Board Repair Rant

bit_slicer

New member
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
2,984
Reaction score
17
Location
Florida
I know I'm crapping where I eat here, but I'm just not sure what to make of this latest phenomenon I'm seeing. About two months ago when I was up to my ears in queue, I decided to make some changes to the pricing schedule. I decided that I just couldn't do the flat $35 per board plus parts price anymore. It was fun while it lasted, and I was able to help out alot of people with their games but with the time, capital, and effort invested it was to the point of either discontinuing the service, or raising prices. I decided to go with the latter. I also decided to include everything in the flat rate including parts, extra services, etc. That way I could concentrate less on nickels and dimes, and more on doing the job. I did alot of soul-searching and calculating to come up with the new pricing schedule. I think it's fair.

But I guess this ushers in a new paradigm - people attempting their own repairs, and then relying on me as a backup 'in case they're not successful'. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It just seems to me that if you're confident enough to attempt your own repair, then you don't need me. Otherwise it seems your goal is to f^&k up the board and make my job harder. Don't get me wrong - I don't mind working for the pay. But if you really care about the game you're trying to fix, then either fix it or send it out. Period.

Sorry for the rant. Just had to get that off my chest.
 
Just do what most others do and refuse to repair boards that are already hacked.

Or, you can set up a higher schedule for hacked boards.
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but...

This is like an auto tech getting mad at the DIY guy because he tried to change his own spark plugs and stripped out the threads in the head and now needs the tech to do a bigger and more expensive repair.

They screwed it up - now just charge them whatever it costs to fix it.
 
Just do what most others do and refuse to repair boards that are already hacked.

Or, you can set up a higher schedule for hacked boards.

I know I know. But that's exactly what I don't want to happen. I want people to just send me the damn board so I can do it right the first time! Cake/Eat I suppose. Also I've found that a board has to be fairly hacked in order for it not be serviceable. But when folks attempt repairs, and lift pins, pull traces, burn substrate, yank vias, sheesh it makes life difficult. Maybe I should charge more. I don't want to.
 
I know I know. But that's exactly what I don't want to happen. I want people to just send me the damn board so I can do it right the first time! Cake/Eat I suppose. Also I've found that a board has to be fairly hacked in order for it not be serviceable. But when folks attempt repairs, and lift pins, pull traces, burn substrate, yank vias, sheesh it makes life difficult. Maybe I should charge more. I don't want to.


I understand. I do a lot of work for locals and I usually just charge a pretty small fee and the cost of parts. After going through my books from this past year I realized that I have lost a substantial amount of money. I am going to have to restructure starting this winter and I know the locals are not going to like it.

I used to have a set fee for board repairs (nothing too fancy, mostly monitor chassis and power supplies) but after receiving a few boards that were so hacked, or so corroded by leaky batteries, that I couldn't economicaly repair them I have begun requesting pictures if I think the owner's board is badly damaged.

Another option is to accumulate a few known good sets of boards that you repair. This way if the new board is trashed you can sell them one of the known good boards and keep the trashed board as a partial trade in.
 
On that note, anyone still doing 2 for one monitor chassis trade ins?
2 broken chassis for one working....
 
Bit...

Do you work on monitor chassis? D9200's? One that I screwed up doing my own repair?

Seriously.

:)
 
I adopted a new repair policy several hundred chassis ago. If i know you and you fucked it up trying to repair it, it's this price. If i don't know you and somehow you've found me, sure i'll fix it but it's going to cost you plenty.

This has worked very well for me and honestly, all the weekend warriors have done is increase my repair business. Keep on repairing guys, you know where to find me.
 
I adopted a new repair policy several hundred chassis ago. If i know you and you fucked it up trying to repair it, it's this price. If i don't know you and somehow you've found me, sure i'll fix it but it's going to cost you plenty.

This has worked very well for me and honestly, all the weekend warriors have done is increase my repair business. Keep on repairing guys, you know where to find me.

PM sent.

:D
 
Back
Top Bottom