So said my latest ‘silver surfer’ client. She was using the metaphor in the sense that using a computer is like learning to drive. At first, the gears, the pedals, all the dials seem overwhelming. After a while, you’re blasting up the motorway at 70+, in the middle of the night without a second thought.
To extend the metaphor – it’s also like a car when it comes to servicing and repairs.
Most of us have worked out how to fill up with petrol, or diesel, not mistaking the two 99.9% of the time. Some of us manage our own oil changes or little servicing jobs. On my ‘toy’ I try to do as much as possible. On the car I rely on for the business, I tend to entrust work to the experts.
Are you catching my drift yet?
You wouldn’t hand your company car over to the 14 year-old boy down the road because he reads Auto Express every week. But it appears plenty of people are happy to let little Freddy loose on their PCs.
People are also ‘happy’ to pay £50+ per hour to the local mechanic (or £95+ per hour to the dealer) to have their car serviced or repaired. But to some, £35 per hour to have their PC rescued is a bit steep.
Granted, a new PC costs a few hundred pounds, a new car many thousands. But when you buy a new car, you don’t need it to remember every journey your old car went on.
We need to consider the data stored on our PCs as being worth something. To me, it’s my livelihood – every bit and byte is worth money.
How much is your computer worth?
When it comes to charging I know we’re not the cheapest. However, I’d like to think we are the cheapest experts – I believe we offer very good value for money PC support.
A Microsoft Certified Professional with many years of large corporate experience and training, he now focuses on helping small businesses make the most of their IT.
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