I Might As Well Buy A New PC

“” is something that many Computer Technicians are hearing more and more these days. In the last few years, large retailers have started selling ultra cheap computers and many consumers are now opting to buy new computers rather than have them repaired.
It seems that computers are becoming disposable items but you dont have to lose money because of this, in fact, you can use it to make more money than you would have if you repaired their old computer.

Here are some things you can do to make money off this industry change:

Offer To Transfer Their Old Data
I usually say something like this:
“If you would like to go buy a new computer from Best Buy or Walmart, go for it. If you like, I can reinstall all of your software for you such as Microsoft Office and your Antivirus. I can also move all your old emails, favorites and contacts to the new computer. I would be happy to come around and help you unpack it, plug it all in and set it all up for you for $XXX”
One of two things that generally happens when you say something like this to your client who is looking at a new computer as a cheaper option. They either realize that a repair will be cheaper once you take into account all of the setup needed, or you remind them that someone will need to transfer their data and you will probably get the job to do so.

Be Their “Second Opinion” When Buying A New PC
When clients are looking at getting a new PC from a Big Box store, tell them that you would be happy to let them know whether what they are looking at good deal or not. This can have three main benefits:

Your client feels you are “looking out for them” and making sure they get the best bang for their buckThey may feel that they owe you and you will probably get the job to set it all up, transfer settings etc..You kind of “adopt” their PC in their minds since you were there from the start. There is a good chance they will use your services for any future issues the computer may have

Offer To Build A Similar PC
Sometimes a cheap computer at Best Buy or Walmart isn’t that good of a deal and you could build something similar for the same price or even cheaper. If you can, then you could possibly get the sale.
However, you should never build a computer with sub-standard parts to price match one of the bigbox companies because they can become a massive warranty liability costing you more than what you earned originally. It can also damage your reputation by selling a substandard computer that keeps failing. In some cases it is just not worth trying to match the bigbox stores but if you can build a good PC for a similar price then it might be worth considering.

Get Commercial Customers
As I mentioned in a previous article, commercial customers generally value uptime and reliability over price so they are less likely to go down to the local Walmart and buy one of these low cost computers. However, if they do buy one of these low cost machines, they are very likely to need their data transferred and the network settings configured to suit their setup. So, regardless of whether they buy a computer from you or a big box store, you are likely to get some work anyway.

Switch To High Value Services
There are many Computer Technicians who choose to specialize their skills in high end areas such as networks and servers. This generally makes them immune to what the big boys sell because the big boys cant sell high end experience.

The industry is always changing and you need to change with it. There is always money to be made but it changes its location. In this case, going from selling PCs or doing large repairs to setting up bigbox PCs. You can fight it and complain about it, or just tweak your marketing and make money. There was a technician on the Technibble forums who compared the computer industry to the video rental industry and said “Be Netflix, not Blockbuster”.

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