[aclug-L] Re: Freelance Technical Support

["Jonathan Hall" <flimzy@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>  Sometimes you get calls like--I want you to walk me through setting up
> my network or creating my first web page.  How do you want to handle the
> RTFM issues?  ~Anne

I've walked many people through setting up LANs over the phone, when I
worked at Stratitec (they sold an "easy networking kit").  Believe me...
that's something you want to avoid doing, unless someone has a support
contract with you, or is otherwise paying you for phone support.  An easy
over-the-phone LAN setup between two Windows PCs takes 30-45 minutes.  It's
not uncommon for them to take 4-5 hours, tho.  Networking with different
versions of Windows can be a pain in the butt when you're not doing it
first-hand.

If somebody wants to be _walked through_ a complicated task like that over
the phone, I would just tell them flat out I won't do that.  Then I'd offer
my on-site services, and make it clear that I'd be happy to explain what I'm
doing, or just guide them through it first-hand... but that I charge an
hourly rate, and it will take longer for me to explain what I'm doing, and
even longer to guide them.

In general, someone who asks to be "walked through" something like that is
just looking for free computer service.  Someone who truely wants to learn
the ins-and-outs will be more content reading a book than paying you $60 or
$100/hour to show them how it's done.

In any case, those situations are pretty rare in my experience.

-- Jonathan

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