Just Answer

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Just Answer

Martin wrote: if I got £1 for everyone I gave advice over the phone to each year I could afford an all expenses paid holiday for two for a fortnight and more!

Yep, I’ve been trying to work out how I could cash in on that for years. Early thoughts about ten years ago were to set up a premium rate number but never felt confident about it, as advertising it would cost.
Has anybody here made any shillings by signing up with the likes of just answer? I guess it has to be the way to go. As I get older, I get less and less motivated to get off my office chair and go out to some miserable kitchen.
Mike.

[Martin]

Re: Just Answer

leavemetogetonwithit wrote:Has anybody here made any shillings by signing up with the likes of just answer?

Well I did touch on that point earlier in my OP : –

Martin wrote:see if you recognise any ‘expert’ on that web site?

After all there’s load of ‘experts’ more than willing and able to realise the potential to earn a ‘bit on the side’ as it were. Far better in fact to make money from your expertise than throw away your precious knowledge to the thousands of numpies out there for nowt. As long as I live I will never fully grasp why anyone would do that in this day and age.

Though since you brought up the point Mike I may just sign up with them, send them my CV and see if I can earn a bob or two? 😈

What’s good about their system is that no-one else shares the answer! It’s not blarted out for all and his Aunty Mary to look up on the Internet! Just a one-on-one with the punter at up to £15 a pop!…blinding idea I reckon. 🙂

[lee8]

Re: Just Answer

Well this happened to me this AM.

Gent phones me and asks me how much to fit the sensor to his Scrhiber 😀 Fridge, I explained my call out to diagnose etc.

He explains the sensor is the fault, I ask if another firm has called.

Nope was the reply, its all over the internet that this sensor has gone on this model, its £17.58, I want to know how much it’ll cost to fit.

Aparantly £25.00 is too much, so he is doin it himself.

Without the good old internet, he’d have no idea how to get the part never mind finding out about common faults.

So no I’m not winning, I just lost a decent call.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Just Answer

I sometimes wonder if capitalism will win in the end and destroy the vision of freely shared information on the internet. Perhaps the powers that be (through your man at no. 10) will step in and call a halt. Maybe UKW will be forced by law to take down its public forums (“in the interest of public safety”, yeah :rolls: )
Mind you, it would be a good idea 💡 to check your PLI will cover you against any disaster caused to an innocent numpty who takes your advice after you forgot to mention (for example) to disconnect / discharge this or that.
Mike.

[lee8]

Re: Just Answer

I’d like to say I remember the good old days and live in the past.

Only problem is I’m young, the internet is not something I’m unfamilar with.

I have a presence on the net, several web sites and I blog.My phone is fully loaded and if I don’t tweet before I sleep, I don’t sleep.

I’ve been around our industry, lots, not only as an engineer and not only independant.Its always changed, bu not in the way clients are disappearing, the technology changed, the appliances changed, we went from repairing vac’s to coffee machines, from Microwave to steam cookers, but the clients have always been there.

Now we are challenged with an extra threat, the internet, so maybe I shall think about sitting at home waiting to advise Mr Smith on how to replace his fridge stat for £15.00 a pop.

I still remember the days when I got £70.00 for changing the stat, i remember them not because I’m old or sentimental scared by change, no I remember because it paid the bills and allowed my family to eat.

:rolls:

[timdowning]

Re: Just Answer

Premium rate phone line;

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=31100&highlight=premium

last post.

Over two years ago……

I’m too slow off the blocks thats my trouble!

[Martin]

Re: Just Answer

lee8 wrote:So no I’m not winning, I just lost a decent call.

Oh no you didn’t Lee, in fact, as is happens, he had no intention of stumping up the £25 you wanted to do the job for him thereby you reclassify him from “decent call” to just another “time waster on the take” or TWOTT as we say in the trade. 😉

[lee8]

Re: Just Answer

No, he could have been persuaded to part with cash had he not been so well educated on the job and its simplicity, this is a new generation, one that believes in the net and its content and does not believe in value for money.

The generation that has lost its ability to think logically, always wants a bargain and will believe the world is ending if its posted on a blog.

😆

The futures bright, the futures a call centre.

And you know when you’ve become successful, they give you a collegue badge to wear and your always “Happy to Help” baseball cap.

Or in our business you’ll get a big tool on your van, just to remind you that you are a big tool. 😀

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Just Answer

lee8 wrote:
The futures bright, the futures a call centre.

OMG, please no! Is that how we’re all going to end up?
It’s happened already to many of the smaller high street parts retailers. Replaced by someone in a call centre.
Are we engineers destined to end up being replaced by helpful, bright young things in call centres who’ve had a couple of weeks training in reading service manuals?
I can see it now, “Yes sir, your machine has stopped working. Would you like to press the red button on the remote control now, so that I can access the diagnostics for you via the wireless consumer interface relayer module?”
Mike.

[lee8]

Re: Just Answer

Its called progress.

[Martin]

Re: Just Answer

Getting back ‘on topic’ for a moment, I went through the application process on Just Answer and first of all to qualify as ‘an expert’ you have to give them your CV and answer 20 or so appliance related questions (4 answer tick-a-box questions). Pass that and they email you an invitation/verification form, you then pay them US$22 (= 1 yrs subs) and you’re then given access on their site as ‘an expert’.*

Each time someone pays you for answering their question successfully (i.e £7, £11 or £15 submission fee) you get to keep 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of that money until your US$22 subs are refunded in full. Thereafter your percentage of the submission fee will depend on how many successful clients you’ve helped. The greater the number of ‘hits’ you get the more percentage you get back each time up to a maximum of 75{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}.

So there…… 😉

* Our trade classification is UK APPLIANCE EXPERT and from what I can see there’s plenty of folks out their with dodgy WMA’s, Zanussi W/d’s, Samsung Fridges and yes a smattering of Haier’s and Diplomats we all know and love. 😈

[lee8]

Re: Just Answer

$22.00 to join.

Bargain.

Sounds like a great scheme.

Only it states you pay before you are finally checked out, will you get your $22.00 back if your refused, honestly.

Maybe that is the future.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Just Answer

Better get in there early. If we all join up it’ll be a scramble to be first on the buzzer. The Bosch no drum action jobs will be snapped up three seconds after they’re posted. Newcomers will be left spending time on four posts trying to sort out intermittent heating problems on “Hotpoint” dishwashers.
You won’t be able to take time off any more without switching off your computer.:(
Mike.

[lee8]

Re: Just Answer

There are only a few, well 3 normal questions one has 5 replies and they seem to have hit a wall.

Customer asking, gets a reply and argues back. :rolls:

It seems the chances of you getting paid is dependent on the client solving the issue from what you’ve told them plus them understanding enough to solve the issue without making a mistake or to thick to understand technical instructions made into simple instructions.

If that makes sense. 😥

I believe the only gains are by the internet company, not the clients or the Experts. :rolls:

There website currently generates $1649.16 per day in ad revenue and has a net value worth of $1.2 Million.

The page views on Appliances is only 2.1{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the daily 548902 page views, thats world wide and includes the UK.

Seems there largest {e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} is law questions.

For my $22.00 I’m sure in a month I would geat it back and probably make £100 a yr.

The perfect capitolist business, charge everybody without actually doin much.

Bit like Repaircare. 😆

Oh I forgot, seems there questions are archived, so your Bosch no spin would be refered too without a new answer from an Expert, so no point in a scramble, seems only new not asked before questions will require answers. :rolls: 😉

[Madmac]

Re: Just Answer

Dont think i’d bother with it myself, my knowlege is worth more than begging some tite wad to stump up a few quid IMO :rolls:
On a wider point, i actually believe the current poor work level a lot of us are experiencing is much more to do with the ongoing problems in the world economy.
My last good year was 2007.. just before the recession hit..coincidence?? 😕

If people feel skint they will try to do things on the cheap, like fixing their appliances with info gleaned from the web.
For instance, my car was playing up a couple of months ago, now normally when i’ve got a healthy wallet, i’d just drop it off at a local small garage i’ve used for years & let them sort it out.
However with my current workload i’m A. skint & B. time rich, so i ended up spending an afternoon on the drive rummaging under the bonnet.
And yes, i did look for help online on a Vauxhall forum 😉 and some useful pointers were found as to why my charriots Turbo wasnt boosting till 2k RPM (clogged EGR valve if youre interested 😉 )
But had i been as busy as i was in the past i really wouldnt have bothered, i’d rather be out earning money in a game i know something about & chatting to the yummy mummys over a cup of tea than covered in exhaust soot from an Astra 🙁

So i’m not writing this game off just yet, economic conditions will improve.. they always do (dont they? 😯 ) people will be more inclined to pay for our services, appliance prices will rise, and all will be well in the world 🙂 Its true, a bloke down the pub told me 8)

[Author]

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