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Ongoing Support · retainers + SLAs

Ongoing support that keeps your stack tuned, monitored, and improving — not just running

Most "support retainers" are an inbox where issues go to die. Ours are not. Monthly tuning cycles, monitoring + alerting, SLA-bound response times, and ongoing build hours so your stack improves between deployments instead of decaying. The bench you do not have to hire.

Book the free audit→See pricing

Sub-4hr

critical-issue response

4–20 hr/mo

build hours included

Weekly

tuning cycle

support.dgcore — Retainer queue · live

LIVE

▸ SLA-bound · proactive · weekly tuning

T-1842AI agent rate-limitSLA 4hresolving

T-1841Calendar sync driftSLA 24hqueued

T-1840New flow build · StripeSLA buildin build

T-1839Weekly tune · Q3 reportSLA weeklycompleted

Critical SLA

sub-4hr

Build hrs · this mo

8 / 12

Certified on the platforms you already use80+ builds shipped

GoHighLevel

HubSpot

n8n

Make.com

Zapier

Klaviyo

Airtable

▸ Our verdict on Ongoing Support

Ongoing support is the right engagement after a build stabilizes. Most clients hit a ceiling at 12 months without it — the build still works, but it does not improve, and the operating environment changes faster than the stack adapts. Retainers solve that. They are also the most-cancelable service we offer; we earn the renewal monthly.

What we deliver

What our Ongoing Support engagements cover

Standard scope. Custom scope available on the audit.

◆

SLA-bound response

Sub-4-hour response on critical issues, sub-24-hour on standard. Slack channel + dedicated point of contact. Not "ticket pile in someone else's inbox".

⌬

Monthly build hours

4–20 hrs/mo of build hours included depending on tier. New automations, new flows, new agents — keeps the stack improving instead of decaying.

✦

Monitoring + alerting

Uptime, error rate, latency, cost. We watch the dashboards; you get the summary monthly + alerts on threshold breach.

⌘

Weekly tuning cycle

Every Friday: review what shipped, what broke, what to tune next week. Keeps the relationship live, not transactional.

Engagement model

From audit to live Ongoing Support retainer build in 4 steps

Same engagement shape as every digicore101 build. Predictable timeline, predictable cost, no scope creep.

017 days

AI Audit

60-min strategy session, stack map, leak analysis, costed roadmap. Vendor-neutral — yours to keep.

·Architecture diagram
·Build sequence
·Cost + timeline lock

025–10 days

Architecture

Ongoing Support retainer schema, automations on paper, integration map, AI agent personas.

·Approved schema
·Sign-off on flows
·Migration plan if applicable

032–6 weeks

Build & Deploy

Weekly demos, staged rollout, full handoff documentation. You own everything.

·Live system
·Loom walkthroughs
·Team training session

04Ongoing

Train & Support

Retainer keeps the Ongoing Support retainer stack tuned, monitored, and improving — not just running.

·Slack channel
·Weekly tune cycle
·Monthly reporting

The math

Ad-hoc break-fix vs proactive retainer · 12-month support cost

Break-fix support gets called when something breaks. Retainer support keeps things from breaking and tunes proactively. The math shifts decisively after 12 months.

✓Ad-hoc: $150/hr · ~30 hrs/yr typical · $4,500/yr · reactive only

✓Standard retainer: $797/mo · 4 hrs build/mo · proactive + SLA

✓Premier retainer: $2,497/mo · 20 hrs build/mo · dedicated PM

✓Plus retainer = stack improves between deployments instead of decaying

Stack health · 12 months post-launch

No supportDecay

Stack works less well over time

Ad-hoc break-fixStable

Fixes when broken · no improvement

Proactive retainerImproving

Tunes weekly · ships new features monthly

The math

Stack improves

instead of decays · compounds over time

Default vs Ongoing Support

How a default approach compares to our Ongoing Support

Honest comparison. We will tell you when the simpler answer is right.

CapabilityReactive break-fixProactive retainer

Response modelOpen ticket · waitSLA-bound · sub-4hr response

Build hoursNone included4–20 hrs/mo included

Monitoring + alertingYou watchWe watch · alert before customers do

Tuning cadenceWhen something breaksWeekly · proactive

Cost$150/hr ad-hoc$797–$3,997/mo · predictable

Best forStable, low-change opsActive growth · evolving stack

Recent retainers

How real teams used this

Names anonymized where requested.

Standard

Coach · $797/mo retainer · 18 months in

4 hrs build/mo + sub-24hr SLA. Stack tuned weekly. New flows shipped monthly. Founder never thinks about ops.

$797/mo18 monthsTuned weekly

Pro

Agency · $1,497/mo · 12 hrs build/mo

12 hrs/mo of build work. Sub-4hr SLA. Slack channel + dedicated PM. New automations shipped weekly.

$1,497/mo12 hrs buildDedicated PM

Premier

B2B · $2,497/mo · monthly architecture review

20 hrs build/mo. Monthly architecture review. Quarterly executive presentation.

$2,497/mo20 hrs buildArchitecture review

Hourly

Service biz · $150/hr 10-hr packs

Lower-volume client uses hourly packs instead of retainer. Quick fixes + audits + expert hours.

$150/hr10-hr packsAd-hoc

When this fits

Honest scope — and who shouldn't engage

Retainers pay back when stack is active + evolving. Skip if stack is stable + low-change.

✓ Engage when

Stack just launched · 30+ days post-go-live
Retainers prevent post-launch decay. Most clients start retainer at month 2.
Active growth · stack evolving
New flows, new agents, new integrations monthly = retainer makes sense.
You hate operational firefighting
Retainer = predictable cost · zero firefighting · proactive tuning.

✗ Don't engage when

Stable stack · low-change ops
Ad-hoc 10-hour packs are cheaper for stable environments.
Pre-launch · still building
Retainer activates when build stabilizes. Build phase covers it before that.
You want to learn it yourself
Take a workshop or cohort instead. Retainer is for delegation.

Pricing depends on scope

Every Ongoing Support build is a different shape.

We don't quote off a feature checklist — we quote off your stack, your bottleneck, and the build phases that actually move revenue. The audit is the front door: free, 7-day costed roadmap, vendor-neutral.

Book the free audit→See full pricing

FAQ

Questions before we start

How is this different from a Slack channel?+

A Slack channel is communication, not commitment. Retainers include SLA, monthly build hours, monitoring, weekly tuning. The Slack channel is the surface; the retainer is what is behind it.

What if I do not use my build hours?+

They roll over within the quarter, then expire. Most clients use them. The few who do not are usually in a stable phase and downgrade to the lower tier — which we recommend proactively.

Can I cancel?+

Yes — month-to-month. We earn the renewal monthly. Annual prepay gets a 10% discount but is not required.

When should I start a retainer?+

After a build stabilizes — typically 30 days post-launch. Before that, your build phase covers it. After that, the retainer keeps the stack tuned + improving instead of decaying.

What does it cost?+

Standard $797/mo (4 build hr, sub-24hr response). Pro $1,497/mo (12 build hr, sub-4hr response). Premier $2,497–$3,997/mo (20+ build hr, dedicated PM, monthly architecture review). Hourly $150/hr in 10-hr packs available.

Keep exploring

Where Ongoing Support fits in the bigger picture

Most engagements layer 2–3 platforms with a service shape. These pages map the surrounding territory.

Ready when you are

Ready to scope your Ongoing Support build?

Book the free AI System Audit. We map your stack, find the leaks, and deliver a build roadmap in 7 days. Vendor-neutral.

Book the free audit→See pricing →