We've all been there.

It's 2 am, and you need access to an email. The only problem is that you're having trouble logging in, and the whole world appears to be asleep.

To make things worse, you have to wait hours until your provider's support is available, and even then, all you get is a chat feature when you need to speak to a live person.

As more businesses cut down on their support availability and switch to chat or non-live contact, you're more likely to get frustrated and give up.

But wait…what about paying for live support? Is it worth it? Is it all it's cracked up to be?

What to Look for With a Paid Live Support Subscription

You probably don't want to add yet another subscription to your monthly budget. However, some things are worth paying for, especially if they can help prevent a major hassle or get you out of a bind in the middle of the night.

When it comes to paying for live support, it's important to get what you need and be clear on what all is included.

Here are a few things to look for in a paid live support subscription:

• Is it really live, or is it just chat? – So many customer service centers have switched to chat or an automated bot as their primary source of support in recent years. Will that work for your needs? What happens if you need to talk to a live human at 4 am? Keep in mind that some centers offer live support, but it may only be for a set number of hours each day and may not include after-hours human contact. Check to see when an actual human is available to speak to and decide if that option works for you.
• Is support offered 24/7? – Building on the previous point, does the provider at least offer some sort of support 24/7? Maybe you're okay with not being able to speak to a human at midnight or 3 o'clock in the morning, but what about having any type of support at that time? Some providers only offer support of any kind during their normal business hours. That really only works if they're in the same time zone that you are, or you're okay with waiting until the next day if you miss the designated time support is offered.
• What product(s) does the support include? – If you're utilizing multiple products from the provider offering the paid support, does it include all the products, a select few or just one? Or do you have to upgrade the subscription to include every product? It's important to know what you're getting and what happens if you need support for a product that's not included. You'll also need to determine if the products included in the subscription are sufficient to meet your needs.>/li>
• What types of support are included? – Some providers offer both customer and technical support, while others offer only one or the other in their paid support subscriptions. You will need to determine if having customer or account support is enough or if you need to have technical support added in too. Keep in mind that in some cases, you might need to upgrade to a more expensive product to have all the support you require.
• Are bonus products included? – Besides the products you've purchased from the provider, are any additional partner products included that could complement the subscription? For example, some providers may add products to help enhance device security without charging you more for the subscription.
• Do they offer a free trial? – Some subscriptions require you to pay for the month or sometimes a year before you fully know what you're getting or what's involved. Check to see if the provider offers a week or month trial period so that you don't waste your hard-earned money on something that won't meet your needs.

If you do decide to pay for live support, check for all the items above and be sure to read any fine print before signing up.

Live Support Options That Check All the Boxes

As you're shopping around for a live support option that offers what you need, you might want to add an AOL product like AOL Live Support Plus to your list.

You can talk to a live person 24/7 about any AOL-related issue you need help with, and it comes with a password manager for your computer and mobile devices and anti-virus protection at no additional cost.

Looking for a little more? Assist by AOL can help with nearly any home tech issue you have like virus removal, slow computers, printer troubleshooting and even help you with setting up a new device.

Regardless of what you choose, make sure you pick the paid live support that won't leave you stranded when you need it most.

Published on 06/06/2023