Comments on: The Family’s Computer Tech Support Person http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/ Over Five Years of Personal Finance, Consumer Spending, Crazy Products and Boring Blog Posts. Good grief. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:36:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rich http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/comment-page-1/#comment-145595 Rich Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:14:30 +0000 http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/2006/03/31/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/#comment-145595 I unfortunately had to draw the line this Christmas. I was so tired of fixing computers when I came to visit family on the holidays. Sure enough, it happened again. My mother-in-law accidentally installed some freeware crap that put a virus on her machine. Long story short, hard drive needs to be wiped and OS needs to be reinstalled. This was only a few months after I had already done a wipe and OS install, and the PC is 5-6 years old. Updating XP and installing important apps takes ALL day. So you know what we did? I didn't touch the PC, I took her to an Apple Store the next day, and lo and behold, she's now the proud owner of a brand new Mac Mini. ; ) I unfortunately had to draw the line this Christmas. I was so tired of fixing computers when I came to visit family on the holidays. Sure enough, it happened again. My mother-in-law accidentally installed some freeware crap that put a virus on her machine. Long story short, hard drive needs to be wiped and OS needs to be reinstalled. This was only a few months after I had already done a wipe and OS install, and the PC is 5-6 years old. Updating XP and installing important apps takes ALL day.

So you know what we did? I didn’t touch the PC, I took her to an Apple Store the next day, and lo and behold, she’s now the proud owner of a brand new Mac Mini. ; )

]]> By: Cap http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/comment-page-1/#comment-1979 Cap Sat, 08 Apr 2006 14:21:23 +0000 http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/2006/03/31/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/#comment-1979 Oh boy, those are definitely reasons to NOT be the family's tech support person. I'm glad you draw the line. One of the reason why I'm okay with helping out now, is because my family won't push for help if I can't extend it. On the other hand, one of the reason why I'll never get into the field of computer tech support, is because of my family and friends. In a long forgotten crappy scenario, I was my high school's semi-computer tech support (the comp science teacher got a job at Boeing and bailed). Left a bunch of computer labs w/o a tech, which fell right into me and some other nerd's lap. Just because we can install OS & fix some comp problems, doesn't mean we enjoy doing it! Oh boy, those are definitely reasons to NOT be the family’s tech support person. I’m glad you draw the line. One of the reason why I’m okay with helping out now, is because my family won’t push for help if I can’t extend it. On the other hand, one of the reason why I’ll never get into the field of computer tech support, is because of my family and friends.

In a long forgotten crappy scenario, I was my high school’s semi-computer tech support (the comp science teacher got a job at Boeing and bailed). Left a bunch of computer labs w/o a tech, which fell right into me and some other nerd’s lap.

Just because we can install OS & fix some comp problems, doesn’t mean we enjoy doing it!

]]> By: Shelley http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/comment-page-1/#comment-1977 Shelley Sat, 08 Apr 2006 13:16:31 +0000 http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/2006/03/31/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/#comment-1977 Ah, a chance to vent! I have one relative whose requests for tech support became more and more frequent over the past few years after I set up 3 PCs for her and answered numerous calls and emails to walk her through setting up applications, etc., and I drove to her home to troubleshoot issues caused by her grandkids screwing up her PC by installing games. Two situations took place really burned me, not sure which one takes the cake: 1) Relative calls and says email won't work. I note that her grandson is often on her computer, please re-enter password. She says she already tried that and insists I come to her house (10 miles away) to look at it. I ask her to please enter her password one last time before I drive up there and she insists that she's done so a few times already and refuses to try again. She's my mom's age and a good friend so I cave and make the drive to her house. I enter the password into the email client. It connects. She informs me a day later that her daughter had been trying to use her email client while visiting, and daughter didn't understand that using mom's email wasn't "just like the email at the library". 2) Relative emails me saying, "my granddaughter's boyfriend has moved out and her PC is all messed up and is truly unusable. *If you don't have time, it's o.k.* but if you do have time please call her and set up a time to fix it. Otherwise, no need to call her." I don't have time, and I have no intention of doing an OS install after ex-boyfriend has obliterated the machine. The next day, I get a voice mail with roughly the same message, which includes the phrase, *it is your choice, if you can't help it's o.k. and just disregard this message*. I delete this voice mail. Following day I get another email asking why I haven't contacted granddaughter (guess doing so wasn't really my choice), and oh, by the way - she's only available from 12-2 each day so I'll have to go to her apartment during this time frame. This apartment is a 25 minute drive one way. I politely inform relative that I have to set a boundary here and I cannot extend tech support to granddaughter because I work and have a family to care for and I do not have the time to troubleshoot and/or reinstall OS's. I give relative options for daughter to get PC fixed, such as contacting tech college granddaughter just graduated from. At that point, I wasn't even willing to entertain having granddaughter drop the machine off at my house for a look-see. Husband warns me not to entertain the thought either (and these are his blood relatives). I just recalled that one of relative's daughters dropped off a PC at our house some years back while I did some trouble shooting and then my husband reinstalled the OS and messed with some hardware to get it work. I have done so much tech support for that family that I've forgotten some of it. Shelley Ah, a chance to vent! I have one relative whose requests for tech support became more and more frequent over the past few years after I set up 3 PCs for her and answered numerous calls and emails to walk her through setting up applications, etc., and I drove to her home to troubleshoot issues caused by her grandkids screwing up her PC by installing games. Two situations took place really burned me, not sure which one takes the cake:

1) Relative calls and says email won’t work. I note that her grandson is often on her computer, please re-enter password. She says she already tried that and insists I come to her house (10 miles away) to look at it. I ask her to please enter her password one last time before I drive up there and she insists that she’s done so a few times already and refuses to try again. She’s my mom’s age and a good friend so I cave and make the drive to her house. I enter the password into the email client. It connects. She informs me a day later that her daughter had been trying to use her email client while visiting, and daughter didn’t understand that using mom’s email wasn’t “just like the email at the library”.

2) Relative emails me saying, “my granddaughter’s boyfriend has moved out and her PC is all messed up and is truly unusable. *If you don’t have time, it’s o.k.* but if you do have time please call her and set up a time to fix it. Otherwise, no need to call her.” I don’t have time, and I have no intention of doing an OS install after ex-boyfriend has obliterated the machine. The next day, I get a voice mail with roughly the same message, which includes the phrase, *it is your choice, if you can’t help it’s o.k. and just disregard this message*. I delete this voice mail. Following day I get another email asking why I haven’t contacted granddaughter (guess doing so wasn’t really my choice), and oh, by the way – she’s only available from 12-2 each day so I’ll have to go to her apartment during this time frame. This apartment is a 25 minute drive one way. I politely inform relative that I have to set a boundary here and I cannot extend tech support to granddaughter because I work and have a family to care for and I do not have the time to troubleshoot and/or reinstall OS’s. I give relative options for daughter to get PC fixed, such as contacting tech college granddaughter just graduated from. At that point, I wasn’t even willing to entertain having granddaughter drop the machine off at my house for a look-see. Husband warns me not to entertain the thought either (and these are his blood relatives).

I just recalled that one of relative’s daughters dropped off a PC at our house some years back while I did some trouble shooting and then my husband reinstalled the OS and messed with some hardware to get it work. I have done so much tech support for that family that I’ve forgotten some of it.
Shelley

]]> By: Dave http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/comment-page-1/#comment-1754 Dave Sat, 01 Apr 2006 16:29:47 +0000 http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/2006/03/31/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/#comment-1754 I'm the computer tech in my house and sometimes for people outside my family. Dave I’m the computer tech in my house and sometimes for people outside my family.

Dave

]]> By: Cap http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/comment-page-1/#comment-1750 Cap Sat, 01 Apr 2006 15:30:40 +0000 http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/2006/03/31/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/#comment-1750 hmm, didn't think circuit city would get on your butt just because you're doing a similar job on the side, but I guess that makes sense. hmm, didn’t think circuit city would get on your butt just because you’re doing a similar job on the side, but I guess that makes sense.

]]> By: Russell http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/misc/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/comment-page-1/#comment-1728 Russell Sat, 01 Apr 2006 05:14:04 +0000 http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/2006/03/31/the-familys-computer-tech-support-person/#comment-1728 Just be careful who you tell especially if you are charging a small fee! Conflict of interest for individuals, like myself, who work at major computer electronic stores (Circuit City) could result in your termination! Just be careful who you tell especially if you are charging a small fee! Conflict of interest for individuals, like myself, who work at major computer electronic stores (Circuit City) could result in your termination!

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