Support charges are simple and straight-forward. You’ll always speak to me, so you don’t have to keep explaining the background to different people. My mobile number isn’t on the Contact page, but you’ll have it soon enough, so you’ll always be able to get hold of me. I can help with a lot of common things even if I’m not by a computer, and it’s rare that I’m far from one – even at the weekends.
Don’t worry about feeling silly if you’ve got a simple question – I’ve been providing technical support for 15 years – the only silly questions are the ones people don’t ask and wish that they had. If you think you’ve done something stupid, I’m sure I’ll be able to raise you with something I’ve done in the past that’s even more stupid!
Email & telephone support
- Most problems can be fixed quickly and without the need for any visits.
- Telephone support includes remote desktop support which means I can log into your PC and see your screen so that I can see your problem and help fix it no matter where you are
Charges:
- £40 for the first half an hour
- £75 per hour after that.
- You’ll receive an invoice which you should pay within 14 days.
- I apply common sense when sending a bill – if we’re going to speak 10 times a week, I’ll send you one sensible bill for everything – not ten lots of £40!
- For regular support I’ll send either a monthly or a quarterly invoice.
On-site support
Some problems can’t be fixed remotely, and sometimes people just prefer me to see everything at once and a physical visit is best. Call first to check that your problem can’t be sorted quickly over the phone – increasingly things can be done remotely: I don’t have to make as many on-site support visits as I used to because remote desktop support saves most trips that used to be necessary.
- We’ll agree a time and date for me to visit you.
- I’ll be travelling from Ruislip (12 miles west of central London) but I’m not afraid of early starts
Charges
- Most on-site visits that I make are in Central London and West London – for which I charge a flat rate of just £75 to cover travel time and expenses.
- For long distance or short notice travel I charge time for travelling one way and the cost of travel (train tickets etc).
- Regardless of distance travelled, I charge £75 per hour for the time that I spend with you providing the technical support. Not unfairly rounded up: if it takes 1hr 20mins, I’ll charge 1hr 20mins.
That means you’ll be paying whatever the train ticket or taxi fare costs me, plus £75 per hour from me leaving my house until I leave your house or office – travel time to get to you, plus working time, but not travel time for me to get back.
Of course, I’ll do everything I can to keep the costs down: I’ll take the quickest route, travel standard class, book tickets in advance etc. If you prefer to buy the tickets or even pick me up, that’s fine. In the last year or so, in addition to working from my own office and in central London, I’ve worked in Cambridge, Cardiff, Huntingdon, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Peterborough, Watford and Woking.
