First off, please, no emails telling me how I’m a sexist pig. In this column, I’ll use the phrase “computer guy” as an all-inclusive term, meaning that your computer repairperson can be either male or female. Now that I’m all politically-corrected up, may we proceed? Thank you.
Hiring a computer service technician can be a bit like hiring a doctor or lawyer. Unless you are an expert in the field, you don’t really know if they are good at what they do or not. A lawyer may have a nice smile, only to stab you in the back when you’re not looking. A doctor may appear friendly and then amputate the wrong leg. So, how do we know if the computer guy we’re getting ready to hire is at all competent?
A person’s attitude can sometimes indicate whether or not you’re going to have a pleasant computer-guy experience. Is your computer guy friendly or surly? Does he seem to enjoy his work or is he cranky and easily irritated? Can he explain things in a language that you can understand or is he a snob, constantly using fancy computer terms and then treating you like an idiot for not understanding what he’s talking about? It’s been my experience that computer guys who have contempt for their less-than-knowledgeable customers, or who don’t really enjoy their jobs, are more willing to exploit or cheat their customers, sometimes by snooping through a customers private files, stealing songs or pictures, or simply doing slipshod work.
Is your computer guy willing to teach you how to use your computer more effectively, or is he one of those, “Oh, just get out of the way and let me do it” types? When he’s done working on your computer, do you know any more about the situation than when he began, or does he leave you clueless? Does he clearly explain what went wrong, and possibly teach you how to keep the problem from occurring again, or, when he’s done, are you simply “on your own?”
Preventative maintenance is a wonderful thing and can keep your computer trouble-free indefinitely. However, if nobody ever tells you what to do, you’ll often end up right back where you started. I like to leave my customers with a detailed list of maintenance chores that should be regularly performed. Quite frankly, I don’t like making repeat trips to repair the same things over and over, even if I am making money. Does your computer guy teach you how to perform virus and spyware scans and clean up your hard drive, or does he leave you with a computer that will be constantly breaking down?
If you’re thinking of hiring a computer guy that works for a national chain, do some Internet research to learn about the company’s reputation. This technique can also work when inquiring about local computer guys. Ask your friends and relatives if they’ve hired a computer guy that they like, or can warn you against those that should be avoided.
Finally, never hesitate to ask questions. Sure, your computer guy knows more about computers than you do. However, if he can’t explain things to your satisfaction, it may be time to move on.