How to Find the Right Person to Repair Your Computer
Have you ever run into a problem on your computer that you couldn’t fix yourself?
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How to Find the Right Person to Repair Your Computer
Sometimes, electronics break. And it can be very frustrating. Here’s how to find someone to fix your computer, no matter what kind it is:
Apple Devices
I always recommend Apple devices to my less tech savvy friends and family members. The first reason is that you have somewhere you can take your iPhone, iPod, or computer when something goes wrong. Apple devices are built incredibly well, and their operating systems are probably some of the easiest to use. However, Apple products are far more expensive than their Windows counterparts. A computer with the exact same specifications could be half the price of its Apple counterpart.
I recommend Apple, though, because they have a great support network behind them. At any given Apple store, you can make an appointment online if something goes wrong with your computer where an Apple Genius, which is what they call their specialists, will take a look at your device and help you with it. If there’s something physically wrong with your device, they will give you options on how to fix it, and if you just have a handful of questions, they will answer them on the spot.
Apple stores also host classes on how to use their devices. This is probably the number one reason that I recommend Apple devices. If someone doesn’t feel very comfortable on the computer then they can take any number of classes for free at an Apple store to learn more.
Again, a lot of those services are free because you pay a hefty amount for their products. The same goes with their repairs—even if their consultation is free quite often the repairs will cost a significant amount of money. This is not because they are trying to twist the knife by any means, it’s because Apple products are made very well and to some exact specifications that makes opening them up incredibly difficult.
In a nutshell, if your budget allows you to buy an Apple product and you’re concerned about where you’ll take it, or who to ask if you have questions, go with Apple. If you’re curious, I have an iPhone and all my computers are Windows.
Windows
Like I mentioned earlier, if you compare specifications alone between two computers, almost always a Windows computer will be much cheaper. This comes at a cost though later down the road. Who do you take your computer to when you have an issue? After you buy a Windows computer, you are typically on your own to troubleshoot the problem. For someone like me, this isn’t really a problem; however, for most users, some software problems and most hardware problems may be over their heads.
So how do you find someone to help you out? You can start by asking friends and family who they take their devices to. For all you know there is a local computer shop that does a fantastic job at fixing computers.
Next consult Yelp. Yelp is a great way to search for reviews of local businesses in your area. What makes it so powerful is that you can search for pretty much any type of business and see how many reviews they have. If you use Yelp to help you find a computer repair guy, make sure the person has quite a few reviews. Of course, make sure to read the reviews and ensure they’re credible. After all, the business may have all five star reviews for removing viruses, but just mediocre reviews for fixing hardware problems.
Avoid haggling or trying to strike a deal with whoever you pick—at least the first time you try them. If they are worth their salt as a computer repair business, they will probably have a significant amount of work, and when they have to pick and choose which jobs they take, you want them to pick yours!
If you want to go an unconventional route for your computer needs, I recommend sending an email to the computer science department of a local college, asking if they could recommend someone to help fix your computer, networking, or other problems. This may sound strange, but typically college students don’t make a ton of money while they are in school. Most computer science students know a ton about fixing computers and other electronics, and if you can, try to find a student who can answer your questions. There’s an opportunity for both of you. They can make way more money than minimum wage, and you’re not going to pay an arm and a leg anytime you need general computer help.
If you’re worried about what happens when they graduate, odds are they have a younger classmate that can take over. This works especially well for small businesses that need an IT guy, but can’t hire someone full time.
What to Avoid
I almost always avoid Craigslist for computer repairs. There are typically no reviews or recourse if something goes wrong. You’re just handing your computer over to a stranger who could do more harm than good. I would also strongly discourage taking your computer over to Best Buy’s geek squad. I’ve had to lodge a ton of complaints against them on behalf of others for unnecessary work done or incredibly high prices.
Be sure to check out all my earlier episodes at techtalker.quickanddirtytips.com. And if you have further questions about this podcast or want to make a suggestion for a future episode, post them on Facebook QDTtechtalker.
Until next time, I’m the Tech Talker, keeping technology simple!
