Network service contracts

[Sgt. Hulka]

Does anyone include network service in their standard copier contract. My boss thinks this might be a good thing to help sales and I think it might be a nightmare waiting to happen. I do some basic network troubleshooting but we have a MCP cretifide guy for the heavy duty stuff.

Frank

[10871087]

Re:Network service contracts

why give away something you should be billing for, would you fix their copier for free?

[Supertech]

Re:Network service contracts

Frank wrote:

Does anyone include network service in their standard copier contract. My boss thinks this might be a good thing to help sales and I think it might be a nightmare waiting to happen. I do some basic network troubleshooting but we have a MCP cretifide guy for the heavy duty stuff.

Frank

Inside the covers = covered under contract
Outside the covers = Not covered (but we do have separate network contracts available)

[Tonerbomb]

Re:Network service contracts

After the install and connection for scan print is done, It\'s all billable. Wait till they call because they can\'t print to your copier,or scan or email from it. You show up and find a dead network drop, or a new firewall and now they expect you to fix that. Or maybe that $1200 Cisco switch is failing. Will you cover that for time and materials?? Also if you cover laoding drivers or scan set up for every new PC a customer adds, When you do the annual reveiw of the contract, your upside down on that account. I fight this battle almost daily!!!!!!!!!!!!!:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Ichiro]

Re:Network service contracts

Our sales department pays a flat fee for the initial install, after the install is done and signed off on, everything is billable.

[Sgt. Hulka]

Re:Network service contracts

Thanks for the input, service has prevailed

[Techlady]

Re:Network service contracts

We include 2 hours of network support when machine is installed. After that - it is a separate contract available in blocks of time.

[jimharry]

Re:Network service contracts

We bill for network problems after the initial setup as well. When we get a call for \"not printing, etc\" we go out and hook up our laptop via a cross-over cable and configure it to closely match the printer\'s setup. If we can get the printer to work from the laptop, the customer can see very easily where the problem is, and we are done--Unless they want to pay for more fix time....

[S.O.S.]

We have been doing Network work for a client and in the last 60 Days billed over $2000.
They asked for a contract. I have set up a 6 hour per month deal that they pay even if they don't use any hours. If they go over they get billed hourly but at a discounted rate because they pay a monthly fee.

[kyoceradude]

I too fight this battle daily. What's covered and what isn't. Does anyone have a copy of a Network contract you use that you can post? Does it spell out what's covered and not? What kind of pricing do you charge? We currently try (notice I said try) to bill out at $125.00 per hour for network support....

[knightfall]

we install 5 user setup on install of new equipment(which includes printer/ scan to file and email) while we are installing all these options we are showing the network administrator or their network IT guy how to setup. Anything after that we bill at$200.00 an hour written into contract to avoid the " call the copier guys they will fix it for us" syndrome.

[S.O.S.]

I custom write each contract. This ensures I address each clients issues and concerns as well as cover our perverbial behind.

In regard to bill rates...well it largely depends on market size and location. I regularly billed $200+ in the Baltimore/D.C. Market for various types of Netwaork and IT service. I am now located in eastern NC and those rates will NOT fly. There are too many one man contractors who bill $60+ to compete with.
Your bill rate should reflect what the market will bring and the level of experience you bring to the contract.

[Project Warder]

We have a $50 standard call out fee (keep in mind all my prices are in AUD) and we charge $150/h on top of that. Because of my IT background, i am able to offer our clients a degree of 'extra' service outside of what im employed to do. As far as im aware my bosses dont mind, as long as im not spending too much time doing things i wasnt sent there to do. Most of the time its mainly being able to troubleshoot their network etc as to why things wont work or work properly. Something i do hate though is when i have to teach an "IT guy", the person who is being PAID to look after their computers and networks, the basics of networking and reasons WHY things on the copier are like they are (we mainly deal in Kyocera). *sigh* and it makes me wonder why i had to go into this line of work to be able to work around computers and equipment. But yeah, AUD$50 c/o and AUD$150/h thereinclusive.

[Cipher]

Our service contracts only cover the machines operation.

All connectivity or I.T support is charge out at a hourly rate on mid to large business customers that have their own inhouse or external I.T support.
We see this as doing a job that inhouse or external I.T departments should be doing so we have no problem charging our time out.
The purchase alot of the time has little to do with the people you are dealing with and they don't really care about the occuring cost they just want everything up and running.

We will normally wave a connectivity charge at intitial installation of a machine for a small business or a home office customer.
These sales are alot more personal and it's not viable for returning trade to charge to setup one or two workstations with printing and scanning.

[TonerMonkey]

In regard to bill rates...

Is that the dobber from Microsuck.....???