Repair vs. replace (was Re: APPLEVISION Monitor)

From: Glen Goodwin <acme_ent_at_bellsouth.net>
Date: Sun May 5 21:50:44 2002

> From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>

> The guys who can't afford more than $100 are not a big part of the
market.
> However, it's not fair to ignore 'em.

The reason most shops here croak after a couple of years is because they
*do* ignore them. In fact, many send this sort of customer to me.

> I just don't see how one can make a
> living selling used parts when a replacement for the whole she-bang costs
>$10
> like the one I snagged last week. Are people really willing to pay $100
to
> repair something they could easily replace for $10 if they were to look?

Yes. Many of these folks are using hand-me-down computers and wouldn't
have a clue of what to buy if they were looking for a replacement. A
number of my customers are SOHO, auto repair, day care, etc., and need to
retain their data and applications, so for them to just buy a replacement
would be disruptive to their business.

As far as making a living doing this, I charge about $100 (*new* parts and
labor) to replace a power supply, modem, or CD-ROM drive, or to wipe the
hdd and reload Windows and the device drivers (which the customer almost
never has). After 10 years in business we have a reputation for doing the
job right, and for honoring the warranties we put on our work.

Can you see how it would be possible to make a living doing 10 or 15 of
these easy jobs every day?

Glen
0/0
Received on Sun May 05 2002 - 21:50:44 BST