MS Tech Solutions, a company that focuses on small-business IT and tech consulting, launched Fixit99.com this year to bring consumer tech support straight to homes.
Fixit99.com handles all of the computer support that technicians used to do on site. Today, however, owner Mike Scherenberg and his staff can handle customers’ computer problems from Fixit99.com’s office in the
“We want to get the message across that the days of unplugging your computer and driving it to the big-box store to get fixed, those don’t have to exist,” he said.
Fixit99.com provides secure support remotely. Customers log onto Fixit99.com’s site through a secure Internet connection. That provides the tech staff with the chance to clean out viruses from a computer, reinstall software or change the startup settings to improve performance.
“Some customers are concerned when we connect to their computer,” Scherenberg said. “But it’s a one-time secure connection that the customer initiates. They can watch us do whatever we need to do and it’s 100 percent secure. Once we’re done, the customer sees a visual representation that we’re off their computer, and we can never initiate connections again.
“From a security connection, it’s the strongest way possible. You’re not leaving it at a store, or not watching the techs working. The remote service offers flexibility for the customer.”
“I wanted to focus on small-business needs,” he said. “With this economy, businesses were downsizing and cutting their IT staff, and I wanted to do more of an on-demand service.”
In the years since his interest in computers peaked, Scherenberg said the business model of computer support changed. And that’s why he started Fixit99.com, with on-demand tech support for a flat rate of $99, along with subscription based services.
“When you would buy a computer for $1,000, you wouldn’t mind spending $200 or $300 to fix it,” he said. “It was an expensive investment. But now with computers below $400, the business model of having someone drive out and fix it no longer makes sense. Now we can have a tech out there. We can create a service the customer can count on, and it’s a U.S.-based company.”
Scherenberg said business had been “great” since Fixit99.com’s launch, with calls doubling each month since June and a growing customer base.
The service is not yet 24/7, but the owner said all requests would be handled the same day, whether by phone, e-mail or online inquiry. “If we establish a connection and don’t fix it, we won’t charge anything,” he said. “We won’t charge them for something that can’t get fixed.”