Computer Repair - Going down the rabbit hole
I guess all my technicians have to go through it once. If you have read “The Neverending Computer Repair”, then you understand that I have been sucked into neverending computer repairs before. You start on a computer repair, you solve a number of problems but there are still a few. You try one thing and it doesn’t quite fix it, but you’ve got another brilliant idea. Well, that fix didn’t quite do it either, but that led to another brilliant idea. This honestly can go on forever. And sometimes you just have to say enough is enough. Or have a hard and fast rule – if you can’t knock it within an hour, blow the computer away (save the customer data, format the drive, reinstall the OS, do updates, transfer data back).
As much as we hate to go through that little Windows reinstall process – as it’s never REALLY a LITTLE way of fixing a computer, sometimes it just has to be done. Windows updates take forever, sometimes you have a bear of time finding drivers for the computer, you have to reinstall customer windows applications, etc. It’s not a task taken lightly, but it sometimes is the smartest way to fix a computer.
Well, not all things go smoothly, and I have to thank Jane Woodard of Clayton for being so patient while one of my techs learned this lesson. Technician George put a quick fix on Jane’s laptop computer. Jane came by to pick it up, paid for one hour of service and went home. About an hour later, I got a call from Jane that her computer was NOT working smooth. Couldn’t connect to the internet. Ugh. Probably just a quick toggle on her wifi switch. I went over and was horrified at what was going on with that computer. Couldn’t connect to the internet properly; the whole control panel came up empty – LORD, what a mess. I asked Jane to take the computer with me to fix again – on us. She agreed.
Computer Technician Ryan (my technicians ARE all Microsoft certified by the way) worked on it for a few hours trying to rectify the issue. Things just didn’t work out smoothly. He took it home with him to work on overnight. He brought it back – still not quite right. A day turned into two. He worked on it some more. Chasing the rabbit down the hole. Finally on Saturday – about 3 days later, he thought he had it right. He delivered the computer to Jane – requiring a 30 mile trip from Raleigh just to do such. Everything seemed to work right. He thanked Jane for her patience – and no charge. When the mistake is OURS, there IS no extra charge. Great.
Then the dreaded phone call came in from Jane the next morning. STILL not right. At this point, I had to put the hammer to this problem nail – wipe and reinstall. Yes, it took another day to do this, but Jane was (and is) still patient. We got the computer right with the only issue being downloading a purchased electronic copy of Quicken to reinstall. We thanked Jane profusely for her patience and again, there is no extra charge.
Technician Ryan had to learn the hard way about chasing the rabbit. He tried hard. Probably put a GOOD 20 hours (likely 30 or more) into that computer trying to get it right – when probably about 3-5 would have done it. I have to admire his perseverance, but I think that will probably be the last rabbit he chases.
Jane’s bill? Still the original $90 for the original fix.
We ARE your local Clayton Computer Repair source. Even if we don’t get it right the first time – we STAND behind our work whatever it takes. Ask your current computer repair tech how that same situation would have been handled. Then you’ll know why your next computer repair problem needs to come to Lizardwebs Clayton Computer Repair.
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