IT Support to Friends / Family

peaceandfreedom

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Or 'I can come round at 'mates rates', which are half the £60 an hour I usually charge, will be a minimum of an hour's work to fix it'.

Unless they are genuinely a mate, I'd stick to the £60 an hour - it's usually enough to make people think twice.

And frankly, unless you do strictly charge for all time spent, fixing people's computers is both unprofitable and a total pain in the backside. That's why even most IT service/support companies avoid looking after individual people's computers.

Tell them to find a techie teenager to do the job instead for a fee - they will be glad of the money.

spadoosh

foxtrot_mike,

I would go for an answer something along these lines. "Sorry not available out of work, my company doesnt allow freelance, however i believe (epson or insert other manufacture here) have a fantastic manual that clearly shows where your cables should be plugged"

Alternatively if you have children " not available but i will send little joey round"

Basically i would be trying to incinuate that they were stupid for not being able to work a printer!! Wireless or not! Just seems a bit bone idle!!

I am also the idiot who is requested should anything electrical brake (which doesnt happen very often)

lostinrates

Feiw i am adding to the echo this is not just an it problem. Dh's IT people were asking him for profesional advice free all the time, and he got a curt not my job when he took my laptop to them at work. Dh pointed out he would pay them for their time if they paid him for his....his firm charge a ridiculous hourly fee for him. After that, much laughter, and they volunteer advice now, and have offered to sort out all our home it things i. Return for a weekend or too in the country at our house.


I worked with large animals, particularly horses. The number of peo
Ewho want to do me a facour by giving me a horse with a problem to sort out is unbelievable. (but they always say...so long as you don't sell him...they want the horse back. Or not to have to worry about it, but do not want the cost f keeping or paying a professional) I almost always apologise and say no, thoguh sometimes the situation has been good, offering me somethign i would learn from or particularly enjoy. The harder thing with animals over computers is that you grow attached to them and worry aout them when they are gone.

KxMx

I do ask a friends husband if he can come round to do some flatpack for us occasionaly, at his leisure. The last time there was only one item so he got hot drinks, cakes and biscuits while he was round, offered bus fares but he refused as he said he didn't make a special trip.

I now have 4 things and as there are so many I am going to insist he takes a tenner and bus fare this time Or at least the tenner!

The handyman we use occasionaly would charge £20-£30 to do 4 things so I feel it's a fair offer.

I have a friend in IT and he does complain alot that people only talk to him when there is something they want fixing. I try not to go to him as I can sort out most things by myself, sometimes I am a bit sneaky and moan on Facebook about an issue, that way if he wants to help he can respond but if not he can ignore it, and he's done both in the past which is more than fair.

missprice

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

I agree with the general advice on here - say no. Would they expect free expertise if you were an electrician/plumber/doctor/dentist? I cannot understand why people think that IT support is something that is available for nothing.



Also, if you do someone a favour and fix whatever problem they have, when something else entirely unconnected goes wrong 3 months later, you will be blamed.

Say no and if that isn't quite understood, quote a very high hourly rate.

erm yes many ppl ask my OH for this kind of stuff as a favour
generally he will say yes and fix a time but then say ok well the whole family was off for a meal that day (blatant lie) can you feed us all a roast dinner that day?
some ppl do in fact feed us all and its usually well worth it. and those that dont/wont never ask again
and yes he no longer fixes cars for ppl as they sometimes years later come back and say its broke again can you fix it and then he points out the guarantee ran out 2 years previously
why oh why do ppl think that once he has fixed it its fixed forever?
nothing lasts forever so why expect an electricians work would be any different
i too have fixed ppls computer as i aint a total moron and do what it says on the tin/google/handbook
but if there is no bottle of wine or summat then i wont do it again
my time is precious just like theirs
agree just say no in a polite way

Seanymph

My IT friend once said '99% of the time the problem is between the screen and the seat.'

grimsalve

Seanymph wrote: »

My IT friend once said '99% of the time the problem is between the screen and the seat.'

We actually have a closure code on our fault logging system :

PEBKAC - "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair"

Gavin83

I work in IT as well so I get the same issue. I don't mind helping out friends and family but I think being asked to sort out a PC for someone you don't even know is taking it a bit far. In that situation I'd either refuse or expect some small token payment or a present (maybe a bottle of wine or something) in return. I really don't think people should expect relatives of friends to do it for no reward, after all they are giving up their time for you.

BugglyB

I have a friend who fixes my computer, and helps me with what products I should buy and what apps I need and stuff.

In return I cook for him, normally a roast dinner or fish pie. I buy the beer but he does the washing up. Its all very harmonioius and everyone thinks they're getting the better deal :rotfl:

BlondeHeadOn

Franky OP, I'd print out all of this thread and send it to your father. What he is asking for is way out of order, and you should make it clear to him that it's not just you who thinks so.

Reducing you to tears over someone's PC problem when you don't even know that person - tell your Dad that this is child abuse!