Some of my biggest frustrations and anxiety provoking situations
involve technology meltdowns. You know what I mean – those times when critical
tasks for your clients come to a screeching halt because your computer gets a
virus, or your computer won’t recognize the Wi-Fi connection, or programs slow
to a minus-5-mph speed, or any other technology-related problems beyond my
expertise.
There are a lot of IT consultants in my area. However, their
$90/hr. + rates used to make me wait until problems reached the critical mass
implosion state. So recently I investigated the options available. Critical
factors for me included:
Availability – solo IT operators in London are not available
24/7
Expertise – high school students may have a lot of skills,
but not as full a business package as I need
Price – I can’t afford what major corporations have
available, but I’m not low balling it and I want to pay a fair price for good
service
People-friendly technician – one who can not only
troubleshoot and fix my problems but can communicate comfortably with me
Location – it would be great to have most problems solved
online, but what if a hands-on fix is needed?
Hallelujah! I found the Geek Squad. The technicians are
available 24/7 365 days a year. I had to call on them twice in the last month
and found them to be very comfortable to work with. They are extremely
knowledgeable and work until the problem is solved – the last event took about
four hours to fix and the technician made sure that everything was totally
fixed on both my computers before ending the session.
The price is an extremely good value. I elected to get an
annual contract at a cost of about $219 for the entire year. In the event that
I need hands on assistance, I have two options: 1) I can take my equipment in
to a nearby Best Buy store which has an in-house Geek Squad. For that I would
pay only for parts. 2) A technician will make a home visit for a flat $49 plus
parts.
I’ll repeat it: Hallelujah! I found the Geek Squad.
