We received a call yesterday evening, just before closing up the shop and I wanted to share a little bit of info in case anyone else has this type of problem.
The caller stated that they had a DV series HP laptop and they had just cracked the screen. Unfortunately, it happens. We have a nice cracked screen on our wall to show what happens and how flimsy these screens really are…. The caller wanted to know if it was replaceable.
The call went downhill and only lasted about 2 minutes from there, mostly due to information I gave out. Instead of simply stating “YES!” and having the customer bring it by, I was open and honest:
The screens cost around $100 for this model (retail, we probably could be able to do it for less depending on the model and what exactly is cracked), then add the $70 labor fee on top of that since we have to pull the screen area completely apart. The caller was looking at $140-$170 worth of a bill for a laptop that could be several years old.
On top of this, I mentioned that the DV series of laptops tend to overheat and I don’t know if it would be worthwhile to put money into a computer that has a horrid record with “frying” itself. The caller stated that their laptop did have a history of overheating. We talked for a few more seconds and we got off the phone.
In that 2 minutes, I may have lost a decent amount of money, but overall, the caller may have saved money that they could put towards a new computer. Sure, I could have taken the money, only to have the machine possibly fail anywhere from 2 weeks to another year out, but we’re talking a quarter of a new laptop, just to replace the screen… Not worth it, in my opinion.
Now, I know it’s hard to say that, especially in this economy, but we’re talking bang for the buck. Have we replaced screens, motherboards, etc. when it would have been better for the customer to just buy new? Yes, but we look at each situation and try to determine what is ultimately better for the customer and their situation.
Justin