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As a business owner, chances are there will come a time for you to decide whether to work with an IT services provider in San Antonio that charges based on an hourly rate or a flat fee. If you’re operating your business on a tight budget, then maybe a managed service provider (MSP) that charges a flat rate would be your best option. Read on to understand the benefits of a flat fee as compared to hourly.
Why Not Hourly IT Services?
MSPs that bill their fees with an hourly rate operate what is commonly called a fix/ break system. These managed service providers will bill you each time they visit your premises. Thus, hourly IT services often become expensive, especially when you’re encountering problems that can’t be solved with a single visit by the MSP’s technician. Other downsides of hourly services include:
- Lack of continuous service – An MSP that charges hourly rates will probably have to send different technicians each time you need them. There are high chances that different technicians will respond to each of your calls differently and issues can be missed if you don’t have a dedicated technician.
- Increased downtime and cost – When you hire a managed service provider who charges hourly rates, you’re likely to be cautious about calling them to keep the cost low. However, such delays can lead to serious downtime, especially during peak service hours.
The alternative to a managed IT services provider in San Antonio that charges hourly is one that charges a flat fixed rate. Here is why you need to consider the latter:
- Flat fees can be planned for – The charges that are incurred from an MSP that charges a flat fee are predictable and can be budgeted for. With an hourly MSP, however, the bill can become unpredictable if the number of visits by a technician is higher in a certain month.
Uninterrupted service – MSPs that charge a fixed flat rate often assign a team of technicians to handle their clients. Having a team of technicians that understand the needs of your business can help resolve any issues quickly and ensure that downtime is kept to a minimum. - Timely support and maintenance – Fixed-fee MSPs will ensure that you have a dedicated support line through which you can reach them at any time of day. The technicians will also conduct routine maintenance to ensure that your systems are operating optimally. This will reduce the chances of abrupt system breakdowns.
- Cost-effective – Often, IT service providers that charge a flat fee will offer all their services at the same fixed fee. So, whether the IT problem requires daily or periodic visits, you will not be charged extra money.
At ICS, we are a managed IT services provider in San Antonio that charges flat fees for our services. Contact us today and let us discuss how best to help support your business.
Further reading
ICS is a Texas-based 40-year-old technology company specializing in Managed IT, VoIP, Video Conferencing and Video Surveillance solutions for US and International businesses. ICS has over 4000 regional installations and specializes in multi-site businesses between 25 and 2500 employees. ICS’s customers enjoy the experience of ICS’s Total Care program which provides clients flat fee services with obsolescence and growth protection. Whether a customer elects to deploy their IT, Video Conferencing or VoIP in the cloud or on the customer’s premise, ICS can provide a full turn-key solution for our clients under one flat monthly fee.