My Work Process as a Computer Technician

In the past I have shown you my onsite technician gear. Now, I would like to share my work process with you to give you an idea on how you could start or possibly improve yours. Of course, I am not saying this is how you must do it since everyone has their own procedures. This is just a method that I have refined over the years to help me eliminate any potential issues.


My work process is slightly different depending on whether the work is done onsite or in my workshop.

For Onsite Work
When I first get the phone call from a potential client, I will ask them what the computer is doing (or not doing). I will never ask what the client what they think the problem is because their guess is usually far from the actual problem. It is far better to get them to tell you just the symptoms and then you can work out what the problem might be based on your past experience.

It is a good idea to take note of this because you can review it on the day and make sure you bring the appropriate tools and software. If the issue sounds like a virus, Ill be sure to update my antivirus definitions on my USB drive. If the screen is black, Ill be sure to bring along the LCD screen I use for testing.

In most cases I am able to say “ahh yes, I have seen that before” but I will never tell the client the what the solution is over the phone unless its either a 5 minute fix and they are an established client.

I will then say “Would you like to book in a time? I have some time tomorrow if you want me to squeeze you in“. This helps convert them from price shoppers to actual call outs.
I would write the appointment into my iPhones calendar which will eventually synchronize with Outlook and provide me with a backup copy on my computer. If the date is more than a week away I write a note on my phone to call in advance since some clients can forget about the appointment if it is booked too far ahead. During this call I get their full name, address and phone number so I can enter it into my database and have the ability to contact them if I am running late or need to reschedule.

Once I arrive at the clients place and sit down at the computer, I ask them what the issue is again.
“So you said the screen wouldn’t turn on?”
In most cases, they will explain the issue in greater detail than they did over the phone.

While I am investigating the cause of the issue, I get the client to read and sign an Engagement form telling them about the realities of computer repair. This form says lets them know things can go wrong and data can be lost regardless of how careful I am, especially if the computer is in a precarious state to begin with. This also lets me know if there is any mission critical data on the computer and whether I should make a backup before I start any work.

Once I finish the computer repairs, I fill out a work order explaining what the issue was and what I did to fix it. I will then show the client that the problem has been fixed by showing them whatever wasn’t working before. Once they are satisfied that I have successfully fixed the computer, I have the client sign a work order saying that I have completed the job.

Having a work order like this important for two reasons.
1. It is good to have a record of the work you or your staff have completed if there is a problem later.
“My computer has a virus, its your fault! Fix it!”
“Maam, according to our records, all we did was setup your printer”

2. If the client doesn’t end up paying you, you have a signed record that the work was done and that they were happy with it. This makes it much easier to prove they owe you money if you need to take them to collections or court.

I will then try to collect a payment in either cash or check on the spot because I hate doing the extra work that accounts require. I will only accept checks from residential clients if I have worked with them before. This is because there is generally a higher rate of check fraud amongst residential clients. Obviously, I cannot apply this same rule to businesses since many of them will only be able to pay in checks.
If the client paid me cash, I will give them a cash receipt. If the client used a check, I will give them a tax invoice. I do this for tax purposes since makes it much easier to do my finances when tax time rolls around.

In The Workshop
Now days, I don’t allow my clients to drop off their computers at my workshop. I will still pickup the clients computer and bring them back to my workshop though. When I used to allow it, this was my work process:

Once the client arrives, I almost always keep them at the front door for two reasons:
1. To minimize the chances of them injuring themselves on my premises.

2. So they don’t see any valuables in my workshop or a way to break into it. I have had clients in the past that seemed fine when I first let them in but later found out they were shady characters, so I don’t want them inside.

When a machine gets dropped off, I used to power it up at a desk near the front door. I do this to identify whether the computer boots at all and write down the specifications of the computer. I will fill out the first half a work order explaining what the symtoms are and their contact details.
I do this in front of the client because there is a common scam that happens to computer technicians. In this scam the client will drop off a computer at your location and say the specifications are far beyond what it actually has (For example, saying that the computer has 4GB of RAM when it really has 512mb). When they come to pick up the computer they say you stole the rest of the RAM, demand that you replace it and threaten to ruin your reputation if you dont. Many computer technicians will just give in and give them some RAM to make them go away.

Once I have the computer, I will stick the work order to the top of the PC with some tape so I know which computer belongs to which client and what they said was wrong with it. When you have 5 machines on your bench, it can sometimes get a little confusing who said what.

If the computer is a laptop and it had a software problem, I would fix it as I always do. If I found out that the laptop had a hardware problem, I would outsource the work to another business which specializes in laptop repair. I will get a quote from the laptop repair business and ask when they expect it to be ready. I will then call my client and tell them how much it is going to cost after adding my own cut plus the amount of time it will take. I always tell the client it will take a few days longer than what I was told in case the repair takes longer than expected. If the laptop is repaired on time, it will be done earlier than my client expected which looks great. If the laptop repair takes longer than expected, it looks bad and can potentially damage my reputation – so I will always give it a little extra time.

If the computer is a desktop, I will focus on diagnosing the problem first. Once I have an idea of what is causing the issue, I call the client and let them know roughly how long it will take to repair the computer and how much.
“Most virus removals take around an hour which costs $XX. However, If it is a particularly nasty infection then it can take up to 3 hours which is $XXX”

If the repair work takes longer than expected (which is rare), I call the client and let them know the new price so they don’t get any nasty surprises later on.
Once I have completed the repairs, I will call the client to either come pick the computer up or offer to drop it off at their place for an extra fee.
Similar to my onsite service, I get them to sign a work order saying they are happy with the repairs and again try to either get some cash or a check off them. If they don’t have the money at the time, I will hold onto the computer until they do.

If you give them back their repaired computer before getting payment, they will have little motivation to pay you. However, if they don’t have their computer and they need it, you know you will be paid as soon as they possibly can.

Well, thats my work process. Whats yours? Do you have anything to add to this? Drop us a comment.