7
Questions You Should Ask BEFORE Hiring a Home Computer
Expert
1.
May I See Your References,
Please?
Yes,
it’s true. Most computer users FAIL to ask this simple and
critical question before ever inviting a total stranger to
their home or office.
What
are references?
References consist of a list of names and phone numbers of
real customers served by the person who gives you the
references. Some technicians won’t give you references. If
they won’t, then simply refuse to do business with them.
How many names and phone numbers should be on the references
list? At least twenty is a good standard. Twenty
references is probably more people than the guy’s mother,
wife, best friend and favorite pet
Why
ask for references in the first place? Here’s why.
Home
computer repair falls within the “service” industry
category. Other familiar service industry businesses are
plumbers, roofers and auto repair, to name a few. The
service industry is filled with huge ranges of quality and
ethical practices.
Consider CPA’s, attorneys and medical doctors for a moment.
In these “professional” industries there are already strict
standards of education and testing which must be satisfied
prior to opening such a business. Unfortunately for YOU the
consumer, the home computer repair industry has NO
STANDARDS. Therefore, you must be MORE DILIGENT to be sure
you’re protecting yourself from letting the wrong technician
into your home.
2. Are You a Licensed Business?
Before
you spend your money and your time on this guy, you need to
be sure he’s running a real business. Here’s how you make
this judgment real quickly:
Do you
have a business license and are you prepared to show me a
copy? If he doesn’t, there’s a good chance he’s running
this so-called business on a shoe-string. He may be here
today, and gone tomorrow…with your money.
Hire
someone else with a demonstrated commitment to being in
business for the long term.
3. How are you rated by the Better Business Bureau?
Everyone knows this one, right? But how many of us ask the
question before we hire someone? A business owner
who’s taken the time and effort to join the BBB and
remain a member in good standing is more likely to give you
the professional treatment you deserve. How do you know
your computer repair guy is “a member in good standing”?
Ask him if he’s on the BBB “Honor Roll” for the past year.
If so, he’s received few complaints, and if he’s received
any, he’s handled them fairly and professionally.
4. How many customers have you PERSONALLY served?
This
one’s a little tricky. With computer repair, you really
shouldn’t care how big the computer repair company is…or how
many customers they’ve served. What should you care about
then? How many computers has
THIS PARTICULAR computer repair guy repaired? Are you his
first customer? His tenth customer?
His 50th customer?
How about his 100th customer? Do you get the
point? With each higher number of customers, your comfort
level also increases, doesn’t it.
With
this in mind, we recommend a minimum standard of at least
100 repairs were personally performed by someone before
he gets his fingers into MY computer.
5. Ask Him Why He Does “this” Job?
You
want someone fixing your computer who loves doing it.
Why is this important to you? If someone’s fixing your
computer because “it’s a job”, how enthusiastic and
motivated will he be to do an excellent job for you? For
example, if your computer repair person does this on a
“moonlighting” basis while he works his REAL job or puts
himself through college, how much confidence do you have in
his ability to deliver a successful repair?
Find
someone who eats, breathes and sleeps “computer repair”.
This is the kind of guy who will earn the equivalent of his
PhD in reading, studying, training and plain hard work.
Why? Because he loves it.
Look hard to find and develop a relationship with this kind
of repair person. When you find him, tell your friends and
family too. They will thank you for it.
6. What is your Website
Address? Do
you show up on an Internet search?
These
easy questions are so basic to good business. If your
computer repair guy is not listed in the search engines, that’s strike one. If he does not have a website you
can visit, that’s strike two. If you visit the website and
it’s terrible, that’s strike three. How do you know if a
website for a computer repair guy is good or terrible?
It’s
not whether you like the color or design theme. It’s a
little more complicated that that…but not too complicated.
First, every site should provide simple phone and email
contact information, along with physical address, not just a
PO Box. If it flunks this test, it’s a terrible website.
Second, the website should tell you in language you can
understand, how well qualified this particular technician or
company is for the kind of job you need them to do. If it
does this it’s a decent website.
Third, the website should educate you on how to make the
best decision when choosing a computer repair person. If it
truly does, it’s a very good website.
7. Will You Show Me a PILE of at Least 10 Hand-Signed
Testimonial Letters Before I Let You In the Door?
You’ve
learned from Question #1 in this report, references give you
the ability to make phone calls to satisfied customers and
speak with them personally about the quality of service
given to them by the computer repair person you are
considering.
So,
what’s the benefit of asking for a pile of at least
ten signed testimonial letters?
Here’s
the benefit. If he say’s, “no I’m not going to do that”,
then guess what? He probably has ZERO testimonial letters
to show you. So what should you say to him? How about
this: “No, thank you.”
What
if he says, Ok, no problem and then shows up at your door
with a bunch of phony testimonial letters? How many
fly-by-night computer repair guys will take the time and
trouble to “forge” ten or more hand-signed testimonial
letters? Not many will do it.
Furthermore, when you glance through the letters, you’ll
know whether they’re phony or not. If they’re phony, you’ll
see similar stationary and writing styles…possibly even
similar handwriting in the signature line.
