Not on the retainer? Something has still broken and you still need it fixed. We come out for practices that are not on a monthly plan, on an hourly basis, quoted before we start.
What this is
Break-fix is exactly what it sounds like. Something broke, you call, we fix it. There is no monthly commitment and no contract. You pay for the time it takes, and we tell you the hourly rate and a realistic estimate before we begin.
It is the right choice for a practice that has its own IT arrangement and needs an extra pair of hands, for a one-off problem, or for a practice that wants to see how we work before committing to anything.
What we can usually fix on the day
- A workstation that will not start, or will not connect to the practice-management software
- Imaging sensors or cameras that have stopped talking to the software
- Printers, scanners and card terminals that have dropped off the network
- Email, backup or antivirus errors that nobody has had time to look at
- Slow machines, full disks, and Windows updates that never finish
- A network that has gone down and nobody knows why
How a call works
You call, describe the problem, and we tell you straight away whether it sounds like a remote fix or an on-site visit. Remote is faster and cheaper, so we try that first. If it needs a visit, we give you a time, usually the same day, and an estimate.
When we arrive, we fix the problem you called about. If we spot something else that is going to cause trouble, we tell you, and it is your call whether we look at it now or later. We do not do work you have not agreed to.
What we tell you afterwards
Every visit ends with a short note: what was wrong, what we did, and whether anything else needs attention. If the same fault is going to come back, we say so, and we say what would stop it.
Where break-fix falls short
Break-fix means we are seeing your systems for the first time when they are already broken. We fix what we find, but we cannot prevent what we have not been monitoring. If you find yourself calling more than once or twice, the retainer costs less than the visits, and we will tell you when that point has come.
Common questions
How fast can you get here?
We tell you when you call. Remote fixes usually start within the hour during business hours. On-site visits are usually the same day. We say “usually” because one technician cannot be in two places at once, and we would rather say that than promise something we cannot keep.
What is the hourly rate?
We quote it on the phone, before anything starts, along with an estimate of how long the job is likely to take. You will not get a surprise invoice.
Do you charge for travel?
Travel within Maryland is built into the visit rather than billed as an extra. If a visit turns out to be a five-minute fix, you pay for a short visit.
We already have an IT company. Is that a problem?
Not at all. We can work alongside them for a one-off job, and we will leave notes they can follow. We are not going to try to poach the account while we are fixing your printer.
Can we move to the retainer later?
Yes, at any point. The free on-site assessment is the first step, and anything we have already learned about your systems on break-fix visits goes into it.
Getting started
Call 202-525-7944. Tell us what is happening and we will tell you what we think it is and what it is likely to take.
Ready for step one?