Life's A Bench

Life's A Bench by Merlin Benningfield, Managing Partner - Fast Rhino, LLC
As with most anything, practice makes perfect. That's exactly how we've become experts in the computer repair field; training, experience and lots of practice. It's a fast-paced industry that is constantly changing and that makes our job quite challenging. Be it Windows 7/8/10 or Apple OSX, our certified technicians stay up-to-date on the latest operating systems, hardware and software used in most computers today. FAST RHINO has also spent a vast amount of time perfecting our bench processes. This, along with a dedicated team of qualified professionals, gives FAST RHINO a superior edge over the competition by providing faster turn-around times and fewer problems upon delivery. What bench requirements should you expect from a computer repair firm? Do they employ certified technicians? The computer repair industry has a number of certifications, however, a good repair technician should at least be an A+ Certified Professional. This certification validates a foundation-level knowledge and the skills necessary for a career in IT support. It also requires a competent understanding of computer technology, networking and security. In addition, it establishes good troubleshooting skills and provides a working knowledge of the tools that must be applied to resolve computer problems. Do they preserve and restore your data? This is very important. The last thing you want to do is get your computer back without any of your data. In addition, even if they do save your data, it can be a nightmare trying to find it if they don't put it back where you expect it. This is true for documents, pictures, email, addresses, desktop icons, etc. Do they provide flat-rate bench fees? Depending on the problem, it can literally take hours or even days to repair a computer properly. Some viruses, for example, cannot be removed automatically and require manual intervention, which can take several hours to complete. You don't want to pay someone by the hour to do this sort of work, as your bill could end up being extremely high. Although flat bench rates have become more of a standard, it is still an important question to ask. Do they guarantee their work? Many computer repair companies still charge for their time even if their technicians cannot repair the problem. This is totally unacceptable. You wouldn't pay to repair an automobile if the original problem still existed. If they can't fix the problem, there's a chance that they are not qualified enough to do the repair. There's no excuse for paying someone if they cannot perform the work you hired them to do. Make sure they stand behind their work enough to guarantee it. Do they provide fast turn-around times? We've heard of a few local competitors who are notorious for extremely long delays when it comes to returning client computers. A week or more should NOT be acceptable for most problems. Although there are exceptions, such as rare components that may require a special-order, FAST RHINO averages 2-3 business days for bench work. Obviously, it helps to choose a company with whom you feel comfortable working on your personal computer. Friendly, non-aggressive technicians who take the time to explain things in easy to understand language can make the entire experience much easier to handle. At FAST RHINO, we've found that most of our customers don't care about how much we know, rather they prefer to know how much we care.