Study Unit-Preparing for Your Career as a PC Technician

Study Unit

Preparing for YourCareer as a PCTechnicianReviewed By

William J. Scannella

Copyright © 2011 by Education Direct, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may bereproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval sys-tem, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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About the Reviewer

William Scannella has more than 25 years experience in the PC

and information technology industry. He has worked as a help-

desk analyst, desktop support technician, software tester, and

systems analyst. He has developed print and online documentation

and training for in-house developed and off-the-shelf systems. Mr.

Scannella has a master’s degree in technical writing from Miami

University of Ohio.

iii

Preview

Preview

In this study unit, you’ll learn that

being a successful PC technician

involves much more than the ability

to troubleshoot and repair computer

systems. Knowing how to fix a

computer or install a network is

one thing; dealing with clients and

running a business is something else

altogether. This study unit will help you recognize and apply

the interpersonal skills and business know-how necessary

to succeed in your career. Although the content of this study

unit might seem somewhat trivial as compared to the more

technical portions of your program, it’s every bit as important

to your success. Whether you’re self-employed or working

for a company providing PC support services, you need

to understand how to conduct yourself, how to work with

customers, and how to run your business.

When you complete this study unit, you’ll be ableto

• Identify the work-related characteristics that are importantfor a successful PC technician

• Explain how to establish and maintain good customer relationships

• Explain the importance of good communication and howit relates to performing your job

• List the elements essential to achieving professionalismand discuss the importance of each

• List various types of resources, records, and informationtools that you need to maintain and describe the purposeof each

• Describe the methods available for you to remain currentwith new developments in technology

• Name the laws pertaining to software copyrights andexplain your responsibilities with regard to the protectionof software copyrights

• Describe how to control billing and manage inventorywithin your business

• Identify some additional services that you can provide to improve your value and your relationship with yourclients

v

PROFESSIONALISM 1Professional Image and Conduct 1Professional Organizations and Certifications 7Practical Exercise 1 12

WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS 15Communication 15Service Calls 21Practical Exercise 2 26

RUNNING A BUSINESS 28General Business Requirements 28Providing Special Services 33Parts and Supplies 36Billing Practices 39Practical Exercise 3 45

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS 47

Conte

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Conte

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1

PROFESSIONALISMYour success as a PC technician depends on more than just

your technical abilities. Although technical ability is critical,

don’t underestimate the importance of conducting yourself in

a professional manner. Professionalism is what establishes

and maintains relationships with your clients. In this section,

you’ll learn about the traits and qualities that are instrumental

to professionalism and how professionalism is important to you

and your business.

With the proper training, just about anyone can learn to

troubleshoot computers and replace defective parts. Why,

then, do customers prefer one repair technician to another?

One major reason is professionalism. In the following para-

graphs we’ll describe in detail the individual characteristics

that determine professionalism.

Professional Image and ConductDid you know that people will, upon meeting you, form an

opinion of you in just a few minutes? And once their opinion

is formed, whether good or bad, it will be hard to change it.

For this reason, it’s very important that you always look and

act like a professional. That way, you’ll make an excellent

impression that inspires confidence in both prospective

employers and your customers.

The pursuit of excellence sets a fine technician apart from

an average one. Paying attention to detail is one important

way to provide excellent service. You’ll inspire confidence

and loyalty in your customers when they perceive you to be

honest and skilled in the way you conduct your business.

Preparing for Your Career asa PC Technician

Remember to regularly

check “My Courses”

on your student

homepage. Your

instructor may post

additional resources

that you can access

to enhance your

learning experience.

Preparing for Your Career as a PC Technician

Let your excellent work and professional manner speak for

themselves, and you’ll get all the business you can handle.

Now let’s examine the individual characteristics associated

with professionalism. As you read about each characteristic,

try to see yourself through your customer’s eyes to determine

if there are certain areas where you may need improvement.

Appearance

As a technician you should dress neatly, as though you were a

guest at the customer’s site (Figure 1). However, in addition to

making a neat appearance, you should also dress comfortably

and functionally.

By dressing comfortably, you can concentrate on your work

and do a better job. If you’re not comfortable, such as being

too warm for example, your attention may be diverted,

causing you to make poor judgments and give less than

your best effort.

The last, but perhaps the most important thing, is to

dress functionally. First and foremost, this means that you

should keep jewelry to a minimum. Jewelry can get caught

on a component, short an electrical circuit, causing further

damage to the computer, or cause you to receive an electric

shock. Another consideration is to wear short sleeves, or,

if you must wear long sleeves, roll up your sleeves when

working.

2

FIGURE 1—By dressingneatly and comfortably,you can get your jobdone while creating agood impression.

Preparing for Your Career as a PC Technician 3

Attitude

Psychologists consider attitude to be a mental screen or pre-

disposition that affects people’s behaviors and the way they

interact with others. Another term for attitude is mind-set.

Your attitude has a profound effect on your customer.

Remember that your attitude, as well as the quality of your

work, will determine whether the customer will seek you out

the next time a problem arises. If you work in a computer

support role for a business, don’t think because you have

“captive clients” that this doesn’t apply to you. The impres-

sion you make on your coworkers goes a long way when it

comes time for promotion.

In some cases, events occur which you have little or no control

over. Attitude, on the other hand, is one thing during a service

call that you do have control over. The basis of a good attitude

begins with enjoying your work. However, there are bound to

be times when things are going poorly and you’re in danger

of slipping into a bad attitude. At these times, it’s extremely

important for you to keep a positive attitude and prevent

your customer from getting the feeling that you don’t want

to be there.

Behavior

Along with attitude, behavior is another important service

characteristic under your control. One way to demonstrate

good behavior is to do your job with as little interference to

the customer as possible. This is especially true if you’re

making a service call in an office environment where several

people are trying to work around you. Try to stay out of

the way as much as possible and refrain from striking up

idle conversations with employees. Too much unnecessary

conversation reduces productivity and can annoy the client

(Figure 2). Remember that you’re a guest in the client’s work-

place and your job is to make the repair in the shortest time

possible without causing any disturbance that will reduce

the client’s ability to carry on business.

Dependability

Another way to win over and maintain the loyalty of your cus-

tomers is to be dependable. That means you should make every

effort to keep your promises. If you tell a customer that you’ll

return tomorrow morning at a certain time, be there at that

time. Better yet, be there slightly before that time. Customers

appreciate people they can trust.

Occasionally, circumstances will occur that may prevent you

from keeping a promise to a customer. When this happens,

always contact the customer as soon as possible to apologize

and explain the problem. Never ignore a promise. Usually,

your customer will understand, and you can make different

arrangements to satisfy your customer’s needs.

Demonstrating Knowledge of Your Field

While it’s important that you give the customer the feeling that

you’re very competent, it’s just as important that you don’t

make the customer feel computer illiterate. Don’t try to impress

the customer with technical jargon. Explain the problem and

your remedy in simple, everyday terms (Figure 3).

Preparing for Your Career as a PC Technician4

FIGURE 2—Don’t wasteyour client’s time andmoney by gossiping orbeing overly talkative.


One way to impress your customers with your knowledge,

and at the same time show your desire to learn more, is to

take an interest in your client’s business. Let your clients

provide you with information and publications that describe

their operations. Then, be on the lookout for related business

and technology information that you can pass along to your

client.

Credibility

Having credibility means that the customer sees you as being

worthy of confidence. Credibility is established by demonstrating

technical competency and performing your job to the customer’s

expectations. However, one of the fastest ways to lose your

credibility is to try to deceive and stall a customer when

you’re in over your head and can’t resolve a problem. To

maintain your credibility, it’s best to admit you need help

and seek whatever assistance is needed. Putting your cus-

tomer’s needs before your own personal pride will win you

continued respect.

Honesty and Integrity

Honesty and integrity are closely linked with credibility. Never

try to hide a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. If you make

a mistake, take full responsibility and correct the situation.

FIGURE 3—Describe prob-lems using language thecustomer can understand.


Trying to hide a mistake will do nothing but compound the

problem. Sooner or later the truth will come out and you’ll

lose respect, credibility, and probably your customer.

Demonstrating Respect

Demonstrating respect for your customers is another way to

ensure that you’ll have repeat business from them. Your

customers are your friends, your allies, and your partners in

business, so be sure to treat them as such. All of your

actions and communications with your clients should show

respect.

Showing concern for a client’s business and schedule can be

effective in demonstrating your respect. For example, you

may remain late to fix a problem so that the customer will

have the equipment available to begin operations first thing

in the morning. Another way to show respect may be to sug-

gest a way, or discuss a special feature the client can install,

to increase productivity.

Standing behind Your Work

A PC technician who fails to stand behind his or her work

probably won’t be in business very long. Not only will repeat

business suffer, but because word has a way of getting

around, new business will also be reduced.

The main factor involved with standing behind your work is

cost. One way to reduce the number of jobs that have to be

done over is to do a quality job the first time and every time.

Sometimes, however, warranty service is beyond your control,

such as when you install a part that later fails. Although the

failure isn’t your fault, the customer looks to you to make it

right since you chose the part and did the work. It’s then up

to you to replace the part again at no cost to the customer.

Although you’ll be working for free to gain the customer’s

respect and preserve your reputation, the cost of the part

should be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

You can be, in a technical sense, the best PC technician in

your town or within the company or business where you

work. However, if you lack any of the tools of professionalism

we’ve just described, your business or career is going to


suffer to some degree. You and your business can flourish

when your clients or coworkers enjoy having you around and

know that you can be trusted.

Professional Organizations andCertificationsIn addition to your image and conduct, there are other ways

in which you need to demonstrate your professionalism. As

a PC technician, it’s important that you’re able to show your

employer or your customers, that you’re dedicated to the pro-

fession and that you’re fully qualified to perform the work.

To show your ongoing interest and concern in PC repair, sup-

port, and technology, you should consider joining a professional

organization. Professional organizations help you by providing

information, offering insights, and establishing contacts within

your profession. Also, to prove your knowledge and proficiency

in the field of PC repair, you may want to (or in some cases be

required to) become certified in your particular type of work.

If you’re learning PC repair solely for your own interests,

you’ll probably have no reason to join an organization or

seek certification. However, if your livelihood involves com-

puter repair and support, whether you work in a small repair

shop, run a repair business, or work for a larger company,

you should seriously consider becoming certified. In a small

business, such as a repair shop, your certification will

instill confidence in your customers. In larger businesses,

you’re very likely to find that certification is a requirement.

Many companies require certification for initial employment

while others may grant you a specific period of time such

as 90 days or a year from your date of hire to obtain your

certification.


Why Certification?

Some PC technicians have learned their skills by hands-

on trial and error. These people have no formal training or

certification. By completing a formal training program and

obtaining a certification, you demonstrate your commitment

to your profession and possess the credentials of a qualified

computer repair technician. The result is that you’ve improved

your job opportunities and chances for success and promo-

tion. Your customers will view you as a professional and

reward you with their confidence and their business.

A+ Certification

CompTIA’s A+ certification program is the computer industry’s

most well-known certification and the standard for entry-

level computer technicians. CompTIA (Computer Technology

Industry Association) is the leading global IT association, with

over 16,000 members in more than 89 countries. For entry-

level IT technicians, the CompTIA A+ exam covers preventive

maintenance, basic networking, installation, troubleshooting,

communication and professionalism. As of 2009, the A+ exam

consists of two parts: the Essentials exam and the Practical

Application exam. The Essentials exam is designed to test

the knowledge of a technician with only 500 hours (about

three months) experience. The Practical Applications exam

tests the technician with 1000 hours (about six months).

Both exams address both hardware and software.

The questions on the Essentials exam fit into one of six topic

areas (See Table 1). Within these topics, you will be tested on

• Ability to install, configure, and maintain all the stan-

dard parts of a PC, such as installing and setting up a

hard drive

• Ability to configure devices with appropriate drivers in

Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7

• Familiarity with standard Windows diagnostics tools

• Knowledge of computer security tools and techniques

for troubleshooting


• Knowledge of safety and environmental issues, such as

how to recycle and dispose of computer gear properly

• Ability to communicate effectively with customers and

coworkers in a professional, tactful, and respectful manner

The Practical Application exam has four objectives (Table 1).

It covers the same hardware and software as Essentials,

but stresses a hands-on approach to finding the appropriate

solution to a problem. It tests your understanding of how all

the technology should work, how to diagnose why something

doesn’t work, and how to fix it.

To understand the difference between the two exams, consider

how knowledge of hardware is tested:

The Essentials exam focuses on identifying parts, purposes,

and characteristics of devices with a question like this:

Table 1BREAKDOWN OF A+ CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

Essentials Exam

1.0 Hardware 27%

2.0 Troubleshooting, Repair, Maintenance 20%

3.0 Operating Systems and Software 20%

4.0 Networking 15%

5.0 Security 8%

6.0 Operational Procedure 10%

Practical Application Exam

1.0 Hardware 38%

2.0 Operating Systems 34%

3.0 Networking 15%

4.0 Security 13%


How many pins does a SCSI-2 cable have?

A. 24

B. 40

C. 50

D. 72

The Practical Application exam tests your knowledge with

real-world scenarios such as this:

A technician has just installed an upgraded graphics

card. The computer’s power turns off before it finishes

booting. Which of the following is the cause of the

problem?

A. The monitor can’t display the increased

resolution of the new graphics card.

B. The power supply doesn’t provide enough

wattage to power the new graphics card.

C. The new graphics card is incompatible with

the existing processor.

D. The computer doesn’t have enough RAM to

support the new graphics card.

For information about the A+ examination, log on the CompTIA

Web site at http://www.comptia.org. Here you’ll find detailed

information about each exam’s objectives, the specific content

of each exam, how the questions are structured and scored,

how to find authorized exam providers, available locations, and

how to register to take the examinations (including online).

Other Certifications

Depending on your particular job requirements, you

should also consider other certifications in addition to the

A+ Certification as appropriate to your individual needs.

Some certifications show general competency (IC³, Net+,

Server+), and some are company software or hardware specific

(MOS, CCNA, CNA). Below is a brief discussion of some of

these certifications that can be used as stepping-stones to

your career success.

Certiport’s Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³)

is a validated standards-based training and certification

program for basic computing and Internet aptitude. For IC³

certification, you’re required to pass all three IC³ exams:

Computing Fundamentals (hardware, software, and operating

systems), Key Applications (common program, word process-

ing, and spreadsheet functions) and Living Online (networks,

accessing and using the Internet, electronic mail, and

Internet/computing issues related to society.

CompTIA’s Network+ and Server+ certification show mid- to

upper-level technician competency in maintaining networks or

the hardware and software for servers. Examination structure

and scoring are similar to those used in A+ certification exams.

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams test expertise as a user

of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, Access,

PowerPoint, and Project. For most of these products, you can

qualify at the Specialist, Expert, or Master level. They’re typi-

cally performance-based, asking you to complete tasks

showing your level of competency.

Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) is a high-level cer-

tification designating someone with expertise in designing and

implementing various Microsoft server systems such as

Windows 2000, 2003, NT4.0. An MCSE candidate should have

one to two years of experience in designing, installing, config-

uring, and troubleshooting network systems. To earn the

MCSE, you must pass seven exams: four exams on network-

ing systems, one on client operating systems, one on design

and one elective exam.

A Certified Novell Administrator (CNA) attests that a person is

professionally certified by Novell to administer NetWare-based

based computer networks. According to Novell, a person plan-

ning to pursue the CNA should have a strong knowledge of

networking fundamentals before trying to earn the certification.

Students prepare for the CNA by taking courses on the

Netware 6.5 track. In addition, Novell recommends that



candidates take CompTIA's Networking+ examination before-

hand, based on the belief that it would better prepare people

to take the CNA exam.

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) validates

the ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot

medium-size enterprise level router and switched networks

using Cisco products (hubs, switches, routers, and operating

systems). The exam includes design implementation and veri-

fication of connections to remote sites, basic mitigation of

security threats and fundamentals of wireless networking

and voice. The CCNA exam is in two parts that may be taken

separately or by a single composite exam.

Apple certification programs are designed to create a high level

of technical proficiency among Macintosh service technicians,

help desk support, technical support, system administrators,

and professional users. The Apple Certified Macintosh

Technician focuses primarily on hardware, specifically the

repair and diagnostics of all Macintosh desktops, portables,

and servers. The Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP)

verifies an understanding of Mac OS X core functionality

and an ability to configure key services, perform basic trou-

bleshooting, and assist end users with essential Mac OS X

capabilities. Apple also offers training and certification for

instruction and troubleshooting of its digital media products.

Practical Exercise 1

A+ Certification

Now that you’ve learned about the benefits of obtaining

certification as a PC technician, log onto the Internet and

go to CompTIA’s Web site at http://www.comptia.org.

Browse the Web site to learn more about the A+ Certification

program. What additional information does the Web site

contain? Check your answer with that on page 47.



Next, search the Web for other certification information by

using the key words PC certification. Learn about the other

types of certifications available and how to obtain them.

Make note of any certifications that may apply to your cur-

rent job or that may be useful in obtaining employment.

Keep this information in case you should later decide that

one or more of these certifications could benefit your career.

In addition to the different types of certifications available,

what other information did you find from this search? Check

your answers with those on page 47.

Real-Life Situation 1

It’s 5:00 p.m.; you’re at a customer’s site working on replacing a

disk drive. You and the customer agree that you can come in at

10:00 the next morning to finish up.

The next morning you find that an 8:00 a.m. appointment may take

longer than expected, and you could be late for your 10:00 a.m.

commitment. What should you do?

Check your answers with those on page 47.


Self-Check 1

At the end of each section of Preparing for Your Career as a PC Technician, you’ll be

asked to pause and check your understanding of what you have just read by completing

a “Self-Check” exercise. Answering these questions will help you review what you’ve

studied so far. Please complete Self-Check 1 now.

1. Why is professionalism so important to your career?

____________________________________________________________

2. How should you dress as a computer technician?

____________________________________________________________

3. If you’re having trouble finding the cause of a problem, but tell the customer that you haveeverything under control and the problem will be fixed in a few minutes, you’re likely to lose your _______ with the customer.

4. What are some ways that you can demonstrate respect for your customer?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

5. As a PC technician, why is certification important to your success?

____________________________________________________________



WORKING WITH CUSTOMERSNow that you understand the importance of professionalism

and how to conduct yourself in a professional manner,

we’ll move on with a discussion of how to work with your

customers.

The first requirement for a successful working relationship

is to have good communication with your customers.

Communication is a two-way street. You must be able to

relay information to others as well as be able to receive

and understand information.

After you’ve learned the proper methods for communication,

we’ll put that knowledge to work in learning how to make

service calls. Here you’ll find that the service call involves

more than simply making repairs. A service call also includes

gathering information about the problem, scheduling the

service call, and reporting the results of the repair action to

the customer—all requiring good communication.

CommunicationThere are several methods of communication. You can

communicate by face-to-face encounters, via the telephone,

and through written notes and messages. Each method of

communication requires care to ensure that the message is

properly received and interpreted.

No matter what method of communication you happen to be

using at the time, there are four things to keep in mind:

• Patience

• Tact

• Courtesy

• Empathy

Patience is an important trait to develop to help you communi-

cate and deal effectively with other people. By having patience,

you allow others to work or converse at their own speed or

in their own style, and you won’t get irritated or annoyed

when things don’t go your way.


Tact involves the use of discrimination by doing and saying

the right things when working and speaking with others. The

use of tact requires you to be perceptive of the feelings of

others and to take care not to cause the other person to take

offense or be hurt by your comments or actions.

Courtesy is simply putting the needs of others ahead of your

own. It involves cooperation, helping, sharing information,

and treating everyone in a polite and professional manner.

Empathy requires you to recognize and understand another

person’s feelings. Don’t be afraid to show concern for your

customer’s situation. However, if you’re not really concerned

about your customer’s situation, don’t try to fake it or you

may sound insincere and damage your relationship with your

customer.

Effective Listening

As we previously stated, communication is a two-way street.

Being able to listen and correctly interpret what you’ve heard

is every bit as important as giving out information.

In face-to-face conversations, there’s one very significant

aid to interpretation that’s missing from phone and written

communications, and that’s observation. By listening to the

tone of voice and observing the facial expressions and body

language of the speaker, you can more easily interpret the

message. That’s especially good to remember when using the

phone or writing a note because the simplest communication

can be misinterpreted or give the wrong impression.

An important part of listening is to start with an open mind.

Clear all other thoughts, and focus on the person speaking.

Don’t try to work or do some other activity while you’re

listening. Also, try to refrain from formulating your response

to the speaker. If you’re busy trying to think about what

you’re going to say, you’re not giving the person your undi-

vided attention. Look at the speaker and make eye contact.

Eye contact shows your interest and helps to keep your mind

from wandering. Also remember to listen to the tone of voice,

and observe facial expressions and body language.


Paraphrasing

An effective way to ensure that you understand what the

speaker has said is to paraphrase, or repeat the person’s

message using different words to express the same idea. If

you do this correctly, both you and the speaker can be sure

that you understand the message. You can also use para-

phrasing when responding to phone messages or written

messages. When you paraphrase, be sure to use your own

words. If you merely reiterate the words used by the other

person, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you understood the

message.

Phone Communications

A relatively common type of employment for PC technicians

is that of a support specialist. Support specialists may work

in a help-desk environment where computer users in a large

company phone in for help with PC-related problems. The

help desk and its employees may be a part of the company

or may be an outside vendor that’s been contracted to assist

company employees. Help desks are often involved with

operational types of problems.

Another common type of support specialist may work for a

computer manufacturer. In this situation, the specialist takes

calls from customers that need help with their computer

equipment purchased or leased from the manufacturer.

Usually, the problems encountered here are more hardware

oriented, such as setup difficulties or component failures. In

either case, the support specialist must resolve the problem

by communicating with the customer over the phone (Figure 4).

Although you may not be considering this type of work, read

this information concerning phone communications. A PC

technician can also apply most of the following information

when gathering data from the customer prior to making a

service call.


At the beginning of any service or support call, you should

clearly identify yourself and your organization or company.

Next, obtain the name, company (if applicable), and phone

number of the caller or customer. If you’re working in a

technical assistance situation, you’ll probably have a script

of how to answer, what to say, and a place for you to enter

customer information. If you’re running your own repair

business, you may want to consider doing the same thing.

The next step in the conversation is to let the customer

explain the problem. If you empathize with customers, it will

help to open up the conversation by letting them know you’re

on their side. Just be very careful not to sound insincere.

Throughout the conversation, you need to build the customer’s

confidence in your ability. You should always be calm and never

let an excited customer or urgent situation rattle you. Ask clear

and concise questions you need to gather the information to

resolve the problem.

As you’re talking to the customer, learn to judge the customer’s

knowledge level and adjust your conversation accordingly. Be

sure to ask questions and give directions using language that

the customer will understand. Stay away from computer jargon

with a customer who has a lower level of computer knowledge.

Also, make sure to give the customer every opportunity to ask

questions. Customer questions are especially important if they

FIGURE 4—To solve customer problems, asupport specialist needs to be able to communicateclearly and effectivelyover the phone.


involve correctly understanding one of your directives or inter-

preting one of your questions. Any miscommunication here

can easily lead you down the wrong path.

Occasionally, a customer is going to be angry. It’s at these

times that your professionalism is truly tested. Listen closely

to the customer’s complaint. Once you understand the

problem, put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Chances are

you’ll discover that you would be just as upset under similar

circumstances. If this is the case, you should be able to

sincerely empathize with the customer and show genuine

concern over the problem. If the problem is related to your

company’s product or possibly a service mistake you made,

don’t be defensive. Remember your professionalism. Admit

the error and reassure the customer that the problem will

be corrected.

Oral Communications and Presentations

Whether you’re speaking to one individual or to a group,

there are certain oral communication skills you’ll need to

get your message across effectively. When you speak clearly,

the person you’re talking to or your audience can easily

listen and follow what you’re saying. If people are distracted

by your speech patterns, they’ll likely miss a part of the

message you’re trying to get across.

To speak clearly you need to be aware of your articulation

and rate of speaking as well as your volume, pitch, and

tone. Articulation means to enunciate or pronounce your

words carefully and distinctly. Slurring your words makes

it difficult for people to understand and can easily lead to

misinterpretation.

The rate at which you speak is also important to your being

understood. Speaking too fast or too slow can undermine

your attempt to impart information to others. By speaking

too fast, you’re likely to enunciate poorly and make it difficult

to be understood. On the other hand, speaking too slowly

will allow your listener’s mind to wander. Try to sound

“natural” in your speech, not too fast or too slow, and your

listeners will be more attentive to what you say.


Finally, in addition to articulation and speed, you need to

consider volume, pitch, and tone. Volume needs to be

adjusted to the situation. For instance, in a conversation

between you and another person in an office environment,

your voice should be loud enough to be clearly heard by the

person you’re talking to, but not a distraction to others in

the area. Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of your voice

and tone communicates feeling, such as anger or excitement.

Using tone in your voice helps people understand what you’re

trying to communicate, as opposed to a monotone voice that

will tend to put your listeners to sleep.

If your job puts you in the position of having to make presen-

tations or regularly speak to groups of people, you may want

to consider improving your public-speaking abilities (Figure 5).

One consideration is to take speech, communication, or acting

classes. Other methods to tune up your speaking ability is to

listen attentively to those who speak well in public, such as

favorite radio or television announcers, and pattern yourself

after them. You might also listen to recordings of popular

books. Tape recordings of books are narrated by excellent

speakers.

FIGURE 5—Before youaddress a group of people,you may want to brush upon your public-speakingskills.


As a last piece of advice, acquire the dictionary habit. In con-

versations and in reading, you’ll come across unfamiliar

words. Don’t let new words pass you by. Use the dictionary to

learn their spelling, pronunciation, and meaning.

Service CallsService calls may be made for a variety of reasons, including

making repairs, installing upgrades, and performing preven-

tive maintenance. The following information on making a

service call is applicable whether you’re a PC repair shop

technician going to a residence or business, or if you’re

employed within a business and are called to work on an

employee’s computer.

Collecting Information

Before making a service call, it’s imperative that you collect a

complete and accurate description of the problem. By doing

so, you’ll reduce the amount of time it takes to diagnose the

problem and you’ll likely have the necessary parts with you

to make the repair.

One way to ensure that you can efficiently collect a description

of the problem is to use a Troubleshooting Report Form similar

to the one shown in Figure 6. In addition to helping you

prepare for the service call, the form provides a permanent

record for your client file. Depending on the nature of your

job, you may want to modify the questions on the form.


Troubleshooting Report Form

Client name _____________________________________________________________________

Date of problem ______________________ Time of problem _________________________

Brief description of environment (weather, number of users on system, other activities

taking place at the time, etc.) ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Person who experienced problem _________________________________________________

Person who reported problem ____________________________________________________

Type of report (in-person, telephone, fax, electronic mail) _________________________

Description of the problem _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

How frequently does the problem occur? __________________________________________

Hardware configuration __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Which hardware seems to be involved in the problem? ____________________________

Software configuration ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Which software seems to be involved in the problem? _____________________________

Were any hardware, software, or user changes made on the system? ______________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Was the routine of use changed in any way before the problem occurred? _________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Conditions under which the problem occurred ____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Can the problem be duplicated readily? ___________________________________________

Technician’s comments ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Action taken _____________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

FIGURE 6—Troubleshooting Report Form


Making an Appointment

One of the most difficult parts of making service calls is

scheduling appointments—especially when business is good.

First of all, the appointment time should normally be made

as soon as possible at the customer’s convenience. If you’re

currently busy, fitting the call into your own schedule can be

difficult.

One of the first things you need before scheduling an appoint-

ment is a good idea of the problem so that you can allot the

appropriate amount of time. Time can be estimated using

the information from your Troubleshooting Report Form.

You also need to add travel time and take into consideration

that you could run into difficulties in either the diagnosis or

repair procedure.

If you’re on the road a lot, you may find it wise to invest in a

cellular phone so you can call ahead to your next customer

or call back to the shop to get information, expedite part

ordering, or juggle your schedule. Another problem that can

hinder your schedule is if you need to obtain a part and

must return to complete the repair at another time. As your

career grows, you’ll gain the ability to schedule your work-

load so that you can adequately do your job and not have

excessive downtime.

Doing Preliminary Research

Unless you’re certain as to the cause of a problem, you might

want to do some research before going on a service call. Using

the problem description and information gathered during your

phone conversation with the client, begin to formulate a plan

of attack. By having a plan before you actually begin the

service call, you can save time and demonstrate to your

client that you know what you’re doing.

There are several sources that you can use to develop a

diagnostic strategy. First, if the service call is from an existing

customer, you may refer back to previous Troubleshooting

Report Forms or perhaps find a description of their particular

system layout and components in your client file. Studying

this material may suggest a solution to you.


Another diagnostic source is to refer to your own library of

user’s manuals, reference material, and diagnostic aids. You

might even consider using one of your own test computers to

help you duplicate and diagnose the problem. Once you’ve

established a diagnostic plan and possibly determined the

failing component, be sure to take everything you need with

you on the call, including the replacement part. Additionally,

if you do expect to replace a part, be sure to open the pack-

age, make sure that everything is there, and review the

installation instructions before you leave.

Making Repairs

Upon arriving at the client’s site, always check in with the

client before beginning work. To do a good job, make yourself

as comfortable as possible.

Before you begin, organize your work area. First, place a soft

cloth over the customer’s desk or table to prevent damage

from tools and equipment. Next, spread out your tools, open

up any parts boxes, and move the equipment you’re working

on into an accessible position. Setting up in this way makes

you more efficient and minimizes the chance for damage or

accidents.

Remember to be courteous and friendly, but don’t engage

in frivolous conversation. Make yourself as unobtrusive as

possible, and keep your work area clean and uncluttered

while you’re working. Don’t place any tools or equipment

in aisles or places where they can cause an accident. Be

sure to always ask before using any customer resources

such as borrowing the customer’s phone, asking a worker

for assistance, or using a printer. When your work is com-

plete, clean up the area so that it looks like you were never

there. Once you determine the cause of the problem, explain

the situation to the customer. Give as much detail as the

customer wants and explain what you must do to repair the

problem. If there are repair options, present them clearly to

the customer. Explain the advantages and disadvantages as

well as the costs associated with each option.


When your work is complete, clean up the area so that it

looks as good as or better than the way you found it. Stay

long enough to allow the customer to test the repaired device

or system to ensure that it works properly and that you

haven’t inadvertently caused another problem. Review the

service call with the customer and summarize any instruc-

tions or explanations you gave during the service call. Then,

before you leave, make sure the customer understands every-

thing you’ve discussed and doesn’t have any questions.

In-Shop Service

You should always attempt to do as much work as possible

at the client’s site. With the modular construction of today’s

computers, there’s no reason to put the customer’s computer

at risk by moving it to your shop. Also, when you work at

your shop, the customer is inconvenienced twice, once to

remove the computer and get it to the shop, then again to

retrieve it and reinstall it. What happens if the customer

picks up the repaired computer and installs it only to find

that it doesn’t work? Whose fault is it? Was is improperly

repaired? Did something happen to it after it left the shop?

Did the customer reinstall it incorrectly? Working at the cus-

tomer site has many advantages and can eliminate a lot of

problems. However, many PC repair businesses do just fine

with the clients themselves being responsible for delivering

and picking up their own computers from the shop.

One job that makes sense to do in the shop is the assembly

of a custom computer. The best way to handle this is to have

the individual components sent to the shop and assemble the

computer in the shop. All tools and test equipment should be

readily available in the shop, allowing you to do a more effec-

tive job. The computer can then be tested before being moved

to the client’s site and installed.



Have your “customer” pretend to have a problem with his

or her computer. Begin by having your friend simulate a call

to you requesting service. Using what you learned in your

reading assignment, answer the service call and gather the

initial information about the problem. In your conversation,

remember to keep in mind the use of patience, tact, courtesy,

and empathy.

Try this exercise several times for different situations. For

example, rather than calling for PC repair service, simulate

a help-desk situation. To have some fun, you might also try

simulating a circumstance where the customer is angry

because a computer broke down at a very inopportune time.

Practice your approach to each situation, and then allow

your friend to evaluate how well you handled each problem.

Technical Note

In this exercise, you’ll need a friend to play the role of a customer.


A customer calls and describes a problem that you anticipate could

take a significant amount of time to diagnose. From previous service

calls, you know that this customer is very impatient and likes to look

over your shoulder. If it appears that you’re making slow progress or

don’t know what you’re doing, he becomes very annoyed and often

interrupts your work with questions and comments.

What can you do in an attempt to help you reduce your trou-

bleshooting time and your frustration level on this service call?



Self-Check 2

1. Repeating what a person has just said by using different words to verify that you correctly understand the message is called _______.

2. List some of the things you need to pay attention to when making an oral presentation.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

3. True or False? If you honestly don’t care about the customers’ predicaments, you shouldpretend to empathize with them.

4. What things do you need to consider when scheduling appointments?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

5. What should you do after finishing your PC repair?

__________________________________________________________



RUNNING A BUSINESSSo far we’ve discussed how to be a professional and how

to work with your customers. Now we’ll focus on what

you need to do to organize and control your business.

We’ll start by examining some common business requirements

that pertain to you as a computer technician. Next, we’ll give

you some suggestions for providing that “little extra” that can

make the difference in the customer seeking your services or

that of one of your competitors. Then, we’ll tell you how to

effectively manage and control your parts and supplies. With

proper parts management, you’ll find that you can reduce

your costs and stay more competitive. In the last topic, we’ll

discuss billing practices. Here you’ll learn how to determine

what to charge your customer for your services.

General Business RequirementsThe following business requirements apply to everyone in

the PC repair profession. This includes all PC technicians

and support specialists working for manufacturers, busi-

nesses, or in help-desk situations. Each of these topics is

important for performing your job in a professional manner.

Keeping Customer Records

Good recordkeeping is essential to effectively manage a PC

repair business. By generating and maintaining an up-to-

date customer list and work history file you have several

advantages. If your customer data is on your computer, you

can use it to your advantage when a customer calls in with

a new problem. You can save time by asking if the customer

he’s still located at the address you have on file. You can

also check that he or she still has the same computer and

equipment. Having this information in your customer data-

base can save the customer some frustration and save you

time in gathering the information necessary to initiate the

service call.


Support specialists must also gather information about the

customer or caller. However, the specialist’s employer usually

dictates the required customer information. When the cus-

tomer calls in, the support specialist asks questions and fills

in the information on a computer screen. This information is

usually necessary to determine that the caller is authorized

to use the support services of the business or help-desk

facility. If the customer has placed previous calls, the sup-

port specialist usually has to ask only one or two questions,

such as the caller’s phone number, to bring up the caller’s

account information. The support specialist then has access

to a complete history of the caller’s previous problems and

how the problems were resolved.

Using Technical Information

In your job of repairing or supporting personal computers

and equipment, you need to have access to a wide range of

technical information. For the repair technician, there are

two main sources of information. The first source is the

technical documentation for the particular hardware or soft-

ware product. If you support a particular manufacturer’s

product, the manufacturer should make the appropriate

technical documentation available to you. The second infor-

mation source for the repair technician is the Internet.

Manufacturers and many other sources provide several types

of information, including technical information, frequently

asked questions, known problems, and troubleshooting flow-

charts. You can even find places where you can ask for help

on a particular problem.

The support specialist resolves different types of problems

from the PC technician and therefore uses different informa-

tion tools. One type of information source is online help.

Online help is a technical database with a search engine that

allows the support specialist to find information in several

ways, such as by topics, words, and error messages. In some

cases, the specialist can make annotations to the database

so that other specialists using the online help facility can

benefit from the updated information.


Another tool usually available to the support specialist is the

expert system. An expert system is a software program that

employs logic and databases of technical information to solve

problems. The system operates by asking questions concerning

the problem. Based on the answers to the questions, the

system asks other questions until it arrives at a solution

or set of possible solutions. Some expert systems accept

feedback from the user. This feedback is used to modify

the logic and information databases, which continually

improves the system’s problem-solving capabilities.

Staying Current with New Technology

Personal computer technology is continually changing, and

it’s your responsibility to keep up to date with the latest

advancements. If you work for a larger company, take advan-

tage of all on the job training and educational opportunities

offered by your employer. If you’re self-employed or in a

position where continuing education isn’t offered, you need

to have the personal commitment to educate yourself.

There are many sources available to keep abreast of new

technology. One of these sources is printed material such

as books and magazines. There are several good PC repair

textbooks on the market, but if you purchase one, be sure

that it’s current. Likewise, there are many good PC maga-

zines that contain articles with detailed explanations of

new technological advances (Figure 7).

Other places to learn more about the latest technology

include the Internet and trade shows. On the Internet you

can search for articles, product reviews, and manufacturer’s

Web sites containing information on PC-related products

and features. At trade shows you can see demonstrations of

the latest products, listen to manufacturer representatives

describe their latest advancements, and speak face to face

with organizations and other technicians concerned with

PC technology. Probably the most popular trade show is

COMDEX. For more information you can go to

http://www.comdex.com.


Still more resources for learning include

seminars, workshops, and business

acquaintances. Always keep your eyes open

for seminars and workshops that contain

information useful to you and are held

near enough that you could easily attend.

Also, don’t be afraid to talk shop with

business acquaintances, whether they’re

your fellow workers, other people in the

PC repair field, or your customers. There’s

hardly any conversation that goes by with-

out you learning something from it.

As you can see, there are many resources

for you to continue your education and

stay current with the latest developments in

PC hardware and software. Remember, it’s up

to you to have the initiative to take advantage

of them.

Protecting Software Copyrights

In your job as a PC technician, you may be required to

install, upgrade, and customize software. Therefore, it’s

important that you understand the legal issues concerned

with distribution and use of software products.

When users purchase a software program, they’ve actually

purchased only a license to use the program—they don’t

actually own the program. Having only a license to use the

program, the user is prohibited from making copies of the

program except for one personal copy for backup. The actual

owner of the program is the developer or others, such as

a company that the developer has transferred ownership

to. The owner possesses a copyright that legally allows

the software to be copied to sell to users. Anyone making

unauthorized copies of original software is in violation of

the Federal Copyright Act of 1976 and guilty of copyright

infringement (commonly called software piracy).

FIGURE 7—PC magazines are excellentsources for up-to-date information in thefield.


In addition to the single licensed user, software can usually be

licensed to a specified number of users or to a particular site

for business use. These licenses are designed to accommodate

the need for many employees in a business environment

to use a program or perhaps to be able to distribute software

from network servers to PCs as needed. The license agreement

specifies the terms for the software use and distribution.

On occasion, vendors of computer systems have been known

to preload unlicensed software on their computer hard drives.

This practice is called hard-disk loading.

Some of the warning signs that software is pirated are that

• No end-user license is included

• No mail-in product registration card is included

• No documentation or original disks are included

• Documentation is photocopied, or disks have handwritten

labels

To help combat piracy, software manufacturers often make

the original program disks copy-resistant. Another method

used to reduce piracy is to put a holographic image on the

software package, which makes unauthorized copies without

the image easily identifiable.

Your responsibility as a PC technician or support specialist is

to ensure that you use software legally. As a PC technician,

you should purchase only legitimate software and use it only

as allowed by the software license. As a support specialist or

technician working for a company, you’re responsible to use

the software provided to you in accordance with the license

agreement. Never become a party to making illegal copies

of software or be involved in unauthorized use of software

programs.


Providing Special ServicesAs a PC technician, you’ll normally be installing your clients’

computers, upgrading them, and troubleshooting problems.

However, to maintain your customer’s loyalty to you and

your business, it’s often a good idea to provide extra services.

Some of these services will be free of charge for the customer,

but you’ll make up for it in customer satisfaction and thus

have repeat customers.

Service Contracts

Some of your larger clients with businesses involving many

PCs or networks may be interested in entering into a contract

arrangement whereby you’ll be required to be at the client’s

site for a certain period of time each week or month. During

this time, you’ll perform routine maintenance, install upgrades,

troubleshoot, and make repairs as necessary. Because the

contract offers you guaranteed work over a long period of

time, you should normally offer the client a discount from

your regular service rates.

Service Documentation

As you install, upgrade, and service your client’s equipment,

it benefits both you and your client to have an organized

library of hardware and software manuals. It benefits you

because you’ll be able to quickly locate the specific information

you need to work on the client’s equipment. It benefits your

client because your work will be completed faster and at less

cost.

Organizing the client’s documentation involves your collecting

all of the PC and peripheral equipment manuals and related

support information such as ReadMe files. The client then

needs to provide an easily accessible place where you can

arrange this documentation in an orderly fashion so that

you’re able to find it quickly when you need it.


Warranties and Service Contracts

When organizing your client’s documentation, you should

also check up on warranties and service contracts. The original

warranty and service contract documents should be stored

in a secure location at your client’s site. Having this infor-

mation available can save your client a lot of grief in the

event of a hardware or software catastrophe. As an addi-

tional service to your client, you could offer to make copies

of these documents and store them separately at your shop

or in another secure area.

Identification Numbers

Hardware and software identification or serial numbers

are needed for warranty claims, upgrades, and financial

statements. On hardware, serial numbers are usually

inconveniently located in hard-to-reach places. As you

install equipment or make upgrades, be sure to jot down

the identification numbers for your client. As a special

service, you may also maintain your own list of your client’s

identification numbers using a word processor, database, or

spreadsheet. In the list, you should also include a descrip-

tion of the item, the version number, the purchase or install

date, as well as any other relevant information.

Upgrades, Fixes, and Recalls

Manufacturers of PC hardware and software occasionally

discover problems requiring the user to install an upgrade or

apply a fix to resolve the problem. On rare occasions, equip-

ment may be recalled.

In some instances, you may be aware of upgrades or fixes

that apply to your client’s hardware or software by reading

trade publications or browsing though an online service.

Many times, however, you need to depend on receiving this

information from your client. Manufacturers often send

upgrade or fix notices directly to the registered owners of

their products (your client). It’s important that your client

saves these notices for you to evaluate and implement as


necessary. This not only provides work for you, but if you

schedule your work in conjunction with your client’s busi-

ness needs, your client won’t be inconvenienced.

Shipping Cartons

If you ever have to move a component or return it to the

manufacturer, nothing works as well or provides as much

protection as the original shipping carton and packing

materials. Therefore, you should attempt to save these

items whenever possible.

For the sake of convenience, the ideal place to store cartons

and packing materials is at the client’s site. If the client can’t

store the materials, you should consider storing them at your

shop if you have the room, or at another location. You don’t

need to store the shipping materials for each and every com-

ponent. Usually, many large customers will have the same

types of systems, so that you need to store only one or two

cartons for each system type.

Wherever the shipping materials are stored, be sure that the

area is dry and protected from mice or other rodents that will

chew and nest in the boxes. Check all cartons before storage

or disposed to ensure that you’ve removed all parts and doc-

umentation so that only the packing materials remain.

Maintaining Communication

Maintaining regular communication with your clients will

bring you more work as well as leave your clients with the

impression that you care about them and their businesses.

There are several ways for you to stay in touch with your

clients.

First, you should always follow up a service call with either a

phone call or visit to ensure that everything is working prop-

erly and that the client is satisfied. If a minor follow-up call

is required, you should provide the service free of charge to

demonstrate your commitment to quality work.


Another way to stay in touch is to simply call your clients

regularly to see how things are going. If you happen to come

across an article or other information of particular interest

to your clients, let them know. Tell your clients about new

products and hardware or software developments that you

think might benefit productivity or profitability. Perhaps you

could set up a meeting to provide additional information and

discuss plans for implementation (Figure 8).

Parts and SuppliesAs a PC technician, you’ll often need to obtain the correct parts

as quickly as possible. Although it would be nice to maintain a

large, comprehensive inventory similar to a computer store’s,

it’s not practical. Major chain stores obtain significant dis-

counts by buying parts and equipment in volume. In your

case, you can expect to receive a much smaller discount.

The major drawback of maintaining an inventory is cost.

Not only do you have the initial cost of the parts, but the

parts will continue to cost you money while they sit on the

shelf. For example, if your parts inventory was purchased

on credit, you’re paying interest each month on the value

of those parts. Even if you paid cash for your parts, the

money you spent isn’t earning interest and is tied up until

you install the parts and can charge for them.

FIGURE 8—Keeping yourclients abreast of new developments and/or products can only helpyour business (andtheirs).


In addition to the initial cost of the inventory and the money

lost while parts sit on the shelf, you have the cost and effort

involved with managing the inventory. Also, you’ll find that

it’s almost impossible to anticipate the parts you’ll need for

repairs. This means that you could be stuck with some parts

sitting on your stock shelf for a very long time. Therefore, as

a rule, you shouldn’t attempt to maintain a parts inventory.

Using a Swap Shelf

In lieu of maintaining an inventory, you should consider

maintaining a swap shelf that contains a collection of

replacement parts. The purpose of the swap shelf is to have

parts immediately available for diagnostic swapping or for

emergency use until a new, permanent replacement can be

found. Although you can’t maintain everything you’ll ever

need on your swap shelf, you should have the basic PC parts

and components, such as

• IDE hard drive

• Floppy drive

• IDE floppy/hard disk controller

• Video adapter card

• Keyboard and mouse

• Power supply

• Miscellaneous cables (internal, external, and power

cords)

• Video monitor

Understand that this is merely a general list of parts that

you might want to start with. As time passes, you’ll eventually

obtain more parts for your swap shelf, including various

types of each part.


Obtaining Parts and Supplies

As you build your business, you’ll need to find suppliers

that can provide quality tools and parts quickly and at a

reasonable price. Obtaining quality parts and having them

arrive on time is extremely important to your customer and

to your survival as a repair technician (Figure 9). If new

parts continually fail or aren’t installed on time, your client

will blame you and not the supplier.

One of your first objectives in building

your business is to establish a list

of suppliers that you can trust. Try

to keep your suppliers to a minimum,

and don’t shop solely on price.

Although you may pay a little more,

stay with the supplier that delivers

when promised, provides the better-

quality part, and stands behind the

part. By working with only a few

trusted suppliers, you’ll be doing

more business with each, rather than

spreading your business around to

several unknowns. As suppliers get

to know you, you may be able to get

a better deal or you may find the sup-

plier willing to expend extra effort to

help you out of a jam.

Depending on your location, you may

be able to obtain parts directly from a

local supplier. However, you need to

beware of having to pay retail price for

parts. Usually, a portion of your profit is made by buying

parts at a discount and charging your client retail price.

Buying at a retail outlet may diminish your profit, but then

again, you shouldn’t rule it out if you need a part immediately

to satisfy your customer.

FIGURE 9—The timely sending and receiving ofquality parts is crucial to your business.


One way to locate discount suppliers is through computer

magazines. An especially good source is a monthly publica-

tion called the Computer Shopper. Another way to locate

suppliers, which is probably the most efficient and produc-

tive, is to use the Internet. The Internet is the home for a

vast number of computer-parts companies and warehouses.

On the Internet, you’ll continually find special deals on every

part imaginable. You’ll also be able to stay current with the

newest and currently popular products.

Billing PracticesSo far you’ve learned the fundamentals of how to work with

others and how to run your business. To complete your

training, we’ll close with a short discussion concerning the

financial aspects of working as a repair technician. Although

this information focuses primarily on the self-employed com-

puter technician, reading this information may give you ideas

or insights you can apply to other aspects of your business.

What to Charge?

What to charge your customers is a matter you need to work

out on your own. At the beginning of your career, it might be

a good idea to keep your prices low until you’ve established a

customer base and gained a reputation for providing prompt,

high-quality service. Naturally, what you charge must cover

your costs and provide you with a reasonable profit. In deter-

mining what to charge, you need to consider several factors,

including

• Your cost to provide the service

• Your profit expectations

• Your competition

• The customer’s ability to pay

• The value of your service to the customer

• The relationship between you and your customer


Your Costs

When calculating your costs involved with providing service,

be sure to include all of your expenses, such as

• The cost of your training (including this program)

• Your initial shop setup, including workbenches, book-

cases, filing cabinets, etc.

• Your tools and test equipment

• Maintaining your shop, including rent, taxes, utilities,

etc.

• Continuing or in-service training (magazines, catalogs,

training videos, conferences)

• Your time

• Travel expenses

• Parts

Your costs may be divided into two categories—indirect costs

and direct costs. The first five items in the previous list of

costs may be considered indirect costs. These costs are

recovered over a long period of time. You may decide to

recover the cost of your initial training, shop setup, and

tools over a period of years so that your customers aren’t

charged an exorbitant amount. Indirect costs are recurring

costs, such as rent, taxes, utilities, and magazine subscrip-

tions, that need to be spread to your customers over the

period of time in which they occur.

The last three items in the preceding list are direct costs.

Direct costs are those which are associated with each

service call. These costs are charged to the individual

customer for whom they were incurred. When charging

for parts, you may want to mark up the price of the part,

providing you obtained the part at a discount. The total

price that you charge customers for a part should never

be more than the retail price they would have paid for it

elsewhere (Figure 10).


The Customer’s Ability to Pay

For your PC repair business to succeed, you must price your

services within a range that your customers can afford. Large

businesses as well as smaller, successful businesses can usu-

ally pay more for your services because their expenses are a

smaller portion of their revenue. However, this doesn’t mean

that you should charge larger, more profitable businesses more

than you charge your other clients. You should treat all of your

clients fairly, no matter what their size or profitability. Your

rates should be the same for everyone.

What we mean by evaluating the customer’s ability to pay

as a part of determining what to charge is that you need to

access your overall service area. For example, if you live in

a rural area and your clients are generally small business

owners, farmers, and local government offices, you’re less

likely to succeed if your rates are high. On the other hand,

if you live in a large city, your clients will likely be able to

pay higher rates. This all balances out because if you’re

located in a rural area, your expenses are likely to be lower.

In a larger city, your expenses will be higher, requiring you

to charge more for your services.

FIGURE 10—Stay mindful of not overcharging your clients. They shouldn’t have to pay you more than the retail price for a part.


Competition

Competition is a part of free enterprise. If your business is

located in an area with several other PC repair services avail-

able, customers are going to compare prices (Figure 11).

Obviously, clients aren’t going to pay you significantly more

for the same service they can get for less from another repair

technician. Therefore, what you need to set you apart from

your competition is availability, quality of service, and your

relationship with the customer. Your price can be slightly

higher if your abilities and service justify it. If your price is

significantly higher than your competition, you may need to

reevaluate your pricing structure, such as distributing some

of your indirect costs over a longer period of time.

Competition also has its advantages.

First, you can get help in establishing

your rates by checking on what your

competitors are charging. Also, as your

competitors advertise, it indirectly helps

you by drawing attention to the general

PC repair business that you’re a part of.

And finally, on some occasions you and

one or more of your competitors may

even lend one another a hand.

How to Charge

There are various ways to charge for

your services, but the most common

are hourly rate, flat fee, and the service

contract. The most popular way to

charge is the hourly rate. Using the

hourly rate, you charge for your time and the cost of parts.

For example, suppose you take an hour to replace a part

that costs $150. If your hourly rate were $25, then your

total bill would be $175. Don’t forget that if you obtained

the part at a discount, you may decide to also charge a

small premium on the cost of the part.

FIGURE 11—A prospective client may easily com-pare your prices to those of your competitors.


A flat fee is usually used in large service organizations with

many employees. The flat fee guarantees the customer a set

price depending on the particular repair service. For exam-

ple, a particular fee may be set to replace a hard drive. The

customer is then charged the fixed fee plus the cost of the

part no matter how long the repair took to complete. Using

the flat fee method of charging customers is very risky for the

self-employed technician because unforeseen circumstances

can significantly increase the service cost.

A service contract is a formal agreement made with a business

or client to fix any problem that may occur on a computer

system. Usually, service contracts are offered by system

manufacturers or larger service organizations. These con-

tracts are advantageous to clients because they can pay a

predetermined fixed cost to cover all of their service needs.

As with the flat fee, the self-employed technician might better

stay away from service contracts unless absolutely certain of

the condition and reliability of the equipment being serviced.

The cost of having to install an expensive part, such as a

system board, can eat up a large part of your profits under a

service contract. However, the self-employed technician might

consider a service contract like we described earlier in our

discussion on special services, where a certain amount of

time is scheduled at the client’s site each week or month

to do preventive maintenance and perform service. Under

this arrangement, the technician would discount the normal

hourly service fees for having guaranteed work, and the cost

of any parts would be the responsibility of the client.

Record Keeping

In the same manner that we previously discussed for keeping

technical records, it’s also important that you keep accurate

financial records. These records are needed for you to control

the profitability of your business and to handle your taxes.

One of the most important aspects of running your business

is to maintain accurate records of your income and expenses.

Business supply and stationery stores have various ledgers

and checking systems available to help you maintain your

financial records. There are also a number of different


computer software programs available. When choosing

a software program, be sure to check that the program meets

your business needs, is easy to use, and offers any special

features you require. Still another method of keeping financial

records is through the use of a spreadsheet. An advantage

of the spreadsheet is that it’s flexible, and if you learn how

to use it, you can keep track of income and expenses as well

as your taxes.

Taxes

If you’re self-employed, you’ll find your tax situation very differ-

ent than when you worked for someone else. When you were an

employee, your taxes and Social Security were “automatically”

withheld from your paycheck. Now that you’re self-employed,

you’re the “automatic” part in that you’re responsible to ensure

that proper amounts are withheld to cover your tax liabilities.

It’s up to you to set aside the proper amount each week or

month to pay your estimated taxes each quarter. These pay-

ments must be submitted with the proper forms. In addition

to taxes, you must also pay a self-employment tax, which

goes into the Social Security fund.

If you’re not comfortable with doing your own taxes, you may

want to hire a bookkeeper or accountant. However, hiring

someone else is an added expense to that you’ll need to

recover in your fee for service. As an alternative, you might

want to invest in one of the tax books published each year

and an income tax software package. Whatever method you

choose to handle your taxes, it’s of the utmost importance

to do it correctly.



New Technologies

Choose a few PC-related products or features that have recently

been developed or released. Using the resources described in

your study unit for staying current with new technology, learn

all you can about these products and features. Start a folder

for each item and insert the information you’ve gathered

into the folders. Consider making new technology folders

throughout your career as a way to retain information on

the latest technological developments.

Software Licensing

Read the software license agreements for a few of the software

programs installed on your PC. Is it legal to have the software

installed on your PC at work and simultaneously on your PC

at home? Check your answer with that on page 47.


A client, who owns a small retail store with eight employees, calls late in

the day. Today is the day she needs to do payroll so that the employees

will have their paychecks on time the next morning before the start of

the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, her payroll data is kept on a Zip

disk and the Zip drive is inoperable. She desperately needs to have the

computer fixed today so that she can do the payroll. You can get a new

drive overnight from your discount supplier but that will be too late. What

should you do to remedy your client’s situation so that the payroll can be

completed on time?



Self-Check 3

1. Where can you see demonstrations of the latest technological advances?

_________________________________________________________

2. List some of the things to look for when buying software to ensure it’s licensed.

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

3. What two important documents for a new computer should be stored in a secure location?

_________________________________________________________

4. If you must return a computer to the manufacturer for service, what’s the best method ofpackaging?

_________________________________________________________

5. Describe the purpose of a swap shelf.

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

6. What is the maximum amount you should charge a customer for a replacement part?

_________________________________________________________


47


A+ Certification

The CompTIA web site (http://www.comptia.org) has

complete information on all of its activities including the

A+ exam. You’ll find detailed descriptions of the compo-

nents of the Essentials and the Practical Applications

exams. Under the Certifications and Exams tab, you can

link to the A+ exam page which explains how to prepare

for the test, how to purchase vouchers and courseware,

and how to register to take the exams.


In addition to the various types of PC certifications

available, you should have also found

• Availability of formal training classes

• Test preparation Web sites

• Online training

• Training videos and CD-ROMS

• Publications and textbooks


Software Licensing

Most software licenses allow you to have the software

installed on more than one PC, as long as a single user

uses both installations.


As soon as you’re aware that you might be late, call the

customer to explain the situation. Chances are that the

customer will understand and have no problem with a

slight change in time.

Answers

Answers

Self-Check Answers48


One way to reduce your diagnostic time and leave the

customer with a good impression of your technical abil-

ity is to research the problem before making the service

call. By using the resources at your own site you can

develop a sound diagnostic strategy without being under

pressure.


You should take a Zip drive from your swap shelf and

temporarily install it in the client’s computer, or perhaps

you have an external USB attached drive you can use.

When you return from the service call and are sure that

the Zip drive was the problem, you can order a new

drive from your supplier. When the new drive arrives,

you can make arrangements with your client to install it

at a convenient time the following week.

Self-Check 1

1. Professionalism strengthens your relationship with your

clients.

2. You should dress neatly, comfortably, and functionally.

3. credibility

4. You can demonstrate respect through your actions and

the way you communicate with your customer. You can

also take an honest interest in your customer’s busi-

ness, schedules, and productivity.

5. Certification gives your customers confidence in your

technical abilities and shows your commitment to your

profession.

Examination

Examination

Self-Check Answers 49

Self-Check 2

1. paraphrasing

2. Articulation, rate of speaking, volume, pitch, and tone

3. False

4. The type of problem, travel time, and the possibility of

running into unforeseen diagnostic or repair problems

5. Clean the area, wait for the customer to test the

repaired device, review the service call with the

customer, and answer any questions.

Self-Check 3

1. Trade shows

2. Seal of authenticity, end-user license, original disks

and documentation, registration card

3. Warranty and service contract

4. Use the original shipping cartons and packaging

materials.

5. A swap shelf contains parts that can be used for diag-

nostic swapping or in an emergency until a new part

can be installed.

6. You should never charge a customer more than the

retail price for a part.

Study Unit-Preparing for Your Career as a PC Technician

Documents

study unitpreparing

pc support services

business knowhow necessaryto

software tester

practical exercise

software copyrights

service calls

copyright owner