Today I just got an email from one prospective customer, Joe, asking me the rate for “rate for onsite housecall out in Schaumburg”. He supposedly needed his Windows reloaded and hooked up to his existing wireless network.

I replied him right away:
Hi, Joe
Most of my clients are right in the city of Chicago and some in the northern suburbs, but I would love to expand my business in the west suburbs. I guess that Schaumburg would be ok for me to ask $30 extra. Please let me know if that’s ok for you. Thanks.

After a few hours and no response and the suspense building up, I decided to google up his name… guess who was the mystery shopper?

It was Joe, K., who operates a computer repair business too, in Schaumburg and O’Hare areas. His going rate for housecalls is $100 and mine would be just $80 so his business model is in danger! :)

“Don’t start a fight about this.”, a coworker told me.

“What he could do? Packet flood me?” I answered laughing :)

“He could drive all the way from Schaumburg and kick your ass…”

So, Joe, if you’re reading this, as you stand at your computer now, reading this very lines, you may start to realize how funny is this.

I just came from a trip in San Francisco so I want to feel only good vibrations and no bad karma. In an effort to keep a peaceful atmosphere between the small Chicago computer repair shops, I will increase my rate for Schaumburg to $100.