Why I
Don't Promise, "If I Can't Fix It, The Service Call Is Free."
by John Woodman, The Springfield Computer Guy
Recently I noticed another company making the offer,
"If we can't fix it, the call is free."
"Wow," I thought. "That sounds pretty good. Maybe I should do that as
well."
But when I thought more about it, the idea began to unravel. Here's why:
I've probably never met a computer I couldn't fix, one way or another.
But the question is, at what cost? And what will you have when I'm done?
The fact is, my fixing your computer isn't always the best deal for you.
Let's suppose, for example, that you have an old, slow computer with serious problems and a badly-outdated operating system. And suppose it's going to cost $200 or so to repair. (By the way, this isn't a terribly unusual scenario).
Once you've spent that $200, you're going to have an old, slow computer with no system warranty, and aging components (like an old hard drive) that not only are inadequate to modern computing tasks, but could potentially fail at any given moment.
No warranty left on those parts, remember? And that computer is going to be worth... very little.
As the technician, I have a choice: I can either repair your computer and hand you a bill for $200 --
or I can tell you the truth: that your old machine is completely obsolete, not worth investing
the $200 in, and that instead of fixing it, you'll be much better served to go out and buy a brand new, better computer with a one-year warranty.
If I make the "I'll fix it" guarantee, and tell you the truth, then I make absolutely nothing from my service
call! Most technicians, under these circumstances, would probably repair
your old computer and charge you the $200. Not good for you.
On the other hand, is it worth your paying me for an hour of my time to get the honest diagnosis that your computer isn't worth fixing? I
believe it is. And I also believe that the vast majority of my customers
think so, too.
The idea of a free call if the technician can't fix the computer sounds
really good. And as an approach to marketing, I'm sure it has its advantages. But in my opinion, it's also an illustration of the old saying: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
So instead of offering "not to charge if I can't fix it," here's a better
offer:
I'll give you the best advice I can on what your options are, and on which option will best resolve your computer issue.
Yes, you'll pay for a service call. But whether my recommendation turns out to mean repairing your existing system, or buying a new one, the advice I
give -- as near as possible -- will be the same thing that I would do myself if I were in your shoes. And
with my what-to-buy, where-to-buy advice, you might just save more on a
new system than the cost of that service call.
Article Copyright © 2006, John Woodman. All Rights Reserved.
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