When you're low on cash and would really like some work, you might be quick to jump on anything that comes though the phone line. Don't ever agree to work before thinking. Most of the people who call me for service are very easygoing over the phone and I can quickly tell that it will be a pleasure to work with the person. But sometimes, I get phone calls that just really put me on edge and have me running in the other direction. Use your best judgement when you are accepting business. I am going to give you a few tips as to what should put you on alert and give a little bit of advice on how to get out of a bad deal gracefully.

Define your service area

Make a list of the cities that are near you and pick which ones you are going to serve. It's true that any distance traveled can be offset by a bigger travel fee, but unless I know the client is a high roller who is really going to take care of me, I am not going to risk it. When I get a call, one of my first questions to the caller is, "What city are you in?" Asking this question soon will save you a lot of time if you decide it isn't worth it. There is a group of cities that is only about 20 minutes away. But I refuse to serve these cities as they are underdeveloped and not the best places to be. But the people who live there, very often come to my city to work and connect with civilization, so I often offer to meet them wherever to pick up their computer. If you have your service area defined, you can always use it as an excuse to quickly decline work.

I used to have a "no fix, no charge" policy. This policy basically means that if I am unable to solve your computer problem or provide you with the service that you needed, then I will not charge you a cent. Today, I have decided to no longer use the policy. In this article I am going to explain more about why I am against it rather than for it. Please keep in mind that these opinions are for on-site work only. I believe carry-in work should have a 100% fix guarantee - no questions asked.

The knowledge and experience that you have is worth a lot of money. When people call you, they are calling on you to apply your knowledge and skill to their problem. Yes, they are also paying for a fix; but part of the cost includes your time, knowledge, and experience. If you go on-site and try every fix in the book and the problem still remains, I think you should still be paid because at least you and the customer know what is not the problem. And why should you not be paid for your time troubleshooting? Unless you have absolutely no idea what you are doing and you are just dicking around, I think your work is worth money.

I believe "no fix, no charge" policies appeal to cheap customers. People who want something for free are going to love hearing about that policy. They know that there is no risk to them, but they don't take your time into account. They don't care if you make any money but they do care about the money that they have to spend, and they are going to be upset when it comes down to paying the bill if it's a lengthy fix. Sure, if you charge them and don't fix anything, they will be upset. But since they are cheap, they probably won't be calling you for repeat business anyway. They are a one-time deal. Sure, they won't refer you to their friends either. But would you rather have a bunch of cheapskate clients that would skip the bill at their first chance? Or would you rather have a bunch of high-paying clients who understand that time is money?

What!? I have to answer my phone a certain way!?

You damned well better if you want to present yourself as a professional and make big money!

Successful businesses always make sure that their employees know how to answer the phone and make sure that their employees are answering the phone correctly. It is a big deal. When people are interested in your services, what do they do? Well they pick up their phone and dial your number of course! And when they dial your number, they are expecting to reach a business on the other side, right? Not only do they expect to reach a business, but they also hope to reach somebody with an upbeat voice who is happy to help them with their problems. Now are you starting to get the picture of why a simple, "Hello?" is not going to do it?