On line computer help

Part of the torture of being an IT professional is the constant barrage of family and friends calling me to request help with computer problems. With the advent of on line computer help, for the life of me I can’t understand why I still receive these calls. Of course, I understand that being without a computer these days is more than tough. However, I simply do not have the time to be at the beckon call of everyone I ever met in my entire life! Fortunately, I found an on line computer help service that I can now refer people to. They get their computer problems solved and I get left alone. It’s a win for us both.

I am writing this to set straight some common misconceptions about IT people.

Fun

Fixing computers is not fun or enjoyable in anyway to anybody. I can’t even explain the amount of calls I get from people I barely know treating me like they’re doing me a favor. Just because I work in IT does not mean I am a geek. Computers are my JOB not my hobby.

Career

Yes, I do work in IT. However, I don’t fix computers for a living, nor have I in many years. There is more than one career path in IT, some people are programmers, some work in purchasing or finance and others actually fix computers. Do you call an accountant friend to balance your checkbook? Do you call a brain surgeon when you stub your toe? Would you expect the surgeon to be excited that you called?

Time

I work full-time; I have a wife and a son. My time is very valuable to me. Do you really think I want to spend the little bit of leisure time I have working on your problems? What a joyous occasion it is when I get to drive an hour and rebuild someone’s computer from scratch because they just have to click every pop-up they see.

Caring

I don’t care that your Internet Explorer is running slow…I just don’t care. Simply, my day is not going to change if you surf the Internet fast or slow. Let me say this again just to make sure it sinks in – I don’t care. There is a great on line computer help service that will answer the phone and solve your problems quickly. It is their job to care, not mine.

Financial

Ok, so we have already determined there is an on line computer help service that will solve your problems. The service I recommend charges less than $20 per month…$20! I’ve been in IT for 15 years; do you really think my time is comparable to $20 per month? How many of you would choose to go to work on a Sunday afternoon for $20? After 15 years in the same field, do you think I want to work for less than minimum wage? In addition, the service is $20 per month not per problem!

Perks

This is probably my favorite “bait” that people use in the feeble attempt to motivate me to help with computer problems. It starts out like this – “If you have time, maybe you can come by and fix my PC, after that I’ll take you out for dinner”. What? Are you suggesting that the only value you get from our relationship is my ability to work for you for minimum wage? Do you truly believe that the $15 dinner you are going to buy me makes up for my day of labor? What is wrong with you with you people! If our relationship is such that we should have dinner together, let’s have dinner. How would you like it? “Say Bob, perhaps you could come over and paint my kitchen and then I’ll buy you a sandwich” – “Hey Joe, why don’t you stop by on Saturday morning, I’ll watch you re-shingle my roof all day then I’ll take you to Applebee’s”.

To sum it all up, if you want your problems solved signup for On line computer help and stop calling me!