1-on-1 Tech Support

If you need a more timely answer to your question, need interactive help, or just some coaching on using your consumer technology, feel free to contact me for 1-on-1 Tech Support service. You can reserve an appointment time online, call toll-free 1-855-767-4835, or drop an email to Support@PosiTek.net. I keep regular business hours (Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm Eastern US time), and work on the appointment system similar to your doctor’s office – sorry, I’m not a 24/7 emergency room. I can help you over the phone, by live video chat (Apple Facetime, Google Hangout, Facebook Video Chat, Skype, etc.), by remote control to your computer (Mac or PC, with your permission), by email or text message, or in-person (if you are within the Washington D.C. metro area). My goal is not just a satisfied client, but one who is thrilled!

My service pricing is very simple:

• Initial consultation is free, where I learn about you and your needs
• Technical support service and coaching is all flat-rate priced at $75 US per each 15-minute block of time ($300/hour).
• I don’t charge for the time that your computer is conducting scans, downloading and installing updates, etc. unless I’m on-site or otherwise actively using that time to help you. I also don’t charge for any research efforts where I find the right solution to your issue (no, I don’t know everything, but I’m really good at finding things out).
• Any costs for goods or services I obtain for you or on your behalf are charged to you as incurred with no markup. These are called “passthrough costs”. See below for some examples and pricing.

I accept payment through a number of sources. For in-person service calls, please be prepared to pay by check, Venmo, Apple Pay or Paypal (with your credit card).

For customers with ongoing needs, I do offer retainer payment arrangements with discounts, as well as service contracts to lock in current rates (a good hedge against inflation). If interested, please contact me.

If you would like to give the gift of Practical Help to someone else, I offer gift certificates and can email one to your gift recipient. Just contact me to request one (see an example of what they look like here). One hour of Practical Help is $300 and you can order gift certificates up to one year in advance (and they have no expiration date). To order, email Support@PosiTek.net with the details of your gift recipient(s):

1. recipient name
2. recipient email address
3. optional gift message
4. date and time you want the gift certificate delivered.

Gift certificates will be delivered via email as close as possible to the date and time you request. Give the gift of Practical Help!

I can help you with just about anything in the world of consumer technology. Here are some examples:

• Protecting your Digital Life including cybersecurity and safe online behavior
• Computers (Mac and Windows PC) including printers, displays, webcams and other attached equipment
• Tablets and Smartphones (Apple, Android, Windows)
• Software including computer applications and tablet/smartphone apps
• Digital Cameras, Handycams and video editing/transferring to other media
• Home Theater Systems and Remote Controls
• Smart Appliances
• Home Automation
• Internet use including online services, social networking, and web services

My coaching help can be used in a number of ways, here are just a few examples of what I’ve already done for clients:

• I can help you learn how to use the consumer technology you already own and how to get it working better for you
• I can help you learn the how and why your consumer technology works, so you understand enough about the concepts to be able to solve everyday problems on your own
• I can talk to your child/children about online safety
• I can help you make smart decisions about what consumer technology to buy
• I can create a learning plan for you to help you get smarter about the technology you own, at your own pace
• I can simply resolve your issue for you, with minimal involvement by you.

My coaching goal is for you to become confident and independent in owning and using your consumer technology.

I also offer personal technology services – pricing is based on my assessment of your needs, and will be either flat-rate or hourly as appropriate. Services include:

• Personal or small business website design and hosting services – I use the popular WordPress content management system for most of my clients, but am amenable to most of the popular platforms in use (Joomla, etc.), however I only provide webmaster services for WordPress installations.
• Career transition services – when you’re retiring, starting your own business, or otherwise losing the support of a company’s IT department, I can step in and help you transition to a new working environment. This includes helping you obtain and setup new equipment, configuring your home office, and arranging for your own business-class email and other services.
• Video transfer and DVD duplication services – I can help you transfer your handycam movies or other recorded video onto mp4 files or onto DVD, and make as many DVD copies as you wish.
• Videography; filming, editing, producing and media mastering – I can help you create most any small video project, a commercial for your small business, promotional videos, small-scale documentary style videos, even personal videos.
• New computer setup and configuration – I can transfer your personal files, install and configure software programs and services, and customize your user experience on your new computer (Mac or PC).
• New Pandemic support: For any event that you may be using Zoom or other videoconferencing technology, I can act as your host or co-host to help manage the event. This can include admitting and managing guests (participants), managing chat, recording events, overseeing technical aspects of an online meeting, running Powerpoint slideshows, and more.

Passthrough Costs: In the course of helping you, if we agree that you need hardware or software I can obtain those for you and deliver them to you with no markup in price. You only pay what I pay for them, and for my time in procuring, configuring and delivering them to you. I purchase at retail online or in physical stores for most hardware and software. If you need online services, I can arrange for those on your behalf and set them up for you. I can arrange for services such as:

1. Domain Name Reservation Services: If you need a personal or company domain name, I can act as your agent to reserve the domain name of your choice (subject to availability). I work with namecheap.com and other domain reservation agents to reserve domain names via my a reseller account with them, and can often get slightly better pricing than you could on your own. Domain names reservations run from $4 US/year and up. Most domain names run $8-12 US/year.
2. Microsoft Hosted Exchange Services: As an authorized reseller for Sherweb, I can provision hosted MS Exchange services with or without various add-ons such as Office 365, collaboration, compliance (including archiving & email retention), and online backup. Currently, a typical hosted Exchange 2019 email account runs $110 US/year, and there are additional cost services available such as 90-day deleted email retention ($15 US/year).
3. Website hosting services: I can provide website hosting services using the WordPress content management system, which is the most popular CMS in use on the internet. I have reseller arrangements with  InMotionHosting.com and other major hosting service providers, and can provision your website hosting services. A typical small-business website will usually cost $150 US/year, and small non-profit organizations will cost $100 US/year. I can also do basic website design and setup.

If you’ve ever been frustrated by calling a tech support service, please know that I’m something different – better! “Your Tech Coach” is a real person – me! I’m Chris Gardner who has over 20 years of experience helping people just like you and takes great care in not just helping you, but also treating you with respect. Feel free to check out recommendations others have given me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/practicalhelp. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, click here to see a copy of those recommendations.

COVID Info: I provide most of my services in a virtual or remote sense wherever possible, using the commercial remote access services of LogMeIn Rescue. If the situation requires my physical presence, I take normal pandemic precautions, including being masked (and requiring you to be masked), maintaining 6′ of social distance at all times. If you turn over equipment for me to repair offsite, I will disinfect all surfaces before return.

One important aspect about what I can and cannot provide: I am not the emergency room, but operate more like your regular doctor’s office, on an appointment basis. I will strive to help you any way I can when you contact me, but I generally work within normal business hours (9-5, M-F). If you’re looking for 24/7, on-demand support, I can refer you to other companies that provide this.

Lastly, please see my Terms of Service and Privacy Notice for details about your rights and how I operate my business.

Make an appointment today and let me be Your Tech Coach!