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View Full Version : People will pay through the nose for technical support



Lostincyberspace
March 14th, 2008, 07:03 PM
I have started doing technical support people are where I live and most people are willing to pay 20 bucks and hour. and I haven't spent more than 5 dollars in total for the last 5 weeks of helping people (I save a lot by riding a bike most places). I average 5-6 hours a day and at 20 bucks an hour thats pretty good better than a lot of people I know than work 8-10 hours a day.

Has any one else noticed this strange happening?

derekr44
March 14th, 2008, 07:12 PM
Two Words: Geek Squad

This is why people are willing to pay the extra money for Windows or Mac than make the effort to go to Linux. We live in a world that freely spends it's money for convenience.

Who cares? I'll throw down the extra $0.90 so I can supersize my burger combo! I've got money!

rickyjones
March 14th, 2008, 07:20 PM
I'm a computer consultant and I charge around $45/hour for my services. This includes technical support, general consulting, installation of hardware/software, network design and implementation, etc...

People will pay good money for a good service. This is not because people are dumb, this is just how people are.

I know nothing of cars, so I "pay through the nose" when I take it to my dealership to fix it. Likewise people who know very little about computers pay me to help them out.

I don't think it is necessarily because of convenience, but more to do with who people are. Not everyone wants to know everything about computers. Likewise not everyone wants to know everything about cars.

I wouldn't call it a new thing - people pay top dollar for top tier consulting - this is just the way the world works. Personally I love it this way. Capitalism at its finest.

-Richard

fatality_uk
March 14th, 2008, 07:52 PM
Woah you guys are cheap!! Next time I have a project I'll drop you a line ;)
I have charged for my services up to £100 per hour ($200p/h) and worked 10 hour days.

rickyjones
March 14th, 2008, 07:59 PM
Woah you guys are cheap!! Next time I have a project I'll drop you a line ;)
I have charged for my services up to £100 per hour ($200p/h) and worked 10 hour days.

The average in my area for a single consultant is around $80/hour for a full time consultant (who runs his own business and does it full time).

I find that if I price myself below the mark and keep a full time/part time job as primary income I can garner more business and be ahead than a full time consultant who charges a lot more for the same work. :P

-Richard

intense.ego
March 14th, 2008, 09:04 PM
Woah you guys are cheap!! Next time I have a project I'll drop you a line ;)
I have charged for my services up to £100 per hour ($200p/h) and worked 10 hour days.

Where do you live where people are willing to pay so much for your services? Or do you do something special?

Lostincyberspace
March 14th, 2008, 09:11 PM
this is better than most of the comparable positions and different places around here for employment to and I am doing pretty good. I just might be come a full fledged business instead of just on the side work. I want people to have the idea that they don't have to pay through the nose to be able to get good quality. Kind of like OSS.

I also think it is cheap to charge people more than I need to get by myself. I may have to raise the price because of gas.

Omnios
March 14th, 2008, 09:14 PM
Poof I am now a tech support techi lol. I am looking into this, only problem is I do not have a car. Anyone care to make a list of servces to look into. Also thinking of looking into limited Linux support more as a e-machine type user thing as apposed to full blown linux support.

K check this Slistream post think it has promise.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=723398

Lostincyberspace
March 14th, 2008, 09:25 PM
What part of Canada are you from? You might be able to get around on a bike.