This is a quick review. Nas was great! I am a small businessman in Hyde Park and myself have a yelp listing with 85 reviews at this point. 20 visible 65 "filtered". LOL I know how important these are.
In a nutshell I am computer technology illiterate. When my computer goes down my entire world-business, social life, family interaction-comes to a screeching halt. My motherboard crashed on my computer a few weeks ago. Gratefully, I bought the 3 yrs insurance, it was covered. Ungratefully, the way that works is I had to spend 2 hrs doing telephone diagnostics, to verify it was the motherboard. Then they sent me a shipping box and label. Then I pack it up and send it to them. Then they take 10 biz days to repair it. Then they send it back. For me that was an intolerable eternity. Additionally, they made a BIG point of saying they have to reset the system to as if it is brand new, and can not guarantee against loss of any /all data. They advised me to take out hard drive.
Long story short, I opened machine but did not know how to do it. I saw little screws but taking them out did not loosen it. My brother the computer wiz told me it just snaps out. But I don't apply random force to intricate machines like this. I called Office depot and they said they could do it for 39.00 I am not a cheapskate, and I realize any business rightfully needs to have a minimum charge. But I wanted to try a local small businessman, as I try to support my Hyde Park "Brothers in Commerce". I reached Nas by phone and explained situation. He is on 53rd St a few blocks away. He said I could bring it in right then, which I did. He looked at it and popped out the hard drive in 30 seconds. I laughed at the simplicity of it. It does literally just snap in. But being in the trades, I have learned not to just "wing it" unless total destruction or at least making things worse than they were before is an acceptable trade-off, which for me was not. He was very gracious, pointing out how we all "know what we know." (and don't know what we don't know...lol) As an electrician, over they years I have been on the other side of that fence many times, where I came out to someone's house or building and it took me 5 minutes or less to rectify the situation. For me, every service call to drive the truck to a location, park, go in and take care of things and drive back costs me money, and a shrewder or harsher businessman would charge them the full service call fee. It's ironic because in these situations where "It only took you 5 minutes" you are actually being penalized for your knowledge and experience rather than rewarded for it. LOL. Nonetheless, business is about people and about feelings and about relationships, and I never want to leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth. Depending on the situation, (like driving to Evanston vs. 2 blocks away, or if its a senior on obviously limited income) I will range from the full service call charge to a moderate discount to doing it for free. That's just how I was raised to view things, I guess. I was more than willing to pay Nas whatever he wanted to charge me, and I made a point of saying so. He said no, there would be no charge for something so quick and easy. I said " That might be so, but I know the rent on a shop here on 53rd St. is not free. ARE YOU SURE?" He said yes, of course he was sure. So I graciously and cheerfully accepted his generosity. When the computer comes back from HP, I will bring it to him to reinstall the hard drive. And tune it up. And install whatever computer programs, updates, or anything it requires. I will bring him all my computer consulting issues and problems and he will be my guy for life, or at least until he closes shop.
I appreciated his generosity to a degree way beyond the measurable dollar amount. I am a businessman more than a consumer. The truck breaks down, you fix it. The big hammer drill goes south, or the hydraulic bender won't bend anymore, you buy a new one. You pay up. It's usually not even a matter of price comparison for me. I need these things and I need them now. A little discount or even being "comped" is a sweet feeling. But it would never be a determining factor for me. I want to know "Can you do what you say you will? How long will it take? Thanks. Now how long will it REALLY take?" That's my perspective. I expect to pay for reliable, honest service and skills people have spent years developing and overhead that allows them to be there when I need them. That all is normal, and to be expected. A generous gesture like this was not too important to my wallet. But it meant a lot to my heart.
Looking forward to many years of working together, my new friend! read more