Anyone know about EasyTech Staples pricing?

[ExpletiveDeleted]

I had a guy work with me that came from best buy. I know this isn't probably true everywhere, but probably is common in the big box world. He said the "geeks" were system restore whores. He said if you came in with a problem like a driver being out most of the geeks would automatically jump to system restore. He said they did this because it was easy and provided the most play time for them in the back.

It does allow people with the least intellegence to get a job done, most of the work is just letting it run, gives you an excuse to charge data backup, which is high margin,

 

[vdub12]

Really depends on the technician... as far as i have seen, there really is no policy or approved software for anything outside of Norton... we went a little outside of the box and took a store copy of Norton off the shelf and use that as a bootable cd for removing viruses outside of Windows... occasionally we will do some msconfig, regedit tweaks, sfc or windows Repairs from a windows cd... some techs will use additional freeware software (or semi-freeware, kind of a dont ask dont tell)... but it all depends on the tech. So if the Norton software report says its good, and we see no obivous problem, then usually thats the end... we do warranty our virus removal for 30 days presuming they have A/V loaded on the PC.

I wonder are these considered trade secrets... corporate cant find out who i am on here right???

Thats a red flag right there. Any tech that recommends Norton doesn't know what there doing. Norton is worse then most viruses.

You would be surprised at how much time I spend removing Norton for customers. Even though these same costumers paid for the software they are happy once its gone.

 

[RegEdit]

I'm surprised that people use LIVE CD's to do virus scans. I tested a Kaspersky LIVE CD and it ****ed's up my test computer to the point that I had to reinstall Windows. That why I always slave the customer's drive to my bench test computer. Am I the only one who does it that way, avoiding the LIVE anti-virus boot CD's?

 

[robb7346]

When I was the lead tech we charged the diagnostic usually if the person had non-specific issues like "Sometines it does this" or "the other day it did that" Usually if a person had an issue with say can't connect to wireless network it would be a diagnostic then if the driver needed to be updated or re-installed it would be an additional $40 for custom config which was the generic SKU. If the person described virus related issues we never charged a diagnostic plus virus removal but that was the way we did it. Unfortunately the store MGR and the techs had sales goals that had to be met some stores who didn't have the volume of tech work would charge diagnostic + on everything. As the lead tech I was interested in building a relationship with the customer to get repeat business not a one time cash grab and we did well because we didn't hit everyone up for a quick $69.95. We became trusted tech advisors for our customers. On a related note most low volume tech stores would rather do a backup and restore VS doing virus removal. It had nothing to do with skill it more had to do with meeting sales numbers $198 vs $129. Essentially Staples program currently, In my opinion, is more of a computer maintenence program rather than a computer repair program. With the big push coming this year with the spread of the new Best Tech program which some stores being converted into a Tech focused store that may change. The new focus will be on doing onsite business tech support more than retail repairs.

 

[robb7346]

The tech isn't recommending Norton they have to push Norton due to a company partnership with Symantec. Same with HP printers

 

[robb7346]

Why would they use a CD off the shelf instead of a Tech Bench copy?? Also the tech could log in online and access the online removal tools from Support.com

 

[Crgky127]

The approved tools were pretty terrible, and even the county onsite guy told me once, regarding the extra tools I was using, something like 'I know you have your hands tied here, but just don't have them on the desktop [of the terrible bench PC] where I can see them'. I was even gently told off for using memtest instead of the full PCDoctor suite. When the fake anti virus first started coming in, I was knocking out 5-20 a week with Autoruns and ProcessExplorer before they were being picked up by scanners, and even though they were from the MS/Sysinternals site, they were technically not allowed. Dial-up internet speeds mean downloading a driver could take 45mins, and when they finally did start to roll out better speeds, corporate said the stores with highest tech sales will get it first, like it's a privilege instead of basic requirement of a computer repair place. And because updates were part of several services, I started using offline service pack installers, and then updates also, which saved tons of time (eventually corporate caught on and started deploying a solution which was actually CTUpdate with a useless AutoIt wrappper). The output corporate wanted with the input they provided was absolute madness (madness? THIS.. IS.. STAPLES! -pretty common phrase in my store when 300 came out). Another thing that got me thinking about my own store was that store management was given 16 extra hours to allot to techs for every $1000 made in tech sales. To be honest I take my hat off to any easytech that follows company rules and still manages to do right by the customer and achieve sales goals.

 

[ExpletiveDeleted]

My head tech does use the slave drive method, but we have been moving to the boot cd method as it does not require the time to take the hd out, that combined with a small workspace, makes it nice in keeping the pc together.

And the CD is a techbench that we used and reuse, not a retail copy, but the difference really doesnt matter... its like the same cd just packaged and priced different.

and imo Norton isnt really that bad (this is an arguement for another thread), not the best, but not the worst, but yea its what we are supposed to push.

 

[Nerm]

My wife is a Manager for Staples so it gives me a lot of insight as to how they operate and I can concur with most everything ExpletiveDeleted and robb7346 said. The store my wife manages charges the diag + each individual repair cost on everything except Virus/Spyware removal. The sad thing is that this particular store has a tech that literally all she knows how to do is run system restore. My wife has more tech knowledge than she does and it makes her so aggravated and stressed. It gets old hearing her come home and telling me about how this tech ***** more than she fixes in a given day.

 

[vdub12]

and imo Norton isnt really that bad (this is an arguement for another thread), not the best, but not the worst, but yea its what we are supposed to push.

Well thats your opinion. 99.9% of everyone else's is don't use Norton. Virtually every computer I work on that has Norton on it is completely unusable. They are so slow that the customer just gets fed up. Once I remove Norton and install MSSE. Its like a new computer. Its fast and responsive. It really pisses me off when people recommend Norton to customers. However, it makes me money because I get paid to take it off.

 

[Crgky127]

The norton issue is hard because of the constant training modules/propaganda, and the $4 added to the bonus pool for selling N360. One of my former coworkers got wrapped into it so much, partly due to the fact that his sisters machine (4GB) had no problems with N360, that he refused to believe that it was causing a machine to not connect to the web (the first of many times) until I showed him.

 

[Joines]

I don't know how many computers I have removed Norton and McAfee from that had 2G+ of memory and 2.5GHz+ processors and customers suddenly see the light

AOL (the actual browser) is just as bad. One customer refuses to take it off her 2ghz, 1.5gb ram comp cause "she doesn't want to lose her email"

I tried explaining that her email isn't inside that program.. its on a web server somewhere...daze into space...forget it

You're right, keep AOL else your computer will physically explode.

 

[Appleby]

Well I'm afraid I might know why my business has slowed to a crawl the last month...Staples is really ramping up their advertising for the pc repairs. I went in there today to buy some blank DVD's and there was a big sign at the doors "Free PC Tuneup!" then right inside the door, a HUGE banner, "WE FIX COMPUTERS!!". All over the store were ads for their repair services. Then I saw the pre-release of this weekends Staples ad and the 2nd to last page is a full page ad saying "We Fix Computers".

This is a very small town and there is only so much computer repair needed and I'm afraid Staples might be about to dominate. Everyone with a computer goes into Staples simply because it's the only place we have to buy stuff. My customers come in here and believe everything they are told by the salespeople. "I need a wireless N router, because my internet will be slow if I just buy the G." "I need to buy the 1.5T external hard drive because I've got alot of stuff on my 80GB hard drive to back up!"

Ok enough of my rant.lol

When I was walking in there today I saw the tech had 5 laptops setup behind the counter. (he's got a very crappy place to work on them, it's right behind the check out counter?!) He was out on the floor helping customers and I was in the store for almost 30 minutes and he never once was back there working on computers. He had a pile of them too. I'm by no means blaming the tech, I'm sure he'd have rather been back there fixing machines but I just don't understand how they expect to be in the computer repair biz and have no techs working on machines, especially when customers can SEE that no one is working on repairs? Very weird.

 

[hardtoremember]

Well I'm afraid I might know why my business has slowed to a crawl the last month...Staples is really ramping up their advertising for the pc repairs.

Here's the thing though... How many of those people do you think will be repeat customers $300 later? Same thing as GS. I just got a business client [yay!] with a connectivity issues. He had paid Geek Squad $149 or something for phone support to NOT fix it. It took me literally one minute to figure it out. Out of that I ended up with his 4 in shop computers and 2 personal laptops.

People won't keep on paying that and I think that many of them walk away feeling like they got screwed. Everyone I have ever done work for who has used any of those chains say they won't do so again.

 

[vdub12]

Well I'm afraid I might know why my business has slowed to a crawl the last month...Staples is really ramping up their advertising for the pc repairs. I went in there today to buy some blank DVD's and there was a big sign at the doors "Free PC Tuneup!" then right inside the door, a HUGE banner, "WE FIX COMPUTERS!!". All over the store were ads for their repair services. Then I saw the pre-release of this weekends Staples ad and the 2nd to last page is a full page ad saying "We Fix Computers".

This is a very small town and there is only so much computer repair needed and I'm afraid Staples might be about to dominate. Everyone with a computer goes into Staples simply because it's the only place we have to buy stuff. My customers come in here and believe everything they are told by the salespeople. "I need a wireless N router, because my internet will be slow if I just buy the G." "I need to buy the 1.5T external hard drive because I've got alot of stuff on my 80GB hard drive to back up!"

Ok enough of my rant.lol

When I was walking in there today I saw the tech had 5 laptops setup behind the counter. (he's got a very crappy place to work on them, it's right behind the check out counter?!) He was out on the floor helping customers and I was in the store for almost 30 minutes and he never once was back there working on computers. He had a pile of them too. I'm by no means blaming the tech, I'm sure he'd have rather been back there fixing machines but I just don't understand how they expect to be in the computer repair biz and have no techs working on machines, especially when customers can SEE that no one is working on repairs? Very weird.

I don't think we have much to worry about. Staples is no better the GS. They do inferior work and customers will come back to using us. A big chain like that just can't manage good service in the aria of repair. Yes they may have a good tech or two at one location but then another location will have bad techs. Its a matter of numbers. I know that the location near me is not a threat, they may take some business away at first but its like the GS. Customers will get sick of not getting there computers fixed right.

 

[mkeathley]

My brother was one of the opening manager at the staples store here.
They opened right next to bestbuy (they share a wall) and didn't plan on a easytech.

When they seen GS was next door they added one. They have had ALOT of different ones over the last 3 years. They only pay them $8/hr and minimum here is like $7.35 now.

They work right behind the counter, and have NO approved software besides the off the shelf norton. And they always have computers to work on.

marketing trumps service and knowledge anyway, example Microsoft.

But liek others said you will get the mess ups.

Also go in and talk with the store manager. My staples store give their customers my card when they cant figure out a problem. (laptop lcd screen, powerjack, onsite, etc.)

I also go the same deal with office depot, which here has their sales people hook the computer to a station for offisite (india??) tech to fix.

 

[ExpletiveDeleted]

yea behind the counter is quite annoying, the idea was to take the tech out of the back and make him visible... but it does slow his work down, though with some lazy technicians it means they cant get away with hiding in the back. the idea is to have the tech on the floor for sales and helping customers, but this does detract from doing work, as he is sometimes the only tech on the whole floor (usually kept to a minimum, covering lunch breaks, etc, but still not doing tech work)... I run the easy tech dept (which includes the techs and sales ppl on the floor who sell electronics etc, not pencils) and I tell them all the time, dont assign my head tech projects on the floor, he has computers to fix... sometimes they get it, sometimes they dont... probelm is they get it after I have 8 ppl calling cuz I have had their pc for a week.

 

[Appleby]

Thanks guy. Like I said.... I've put it all together and realize that my business has slowed to a crawl just about the time that Staples started their advertising campaign and big push. It's way to early to really start worrying but I'm going to be keeping my eye on the situation. I've been in business for 4 years and this is the least amount of new customers I've had coming in about 3 years. I have 0 fear of losing current customers, but I can't make a living off my current customer base.

Again, I think I have a somewhat unique situation, as compared to a big city, since, in my opinion, I have only 1 "real" competitor that does alot of business. Staples can def. cut into our pie and take a pretty big piece but as most of you have mentioned, I can't imagine their repeat business would be anything like that of us mom and pops.

 

[ExpletiveDeleted]

Best bet to counter-act the free tune up, is to offer a free, or much lower diagnostic than 69.99... this way when they bring their pc in for what they think is a free tune up, but it really needs a full diagnostic, maybe they'll realize they can get that elsewhere for free or cheap

the goal for most stores is about $2000 a week.. many stores to less, many stores consistantly do higher

 

[robb7346]

The sales goals are pretty lofty considering the space alotted (room to work on 3 lappies at a time or a desktop and a lappie) We had a T1 line which helped with downloads etc... but the main issue was the handcuffs placed upon the techs from above at onetime our sales goal was $1k which we easily exceeded usually $1400recently I heard they increased that goal to $2k which I am told by my former asst they have yet to reach usually bang in $1500-1700 but that is really. When I started the old tech had managed just $400 a week $700 if he was "busy" You got to bend the rules and think creatively to get around those corporate handcuffs while being true to the customer. A flat list of 7-10 services only and that is it! just doesn't cut it. Many big box stores are indeed Restore whores. The Norton tool tells them a restore is needed with multiple infections I think I had only did 2 restores the entire time a I worked there never once for a virus.