The tide is changing for the way many of us get our computers fixed and repaired. Just a short couple of years ago, online repair was not the first choice for most folks. Many felt more comfortable taking their machine to a shop rather then having it fixed online. The truth is that online is actually more secure then a shop, simply because you stay with your machine the whole time the repair is being done. In addition, you do not have to take your computer apart or even leave the house. The convenience is probably the driving force to its popularity. In fact, it has gotten so popular that hundreds of companies have sprouted out of the woodwork over the last couple of years. A good part of these companies are not located in the United States. Since labor is cheaper when subbed out to other countries, many companies have done this as a means of saving money. Most of these companies offer plans that include support for a monthly charge.
Remote support comes in many varieties. The first being an hourly charge, the second is a flat rate price and the third is a yearly or monthly contract. Last but not least is the maintenance agreement. Which of these plans you choose will depend largely on how you use your computer.
Most online companies do not charge hourly anymore, this is reserved more for the computer shop where this type of billing is common. You also will likely pay a bench charge as well just for laying your computer ion the bench.
The second, flat rate pricing, is one of the most popular and the best choice for most users. The user calls in and is charged a fixed rate for the job no matter how long it takes to finish. This option really pays off for many virus infections and Outlook issues since they sometimes take hours to fix
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The third choice is the yearly contract. With this option, the company is usually banking on the idea that you are not going to use the service very frequently. For an average user, you will usually pay more per year then if you have a couple of fixes done at the Flat Rate. Similar to an extended warranty, the hope is that you will not use it. In many cases you will not get the service that you can get from a company that uses the Flat Rate pricing.
Finally, there is the maintenance agreement. With this plan, you pay a monthly or yearly fee but once a month, a tech will come into your computer and do a system cleanup and try to find small things that could create future problems for your computer. This practice helps to stop problems before they can materialize into bigger problems. This option can be a good one if done with a good company.
As you can see you have many choices for pricing. For most users, the Flat Rate option will be the most cost effective. If you have a computer you use for business or you want to be sure you get minimal downtime, the Maintenance Agreement might be the ticket. The yearly contract will probably cost you more in the long run then the Flat Rate and most companies offering them will be so busy it will be hard to get fast service.
Regardless of what option you choose, be sure to choose a company that has been around for some time and does not sub out their work to unknown companies.
For more information, visit us at http://www.advantagecomputersol.com/ or call us at 1-877-499-5548.
