Dave’s Computers is your local computer store based in Hillsborough New Jersey. We have served our community for a number of years and hope to continue serving you for plenty more. Given how many computer stores there are around, both parts of large chains and individuals like us, why should you support us instead of shopping online?
There are lots of reasons why you should shop local. Here are just a few:
- We perform fast repairs on all sorts of computers.
- It supports the local economy and helps diversity.
- You get better customer service from a local computer store.
- We personalize our services to suit you.
- We are almost always cheaper than brand name or main dealers
While I am naturally referring to local computer repair and local computer stores in this post, the same benefits are relevant to any kind of local business, from the corner store to the local minimart. If you don’t support your local businesses, our neighborhoods will just have chain stores and big brands and we all know where that leads!
Let us take a deeper look at each of those reasons to support your local computer store.
Fast, responsive computer repairs
By its very definition, local means close by. So if you’re stuck or need your computer fixed in a hurry do you send it back to the manufacturer or drive it all the way to an authorized dealer? No, you bring it to your local computer store. We can usually have it fixed within a couple of hours. Main dealers and big brand computer repair companies rarely move as fast.
It supports the local economy and helps diversity
What would happen if our neighborhoods only had chain stores or big brands? Product choice would be reduced, prices would be increased, there would be little or no diversity in the products, services, prices and feel of each one. Big brands have their place of course, but as part of a wider economy, not as the sole beneficiary of it.
Look at how malls have developed across the nation. No personality, cookie-cutter places with the same companies selling the same things in the same way at the same price. Would you want that for Hillsborough? One of the things that make New Jersey such a cool place to live is the diversity. Local businesses are a big part of that.
You get better customer service from a local computer store
If you have ever needed to deal with a large company, you already know how hard it can be to get anywhere. You usually have to call a contact center, navigate a complicated menu system, wait in a queue, talk to an overworked employee who can’t help anyway or worse, are transferred several times and end up talking to someone for whom English is not their first language. Sound familiar?
Bring your computer or laptop to Dave’s Computers and you get first-class customer service from locals who live in the neighborhood. Not only that, we can help you there and then. We can make the decisions necessary to get you up and running again and we can address your problem. We can often do it immediately or within a couple of hours!
We personalize our services to suit you
Deal with a big company and you have to fit around them and their processes. Work with a local business and we tailor our services around your needs. It makes a big difference in the quality of service you experience and the speed and responsiveness of that service. There is no having to ‘press 5 to talk to a service technician’ here. No complicated warranty process or returns process. Just bring your computer into our store and we get it fixed. Local computer repairs by local people. It isn’t rocket science.
We are almost always cheaper than brand name or main dealers
One thing all big brand names do is jack up the price for everything. Why? Because they can. Why make 5% markup on products and services when you can make 20%? All of the big computer brands do it, manufacturers, branded IT repair outfits and anyone who gets too big for their boots. Good luck to them I say but it isn’t how we work.
We provide local computer repairs that fulfill the needs of local people at a price they can afford. Our overheads are lower as we don’t have research and development, call centers and hundreds of managers to pay for. We just have our store on Highway 206 and the technicians that work with us. That’s it. Any savings we make on outgoings is passed directly onto you as lower prices.
This piece at Entrepreneur.com discusses the benefits of shopping local.
How to decide what local computer store to use?
We are naturally biased and would say you don’t need to decide, Dave’s Computers is the logical choice. We are local, competitively priced and offer a huge range of tailored computer repair services to Hillsborough and surrounding areas. However, in the spirit of fair play, let us discuss how to select a computer store.
So your computer or laptop is playing up and you need it fixed right away. You have already decided to use a local computer store over one of the big brand computer repair outfits. So how do you find a reliable store? You ask them some questions.
Questions such as these:
How much do you charge for diagnosis?
Some local computer stores will have a flat rate charge for diagnosis and some will offer free diagnosis. Price has little bearing on the quality of the service only on the price you pay for that service. There is no right answer here, if the price is fair and you think it will help fix your problem, it is worth investing in.
Approximately how long will it take to repair my computer?
Once an accurate diagnosis has been undertaken you should then be told how long and how much it will be. It isn’t always possible to offer an exact timescale as some computer repairs can take longer than others. In cases like that, asking how long previous cases have taken or a ballpark figure is more appropriate.
How much will it all cost?
While you want your computer fixed, you don’t want to have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it. Neither do you want to spend more than replacing the computer in question would cost. Some computer stores will offer flat fees for particular repairs while others will bill you in hours. Knowing how many hours, approximate cost of parts and any other costs in advance will help you make an informed decision about what to do next.
What guarantees does the repair come with?
To make a decision about which local computer repair outfit to use, you need to know what guarantees any work comes with. After all, you don’t want to come up against the same problem in a week after having your computer repaired and have to pay all over again. Neither do you want a new component to go bang a month after being fitted.
Typically, computer services will come with a 30, 60 or 90 day warranty. Computer parts should be initially warrantied by the store along with fitting and configuration. Then the manufacturer takes over, usually for a year. Anything less than 30 days is not acceptable.
How many Dell/iMac/Acer/Lenovo/Microsoft computers have you repaired?
Knowing the exact level of experience your local computer repair specialist has can help your decision making. If you’re bringing a computer they have never seen before, you may end up paying for the time it takes for them to figure out how it works or where a particular component is secured into the case. Working with someone who has fixed your model of computer before not only speeds up the process, it also increases the chances of a successful fix first time.
All manufacturers do things slightly differently and even different models inside that manufacturer can differ too. Knowing exactly what your local computer repair store is capable of will tell you if they are the right people to do business with or not.
Once you have made your decision, you should take your computer to the store and describe the problem as best you can. Read this useful post on how to describe your problem to a PC repair professional. It might help. Them using the information in this post, you can properly assess whether they are the right people for your needs.
If they are, great. Let them work their magic and repair your computer. If they aren’t, don’t be afraid to say so and move on. It’s your computer, your money and your choice.
Dave’s Computers is your local computer repair specialist. We have many years’ experience supporting desktops, laptops, networks, Windows, Mac OS and more. Whatever the problem you’re having, we can fix it. Bring your computer to our Hillsborough store and well take care of the rest. Guaranteed!
