Editing The Most useful Tips to getting a Computer Service Technician
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If your computer is out of warranties and it dies on you, is your basic inclination to pitch it and just purchase a new PC? Or maybe, are you the kind of person that considers repairing it? Normally, the trouble and strain of correcting their computer is too much and they turn out ditching it rather quickly. This is sad because the correct computer technician could repair the PC in a satisfactory and affordable way, saving you cash from purchasing a new PC. Little do they know that selecting the right pc tech could lead to a simple, inexpensive fix and a computer thats like new again. It is easier to come across a high quality computer repair technician than one may think. Any family's rolodex of numbers is loaded with plenty of competent computer repair gurus who are more than adequate to fix most computer issues that you may bump into. I don't say this to be facetious, I actually mean it. Still, what sets apart these pros from the ones you actually want operating on your computer are three important things: experience, support, and documentation. Understanding the right inquiries is a very important part of finding the right [http://ritaspeaks.com/?p=18579 technical support] . This enables you to separate the cream from the crop, insuring that only the best professionals work on your computer system. <h2>Qualifications and Requirements</h2> You'll discover many types of computer certifications out there. One of the main dilemmas is that the formal certifications are specific only to a given vendor. Beware that a lot of them are completely vendor specific. Case in point, Microsoft certifies specialists for all of its products, but outside of the Windows operating system, these certifications are no place to be found. Another problem is that frequent updates make the certification less reliable. Oracle is among the list of major networking authorities that have extremely credible certifications. Lots of different companies have their own certifications including Dell, Cisco, IBM, and many more. <h2>Certificates</h2> There's also a few services that will offer neutral certificates for several kinds of software. Certifications from providers like CompTIA do provide a good overview for what a technician can do. But essentially, these providers are in it to make dollars. This is not saying that their service isn't useful, just that their incentives don’t always align with yours. They rely on member fees to fund this business, so they do have desire to produce new specialists. This doesn't mean that graduates from this system are not qualified, just that their training may not be as extensive as someone with a four year IT degree. Although some one with a 4 year degree is often not operating their own business, as lots of these workers are hired to bigger companies. The conclusion here is that you should ask if the individual has a college degree related to computers. If they don't, or if they simply offer their certifications, just record the certification and move on to the following question You can then progress to the subsequent question. <h2>Practical experience and References</h2> The next question asked is what relevant experience the technician has correlated to your job. Ask them about their experience repairing computers, how long have they been in the field? Do they have any references from past customers? Most professionals have references currently set aside; customers that they get along with well and are more than delighted to give them glowing recommendations. The biggest factor to take away is how long they have been in the computer repair business. This is important information. Don't stop there. Absolutely call those referrals and ask them what sort of repairs the professional has done for them, how much time it typically takes the tech to do repairs, and if the individual feels that their rates are practical. Even a glowing rating from a favorite customer can let slip details that may expose some surprises about how the individual runs their company. Watch out for those details. Don't be overcome by this procedure though; you generally only must to do this once. You'll only need to ask these questions once, when you first hire the technician. <h2>Techs' Specialization</h2> As revealed above, there are many different kinds of certifications that are around for technicians. Likewise, Apple grants its own certifications too, in the form of Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) or Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP). These means the individual has fundamental support abilities to help you out with a Mac. In the same way, CompTIA offers a Linux certification, or professionals can get an LPI certification from the Linux Professional Institute. External of operating systems, qualified professionals sometimes specialize in different computer brands, even if they are focused on Windows machines. Case in point, a technician may have worked with Dell computers for such a long time that simply from the explanation of the computer problem, the individual can immediately tell you that the most probable cause is a bust capacitor on the motherboard. Various PC makers have quality problems through the years, and professionals with a lot of experience simply learn about those issues from having to fix so many popular problems. You just gotta ask if they focus in particular computer brands. Ask if he or she has partnerships or other relations with certain companies. Just say you're searching for a computer service person you can return to regularly for computer help. <h2>Ask for Prices and Demand High Cost Limits</h2> Keep in mind that business is not always smooth for a computer service technician. This is a tough topic in the PC service field, because in all justness to technicians, individuals really try to take advantage of them. Their relatives may often expect computer assistance for free. Even those whom they are close to will often ask for free support. Worse is that some people then expect complimentary technical support for the lifetime after the repair. So yes, computer technicians won't take kindly to low offers. Though there is the flip side that a PC service technician will rip off an unaware customer who has little knowledge of computers. They may charge an hourly rate, and then coldly claim that the problem took much longer than it did to fix. Not knowing otherwise, people will pay too much. Some will claim that a select range of hourly charges is fair. Others in the industry feel that only flat fees are acceptable. My experience, having dabbled in being a PC support person for a quite a few customers, is this: In most cases, the problem can be simplified down to just a few distinct causes. It normally doesn't take much longer than an hour to work that out. One solution is to ask the repair tech to report back to you after an hour of work to determine if you want to proceed with the service. Hourly rates vary, but can range anywhere from $20 to $70 or more. This all is dependent on the demand for the services. It pays to request the maximum amount of time spent on the diagnostics. If they deny the request, it may be time to choose a new tech. <h2>How Data Security is Maintained</h2> One of the most essential things that the computer technician does is assure that your computer is delivered as close to its original state as possible. This procedure is a way for the technician to get your pc back to the state it was in when you previously used it. There is no reason to leave your work, or other private files to chance. The process usually includes: <ul><li>1. Transferring important data to an external hard drive. These include sentimental photos or vital financial documents. Anything that you would be upset losing need to be backed up on a portable drive.</li> <li>2. Making a restore point using the tools obtainable in the operating systems.</li> <li>3. Copying profile folders, including documents, internet history and favorites and other personalized settings on the USB stick or hard drive.</li></ul> So, a great way to judge if the technician is worth anything is to simply ask them what their primary backup procedure is. Anyone who is short of the knowledge of how to do this correctly should be forgotten right away. <h2> How are the changes to the device being tracked?</h2> Another thing that distinguishes pros from newbie's is documentation. Amateur computer support techs are generally very poor at tracking the changes they make on the computer in their attempt to fix it. While the work may commonly lead to a repaired computer, there often a few dozen variations made in the control panel that you'll be completely unaware of when you have your computer back. It's your computer, and you've set it up to be easiest to use for you; so if the technician changes things, like additional security settings, you need to know. Odd things may start happening later and you will be lost as to what the reason is. To find out the level of reliability from your tech, the query is simple: How do you trace what adjustments were made? Do they offer a full report at the end of the repair that marks all changes made, hardware applied, or any extra modifications? The reply here should be an instant yes, and they could even show you a sample report (or a format) that they've published for previous customers, so that you know what to expect at the end. This quality is one of the most important for a pc technician. If they're effective with keeping arranged, detailed documentation of the work they do, the odds are pretty good that they actually know what they're doing. <h2>Follow-up Service and Guarantees</h2> The final issue is important in that you need to know how much self-assurance the technician has in his or her own work. It is fair to expect that a technician will be around for phone calls, or even follow-up visits, if there are ongoing problems that crop up soon after the repair. Otherwise, the issue wasn't really fixed, it only went away temporarily. So, ask the technician if they warranty repairs for a certain number of days. Ask what sorts of follow-up assistance they give during that time, and is it acceptable to give them a call, or do you have to bring the computer back in the shop again? Is a technician prepared to do in-home service preferably instead? These are issues that need to be asked before any problems arise, not after. Once you get an acceptable answer, ask that all negotiating you discussed should be put down on paper previous to the start of repairs. Always remember, you paid a fair amount for pc, and you should know what to expect when you entrusted it into another person's hands. In any case, it's most essential to weigh whether or not the repair is going to cost more than what the computer is valued at or the price of a new one. If you've asked the correct questions, you have a solid rate quote and all arrangements and guarantees in writing, you can leave your computer with the tech without any worries. Your computer will be fixed, you'll pay a fair rate, and you can rest assured that if the problem comes back a few days after the repair, you won't be left dangling with the same problem but with a lighter wallet. Author: Contrive I.T. in [http://www.contrive-it.net Metairie, LA.]
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