In today’s digital age, tech problems are one of the myriad of things that can ruin one’s day. Good thing there are companies, old and new, that offer tech support should the situation call for it. One of the rather older organization to cater such an offering is Geek Squad, a Richfield, Minnesota-based company and a Best Buy subsidiary. It was founded on June 16, 1994 by Robert Stephens and they serve residential and commercial clients.

Now, the tech scene has given birth to another start-up that offers a similar service. Directly competing with industry veteran Geek Squad, Guru Signal gives you a list of technicians nearest to you, along with their skills, and you can pick who among those listed you would want help from. There would be a few questions asked about the problem you’re experiencing before they call an expert, with whom you can share your problem in detail.  After which, the technician will come visit you to fix the problem at hand.

You’re only charged when the technician successfully fix the bug and satisfies the client. Guru Signal will get back to you in a while for a review and billing, which you can pay safely and securely online. Should the technician fail to fix the problem, or worse yet, doesn’t show up, you only have to pay for the first hour before the company sends out another one to fix your problem. The company guarantees you’ll get your money’s worth.

However, Geek Squad still seems to top Guru Signal is some ways. First, the latter has been in business since 1994 and they’re rather established alongside a consumer electronics hub, centralizing efforts and access. Second, Guru Signal is open until 11pm only, 7 days a week, while Geek Squad operates round-the-clock throughout the week, providing 24-hour telephone and emergency on-site support. Still, it’s worth trying both services to see for yourself which company answers your needs faster and better.

Other companies offering tech support are iYogi.net and Support.com. iYogi has Microsoft Gold-accredited experts that are available 24/7.  Their services are available for free should you purchase a PC from either Amazon.com or Wal-Mart.com, but you can also purchase their support for $139 a year which grants you access to unlimited help. The other company, Support.com, offers phone and remote repair services which also claims that their technicians are Gold-certified. However, their service only supports users whose computers run Windows 7, Vista, and XP. Subscription to their service starts at $19.99 monthly and $199 annually per computer. For one-time repairs, their service costs $49.