One survey of the Australian population for the year of 2007 reported that 5.1 million households had a computer and internet access. Another survey conducted in the United States reported that approximately 89 percent of Americans had a personal computer and of those 81 percent had internet access. A similar study conducted in the U.K. reported that more than 15 million residents had internet access. Now imagine that each computer has at least one problem over its lifetime. Who is going to fix them – the computer's owner? In most cases, no!
Most computer users lack the skills needed to fix even the most basic problems. Their computers are full of viruses, incompatible software, and lists of sneaky programs running in the background taking up their systems resources and slowing it down. They don't know a disc defragmenter from a partitioned disc drive. While most of these users sense that their PC is not running at its possible peak performance, the idea of loading up their whole system into their vehicle and carting it off to a repair shop is just too overwhelming. Not only is traveling anywhere with their PC a chore, but the possible embarrassment that often occurs when trying to communicate their computer's problem with a technician is just more than most people can bear. They know something is wrong but they have no clue what it is. In addition, without the technical ability to describe their problem adequately, they fear looking like an idiot. No one likes that.
Your computer repair service should offer respectful, friendly service to people experiencing computer problems. You can also offer to install additional programs to prevent future problems for a small additional fee. Your services can include things like helping a person connect to the internet, repairing virus problems, de-fragmenting their hard drive, helping them use things like cameras and mp3 players that need to connect to their PC by way of USB cable. They typically need help deciding which of the programs that they have unintentionally installed on their computer should stay and which need immediate uninstalling. You should be able to charge up to $100 dollars an hour, but first check the going rate other computer repair service companies are charging in your area. Since you will be traveling to your customer's home or small business location, you should be able to charge a little bit more than the average big box store charges for repairs and consultations.
When visiting a customer's location, remember to always dress professionally and wear a smile. Always treat them respectfully and try to reassure them of the importance of their problems. We know that often the true problems are user errors, but help them to understand how to work with their computer without humiliating them. Reassure them that others have much the same problems. You will have a loyal customer that will call you again the next time they have a problem.
Lastly, you will need to let your potential customers know about you! You should provide a website for your potential customers to access. Your website should include photos and detailed descriptions of the services that you provide. People are more likely to turn to a business with a friendly face associated with it, than just an advertisement with the name of a company and an impersonal phone number.
You may also want to advertise your per-hour services by running a visible advertisement in a local phone directory, list your business with an online business directory, and possibly also print up flyers and post them in places around town that receive a lot of foot traffic. Be sure to include popular lunch places and coffee shops! Most postal offices and grocery stores also have bulletin boards that they will allow you to place an advertisement on. Be sure to take advantage of any public bulletin boards in your immediate area to find the people who are looking for you and your services. In no time at all, you will have built up a large clientele base, many by word of mouth as they witness your professional services in action!
Resources:
http://www.rentnerd.com/
http://www.geeksquad.com/
http://www.techspoon.com/
http://www.techherd.com/
July 28, 2009
