Using a PC Repair Shop or a Private Service Technician

Although not available in all areas, you may be able to find a PC repair shop or PC service technician in your area that can help you with disasters both large and small. However, there are a few things to be aware of when taking your PC in for repair or having a third-party technician come out to work on it.

First, the expertise offered by independent shops or individuals runs the gamut from people who know little more about PC hardware and repair than you do to incredibly talented and experienced professionals who can save you a bundle while fixing your machine quickly.

Most shops and technicians fall somewhere between those two extremes. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to determine this until after they’ve resolved a few issues for you. Wherever possible, ask friends and/or work associates if they use a local shop and if so, which one. If you notice one name keeps coming up, that may be the shop to try first.

Note 

Some computer and consumer electronics stores have a repair department, and some allow you to bring in equipment for repair even if you didn’t purchase the hardware at that particular store.

Second, but no less importantly, check your PC or other product warranty to be sure you aren’t invalidating your warranty if you have someone other than a certified technician work on it. Many companies require that you only take their products to an authorized service center or a) your repair won’t be covered by warranty, if applicable, or b) the rest of your warranty is voided.

Next, ask for a written estimate when you take a system in for repair. Recall from Chapter 2, “How Your Hardware, Operating System, and Applications Work Together,” that there are many situations in which repairing certain hardware components can match and even exceed the price of a new device or PC. This is especially true with laptops, where a simple drive replacement or fixing a damaged laptop display can run several hundred dollars.

Tip 

Let the shop know that you want a limit placed on repair/replacement costs, and that they need to contact you before they apply a fix that may exceed that limit. Wherever possible, get this in writing, even if the shop simply writes it on the receipt they give you when you drop off the product for repair. This offers you some protection if they give you an initial verbal estimate of $50 and then suddenly present you with a $500 final bill when the work is complete.

Ask some questions before you agree to let a repair shop work on your system:

• How long has the shop or individual been in operation? Longer is usually better, because it implies more experience and a lack of consumer-related issues that might force them to close.

• Is the shop or technical service a certified or authorized repair site for any manufacturers and, if so, which ones?

• How long does the shop or technician estimate it will be before your system is repaired or you know what else needs to be done to fix it?

• Can you try the system yourself, in the shop, before you take it home to be sure it works as well as they say it does?

• Can you get your damaged parts back after replacement?

  Note 

  This last point is important because there’s one story you hear about disreputable repair shops of all types: They tell a customer that a part has been replaced as part of the repair, but they never actually replace it. Of course, this works best if you know the make, manufacturer, and appearance or condition of the part they are replacing before the “replacement” is made. That way, you can tell if you have the same dirty power supply (for example) you thought they replaced.

Does My PC Repair Technician Need to be Certified?

If you’re asking this question, you’re probably aware that various areas of the PC industry (usually related to technical service and repair) offer certification for professionals. Becoming certified involves studying for and passing a certification exam that tests key concepts and procedures. Two examples of certifications are A+ certification and Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE).

Certification can be valuable because it implies that whoever holds it has mastered a certain level of competency in their respective area (hardware, operating systems, networking, and certain applications). Many corporations and recruiting companies demand this certification in order to hire people to staff busy IT departments.

But from my personal and professional experience, I’ve run into many talented technicians without certification and I’ve encountered a host of certified people whose skills are lacking. So while I think being certified can be valuable for someone trying to be hired, I’m not certain it always tells you, as a consumer, much about the type of person performing your PC repairs. In addition, because most people get certified in a particular area (say, networking), it doesn’t always mean they know how to fix a problematic Windows installation or a failing motherboard.