Website maintenance invoices charge extra for everything, what should a standard retainer cover?

Use this simple rule of thumb for the scope: 1) Keeping an existing feature running is maintenance. 2) Building a design or function that didn't exist before is billable development. 3) Fixing something broken by the agency's own intervention is always their own responsibility, period.

We worked with a similar agency in Almaty for two years. At first, since we didn't know anything about web stuff either we were paying extra for server updates, extra for checking forms and so on. Later we realized that the monthly fee you pay is basically an insurance policy. What they're doing is like buying home insurance and then having to pay for the claims adjuster out of your own pocket when an accident happens. We sat down to renegotiate, they wouldn't budge, so we switched to another agency and our invoice fights completely disappeared.

Pull up your current contract and check the scope of work section. If it just has vague phrasing like "consultancy support will be provided", the agency is taking advantage of the loophole. Notify them in writing that you won't be renewing the contract as is and that you want a new agreement with clearly defined tasks and an hourly quota.

We pay 210,000 tenge a month for our corporate portal in Astana. That package covers weekly backups, all updates, security monitoring, and 5 hours a month for any minor design or copy tweaks. If we go over those 5 hours, they bill us 12,000 tenge per extra hour. That's the kind of transparent model you should be getting.

Is there an SLA clause in your contract specifying response times in case of an issue? Within how many hours at most are they required to look into it if the site goes down or the quote request form breaks? If those details aren't there, you don't really have a tech support service to begin with.

an agency breaking the site's quote form during an update and then asking for an extra 45,000 tenge to fix it is completely wild.. and honestly it's no different than taking your car in for routine maintenance having the mechanic snap the brake line, and then charging you extra to fix it.

fixing a cart or form that broke after a plugin update is literally the most basic job of a support package. theyre double dipping on u go find another agency.

edit: fixed a few typos.

Your agency has stumbled upon sheer commercial genius. They pull in 180,000 tenge every month just to sit around doing nothing on your site, and every time they push a button and crash the system, they get paid to fix it. Truly a wonderful revenue model.

Thanks for writing this, that's the right way. The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate. Good luck with that.

I feel the same way. Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate. Proven by experience.

Exactly, and not many people know this. Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

Let me write how it's done in practice. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

The system lives on after delivery; maintenance is a separate line item. That's all, sorry if I went on too long.

Looking at it as a process, the picture changes. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's right.

That's all, sorry if I went on too long.

we got stuck at the same point for a while... dont hesitate to ask; those who dont ask always pay more.

just leaving this note, it might be useful.

I completely agree. Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down it speeds them up.

If you have questions, write them; Ill answer as best I can.

Looking at it as a process the picture changes. The answer varies greatly by industry; there is no one-size-fits-all rule.

The system lives on after delivery; maintenance is a separate line item. If you post the result here, it will help others too.

Thanks for writing this, that's the right way. anyway if you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong.

Thats all sorry if I went on too long.

the answer above hits the nail on the head. when we decide without measuring we always end up in the same place.

good luck with that.