Re: Start Fresh

Post #136,064 by deSitter 1/16/04 9:43:56 AM Reply	Re: Start Fresh Easy model: Visit home for fixed fee of $200, I'd keep $133 and business gets $66. Offer support contract and split this 50/50. I'd pay for gas and manage my own time. You get a fleet of such guys working the city. I get a dream job of being outside doing IT, Norm sits on ass and collects megabucks. With VNC you can do remote support for key issues. -drl
Post #136,066 by boxley 1/16/04 9:51:03 AM Reply	computercity will home visit for $95 :-0 same old crap, con artists ripping off fools. Ah, hell, Catholic Church it start off that way. They All do. Jesus probably had three walnut shells one pea, then he's dead and can't be questioned, Gabriel Dupre questions, help? [link\|mailto:pappas@catholic.org\|email pappas at catholic.org]
Post #136,077 by deSitter 1/16/04 10:28:40 AM Reply	People know the work will be shite -drl
Post #136,202 by Arkadiy 1/16/04 5:06:20 PM Reply	You know they work for shite People recognize Computer City as a major name, they don't recognize you. This is going to hurt. If Orion's experience with his own home machine and his brother's machine is any guide, it' s going to hurt. -- "It\ufffds possible to build a reasonably prosperous society that invests in its people, doesn\ufffdt invade its neighbors, opposes Israel and stands up to America. (Just look at France.)" -- James Lileks
Post #136,269 by orion 1/17/04 5:44:51 AM Reply	Learning from it all This is going to hurt. If Orion's experience with his own home machine and his brother's machine is any guide, it' s going to hurt. Both could have been easily solved with a reformat and reinstall, but I choose instead to try and learn what went wrong. Judgement call, but part of the learning process. People recognize Computer City as a major name, they don't recognize you. Agreed, we need to get our name out there somehow. I will be taking a class in marketing. While we won't be as sucessful or well known as Circuit City, we should be able to get enough customers to stay in business. I am browsing the [link\|http://www.circuitcity.com/\|http://www.circuitcity.com/] web site, I see computer repair services being offered there. [link\|http://www.circuitcity.com/cs_contentdisplay.jsp?c=1&b=g&incat=11171\|http://www.circuitci...1&b=g&incat=11171] I do not know what they charge. Perhaps you can help shed some light on this subject? Also what about Best Buy? [link\|http://www.bestbuy.com/\|http://www.bestbuy.com/] they seem to have a repair service, but do not give out what their prices are either. Prices from either company may vary, I've dealt with Circuit City before on camcorder repair. The cost of repairing a camcorder exceeded the cost of buying a new one. If their computer repair prices are anything like their camcorder repair prices, we undercut them. *"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"*
Post #136,325 by boxley 1/17/04 7:47:35 PM Reply	around here $95 per hour plus parts same old crap, con artists ripping off fools. Ah, hell, Catholic Church it start off that way. They All do. Jesus probably had three walnut shells one pea, then he's dead and can't be questioned, Gabriel Dupre questions, help? [link\|mailto:pappas@catholic.org\|email pappas at catholic.org]
Post #136,437 by orion 1/18/04 8:30:51 PM Reply	Just experienced Best Buy and Circuit City isn't much different either. It seems when you want to buy something, employees are nice to you. When you have to return something, their attitudes are different. My mother-in-law got a wireless keyboard for her iPaq at Best Buy, a clerk told her it would work with her iPaq, but it did not. The model number of the iPaq was not on the supported models of the keyboard. Someone had lied to her or did not know what they were talking about. Went to exchange the keyboard, had a long line. The lady told us to get a new keyboard, but they were all out of PDA keyboards except for one that did not work with her model iPaq. Inventory control problems, PDAs are being phased out of inventory, come back in 3 days maybe we will have more then. We got store credit, and will return later. Not a very good experience, I at least expected them to find a keyboard that worked and put it on hold for us. So when it comes in, they will call us. *"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"*
Post #136,704 by orion 1/20/04 2:16:31 PM Reply	Oh BTW I did some searching and there is no Computer City CompUSA bought them out. I used to shop at Computer City and liked it, only they would not honor rebates and then after the buyout they stopped responding to phone calls on rebate status. BTW Circuit City is losing business to Best Buy, etc. and is selling off their credit card company: [link\|http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/20/news/companies/circuit_city.reut/index.htm\|http://money.cnn.com...ty.reut/index.htm] CompUSA technical services: [link\|http://www.compusa.com/tech_services/default.asp\|http://www.compusa.c...vices/default.asp] No upfront pricing, all estimates, but they do have a service plan. Last I checked there was a long waiting line to get repairs and upgrades. Not as good as a technician coming out in a timely manner to repair or upgrade something with up front pricing. I used to work at a company that used Computer City and we bought a system via a lease and instead of billing the leasing company they billed us. We had communicated with several Computer City employees about the fact that we are leasing and the leasing company is paying the bill, but they ignored us and kept billing us. So we went elsewhere. This was IIRC in 1997, maybe things have changed now that CompUSA owns them? No Business Majors there I am guessing that understand just how a lease works? *"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"*
Post #136,110 by drewk 1/16/04 11:59:43 AM Reply	Or get a new one for $299 === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
Post #136,117 by deSitter 1/16/04 12:08:57 PM Reply	Misses point People want to own computer thing that works, not to have the latest computer thing. People do reglar maintenance on their cars, and will gladly do the same with their computer thing if the service is correctly structured. -drl
Post #136,155 by orion 1/16/04 1:29:24 PM Reply	It has to be good service, of good quality or else they won't pay as much. Sure I could hire a High School or College graduate and pay them $5.50/hr and only charge $12/hr for services and pocket the rest. I can garnendamntee the service won't be the best quality and the PFY will have to return to correct the mistakes he/she made. I'd rather hire an expert like deSitter and pay him more and make sure it is done right and of good quality. This alone is worth the extra money. After all, how much is downtime worth to you when the PFY messes up and leaves the client hanging? *"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"*

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