Rates for Support and Consulting/Advice Services

The following information reflects the most up-to-date rates and terms for technical support and consulting services. Prices do not reflect the cost of additional software or hardware which may be required. If you have any questions, please be sure to ask. I will work with you to ensure that you understand all terms and conditions before work begins.

Before I ever begin a consulting or support session with you or your organization, I encourage you to contact me and fully discuss your needs and requirements. This helps to reduce confusion and will actual help lower your costs. I will work with you to outline a specific plan of action and to provide the most accurate estimate whenever possible. If changes must be made to your action plan, I will make sure that we are clear and that we both agree to any additional charges.

In-Home Tech Support

Most support services will be billed at an hourly rate, except if you require assistance on a very large project, in which case a fixed project cost would be more appropriate. I offer support both in your home and over the Internet (when possible) using screen sharing technologies that will allow me to access and repair your system remotely. The costs for remote support are significantly less because it reduces travel time and provides easier access to all of my diagnosis and repair tools. The table below provides the standard basic rates for remote service and support. If you have special circumstances, please feel free to contact me for a quote or estimate.

In-Person Support (Chicago and NW Suburbs): First hour $60, each additional hour $50
In person support is when I will come to your home and work directly on your systems. During this time you should plan to remain at home as some support and repair questions may require your input in order to provide the best personalized solution. I would also be glad to help clarify any concerns and answer any basic questions you may have related to your support request. If you do not require support, but instead require some advice or pre-purchase planning, please scroll down to see rates because advice and consulting rates are significantly lower than support costs.

In-Person Support (Extended Chicago Area): First hour $75, each additional hour $50
Extended area coverage is the same as the service described above, however, because of the increased distance and initial time requirement required on my part, the first hour costs slightly more. Please check with me first to see if you in the extended service area.

Remote Support (Chicago and all USA): First hour $40, each additional hour $40
Remote support is a low cost alternative to in-home support. Because I do not have to travel to an on-site location, I can offer you remote service at a reduced rate. Remote support will require that you are initially at your computer and that you make yourself available via email, phone, or text message during the support session if there are additional questions or certain actions which require real-human interaction (such as restarting your computer and logging-in). Remote support is not always the best option, but it is a great alternative for the vast majority of common support issues. The remote support software used will not cost you anything. Please be sure to read the terms at the bottom of this page for more information about remote support and payment procedures.

Overnight System Repair: If your system is really suffering and repair and support will take over 3 hours, it is recommended that you opt for overnight repair. This service is also preferred for system building, which can take many hours. The nightly rate is $120 if you drop off the computer yourself, and $150 if you would like me to come and pick up your computer (Northern Chicago and NW Suburbs only). As you can see, for major support problems and other needs which may require over 3 hours you can realize great savings by opting for overnight system repair. Please contact me for details. If I am servicing your computer in person you may also opt to have me finish the required work as an overnight repair at a reduced cost, specific pricing will depend upon your circumstances.

I believe in providing customized service to all my customers. Some other technician may offer flat rates for spyware removal or some specific service, however, such pricing is unrealistic because every person had different needs and each computer will have its own unique set of problems. As a result such “flat rate pricing” is usually a come-on which results in higher fees. Instead, I provide hourly rates and project-based pricing only where appropriate and beneficial to the customer.

In Home Computer Technology Consulting and Advising

In home and personal consulting and advice services are available to help you plan for large purchases such as buying a new computer, cell phone, or extending your home network. Technical support is NOT included with advising. Additional services such as installation, implementation, and ongoing maintenance will require additional fees where appropriate and will be agreed upon in writing before being performed. Please contact me for a free estimate. The table below explains the base rates for advising and consulting services.

In-Person Consultation: $50 for one hour consult and up to four hours of research, $80 for one hour consultation and up to eight hours of research time.

Remote-Consultation (email or phone): $40 for one hour (or equivalent) consultation and up to four hours of research, $70 for one hour consultation and up to eight hours of research.

In the first hour consultation I will work with you to define your objectives, requirements, goals, and budget. I will then use the remainder of your time to do the proper research and prepare a written report or analysis with my recommendations and other important notes. Please note advice and consulting services are based upon the time taken for me to analyze and understand your problems and/or goals and then to perform the research and to perform an evaluation of your options with the criteria that you have defined. I cannot be held responsible for the implementation or long-term satisfaction with any option or recommendation that you select. Please also note that consultation and advising is a pre-paid service. Please read the terms and conditions below for more details.

Business Services – Support and Advising

In addition to end-user support, I also provide support and solution building geared specifically for small business owners. Small businesses often lack the internal IT resources to keep their systems up and running. I can offer the support and decision making help that you need in order to not just keep your business afloat, but to utilize technology to help your business move forward. I provide troubleshooting for all your computer and network problems and can also provide assistance with reconfiguration and security concerns. Small business support and consulting services are highly customized to meet your needs. I will work with you to provide effective and affordable support for your problems and will also work with you to help plan for your long term needs.

Both support and advising for small businesses are offered at the same rate, and discounts are available for pre-purchasing support hours. The first hour of service is $100, with each additional hour of support during the same visit billed at $75 an hour. Support and service is billed per-visit, and payment is expected by cash, credit, or certified funds at the end of each visit. There is a significant discount for pre-purchasing support hours. You may prepay for 20 hours of support at $1400 ($70/hour). Pre-purchasing hours significantly helps reduce your costs because there is never a first hour premium and support hours can be used over a longer period of time as needed. For additional discounts or special pricing, please contact me directly. Additional services such as ongoing maintenance, administration, or other services will be by contract and can be discussed on an individual basis depending upon your needs. I also offer free consultations, and would be glad to discuss your goals and objectives for free, so please feel free to contact me.

Payment Policies and Procedures:

All services offered by Web Design Hero can be paid for either in cash or through PayPal. With PayPal you can pay using your credit card, your checking account, of your PayPal balance. You do not have to have a PayPal account or a PayPal balance in order to use PayPal. PayPal is one of the most popular and trusted online payment processors in the world, and is owned by eBay. By utilizing PayPal both the seller and the customer are provided many protections. There is a clear record of all transactions and it is easy to manage both invoices and payments.

For most in-person service you may pay in cash, however, I cannot accept personal checks on the day of service. For any online support request, you must pay the first hour upfront before service begins. This is required in order to protect my company from customers who utilize my services and then never pay. If either you or I must cancel the session, PayPal provides a simple method for me to provide a refund and for you to recover your money. Additional prepayment may be requested before service continues.

Advising sessions which are not part of any other support or other service must be paid in full ahead of time in accordance with the rate posted above. The service is based upon the time taken to analyze your needs and to perform and document the research. Unless you purchase additional services, I cannot be held responsible for your interpretation or usage of my research. For this reason, payment must be made up front. All efforts will be made to find a solution or set of solutions which meet your specified objectives. Again, it is recommended that you pay using the PayPal service so that there is a clear record of payment and service agreement.

If you have any questions about any of the above policies, please feel free to contact me for further clarification. I will make every effort to ensure that you understand these policies before I begin service, however, you are responsible for reading this page in its entirety and asking questions to ensure that we are clear. I want to build a long term relationship with every customer, both individual and small business. Therefore, it is important for me to make the best possible effort to explain and clarify all aspects of our business relationship. I look forward to hearing from you soon.