How do you 'support' people who have absolutely no knowledge at all about computers and mobiles?

Some <removed age> people call me all the time as they need help with their computer but they do not understand e-mail (userid & password), file manager (documents are saved everywhere) and Internet

They want Windows 10 but are not even capable of working with Windows XP or Windows 7, they want a mobile phone with everything but they don't understand how it works, GPRS, GPS, WiFi, etc.

I sometimes try to help them but even if I put the files on the desktop, they can't find them. If they open a file they save it every time as a different file and of course when they open an old file they call me as all information is suddenly gone....

Yes I try to help them but with almost zero knowledge these people drive me crazy.....

Any ideas?

PS - sometimes I just want to buy them a notebook, pencil and an eraser

I hear you. I am an A+ certified tech. The days of telling them to RTFM are long gone. Now I charge for my time. It is the only way. My shoulders are right here, buddy!

Had something similar with an Australian employee who would moan about anything non Mac and wouldn't listen when shown how to use a PC.

No problems now as he was 'let go'. The company is suddenly a lot more productive too...

Teamviewer works for me.. easy to offer support to people that way, sharing a screen with skype helps too.

TeamViewer is great.

These people drive me crazy too. No idea what it takes.

I offerred my assistance free to a mate here some time ago who "paid" me with occasional meals and free beers at bars we went to but while the meals and drinks have dried up a lot the requests for help and housekeeping keep coming. Needless to say I don't respond quickly anymore. He's a good mate so I don't want to loose the friendship. My own fault really. Should have learnt by now but it used to feel like a good arrangement.

See post #2. I simply tell people that if they require my professional skills, it's $100 an hour.

They then go and pester someone else.

I hear you. I am an A+ certified tech. The days of telling them to RTFM are long gone. Now I charge for my time. It is the only way. My shoulders are right here, buddy!

I "taught" an old Swiss guy over 70 how to use a PC. He didn't know anything, neither where to switch it on, nor any relevant words.

After about 3 months, his wife caught him masturbating behind the screen. And it later turned out that i was the bad guy who showed him the perv sites.

And doing that for a few beers is insane. No more.

Edited April 13, 201610 yr by lostinisaan

See post #2. I simply tell people that if they require my professional skills, it's $100 an hour.

They then go and pester someone else.

With happy ending?

Edited April 13, 201610 yr by lostinisaan

See post #2. I simply tell people that if they require my professional skills, it's $100 an hour.

They then go and pester someone else.

With happy ending?

Huh?

This also drives me crazy and I think part of the problem is that people do not want to learn so refuse. They don't even know they're doing it. Modern computers are remarkably simple to use compared to the old days! Obviously problems with drivers and blue screens might need a techie but he should be paid for his time!

In the past friends who knew nothing about computers used to ask me to help set them up or restore their computers to a usable condition after they had &lt;deleted&gt; up everything. I was always willing to oblige then for some reasons they considered when anything went wrong after that it was my responsibility to sort it out, on call day and night. So now if I get cries for help I just say sorry, too busy, or don`t call me I`ll call you.

I hear you. I am an A+ certified tech. The days of telling them to RTFM are long gone. Now I charge for my time. It is the only way. My shoulders are right here, buddy!

what he said.

I charge 2000 baht per hour.

Thanks for all your replies, funny to read that 'we' all have the same problem.

Looks like I will response a few days later might do the trick (I live only about 100m away so he will not like it), also charge him THB 500 / hour will maybe help as well.

@cyberfarang: if you tell people you understand computers, it gives them a free helpdesk line 24 hours a day - now I will NOT tell people what I do anymore...

@somtamnication: only thing he tells me all the time "how do I know" - well RTFM. He wanted to make an international telephone call so I told him first 001 - what is that, "how do I know", nobody told me that, or you can use the '+' on your mobile - doesn't work, just push '0' for two seconds "How do I know"....

@lostinisaan: 5555555 have the same issue with this guy, while his documents are a mess - his porn collection seems to be well organized :-)

Hoops, mobile is ringing

Guess who? - 5555555555

@somtamnication: only thing he tells me all the time "how do I know" - well RTFM. He wanted to make an international telephone call so I told him first 001 - what is that, "how do I know", nobody told me that, or you can use the '+' on your mobile - doesn't work, just push '0' for two seconds "How do I know"....

This is exactly what I was talking about, you tell someone something remarkably simple like this, and they absolutely refuse to pay attention and learn it, you end up doing it for them because it's quicker.

To all the posters above: Im one of those guys. What can I say? SORRY

I know we can be a pain in the ass and Im very reluchtant to ask for help. Everyone has been very patient with me and for that, Im thankful.

I always wonder, where do you guys learn that stuff. I have to learn fron google, "where is the start button?....what is a file?...what is download?...what is upload?"

I think people would be more than happy to pay you for your help, I know I would.

Well, gotta run. Gotta google how to close the lid on this laptop!

To all the posters above: Im one of those guys. What can I say? SORRY

I know we can be a pain in the ass and Im very reluchtant to ask for help. Everyone has been very patient with me and for that, Im thankful.

I always wonder, where do you guys learn that stuff. I have to learn fron google, "where is the start button?....what is a file?...what is download?...what is upload?"

You're doing it right.

All the answers are generally there.

Posting questions in the forum here is also OK. I don't mind answering stuff when I've got the time, and I don't think most people do.

But I learned a long time ago that when someone says "Can you pop round and fix my printer" it normally segues into another 20 questions and another 30 problems, which is why I ended up saying if you want my personal time on site you can pay for it.

To all the posters above: Im one of those guys. What can I say? SORRY

I know we can be a pain in the ass and Im very reluchtant to ask for help. Everyone has been very patient with me and for that, Im thankful.

I always wonder, where do you guys learn that stuff. I have to learn fron google, "where is the start button?....what is a file?...what is download?...what is upload?"

I think people would be more than happy to pay you for your help, I know I would.

Well, gotta run. Gotta google how to close the lid on this laptop!

I wouldn`t offer my assistance with computer stuff again, not for love nor money.

Even worse if you charge money because then the person is going to blame you for all their computer problems for the next 20 years. Not worth the hassle or getting involved. Let them go to a computer shop, pay money and then be a pain in the arse to someone else.

i gave someone a tablet and they then saw it as my fault that it wouldnt start went the battery when dead some months later. i was then a despicable person for that. all my old stuff is going into the refuse from now.

Edited April 14, 201610 yr by fatdog 702 inches

To all the posters above: Im one of those guys. What can I say? SORRY

I know we can be a pain in the ass and Im very reluchtant to ask for help. Everyone has been very patient with me and for that, Im thankful.

I always wonder, where do you guys learn that stuff. I have to learn fron google, "where is the start button?....what is a file?...what is download?...what is upload?"

I think people would be more than happy to pay you for your help, I know I would.

Well, gotta run. Gotta google how to close the lid on this laptop!

I wouldn`t offer my assistance with computer stuff again, not for love nor money.

Even worse if you charge money because then the person is going to blame you for all their computer problems for the next 20 years. Not worth the hassle or getting involved. Let them go to a computer shop, pay money and then be a pain in the arse to someone else.

That's why you price yourself out of the market.

Generally I tell them to ask the question on Google. It's all about someone really wanting to learn, and not to be spoon fed like a little baby.