WiFi system maintenance insurance plan...need help

[BobY777]

I need help please in determining what to charge for a maintenance insurance plan for a WiFi system I'm installing.

This basically would cover all parts and labor to take care of any breakdowns to the WiFi system for a year duration. I would supply all parts and labor to repair the system for one year. In return the hotel owner would pay me up front the "insurance premium". I'm not sure how to value it.

Or maybe instead of the one "insurance" premium to cover the whole year, maybe I could just sell a block of time at reduced rates and that time would expire at the end of the year.

But as far as the "insurance" goes, does anyone know how I might put a dollar value to this WiFi maintenance insurance plan that I would provide to the hotel owner?

Thank you much,

[golfnut]

Hi Bob,

Do you mean a service contract? Does this also include user access support?

The easiest way to do this is to establish a monthly price per access point for support.

Greg

[BobY777]

Hi again Greg:

I should have called it a service (or maintenance) contract I guess. But basically I would absorb all the time and material if anything in the WiFi system breaks down. I need to come up with a price for the first year.

I might give them a discount the first year.

So this is a service contract for the installed WiFi system, as opposed to a help desk (aka user access support) for WiFI users.

I already have the help desk taken care of. We will be charging $1.75 per room per month to start for the help desk...going up to $2.00 per room per month after 6 months. Thats really a good rate. Some places charge $ 2.50 per room per month and higher.

For places that don't buy the WiFi system from me, I will give them a rate of $2.25 per room per month for Help Desk support. Thats still a real good rate. All they have to do is call in on a toll free 800 number from anywhere in the USA and they get a Help Desk for their WiFi users.

Tier II technical help for the hotel staff is included in the price.

Most hotel owners may not realize that they don't need to buy Help Desk support from their WiFi installers. Since it's generic connection information the WiFi user needs, and nothing all that specific to the WiFi installation itself. They could have obtained a low price for their installed WiFi system, but be getting soaked for the Help Desk support costs.

So I guess the most expensive part of the service contract will be labor. Maybe I'll figure I'll go there a couple times a year to check on things and will replace things if equipment breaks. I just have to figure a yearly amount that will be fair to the hotel owner and me.

This helps the hotel owner budget for maintenance, since he will know the amount he will spend for maintenance for the first year.

[golfnut]

Bob,

The pricing is predicated on a few factors:

Are you stocking spares or ordering if there's a problem?

Are you providing 24 x 7 network monitoring?

Do the APs have clear channel select or set channels (if the latter, you can anticipate a few interference problem service calls)?

Same day service or next business day service?

Mon-Fri or 24 x 7?

Firmware upgrades?

Periodic site visits?

etc., etc., etc.,

It's easier to make a list of services that you would offer and create a price per AP, the same way you price user support per hotel room.

Make the services tiered meaning that each level provides additional services (i.e. Silver, Bronze, Gold). This way you give your customer a 'choice' for the level of service based on what they want/need/can afford. Never offer a one-size-fits-all service contract.

It's a lot of work but creates a simple and effective way to offer a contract.

Greg