Two approaches to providing service
Service Matters
"maddog" describes some scenarios for providing computer services to customers.
Last month I wrote about pricing services, which I hope some of you in the business of selling Free Software found useful. This month I am going to write more about selling Free Software – in particular, what may happen with some problem customers along the way. In doing so, I will describe two main types of service businesses, which I will call "break and fix" and "service contract."
Break and Fix
With the "break and fix" scenario, the customer typically finds you when they have a broken system. You have a store or a website for them to contact, or you might work out of your home.
You have a price list of typical things that can go wrong with a computer such as replacing a disk, backing up a system, restoring a file, or adding memory, and typically these prices are only for the labor involved, not for the additional hardware. You should also explain to the customer that the price list provides an estimate only and, if something unforeseen comes up, you will contact them before charges go over the specified amount. To save headaches, you should also have a minimum price that includes opening up the machine, which can be used to pre-pay the services provided.
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