Computer repair workshop customers I need your help

[purplepurpose]

I'm from poor EU country and working in computer repair workshop for a month. The problem is that flow of customers in cold months is poor, which doesn't lets me gain much needed exp in my new profession. So people from decently wealthy countries please post here if you have any info on how computer repair workshops are doing in your country.

[The Gentleman Bastard]

They've faded from a boom business to a niche market. Many people, especially younger ones, have switched to laptops and tablets. Laptops have gotten so cheap that it's less expensive to just throw the old one out and get a new one, especially when you add the perceived benefit of having the latest, greatest OS and software.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

And the whole industry has a bad reputation. High prices and poor results.

[arewethereyet]

A couple years back I finally had no choice but to replace the laptop I had used for years and had built to my specifications (I still have two PCs in a closet that haven't been turned on in years). As technology moved forward my laptop just couldn't keep up. I purchased a laptop for under $300.00 USD that did what I needed, which is nothing fancy but it got me by for an output amounting to less than ten dollars a month. Recently I purchased a new nicer laptop with more bells and whistles just because I could and the cheap laptop was reaching the point of not being compatible with everything online anymore.

I am a contractor who goes to different businesses to do bookkeeping work. I am seeing a lot of laptops being used as primary computers. IT seems to take care of the network, security, and setup of new accounts. Even in corporate offices I see little of computer repair and more of replacement.

[wyzas]

My kid does it as a side job. No store, he gets requests by word of mouth, and most of those requests are for software or internet connectivity issues.

[fredd bear]

My kid does it as a side job. No store, he gets requests by word of mouth, and most of those requests are for software or internet connectivity issues.

 Good for him!

Over a decade ago, I discovered I was atypical in my age group in that I'm computer literate and can usually get my computer to do what I want, and fix most issues without spending money.

I realised that that most PC issues are about software, and I could fix that. Started a little word-of -mouth niche business for computer illiterates in my age group (baby boomers). I charged  $35 and went to them. No time limit, no fix no pay. Always got paid, although didn't charge pensioners. Didn't make any money, but met some really interesting people.

Your kid might make some money if he isn't greedy; most computer repairers here cost an arm and a leg; in fact, more than my plumber.. 

 Stoped when I turned 65.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

 Stoped when I turned 65.

So many of us are.

[Jörmungandr]

Computers are starting to become disposable technology. It used to be that you needed some expertise to build and repair computers. Then manufacturs got wise and started building things so any idiot could manage to put together a computer from parts. Now thanks to bundling and economies of scale, it's often cheaper to just replace it than waste time and money trying to fix it.

[purplepurpose]

Computers are starting to become disposable technology.  It used to be that you needed some expertise to build and repair computers.  Then manufacturs got wise and started building things so any idiot could manage to put together a computer from parts.  Now thanks to bundling and economies of scale, it's often cheaper to just replace it than waste time and money trying to fix it.

Not always. As it turns out for example you need to replace a charging port and do some soldering and have the right replacement model, which you order online. There are cases when damage on the phone is so big that there is no point in repairing it.

[ignoramus]

turn it off and back on again... That'll be $35 + tax.

Like the dude washing your windscreen at the traffic lights. You give him a dollar, he sticks his hand inside your window and operates your windscreen wiper squirter for a second and lets the wipers go over it 3 times...