make a restore point in the operating system. This is a provisional place to recover data.</li> <li>3. Backing up Internet history or other crucial folders than handle your day-to-day business</li></ul> So, an excellent way to judge whether this tech is one that you should allow to mess with your computer is to ask a simple question: What is their basic backup procedure? If they can't answer, just walk away. <h2>How Does The Tech Track Variations Made?</h2> One of the surest signs of a professional is the documentation that they keeps through the course of the repair. Unprofessional computer repair technicians are usually very, very bad at tracking every modification they aim to make on a computer to correct it. This may often lead to a repaired computer, but at the same time there are a few dozen modifications made throughout the control panel that you are completely uninformed of once you get your pc back. It's your computer, and you've set it up to be easiest to use for you; so if the technician changes things, like additional security configurations, you need to know. Weird things may start happening afterward and you will be confused as to what the reason is. To find out the degree of professionalism from your tech, the query is simple: How do you trace what adjustments were made? Do they give a full report at the end of the repair that marks all changes made, hardware installed, or any extra modifications? The answer here should be an instant yes, and they could even show you a sample report (or a format) that they've published for past clients, so that you know what to expect at the end. This one concern alone is a defining characteristic of an exceptional tech. If they're good at keeping documentation in an organized and detailed fashion of what they do, the odds are good that they know what they're doing. <h2>Follow-up Support and Warranties</h2> The final thing of interest is what kind of follow-up will your specialist provide. It is practical to anticipate that a professional will be obtainable for phone calls, or even follow-up visits, if there are lingering issues that crop up soon after the repair. If not, the issue wasn't really fixed, it only went away briefly. So, ask the technician if they guarantee repairs for a particular number of days. Ask what type of follow-up support you can expect if the problem comes back within that time frame, is it ok to call, or do you have to deliver the computer back into the store again? Is the technician willing to do in-home follow-up service as an alternative? These are issues that need to be requested before any problems arise, not after. Once you get an adequate answer, ask that all negotiating you mentioned should be put down on paper previous to the start of repairs. Remember that you spent a good amount for your service, there is no reason for you to be getting low balled with service after the fact. Perhaps even more importantly, you need to be assured that the repairs won't cost more than actually buying a new computer. If you got the right questions, a solid price quote, and all deals in writing, you should be able to leave your computer with the tech without any worries. Your computer will be repaired, the professional will get paid, and you can be safe that if the situation returns after a few days, you will not be left with the same problem but with a smaller wallet. Author: Contrive I.T. in [http://www.contrive-it.net New Orleans, Louisiana]

| Editing help (opens in new window)