When your computer or laptop breaks down, we all do some initial troubleshooting to see if we can get things going again.  Sometimes we fix it and sometimes we don’t.  Generally, when we can’t fix it, we seek some help.  The question is, who is going to help?  Common answers are younger family members, a “tech savvy” neighbor or friend, or a computer repair shop in Winnipeg. Before you make the choice, you should consider the list below to see what’s best for you.

Credentials

Sometimes the easiest thing to do is call a friend or family member and see if they can provide some free tech support.   Though this is often our first reaction, it can make things worse and lead to some disastrous conclusions.  Before you start taking advice from these good intentioned loved ones, consider their background and training.  Have they been educated in information systems or computer science?  Have they worked as a computer technician?  And have they been certified to work on the components or software that is causing the problem?

References

When working with a professional computer repair company, references may be easy to find.  Reviews online or asking their service rep for some case studies can give you a great idea of their capabilities.  When working with a friend or loved one, references are a little more difficult to come by.  Perhaps they did some service for someone else in the neighborhood?  Or maybe for a cousin or other family member?  It’s hard to determine if they’re ability can handle your situation.

Advertisements

Generally, you won’t see ads for your friend or family member letting you know the service values and expectations of service.  The companies who run these ads are doing so when they can make enough money through their service contracts.  Advertisements help them get their message out to their customers, so the potential customer has a legitimate option outside of the family & friends circle.

Social Validation

How do your options appear on search engines and social media?  Are their profiles filled out and accurate?  Is there engagement with others who have problems like your own? Are there positive social signals such as likes and shares on the posts dealing with tech support?  If you can find social validation, whether it’s for a computer repair company or for a friend/family member, you’re looking at the right data to decide.

Faulty Assumptions

When you’re in this situation and need to choose a service provider, you should hold off on making assumptions. Some might think paying for a service call will break the bank or not be worth the bill.  Such assumptions aren’t accurate.  For instance, we offer a discounted pricing structure to ensure fair pricing whether the job is a short 15-30 minutes or a larger job taking a few hours. 

All in all, be leery of accepting free tech support from friends or family.  There are a lot of things that could go wrong.  If you need computer repair in Winnipeg, be sure that whoever you choose to service your company has the appropriate credentials, background, and expertise to repair your computer.