'Personal' Tech Support

[GRitchie]

Nice and short one:

Do you guys do tech support etc. for your friends/family for free? Or do you charge them?

 

I've always been one to offer my help, but sometimes when a job takes up a large amount of time I feel maybe I should be charging?

 

Or am I just being cruel wanting to do that...

[spadam]

Depends on the person.. Never charge my family or good friends except when I do work for my partners business but they appreciate what I do and that is enough for me

[DJ-1701]

I don't charge personally, anyone I help outside of the family in the past generally insists on making a donation of sorts to me though.

If you want to charge for time consuming work I could certainly understand and surely others would too as long as it's discussed up front, it's your personal time after all.

[bald_pig]

Family tend to pay with food

 

I never mention payment, but I haven't left without money yet, if someone doesn't pay, they'll get told i'm busy

[twin--turbo]

I do it for free generaly, but get beers, food, INkind .

 

Pain is the ask me to do things with desktop OS's and software... Last time I realy supported that was just after Win7 and I had avoided Vista.

 

TT

[difinity]

I liked the variety of "side jobs" so much I left the school I was working in to do it full time.

Those that would invite me to dinner are friends and I do their fixing for free. Everyone else pays.

 

I guess it comes down to how much value you put on your time and whether you're learning new skills on the personal jobs.

Some of the small cheaper jobs have led to much bigger well paid projects and clients.

[rich_tech]

generally I will help out friends and family who ask me for help if its nothing major, on the knowledge that they are not a nightmare to deal with, if they are the type that "you fixed my PC last week, now I have 30 virus on my machine again, because they clicked an ad banner again though they think its your fault" types then I generally avoid like the plague then and will avoid getting hands on fixing stuff, because they will use it as an excuse to get you in every time from experience and it gets painful trying not to be offensive about the problems.

 

I don't particularly like people in friends/family who just happen to have their broken stuff with them about 4 seconds after they ask me if I can look at it after not seeing me for a couple of months, that kind of presumption is quite irritating.

[GRitchie]

I like your wording of that @rich_tech.

I completely agree with all of that!

 

Thanks guys! Didn't want to feel like I was being a douche to friends etc. or anything!

[timbo343]

Friends and family no cost. (Friends - those who i talk to on a regular basis. Those who come out the wood work after 3 years for example i charge.) Anyone else i charge but the cost varies. Someone said they are paying for the expertise.

 

If they are leeds fans i dont charge either …

[Davit2005]

Friends get it, Family get it, people who are friends only when they need something do not get it.

 

None of my friends abuse the system.

[eyetea]

Friends and family for "free" (as have said before, usually get beer / choccies etc) - however if there is any cost involved like they want to purchase and install something then I'll make them pay for that bit themselves! I've moved out now, and my brother used to be a tech (work's in business now, still IT related) usually gets parents issues...

 

Best payment I ever received was after I managed to retrieve a load of files of a dying PC for a colleague from a previous job (when I wasn't in IT!) - They asked what I wanted for doing so, and as it only took 5-10mins of effort, rest was just waiting for files to transfer whilst having a cuppa and a catch up I insisted on nothing. A week later, got £40 theatre vouchers from them in the post!

[korifugi]

Usually free (for close friends or family) - as long as it's a minor job, however with one important caveat.

 

If I feel I'm being taken advantage of, such as one friend who continually knackered his PC up despite being told to stop trying things without proper research - I'll charge. Less than going rate, but still enough to make them realise they shouldn't be mucking around with things they don't understand. (In the case of my friend I labelled it 'Idiot tax', which he admitted was an apt term).

[Duranis]

Family I don't charge and there is not really anyone I would consider a close friend so everyone else pays. Normally though it is not very much and it depends on the circumstances and situation. For example I did some minor work for a friend of my other half and didn't charge as she is a single parent who works really hard and is on a low income. However the "friend" that hasn't spoken to me for over 3 years and suddenly contacts me on facebook to say "hi" and "by the way I have this computer problem" got charged 3 times more than I normally would.

[Grey-gear]

I always try and avoid doing it for friends as it can cause problems, but family I normal sort problems out with food or drink.

 

A quick question to all, What's the worst problem you had to fix for family or friends?

 

Mine was having to clean dog poop out of a laptop.

[strawberry]

Depends who it is, there are some friends and family I won't help with a barge pole. I use the following..

1. Have they pounced?, Have they invited you round on purpose and do they have a stack of stuff waiting for you.

2. Is the work/advice actually required or are they just taking advantage

3. Am I being played off against another pro?

4. Would/ Has this person offered me there skill FOC?.

5. Will there be any comeback ?.

6. Is what they are asking reasonable? It is possible? Is it a waste of everyone's time?.

7. Is this a one off or will it lead to the expectation that you will do more work FOC

[Quackers]

Over the last 3 years i have got my Mum, Dad, Aunt, Nan, Sister an iPad as presents for either Birthday or Christmas , and most of the remaining famley have one now too. For some reason i don't need to be tech support anymore, my weekends and evenings are mine again. No reinstalling Windows on Saturdays, no removing malware on Tuesday evenings. I'm happy, they are happy everybody wins.

[mthomas08]

Nice and short one:

Do you guys do tech support etc. for your friends/family for free? Or do you charge them?

 

I've always been one to offer my help, but sometimes when a job takes up a large amount of time I feel maybe I should be charging?

 

Or am I just being cruel wanting to do that...

 

For family and friends, I scratch their backs they scratch mine. I even have remote installed for a few of them in the event they need me to fix something. Swings and roundabouts.

 

I considered offering support at a fee but on one side I don't want to be doing it all day every day and on the other side would there be enough business for me to offer it long term.