Help Guides
How to prepare for a tech help visit
A little preparation makes your visit faster, which means more fixed in the same flat fee. Here is the short list, and the things you should not bother doing.
Have the problem device charged and where you normally use it, know (or find) the passwords to your email and the device itself, and jot down anything odd the device has done. That is it. Do not buy anything, do not factory reset, and do not tidy up for us.
Booking for a parent or a neighbour? Call us and tell us a bit about them first. It helps us bring the right patience and the right parts.
Worth doing before we arrive
Know your passwords, or know where they are. The single biggest time-eater in any visit is a locked account. If you can find the password to your email and your computer login before we arrive, everything else moves faster. If you cannot, that is fine, recovering access is something we do constantly, and our password recovery guide shows what that involves.
Leave the problem alone. If the printer shows an error or the popup is still on screen, leave it exactly as it is. Seeing the problem live is worth ten descriptions of it.
Make a short list. Most visits have time to spare after the main problem is fixed. Write down the two or three small annoyances you have been living with, and we will work down the list while we are there.
Have the device where you use it. Wi-Fi problems especially: if the laptop misbehaves in the back bedroom, we want to see it in the back bedroom.
Ready when you are
Visits across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, and Oshawa, usually within a few days. You know the price before we knock.
Book a VisitPlease do not do these
Do not buy anything first. No new router, no antivirus subscription, no replacement printer until you know what is wrong. Half our visits include telling someone they did not need the thing they were about to buy.
Do not factory reset. A reset wipes evidence of the problem along with your files, and it very rarely fixes the underlying cause. If someone on the phone told you to reset, especially someone who called you, stop and read our scam alerts first.
Do not tidy up for us. We have worked at kitchen tables, in basements, and around sleeping cats. The house is fine as it is.
What actually happens during a visit
We start by listening: you describe the problem in your own words, and there is no such thing as explaining it wrong. Then we work on the device in front of you, explaining as much or as little as you want. Before we leave, you see the fix working with your own eyes, we write down anything you need to remember, and we take payment: cash, cheque, or e-transfer, exactly the flat fee quoted, as covered on the pricing page. Most single problems fit inside the $89 Standard Visit hour.
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One visit, one flat fee, and a device that works when we leave. Across Durham Region, at a time that suits you.
Get Help TodayFAQ
Common questions
- What if I do not know any of my passwords?
Very common, and not a problem. Recovering access to accounts is part of what we do. It helps to have your phone nearby, since account recovery often sends a code there.
- How long does a visit take?
A Standard Visit is up to an hour and covers most single problems. An Extended Visit is around two hours for bigger jobs or several devices. We will suggest the right one when you describe the problem.
- Do I need to be able to explain the problem in technical terms?
No. "It was working before and now it is not" is a perfectly good starting point. We ask the questions from there.