Working in a PC shop

[ttam]

If you don't mind me asking: what's your sales tactic? From what I've seen you say, I think I may know the answer - but do you tell employees to try and sell a product as hard as they can, or do you get them to give the customer the best advice possible, even if it could hurt your business? Anyhow, what is your opinion on some tech salesmen giving misinformation to their customers in order to bring money to the business?

 

Do you find your store filled with the tech "incompetent", or knowledgeable more often? If the former, how do you find dealing with them on a daily basis?

 

Would you suggest a PC repair/parts shop as a good starting point for anyone looking to get into the IT industry?

 

Any tips for somebody looking to potentially start their own PC repair/parts business in the future?

Nothing more than recommending.  If someone comes in with a XP machine from 2001, hardly running and repairs will cost $200 - The nice thing to do is say hey, for this much more we can get you into a computer with 4x the ram, 3x the hard drive space and much faster. People respond to being taught about what they can do instead of being told you if you know what I mean. Most people go for it right then and there, some think about it and come back in a day or two. It's about treating people as people instead of money. 

 

Oddly most of my customers in shop are well above 45+ in terms of age. Most of them don't know a thing about computers and listen to our every word but we prefer to guide them in the right path. Very rarely do we get people who are tech-savvy come in but we do get the guys who read something and think they are experts quite often. Just have to nod along and agree with them for the most part.

 

It is a good starting spot. I have a 17 year old kid who runs the front of the shop, answering phones, checking in and out and building most of the low end machines (i3/a6, 4gb ram, 500gb in our store case) which is what we sell most of.

 

Starting a shop is hard. You have to compete with Best Buy which is where most people take their machines. I get a lot of people coming in with the dated Geek Squad sticker from 30 minutes before. Most of the shops tend to die out within 6 months. The thing that helps my store the most is I carry parts from psu, ram, hdds, wires, all kinds of wires and odds and ends that other places don't do Best Buy sends people my way A LOT (Costco does the same, big battery stores) and people come in see prices and instantly have a new customer.

[ttam]

Well I have a build that's been going to over a year now with issue after issue.

Take it out back and shoot it... Wanna borrow the ar15 or semi auto shot gun?

[ttam]

Here in aus if you are not A+ certified they won't even look at the rest of your resume even if you have had 15 years experience as a computer repair guy.. its disgusting 

It's a bonus for someone but hands on exp is much more valuable. Cisco cert is one I recommend tho. Networking can be a pain.

[Razzaa]

I have a unfinished H440 build sitting on my kitchen table that I come home to every night and go whoa that's pretty. That's what keeps me happy after fixing old broken crap all day.

This^^^ I used to do repair work and 9 out of 10 it is old, outdated poorly maintained junk. Getting customers to upgrade is like pulling teeth.Getting them to understand how important maintenance and upkeep are is equally challenging.

[TheProfosist]

Take it out back and shoot it... Wanna borrow the ar15 or semi auto shot gun?

Lol whish i could but its my baby. If you want to see some about it check out my Anthrax build log but just a heads up its not nearly up to date.

[Juganog]

It's a bonus for someone but hands on exp is much more valuable. Cisco cert is one I recommend tho. Networking can be a pain.

yea cisco is hellish ._. ive done ccna but it was rough, experience is great but most people here look at qualifications before experience 

[Razzaa]

It's a bonus for someone but hands on exp is much more valuable. Cisco cert is one I recommend tho. Networking can be a pain.

I recommend people get A+ and CCNA certs. They are relatively easy to study and pass. They are beneficial because they are so widely recognized. Networking does bore me but basic knowledge is important in the industry.

[Charger]

Take it out back and shoot it... Wanna borrow the ar15 or semi auto shot gun?

but think of all the money

[MrTomnus]

-snip-

Thanks for answering. It's really nice that you've taken the time to answer people's questions about this - it definitely shows you care about your business. 

 

I wish I could work for you. Unfortunately I live on the other side of the world. Oh well; I guess that's always the case, isn't it!

[Trik'Stari]

I recommend people get A+ and CCNA certs. They are relatively easy to study and pass. They are beneficial because they are so widely recognized. Networking does bore me but basic knowledge is important in the industry.

Where do you get certs from?

[theloveablemoose]

2013 Cadillac CTS-V with a hennsey 850hp package

The fuck lol good man.

Also is it perchance black with black wheels?

[TheProfosist]

but think of all the money

*cries a puddle of tears in his corner*

[Juantaguan]

I just turned 15 and wanted to get a job to make money over the summer, safe to say that didn't happen. I didn't want to get the usual boring jobs of babysitting or bagging groceries. I did some research and wanted to maybe start a PC repair "business."

 

I would just start by giving tune-ups and small advice.

 

I built my own PC the year before, and watched the Eli the computer guy's videos on YouTube, and have a pretty good grasp on the concepts.

 

Where should I start, and what else should I learn?

 

Any advice is appreciated!

[ttam]

Just came back from lunch with 19 notifications.. I'm doomed.

[TheProfosist]

Just came back from lunch with 19 notifications.. I'm doomed.

Who said you wernt?

[ttam]

I just turned 15 and wanted to get a job to make money over the summer, safe to say that didn't happen. I didn't want to get the usual boring jobs of babysitting or bagging groceries. I did some research and wanted to maybe start a PC repair "business."

 

I would just start by giving tune-ups and small advice.

 

I built my own PC the year before, and watched the Eli the computer guy's videos on YouTube, and have a pretty good grasp on the concepts.

 

Where should I start, and what else should I learn?

 

Any advice is appreciated!

Start with friends and family and maybe friends of family. Just remember it's not something that learned over night, some issues take me days to figure out and I've been doing it for years.

 

I wish I could say things can be leaned online but everything I do in a shop comes from learning hands on.

 

Another thing is computers can come back and that at first is like whoa, I messed up... and it razzles you

[Juantaguan]

Start with friends and family and maybe friends of family. Just remember it's not something that learned over night, some issues take me days to figure out and I've been doing it for years.

 

Another thing is computers can come back and that at first is like whoa, I messed up... and it razzles you

Thanks on the quick reply.

 

What do you mean when the computers come back? Like, the customer comes back with another problem?

[ttam]

Thanks on the quick reply.

 

What do you mean when the computers come back? Like, the customer comes back with another problem?

Think you fix something, they take it home and it comes back the next day with the same problem or something different. It happens here and there but never anything to worry about. 

[Razzaa]

Where do you get certs from?

Cisco. You can do them all online.

[RJSX1]

1. Do you build computers for people?

 

Also, I've been looking into working for a computer shop, sadly there are no places around me.

[ttam]

CCNA for network/it admin can land a healthy $50k+ a year job

[ttam]

1. Do you build computers for people?

 

Also, I've been looking into working for a computer shop, sadly there are no places around me. ((

I do and quite a bit of them.

My big customers are Boeing/Aerospace manufacture shops which sucked up GTX 980's like no other these past few weeks 

[RJSX1]

I do and quite a bit of them.

My big customers are Boeing/Aerospace manufacture shops which sucked up GTX 980's like no other these past few weeks 

I'm actually upset now that i can't work with computers yet... Lol

 

Does your amazing company have a website?

[TheProfosist]

I do and quite a bit of them.

My big customers are Boeing/Aerospace manufacture shops which sucked up GTX 980's like no other these past few weeks

Damn man ive only built a few bigger workstations and smaller server for people and small business's.

[TheProfosist]

@ttam so why dont you have distribution setup so you dont have to buy through newegg and stuff?