Was asked to work on a PC owned by my wifes co worker. Spent several hours working on it including diagnostics, installing a new hard drive, swapping the OS over, cleaning, scanning, all that crap.

Whats a fair fee? I don't want to gouge but from what I've see I just did $125-$200 worth of work. I'd say I've got over 4 hours in the thing.

Is $125 to high?

I usually just tell folks 'pay me whatever it was worth to you'. Only once have I ever been paid more than I thought I deserved. Most of the time its under. I don't say anything, but it still bugs ya just a bit.

This is an opinionated board...so lets hear it.

It's a bit of a tough one to answer. When working at a computer store, we charge $70 to reinstall an OS or to move over an OS to a new hard drive. This included installation of most software, but not peripherals.
On the side consulting I have charged anywhere from $50 - $400 for this service. In each case it depended what I was doing, and for whom I was doing it for. The $400 jobby was for the electric utility that needed the work done ASAP, so I kind of gouged them a little (you've got to love when the regular IT guy is away ). Usually it falls into the $100 range if I do it for people.

Depends, in my book.

If he's not you or your wife's friend, I'd say $125 is fair, if that's what you think is fair. If he is a friend, cut him a break.

Is your wifes coworker female? Hot female?

Threesome.....nuff said.

I say $50 and he owes you a favor.

She.
NOT hot, no fuckin way.
Favor? Nothing she could do for me, except break my PC.

$50 seems low.

I guess I'll try the 'what was it worth' routine.

Bah, that's why I don't help with friends or aquantances PC's anymore. Whatever they pay you is not enough. To them, in their minds they paid for free support for the next year.

#1. I ussually suggest for them to go to future shop or some other local whitebox store.

If it really is a favor to them and I feel like doing it, I don't charge them at all - but I tell them there is no support - next time see #1

However, if you want to get paid for this and you do it as a side business, then take some tips for how other businesses operate and set a fee up front for doing certain things - such as installing OS, upgrading harddrive, etc...

Troubleshooting is usually a no win for either of you because it tends to consume hours. I have known people to set a low fee of $35/hour. But I just cannot do that anymore when my time is worth more to me.

I would charge 20 bucks an hour plus any parts.

That seems fair/nice to me, but ultimately it depends on what your time is worth, and if you're out for a profit or not?

Problem with charging is that they will expect warranty service,

Did you help out expecting to be paid? Where they expecting you to charge them? Why not a dinner at a nice steak house (or something else you might like) with them and they pick up the tab.

I agree. Burgpath, this should have been discussed before work begins. Also, what I don't want to here is 'Pay me what it's worth to you'. Honestly, thats all wrong.

If you're going to charge for labor, set the price up front.

I just love no win situations.

Couldn't discuss any pricing since the PC was just "broken". Troubleshooting led to additional activity that took even more time.

Now, if she were a lawyer, plumber, electrician or mechanic, we could work something out. Trouble is shes a professional project manager, that doesn't help me. :p

Naaa, rather not go out to dinner. Thats a cheap 1 time thing. Would rather have something of substance.

I'm going to tell her that I'd like a gift card from a local Circuit City (I'm MP3 shopping). She can determine the denomination. See, so I tell her what I want, but leave the fee up to her discretion.

you'll get boned. People do not understand that sitting on your ass looking at a screen for 4-5 hours has a value. They will gladly pay $400 for someone to come and pick up trash.

Percieved value is always a bitch...hope it works out. When I was in the travel industry friends thought they could call and have me arrange their 4 week holiday plans, book hotels, car rentals, call the hotels to get an extra cot in the room, find them the cheapest airfare ever and still get insulted when i told them I would have to charge them a service fee of $50. my last day in that industry was Friday...come Tuesday it is a new day, thank fucking christ

Yeah I completely understand. I get calls from family and friends all the time to 'ask a question'. Usually these single questions beget 15 others and a visit to their house or having a machine dropped off.

This is why I'm leery of asking anyone I know who works in a trade for help with something. Its hard to fairly compensate.

I agree with claus, plus the fact that this seems like one of those "you got paid, you now own any additional problems" type of situations. I know it sounds goofy, but whenever it's a family member or friend, I always go the "owe me a favor" route, because if no money exchanges hands, there is no future percieved obligations to fix it again etc..

Just my .02.

Flat fees Geek Squad charges ON SITE. Prices are nationwide standart.

-diagnostics $159
-cleaning $129
-hardware install $159
-OS install $249
-single title soft install $129
-soft suite $159

Grand total: $984

*All prices not including hardware or software and all prices are directly from the Geek Squad website.

Consider the hourly rate and all the work you have done for her, I'd say that it's worth a lot more than $200.

Surely you wouldn't charge a fiend that...

Yeah, I wouldnt charge her that, nor anyone else. Those prices are NUTS!

Like I said, the 'favor' routine works when the other person has something of value to trade. Like I said, I have little need for professional project management.

When I gave her the PC back told her I was collecting gift cards from Circuit City and she could choose the amount. That seemed to work for her.