Getting shafted for getting what you asked for.

July 23, 2006

So I posted an article nearly a year ago about how I had become the resident ‘tech support guy’ for just about anyone, but mainly relatives and their friends. Since then, I’ve told all my relatives that I don’t mind helping immediate family but please don’t offer my services out to those that you know. (I began losing my weekends b/c of it) So this weekend my wife told me that my mother-in-law decided to have the ‘Geek Squad‘ come out and assist her troubleshoot some of her work computers.

I didn’t think anything of it until I talked to her later and she said that these guys charged her $250 AN HOUR for helping her out. The problem? She needed more RAM. So they came out checking stuff out for an hour or two on the first visit, THEN is going to come back to install the RAM on the next visit.

Note: For the non-tech savvy, installing RAM is the equivalent of changing batteries in just about anything, pop the old one out, pop the new one in.

I was like, “For $250 an hour, I’d do that!”

And she replied, “Well, I know your busy so I didn’t want to bother!”

WHAT?!?!!? That’s what I get I guess…though, I wouldn’t have charged her anything anyway but man, those guys gotta be raking it in.

So should I change? I can answer that pretty easy, nah…with helping running a business and the lack of free time I have already, I’ll stay where I am…I enjoy my weekends too much now.

Technorati Tags: Geek Squad, tech support, mother-in-law