A question to technicians on the forum

kronoSX

kronoSX

Honorary Master
Joined
Feb 28, 2005
Messages
15,305
Reaction score
336
Location
Capetown home to gang stars
If i was a customer and i brought you a pc and said to you my tv card is not working.I tell you that i reinstalled the drivers but i cant get the software to work.
This is what you as the technician do:you take out the tuner card clean it up and put it back in it,install the drivers and install the software and check the card.You now are satisfied its working.All this took you about a half hour to do:D.

How much would you charge the client.
 
First hour full charge, thereafter incremental.

If customer's a student, pensioner or somebody who cannot afford to make ends meet, then I'll bend the rules a bit.

But yes, it's a bit of a sticky wicket.

R80 sound too cheap... methinks R125-R200 should be better...

*shrugs*

Somebody got plastered with a R500 bill? :eek:
 
I'd say R80 and have a returning customer ;)
 
Well, if the customer ends up paying more than a new tuner card would have cost him, he's probably not going to be happy.

I'd go with R150 or so....but I usually don't charge people for helping them out so I wouldn't know.
 
Standard rate is R250.00/hour first hour paid in full whether it took 0 or 60 minutes, does not matter. That's why when you hand in a device for check and quote for repair the minimum charge remains R250.00 even if you do not accept the quote.

Simple, the reason is that to determine what the fault is is sometimes more time consuming than the actual repairing of the device. Sometimes the repair time in labour exceeds the value of the item.

Also remember the risk involved. You may contract a disease whilst blowing off that foreign dust and/or something else may go wrong during the repair. Also remember the OLD TV repairs issues. You repair a TV and after the faulty components is replaced the fact that they are new and may be more robust than the other components that remained and the reason for the original failure may still exist and/or a new problem develops in another area due to the new components that is out of spec in relation to the OLD remaining components. When the TV fails You 9/10 must repair and replace at your cost as the client will claim that it is still the same problem and hold you responsible.
 
Last edited:
UnoPanelvan said:
Standard rate is R250.00/hour first hour paid in full whether it took 0 or 60 minutes, does not matter. That's why when you hand in a device for check and quote for repair the minimum charge remains R250.00 even if you do not accept the quote.

Simple, the reason is that to determine what the fault is is sometimes more time consuming than the actual repairing of the device. Sometimes the repair time in labour exceeds the value of the item.
Click to expand...

Thats a bit harsh.

R50 inspection fee payable upfront and deducted from the final bill should you go ahead with the repair. Then R250 an hr. If it was only 30min I would go on merit. Easy fix bill 175 if it was a mission full hr.

For call outs its travel + first hr whether its 1 or 60min.
 
Gunny said:
Thats a bit harsh.

R50 inspection fee payable upfront and deducted from the final bill should you go ahead with the repair. Then R250 an hr. If it was only 30min I would go on merit. Easy fix bill 175 if it was a mission full hr.

For call outs its travel + first hr whether its 1 or 60min.
Click to expand...

A bit harsh? Take a PC to IC for repair. The harddrive failed. They will replace the drive and set it up as standard. No extra effort. Takes them a half our and you will fork out the cost-of drive + profit + R250.00.

When a PC comes to me the first story I do not want to loose my files and/or 10000 Mp3's. IC will say STFU. I will endeavour to save the data. It normally takes quiet a while. Specially when a nasty virus was involved. So Yeah HARSH? Take the PC somewhere else to NOT SO HARSH. R50.00 for an inspection, take your business elsewhere as I do not want it. The guy would give you your R50.00, bugger off and an hour later call you and say he still has the same problem (or similar) then you will be obliged to d more work for free as he already paid you. So, thus 20 cases *R50 is R1000 this would take on average 20 minutes minimum each thus +- 7hours, a full day for R1000? Your business will be going no-where fast. Sorry to say, May just as well go do work for the welfare society.
 
What HavocXphere said - always better to have a friend "owing" you something... :)

...R50 sounds reasonable though...unless you're running a business.
 
Last edited:
My dad is an IT Tech and he says around R120 for the job, all depends on what's done though he says.
 
dablakmark8 said:
If i was a customer and i brought you a pc and said to you my tv card is not working.I tell you that i reinstalled the drivers but i cant get the software to work.
This is what you as the technician do:you take out the tuner card clean it up and put it back in it,install the drivers and install the software and check the card.You now are satisfied its working.All this took you about a half hour to do:D.

How much would you charge the client.
Click to expand...

I have a computer support business and this puts food on my table so why would I want to do it for next to nothing? I am running a business .............. but if I was a private person and this was not my primary business, I would probably do it for nothing.

I agree with UnoPanelVans' comments on this.
 
Last edited:
UnoPanelvan said:
A bit harsh? Take a PC to IC for repair. The harddrive failed. They will replace the drive and set it up as standard. No extra effort. Takes them a half our and you will fork out the cost-of drive + profit + R250.00.

When a PC comes to me the first story I do not want to loose my files and/or 10000 Mp3's. IC will say STFU. I will endeavour to save the data. It normally takes quiet a while. Specially when a nasty virus was involved. So Yeah HARSH? Take the PC somewhere else to NOT SO HARSH. R50.00 for an inspection, take your business elsewhere as I do not want it. The guy would give you your R50.00, bugger off and an hour later call you and say he still has the same problem (or similar) then you will be obliged to d more work for free as he already paid you. So, thus 20 cases *R50 is R1000 this would take on average 20 minutes minimum each thus +- 7hours, a full day for R1000? Your business will be going no-where fast. Sorry to say, May just as well go do work for the welfare society.
Click to expand...

Think you misunderstood, R50 upfront inspection, you charging 250 to look even if you dont fix. I charge 50 to look then I quote and if you accept the 50 gets deducted form the final bill.
 
R50 ?? You oke's must be smoking crack!!! What the hell can you get for R50? Minimum charge for that is between R150 and R200. And that's good rates. Some may charge up to R300, but I say around R150 to R200 is reasonable. Any lower then you'll be doing some social work ....
 
Gunny said:
Think you misunderstood, R50 upfront inspection, you charging 250 to look even if you dont fix. I charge 50 to look then I quote and if you accept the 50 gets deducted form the final bill.
Click to expand...

Ok, Sorry, like an deposit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X