Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Recorded service
Because we don't always trust people...
  (+5)
(+5) 		  [vote for,
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Last week I gave my laptop for repair and at the back of my mind I was thinking about what these guys actually do behind closed doors. If I can’t trust the person I find it hard to give them my business, but my laptop did need repair and so I was stuck. But I have the same trust issue with car repair shops where I am never really sure what those people do and if they actually work hard to solve my problem. It would be nice if after I got my car from the garage or my laptop from the repair place I got access to a website with an online stream of the repair process. As a customer I would really value this and I am sure the owner shouldn’t have anything to hide. In fact we could even have a real time web cam thingie.... just like in child care. I know this seems like a big deal but I consider my laptop very valuable and such a service could put me at ease. It could also be a way companies differentiate themselves.
nomadic_wonderer, Dec 28 2006


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       I'm not sure of this but does Jiffy Lube do something like this? They have little cameras in their shop and they always call out things as they do them.   

       I like the idea. +
jhomrighaus, Dec 28 2006
   

       Would you be able to tell what they were doing?   

       I've seen shows where hidden cameras catch out dodgy plumbers and such like, where an expert had already pre-assessed the (lack of) problem, so you knew when the plumber was pulling a fast one.   

       Without such expertise (which would probably negate the need to take it in for repair) I'm not sure I could tell whether or not a genuine job was being done, video footage or not.   

       With cars you can always get hold of the old components, see the damage for yourself before you agree to let them bleed you dry, but I'm not sure that video footage of a broken hard disk is going to prove enlightening.   

       I agree that this idea could have use in demonstrating the hourly labour cost incurred for repair. [+]   

       What might help for laptop repair if if they can plug the laptop/components into a tamper-proof device (usb linked?) that audit trails every action taken, including hardware removed, files accessed and if the laptop is unplugged from the auditor.
boysparks, Dec 28 2006
   

       [boysparks] your laptop repair idea variation is good.
nomadic_wonderer, Dec 28 2006
   

       This isn't a good idea really. It sounds like a good one, but it wouldn't implement very well. Imagine such an overt signal of distrust, if you were the service engineer. I mean, it's not as if the consumer has a detailed knowledge of everything involved, so what is much of it going to mean to the end user? If you can't trust people to get on with their jobs and do what they do best, then that's the problem right there. Find something to sort out that paranoid lack of faith - that's what needs repair.
Ian Tindale, Dec 28 2006
   


 
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