Tweet
Okay, so most of you know that I closed my little computer-repair shop a few years ago. I still do computer repair on the side, though. It's not enough to live off of, but with the economy heading straight for the Big Gurgle, every little bit helps.
Anyway, back in the spring, I got called upon to replace a modem in a computer. I won't bore you with the details, but the actual symptom at the time was the machine would not power up. Fortunately for this woman, it was a toasted modem card (due probably to a voltage spike on the phone line from a nearby lightning strike) actually preventing the machine from powering up - replacing the modem fixed the problem and all was fine, though I did advise her that she should invest in a good-quality surge suppressor to prevent it from happening again.
Fast-forwad to a few weeks ago - we had another gully-washer roll through, and within hours of that, this same woman calls me again - same symptom. And this time, it's REALLY dead. I'd actually pulled the machine and took it home, and proceeded to poke and prod for probably 30 minutes before I came to the unpleasant conclusion that this computer was done. Specifically, the motherboard was now an inert piece of plastic, metal, and silicon.
Now, a few words about the computer. It's about 5-6 years old and was uber-cheap when it was new. The motherboard of which I spoke has EVERYTHING built onto it - video, sound, and network - and, oddly enough, the AMD Duron-850 chip itself. In other words, you cannot replace the CPU like you can in most other machines because it is physically soldered to the system board.
So, in effect, to repair this machine would involve replacing the motherboard, CPU, and memory (no new motherboard sold today would use the memory she had on her existing one). So, we're looking at a price tag of roughly $200-250, just for PARTS, assuming we find another board with integrated audio, video, and network - more expensive if we use add-in cards for these functions. And let's not forget labor.
Even as I write this, Walmart has a NEW eMachine for sale for just under $300. Not a powerhouse, to be sure, but a significant step up from her old machine, AND it has a warranty. And yes, I explained all this to her - I do try to be honest with people. I mean, you'd think it was a no-brainer, right?
This is where she turned into Sucky Customer. She flat accuses ME of destroying her computer - her logic was that I put a new modem in it back in the spring and somehow did it 'wrong' and now her computer is 'conveniently' broke and she has to buy a new one.
Trying to remain calm, I explained to her that her computer was WORKING when I left last time - she used it for several months, so if I'd installed the modem 'wrong' she wouldn't have been able to use the Internet at all, and that I did not benefit by sending her to Walmart after a replacement. She finally seemed to accept this, and then it turned surreal.
She told me she wanted her computer repaired. I pointed out to her, AGAIN, that the more expedient and cost-effective solution would be to simply buy a new one. However, if she wanted her old one fixed, I could certainly do that, too. I'm just trying to look out for my customer, you know?
She insists she wants her old one fixed, and I do so. It took a couple of days, and she has a somewhat faster rig than she did initially, and the cost of the parts and labor came to a total of $330
When I call to tell her that her computer is ready, she goes bat-shit crazy that it's going to cost her $330. Why? I wonder. Well, the gist of the subsequent shriekfest is this:
She didn’t believe me when I told her a NEW computer was less than $300, so she went down to the local Walmart and saw it for herself. But that couldn't be right, because she was so CERTAIN I was lying to her. Because repairmen always lie, right? After all, she paid almost $700 for her old computer when it was new (and got robbed in my opinion), and EVERYBODY knows things don't get cheaper because prices keep going UP, see? So $300 had to be a lie. But there it was in front of her, obviously it was true. That means I told her the truth, but that can't be right, because repairmen always lie.
Everybody get that? She didn't believe me because I *LIED* to her by telling her the truth.
Anybody UNDERSTAND it? If so, can you explain it to ME, please?
Well, evidently it made sense to her, because she BOUGHT the Walmart computer, therefore she doesn't want to pay the $330 for the repairs to her old one - yet she wants her 'old' computer back, but that's not going to happen because it's full of new parts that I cannot return now because they've been installed. I can't sell the damned thing for what I have in it, nor do I have any particular use for it myself.
And people wonder WHY I closed up my little shop…..
Anyway, back in the spring, I got called upon to replace a modem in a computer. I won't bore you with the details, but the actual symptom at the time was the machine would not power up. Fortunately for this woman, it was a toasted modem card (due probably to a voltage spike on the phone line from a nearby lightning strike) actually preventing the machine from powering up - replacing the modem fixed the problem and all was fine, though I did advise her that she should invest in a good-quality surge suppressor to prevent it from happening again.
Fast-forwad to a few weeks ago - we had another gully-washer roll through, and within hours of that, this same woman calls me again - same symptom. And this time, it's REALLY dead. I'd actually pulled the machine and took it home, and proceeded to poke and prod for probably 30 minutes before I came to the unpleasant conclusion that this computer was done. Specifically, the motherboard was now an inert piece of plastic, metal, and silicon.
Now, a few words about the computer. It's about 5-6 years old and was uber-cheap when it was new. The motherboard of which I spoke has EVERYTHING built onto it - video, sound, and network - and, oddly enough, the AMD Duron-850 chip itself. In other words, you cannot replace the CPU like you can in most other machines because it is physically soldered to the system board.
So, in effect, to repair this machine would involve replacing the motherboard, CPU, and memory (no new motherboard sold today would use the memory she had on her existing one). So, we're looking at a price tag of roughly $200-250, just for PARTS, assuming we find another board with integrated audio, video, and network - more expensive if we use add-in cards for these functions. And let's not forget labor.
Even as I write this, Walmart has a NEW eMachine for sale for just under $300. Not a powerhouse, to be sure, but a significant step up from her old machine, AND it has a warranty. And yes, I explained all this to her - I do try to be honest with people. I mean, you'd think it was a no-brainer, right?
This is where she turned into Sucky Customer. She flat accuses ME of destroying her computer - her logic was that I put a new modem in it back in the spring and somehow did it 'wrong' and now her computer is 'conveniently' broke and she has to buy a new one.
Trying to remain calm, I explained to her that her computer was WORKING when I left last time - she used it for several months, so if I'd installed the modem 'wrong' she wouldn't have been able to use the Internet at all, and that I did not benefit by sending her to Walmart after a replacement. She finally seemed to accept this, and then it turned surreal.
She told me she wanted her computer repaired. I pointed out to her, AGAIN, that the more expedient and cost-effective solution would be to simply buy a new one. However, if she wanted her old one fixed, I could certainly do that, too. I'm just trying to look out for my customer, you know?
She insists she wants her old one fixed, and I do so. It took a couple of days, and she has a somewhat faster rig than she did initially, and the cost of the parts and labor came to a total of $330
When I call to tell her that her computer is ready, she goes bat-shit crazy that it's going to cost her $330. Why? I wonder. Well, the gist of the subsequent shriekfest is this:
She didn’t believe me when I told her a NEW computer was less than $300, so she went down to the local Walmart and saw it for herself. But that couldn't be right, because she was so CERTAIN I was lying to her. Because repairmen always lie, right? After all, she paid almost $700 for her old computer when it was new (and got robbed in my opinion), and EVERYBODY knows things don't get cheaper because prices keep going UP, see? So $300 had to be a lie. But there it was in front of her, obviously it was true. That means I told her the truth, but that can't be right, because repairmen always lie.
Everybody get that? She didn't believe me because I *LIED* to her by telling her the truth.
Anybody UNDERSTAND it? If so, can you explain it to ME, please?
Well, evidently it made sense to her, because she BOUGHT the Walmart computer, therefore she doesn't want to pay the $330 for the repairs to her old one - yet she wants her 'old' computer back, but that's not going to happen because it's full of new parts that I cannot return now because they've been installed. I can't sell the damned thing for what I have in it, nor do I have any particular use for it myself.
And people wonder WHY I closed up my little shop…..
Comment