0117 924 8755“Laptop Repair” as we see it from Gloucester Road, Bristol, here we go….
At I Love My PC, we live in the world of computer repair and laptop fixes on Gloucester Road in Bristol. We get a lot of questions from people in Bristol and Avon about how you can get your computers fixed and how to replace laptop parts, so we thought it was time to write a short guide on getting your computer kit fixed for the long-term.
These days, like it or lump it, most of us run our lives from a computer, so spending some time writing this seemed like a good way to help out with some of the issues we see as computer repair guys.
Which Bristol-and Avon Areas Are We Talking About?
I’m writing this from I Love My PC, which is on Gloucester Road (technically Bishopston) in north Bristol. That means somewhere in the middle of Bishopston, St Andrews, and Horfield. If you want to find us on the map, this link will help.
Some of our customers come from other parts of Bristol. Mainly we serve north Bristol (Redland + Henleaze + Kingsdown + Cotham + Montpelier). We do have some keeners that moved to Bath and Portishead and they still pop up on occasion. We’ve been fixing computers in this area for over 15 years and wanted to pass on some of what we know about how to get your laptop repair “right first time”.
How To Choose “A Good Fit” For Laptop Repair In Bristol
It may sound really obvious to research your “laptop repair guy”, but a lot of people don’t. Either that or they walk straight into the closest computer repair shop to their home. For something as potentially complex and expensive as a laptop fix, this is not a good way to make your choice.We don’t recommend you do this. Instead, follow our tips….
Does Your Laptop Fixer Have Good Google Reviews?
Online reviews of goods and services have completely changed our lives. A good business gets rewarded with great 5-star reviews while places with bad service get fewer stars and clear feedback. Google reviews can only be a good thing for you as a customer if you want your issues dealt with “right first time”.
Google reviews can be left by any member of the public and for any business registered with Google. We recommend examining the reviews not just for the general service you need, but also for the particular issue you have. If your potential computer repair shop has some solid praise for putting a new screen into an Acer laptop and you have the exact same problem, then there is a much better chance that they’ll do a solid job with your Acer laptop!
Personality Test your Computer Repair Shop
Computer repair is traditionally done by a bunch of guys who spend a lot of time dealing with software and screwdrivers and not much time with people. Most aren’t great communicators. We recommend looking at the reviews and doing a quick check on how your possible laptop fixer interacts with its customers.
You want your computer guy to explain and help, not make you feel patronised and stupid. You should also take note of your early interactions with your computer repair person. If someone is either rude or classed as unhelpful at the start of your experience, then this will only get worse if something unexpected happens later on in the process.
Is It Worth Crossing Town For The Right Computer Repair Shop?
The short answer is “ that’s up to you”….While convenience is really important, so is getting your computer problem solved with the minimum of hassle. In addition to checking out the Google reviews and doing your due diligence on your possible fixer, you might find it easier to contact a few shops before making a decision.
Contact Them In Advance With Your Problem
If the computer shop has something like an online form or somewhere you can just send them the details of your problem, this can save you a lot of time before you actually take your computer to be seen by someone. We would also add that if you take time to accurately write out your problem clearly, then it gives you a chance to review the information you before send it.
Sometimes talking on the phone can be confusing. A chance to review how you present your problem can really benefit the level of clarity you give to the person trying to help you. The other trick here is that you can do this at your leisure – you don’t need to do it in office hours. A good repair shop will allow for these kinds of queries and usually set aside time before the shop is open to calmly read those requests with their full attention. This is not always possible during a busy day when customers are pouring through the door unannounced.
How To Get Smart On Checking Those Computer Shops Out!
If you want to get really smart about it, you can write up your issue and then copy and paste it and send it to a few different shops and see how they react. You can do this before you’ve spent a penny and it can tell you a lot about the people you are dealing with and what to expect from them. This will also give you an indication of how organised they are – down to their response time and also down to how accurately they attend to your problem.
Tip: Usually technicians who ask lots of questions are the ones trying to more clearly identify your problem.
Should I Be Paying For A Diagnosis?
In a perfect world, we would all love it if everything was free, including quoting for work. However, a really high level diagnosis is often the one that will save you money, rather than cost you more. It is important to remember that the person looking at your computer has potentially spent decades getting to their current level of expertise.
For them, 30 minutes of fixing or diagnosing is still taking up their time, so it is a good idea to check with any shop about a diagnosis before you get started. One thing I can tell you is that you’ll never get charged for sending someone a query from a contact form!
How Long Does It Take To get my problem fixed?
Computers are sometimes really simple to fix and on occasion a bit tricky. What you can always count on, is that a good technician will be able to give you the magic “ballpark scenario” fairly quickly, meaning a fair idea of maximum and minimum time and cost. If you want to speed up your laptop, for example, then there are a series of things to check, which takes a bit of time, but generally, they come good as an end-to-end process. Your laptop fixer should know these steps and sound confident in giving you a time and money quote for something like this.
In general everything becomes clearer the more investigation is done. I recommend a bit of patience and letting these people do their thing. If you checked the reviews and they say you are in good hands, then let the pros take the lead. Most of the repair businesses that have been around for a while have stayed for one good reason – people keep coming back.
When you look at those Google reviews, the number of them and the number of stars in each one is the simplest indicator. More reviews mean more chance that the general consensus on that business is correct.
Are Shops Honest About Whether Or Not They Can Do The Job?
Luckily, we can vouch for some evidence that shops in Bristol are referring to each other in the event that they cannot complete a job. This could be down to the fact that they are just busy, or that they don’t have the expertise and equipment for certain jobs.
At I Love My PC, we regularly get referrals from Currys PC World, mostly because they are interested in selling new machines rather than fixing old ones and they have received positive feedback about the jobs we do.
On occasion, we ourselves refer the odd job elsewhere if we don’t have the specific equipment to complete the job. One good thing to look for in your hunt for the perfect laptop repairer is someone who says “We can’t do that”- whether it is a job in a short timeframe or a specific type of request, you are better off if someone knows what they can do and cannot do and is prepared to tell you clearly + you’re less likely to end up in a mess along the way.
If you have any questions about how to go about getting your laptop fixed, ordering new parts, or saving time and money on your computer, hit us up on our contact form and we’ll be more than happy to give you balanced and impartial advice on what is best for your individual situation.
Happy Computing from us at ILOVEMYPC!
