Today our economy is very different from even ten years ago. For businesses it’s all about getting new customers. Even though business has changed a lot over the years some of the tried and true methods of acquiring new customers have stayed the same. Offering things for free has always worked to get the attention of possible new clients. Running a computer repair business is not only very competitive but the prices are all over the place. The big box, well known stores like Best buy and Staples get a majority of the business. They certainly do not offer anything for free but they have the big well known name going for them. Most people would be surprised to know that these large companies sub-contract a lot of their work.
Smaller businesses have to try anything they can to find and keep customers. One way that is popular today is offering “Free Diagnostics.” Many problems that cause a computer to run badly or not boot up at all can take quite a bit of time to diagnose. If we are talking about a newer computer most owners will pay to have the problem repaired. If a computer is six years old and needs $300 worth of repair work the chances are good that the client will not pay to have it repaired. Does anyone really believe that any business owner is going to work for free? At my shop I work on somewhere between 35 and 50 computers each month. On average over half of these computers are older machines. If the repair is over $150 most owners will choose to go out and buy a new one.
Most smaller repair shops already do the same work as the bigger stores at about 1/4 of the cost. So why do some small shops feel the need to offer something for free? Most people think that shops charge about the same for repairs. They might think that Best buy charges a little more but not four times the price. Small full time computer shops are also under pressure from what I call the “Weekend Computer Tech.” This guy throws an ad up on Craigslist just in case someone might call when he has some free time. Part of being a professional technician is being available to clients to provide support after the repair. The thing I hear the most from clients is ” I had this other guy come out last week but the problem is back and all I get is his voice mail.”
Smaller shops can charge less for a repair because they are small and have a small advertising budget. I work from a home shop and I don’t pay Google or any other company the expensive services that they offer. I also do not advertise that I will spend my time working on a computer for nothing. A few days ago I was standing in line to pay for my groceries when the clerk asked an older gentleman if he would like some free magazines. He said ” Sorry honey but I can’t afford any more free things.” I think that explains it better than I could if I rambled on for another three pages.
Larry Computer Doctor Boise