Does your local PC technician know what they are doing?

I thought of this question just yesterday due to a conversation I had but I thought that I would go ahead and try to post something about it tonight.

So, you have a problem with your computer and you go ahead and call up your local I.T. dude (or dudette) and want to pay them to fix a problem for you. You deliver the computer to them, or they come pick it up, and you leave your trust with that person to get the job done and get it done right the first time.

The thing to realize about I.T. or PC technicians is that they are literally a dime a dozen. You can find them EVERYWHERE. The downside is that since computers are now so commonplace, almost anyone with enough smarts and "know how" could be considered a PC technician. But how do you know that that technician really does know how to fix your problem? An even better question may be, how do you know that you can trust that person with fixing your computer?

These are difficult questions to ask. But I hope to leave you with some tips for selecting, nay, trusting, a technician with your broken computer. Here is a list in no particular order:

If you have used this person before, have you had a bad experience?

Find out how long they have been fixing computers.

Is that person certified? If they are, are their certifications current (up-to-date)?

Does that person have any references?

Is your computer going to be fixed by the person that you are talking to right now, or will it be passed on to someone else to do the work?

Do they warranty their work?

Perform a Google search on that person. Find out if they are reputable.

So that is it with my advise on this issue for the night. Make sure that you do your research on your PC technicians as much as possible before placing your trust in their skills and their work. Be comfortable with your selection - be a consumer!

-Joe