All you can do is be honest as possible, present the options as fully as you can and have the customer choose one. I'm going to ramble a bit after reading just the first few replies...
I base my entire computer repair operation on candid honesty and doing 'the right thing' even if it costs me; however, some people are really difficult to work with. Even when you think you're doing the right thing by doing something extra or a favor, you find out you are actually doing the wrong thing for yourself and even sometimes for the customer. The 'Customer first' philosophy is great in an ideal world, but putting others on a higher platform creates many unforeseen issues. Always try to keep it real and keep your customers on an equal footing... Treat yourself and your customers equally well and you'll do fine (for the most part).
With no charge, I often do things like drive 30 miles on the Los Angeles freeways to deliver systems to sweet old ladies or offer to fix issues that aren't under warranty etc... But sometimes it bites you right in the **** because people abuse you and they often times don't know any better.
It seems very unlikely ALL of those issues were related to your work. This sound like an example of a customer taking advantage of you (almost certainly unknowingly). Customers forget exactly what it is that you were supposed to fix and don't understand computers well enough to reason out reasonable and unreasonable consequences.
Sadly, that is the very reason I've created an elaborate "Terms of Service and Warranty" agreement printed in triplicate using tiny font which is to be signed before any work is performed. I hate it, but there's been a couple of times where I've had to put my foot down do the right thing for myself.
</SOAPBOX>
I base my entire computer repair operation on candid honesty and doing 'the right thing' even if it costs me; however, some people are really difficult to work with. Even when you think you're doing the right thing by doing something extra or a favor, you find out you are actually doing the wrong thing for yourself and even sometimes for the customer. The 'Customer first' philosophy is great in an ideal world, but putting others on a higher platform creates many unforeseen issues. Always try to keep it real and keep your customers on an equal footing... Treat yourself and your customers equally well and you'll do fine (for the most part).
With no charge, I often do things like drive 30 miles on the Los Angeles freeways to deliver systems to sweet old ladies or offer to fix issues that aren't under warranty etc... But sometimes it bites you right in the **** because people abuse you and they often times don't know any better.
It seems very unlikely ALL of those issues were related to your work. This sound like an example of a customer taking advantage of you (almost certainly unknowingly). Customers forget exactly what it is that you were supposed to fix and don't understand computers well enough to reason out reasonable and unreasonable consequences.
Sadly, that is the very reason I've created an elaborate "Terms of Service and Warranty" agreement printed in triplicate using tiny font which is to be signed before any work is performed. I hate it, but there's been a couple of times where I've had to put my foot down do the right thing for myself.
</SOAPBOX>