How much should I pay my friend for fixing my PC?

HappyMJ

Mates rates are normally around minimum wages. But not in cash...Few beers, wine, curries, pizza, anything. I expect something not much just something but I'll never ask for anything I just will find myself quite busy next time someone asks me to do something for them again.

If they do offer cash I'll spend it with them

robmar0se

macman wrote: »

Going rate where? I don't know anyone in London who will do a call out and first hour for £15? At least not if doing it professionally.
Anyone offering those rates is simply devaluing themselves and the business generally.
No-one would bat an eyelid if an electrician or plumber asked for £30 for the first hour (indeed, they'd wonder why they were so cheap).
Once a job is likely to go over 2 hours (say virus removal), then a fixed price becomes sensible, £60 or £70.
These prices are based on a home service, not a retail outlet offering repairs.

We are trying to help the OP get an idea what the work would have cost if done by a professional firm. London prices are indeed higher than elsewhere. It also depends on whether the work is done on site or brought in, and whether it is commercial or retail (home). You really can't compare retail PC repairs to plumbers and electricians. Rates outside London in the SE are pretty consistent at the prices quoted earlier.

I think in this case where a friend of the OP did the work it would fit in with the independent example below. For example here are the rates for a Brighton based firm who advertise their rates (in my experience these are pretty standard):

If you are in the Brighton And Hove area and need your Computer or Laptop repaired, a virus or spyware removed, your wireless internet fixed, important data recovered, PCDoctor can help.

• Virus and Spyware Removal - £25 FIXED FEE
• PC and Laptop Repairs - £40 FIXED FEE
• Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 Problems - £40 FIXED FEE
• Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 Re-installation - £50 FIXED FEE
• Wireless and Internet Problems - £40 FIXED FEE
• Data Recovery from Hard Drives and Memory Cards - from £40
  We can also:
• Upgrade your PC or Laptops Memory - from £20
• Aswell as your PC or Laptops Hard Drive - from £40
• Give your system a Tune-Up - £30

Someone trying to break into the business, and there are many, will need to differentiate themselves to get a toe-hold

scheming_gypsy

albionrovers wrote: »

Forget money, it's a f-r-i-e-n-d. A bottle or a crate of beer is fine. If they don't drink, they can donate it to the next raffle. If they don't raffle, they need to get out more. Jeez, do the moneysavers above even know what a friend is?

you must have a f-r-i-e-n-d in your local off license as most crates of beer cost dum dum duuuuuuuuuuuuum.................. money.
crate of beer costs about £20. A £20 note costs exactly £20


Although i struggling on the 'if they don't raffle, they need to get out more' bit. Does anybody raffle? it's not the 1940's in the church tea room.

andy2004

macman wrote: »

Ask him how many hours he spent on it and reward accordingly, say £30 per hour?

lol at the £30 per hour, when my brother brings his friends "not mine" computers round both laptop and pc towers, for me to fix, i'm lucky if i get £20 for the entire job, unless its hardware related then i get reimbursed for the cost of the hardware.
small note: i dont buy the hardware until 2 things, 1 i know for a fact they want the hardware fixed, 2, i've told them the price of the required piece of hardware, whether it be memory, hdd, etc, and they are happy that price is cheap enough.

And he never phones me to check before he brings them around.

macman

But it's your choice not to charge a reasonable rate...

giraffe69

I try to fix computers for friends from time to time. Mostly virus problems. I don't want or expect cash but do appreciate a token. Those who can't even manage a thank you generally find me too busy next time.

Aaravkmr

Be careful there,

hjibds

As someone else who works in IT repair, it's depending on how close the friend is. If a close friend then there is no charge. If its someone I know from thr pub, I try to get out of it. Everyone epects the computers fixed for next to nothing. They don't realise the time thats involved in doing it.
We do use computers at home - but that doesn't mean we enjoy spending several hours after working all day fiing them or spending a weekend on them.

I don't mean to sound mean but if its someone I don't know or know well then I expect to be paid cash, generally £30 or so for fixing viruses/reinstalling windows etc

If thats too expensive take it to a shop its no skin off my nose i'd rather have my time to spend doing what I want to do that than spend a whole saturday installing windows/office/updates etc for £30.

A lot of friends of friends try to give you a bottle for your trouble, I don't fix them again, if I wanted a bottle i'd buy one with the cash I was paid!

As someone else mentioned if the shoe was on the other foot and I asked a brickie to build me a wall (me supplying materials) I bet theres not many that would do it for a bottle of vodka.

spannerzone

Hammyman wrote: »

Pay him. If you don't and ask him again he, like me, will think you're only interested in him because he can fix your computer. I have several family and "friends" which only surface from the woodwork when their computers are broken. They now all, without exception, get billed at my normal rate because I got sick of them taking the pi$$.

Ask him how long it took before giving him some money and work it on £10/hr as a thankyou.

Wise words indeed! - it's amazing how you hear from people at the exact moment their computer goes wrong and then hear nothing until they next ruin it. Funny coincidence that :rotfl:

As a true friend you might actually want to try convince him to get a job that pays! - every man and their dog is an 'IT Expert' these days and he'll find he's competing against idiots that commercially charge £20 for any fix, or no fix no fee, or no call out or complete rebuilds for £30.

Now if he fixes macs (an oxymoron probably) or does work for small businesses that need an IT expert then that might pay.... but dealing with Joe Public doing IT repairs might pay pocket money or suit those that don't declare earnings but is hard to earn below minimum wage in many locations.

And as hjibds says, people often assume that if you work with computers as your day job then you'll enjoy working on theirs at the weekend... just like my plumber and builder does, they're always asking if they can do some odd jobs for a bottle of beer. My rear extension cost me a 12 pack of fosters and a curry.

Candy53

I would say to him 'I know we're mates, but I really appreciate you repairing it for me, and as you're trying to go into business, I would like to pay you something.'

It will show you haven't taken him for granted, and he will probably then say he doesn't want anything.

Candy