What do you mean you won't inconvenience yourself for me?

[prjkt]

Not saying you're wrong, but it's equally likely that the computer done just stopped workin'. If it's three years old, it's gonna be more use as a paperweight.

But it's probably a combination of it being old and pron-virus that's got it borked.

Not so sure about that, my desktop is going on 7 years now and still powering away, although for a well spec'd ~$5k Mac Pro you'd kinda hope so. My laptop is probably four years old, and just as decent now as it was then...

[An Haddock]

Ugh - just had a similar call like this. Older woman, having issues with her computer shutting off after a couple of minutes.

First asks how much it is to fix it. I explain there's no way to tell without seeing it. Could be bad memory, hard drive, overheating, spyware, etc. Fine.

Of course she calls at about 3:30 on a Friday. I'm by myself in the shop Fridays unless I know I'll need one of my techs, like someone makes an appointment a couple of days beforehand.

While I could just drop everything and go over myself, it would mean closing the shop. And I'm not doing that.


She can't bring the computer in because it's a tower and she has a sick husband - okay, that I can understand. I ask if there's anyone else who can bring it in... nephew, neighbor, etc. Nope. She sounds a little bitchy on the phone so maybe she doesn't have any friends.


Finally arrange to have my guy there Monday afternoon. Can't wait to see what her issue turns out to be. My money is on hoarder/filthy overheating computer. I should set up a betting pool with my business partner and other technicians.

[protege]

I had to go to a lock smith to have my truck keys duplicated. None of the big box stores had the right keys and the car dealer did not make the keys, they ordered them and it would had taken more than a week to get them.

For one of my cars, I have no choice but to order the key blanks. A 46-year-old vehicle, of which only a handful exist locally, means that none of the usual suspects has the blanks. I either have to order them...or start the car by hotwiring it. Even if I order them, there were a dozen different "cuts" used over the years, and it's not exactly easy to pick them out. Nor are the blanks cheap--$16, if I can get them.

[ML2000]

Get this all the time here, and never do we provide same-day service for residential. That right is reserved for our corporate clients.

Of course when someone gets bitchy I ask them if they want to pay the corporate rate, and the answer is always no.... funny how that works

[Cia]

With us the customer usually calls around 4pm on a Friday or before a holiday stating their fire alarm panel is beeping. You ask for how long and the answer 95% of the time is for a week.

[wolfie]

The transponder chip has to be programmed using the car itself ($30 a key and $75 - $100 to get another key fob)

Technically, it's the car and not the key that's getting programmed - the programming is telling the car "the key with serial number X is now authorized to start you".

[Racket_Man]

I had to go to a lock smith to have my truck keys duplicated. None of the big box stores had the right keys and the car dealer did not make the keys, they ordered them and it would had taken more than a week to get them.

.

My car (15 years old) has keys which contain a chip (just a transponder chip NOT one of the current elaborate box like keys with the actual key and all the other related junk) and I could not use one of those automated key cutting kisoks. I had to go to one of the chain hardware stores with a FULL locksmith dept and get keys made.

The transponder chip has to be programmed using the car itself ($30 a key and $75 - $100 to get another key fob)

[earl colby pottinger]

Truck keys

Do people ever actually go through with dispatching a locksmith to copy a couple of keys? Ever since they got those automatic machines, even the Big Box copies seem to work smooth as silk, so you don't even need to go to a specialist any more.

I had to go to a lock smith to have my truck keys duplicated. None of the big box stores had the right keys and the car dealer did not make the keys, they ordered them and it would had taken more than a week to get them.

But home service at $70 for a pair of keys? I have better things to spend money on.



As for the computer, yes I have computers that are more than three years old but once a machine gets that old it is time to replace it rather than repair it if you need it for anything important. Of-course with SCs we know that not getting to their porn is considered an emergency. And as far as getting a repair on the the weekend you either have to be a big customer with a pre-paid service contract or the last two weeks before Christmas we would be open on Saturdays of that last minute rush.

PS. The repair center no longer does the Christmas thing as most customers are businesses now with proper support contracts.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I have a Windows 7 Acer I've had for 5 years now, I keep it regularly updated and it works great.

I have 2 laptops: the older one is a Dell Insprion that runs Vista (approximately 7 years old now), the other a Toshiba Satellite that originally came with 7 (since upgraded to 10 and purchased in 2011) and both are chugging along fine.

But then I'm almost anal about keeping anti virus updated as well as Windows and other software updates.

[An Haddock]

And did he get off his lazy tuchus and bring the box in to have it looked at?

Nope! Guess it wasn't that much of an emergency.

[Kittykat]

I have a Windows 7 Acer I've had for 5 years now, I keep it regularly updated and it works great.

[sirwired]

He actually called back a little later. I guess no one else was available to go out at the last minute on a Saturday, either, oddly enough.

And did he get off his lazy tuchus and bring the box in to have it looked at?

[An Haddock]

He actually called back a little later. I guess no one else was available to go out at the last minute on a Saturday, either, oddly enough.

[mjr]

If it's three years old, it's gonna be more use as a paperweight.

I dunno...My wife and I had a couple of WinXP machines that lasted dang near a decade. They were still running (albeit more slowly) when we decided to retire them last year.

[jedimaster91]

Do people ever actually go through with dispatching a locksmith to copy a couple of keys? Ever since they got those automatic machines, even the Big Box copies seem to work smooth as silk, so you don't even need to go to a specialist any more.

I don't know if those kiosk machines are able to make keys that have chips in them. Maybe they do. But they work awesome for house keys.