Business Hours/Rates

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Billing Practices | Payment Options
Business Hours & Location

Billing Practices

The following rates are effective January 1, 2024:

On-site services: $75.00/hour,
minimum two hours per onsite visit.
Telephone/email services: $55.00/hour,
minimum of a half-hour per incident.
In-shop services: $55.00/hour,
minimum one hour per incident.

All prices are quoted in Canadian dollars.

These rates are in effect during regular business hours.

Billing time is rounded to the nearest half-hour unless the service is pre-contracted.
Fees may be higher outside regular hours.
Services to new distance clients must be prepaid.

Business Hours

Weekday afternoons 1:00–5:00.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays & holidays.

My Local Time

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On-site/In-shop Services

On-site/in-shop services are by appointment only and only available in Greater Victoria.

In-shop service is recommended for system rebuilds, backup services and similar time-intensive projects.

I cannot provide free technical support.

Web Design & Writing Services

The rates for these projects are different because of what is involved in the creative process.

The rates for web design depend upon the size and nature of the website or blog. Get a free estimate.
The rates for writing and editing are dependent upon the nature of the writing project. Contact Russ for an estimate.

Contracted Services

Regularly scheduled services like telephone support and website maintenance may be pre-contracted for a regular monthly or annual fee. Contract clients get a price break and higher priority service. Contact Russ to discuss this option.

Distance Services

I can provide Help desk services at distance via email, telephone and video conferencing software during regular business hours. Some other services, including web design and maintenance are also available.

Unless other arrangements have been made, services provided to distance clients must be prepaid. See payment options.

How Charges are Calculated

In order to answer your questions properly, I may need to spend time preparing an answer, whether it is for email or telephone support:

Time is needed to be sure that the answers I provide are accurate.
This includes time to research and document solutions in language you can understand because I cannot assume skills I'm not certain you have mastered.
I bill in half-hour increments. See Billing Practices.

Email exchanges will be charged for the time to research your issue as well as the time spent in dealing with the correspondence.

Similarly, phone support clients may be charged for the time spend to research your specific issue in addition to the time spent on the phone with you.

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Payment Options

Local Clients | Distance Clients

Local Clients

Payments for services provided to my local clients (within Greater Victoria) are expected by:

cash (please do not mail cash);
your personal or business cheque (payable to “Russ Harvey”);
an INTERAC eTransfer sent to ; or
a Canadian dollar money order.

Distance Clients

Distance clients are clients living outside of Greater Victoria.

Payments from Established Distance Clients

Established distance clients with whom I've conducted regular business regularly in the past or have a secure business relationship can make arrangements to pay by:

your personal or business cheque (payable to “Russ Harvey”);
an INTERAC eTransfer sent to ; or
a Canadian dollar money order.

Payments from NEW Distance Clients

I cannot accept cheques from new or unapproved distance clients.

Please make arrangements to pre-pay by:

an INTERAC eTransfer sent to ; or
a Canadian dollar money order.

The preferred payment method is an INTERAC eTransfer.

For email support, include the details of your request in the email.
For telephone support, email me your availability so we can schedule a time for you to contact me by phone.

Provide Sufficient Detailed Information

Ensure that sufficient relevant information is included to make a reasonable answer possible.

I may need to do some preliminary research prior to the actual telephone support.