Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Topic: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service (Read 5333 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #15 – July 08, 2005, 08:08:39 PM

and if it breaks, you can get a whole new computer for less then a motherboard.

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #16 – July 08, 2005, 08:47:58 PM

Wooo guys, you make some serious bussines there. I was doing very much computer work for persons, and the typical jobs cost (professionally) 25 per hour. I did some very hard works for free....yeah. But i was learning more every day, until i started a formal bussines in my little town. Frecuently the bill for the people was 5USD. One day a writer form canada needed a virus removal and spyware cleaning. I did that quickly. He gave me one of his books and 30 USD......oh man, i was crazy and happy. Now i know the true rates for service, but i still consider 15 USD p/h a reasonably price (here in mexico...)

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #17 – July 08, 2005, 11:12:17 PM

In my shop i charge 45/hour on the bench
60/hour for service calls but the time starts when i leave the shop
I live in a small town community most computers i work on are not even worth a 100 bucs, but none the less people dont complain about the price.Give them good service for the money and your name will spread like wild fires.

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #18 – July 09, 2005, 06:36:00 PM

"Free in home estimates"... figure out the problem.. go from there.. if its hardware.. gather information, prices etc.. go back show them what it will cost (before labor etc)..

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #19 – July 12, 2005, 10:37:56 PM

Check out:

http://www.geeksquad.com
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2002/10/21/daily34.html

The founders were making a living doing it for 10 years (probably even living on the franchising fees as well) .. But their latest boom is they have partnered with Best Buy - a huge electronics department store (http://www.bestbuy.com) . Now they are running ads on TV here in Baltimore. Maybe the owners way of cashing out the business..

Their price list for phone and in-home support are pdf files on their website. From $30-$80 for phone consults (Man I can't imagine telling computer illiterate people how to do stuff over the phone!) ... and starting at $130 for in-home stuff.

They do all the fluff marketing stuff, clip on tie, sunglasses etc, and people must be using them, as I have seen the vehicles around.

Price it so its worth your time, Its a curve, sometimes better to have a few "select" hi paying customers, rather than many at low prices that will run you ragged. Maybe start at some middle area & get a feel of the time/$ return..

Good Luck!

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #20 – July 17, 2005, 01:10:01 PM

Quote from: bondocougar

Their price list for phone and in-home support are pdf files on their website. From $30-$80 for phone consults (Man I can't imagine telling computer illiterate people how to do stuff over the phone!) ... and starting at $130 for in-home stuff.

They do all the fluff marketing stuff, clip on tie, sunglasses etc, and people must be using them, as I have seen the vehicles around.

Price it so its worth your time, Its a curve, sometimes better to have a few "select" hi paying customers, rather than many at low prices that will run you ragged. Maybe start at some middle area & get a feel of the time/$ return..

Good Luck!

Man that sucks. I am getting $8.50/hr to do the same thing all day. I would kill to have a house call. Better then trying to tell a deaf or blind person what to click on(no kidding either). Sounds like the same thing I am doing, and i'll bet they make way more then me. Sounds like its time to get a peice of paper saying I know what is going on. A+ here I come.

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #21 – July 18, 2005, 09:33:51 AM

Quote from: bondocougar

Price it so its worth your time, Its a curve, sometimes better to have a few "select" hi paying customers, rather than many at low prices that will run you ragged. Maybe start at some middle area & get a feel of the time/$ return..

That's some of the best info in this thread...

While I'm not a computer guru, I can assemble a system(least I could a few years ago), reformat HDs, install programs and hardware, etc. Brought home my mom's old 300 AMD last night to repl a dead cd drive, reformat, reload Windows and AOL so she'll have a backup system... No I can't convence her that cable internet is light years better, she keeps plodding along with dialup and paying for a extra phone line. But then she's 75 and just being 20 years her junior, I'm beginning to understand.

Re: Establishing Hourly Rates for Computer Service

Reply #22 – July 18, 2005, 05:41:36 PM

to haystack: I still use all my old computers till they stop working. just that these computer show ppl were thinking that another stick of ram will speed up thier dailup or let them play Halo.. it won't. though I don't have anything as old as that still running, I tend to use up computers. I treat them pretty rough.