Don’t let the classrooms go dark when you need them most
Schools are one of the biggest users of audio-visual equipment these days. This technology plays a crucial part in today’s education experience. However, when it goes wrong, it severely disrupts classes.
The inconvenience of something so central to the modern learning environment failing can be more than just a passing bother. Mobilising people to repair or replace equipment and getting back to normal can severely impact student engagement. Especially if it could have been avoided in the first place.
The good news is that modern audio-visual equipment is extremely reliable when regularly maintained and serviced. This is the only way to keep it running effectively and optimally, regardless of operating patterns.
A lesser-known fact is that breakdowns usually happen after equipment has not been used, such as after a weekend or holiday period. Fluctuating environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity are the enemy of electrical and electronic equipment.
The recent Covid-19 situation, with its irregular on and off periods, has been a clear accelerator of this phenomenon.
This is where Halcyon Audio Consulting comes in.
- We specialise in the routine servicing and maintenance of audio-visual equipment.
- We’re not an IT service company, nor do we cost as much.
- We’ve been active in this field for 25 years, and we provide our maintenance services nearly exclusively to educational establishments, entertainment venues and studios.
We can immediately help with one-off visits, thoroughly checking and testing each piece of equipment and ensuring that it is in a state of repair, ready for every school day.
For long-term peace of mind, we recommend that you adopt our economical service plans including planned and regular visits. This is the best approach to avoid surprises while saving time and money and gives you the following benefits.
- Twice yearly servicing included in the price (usually during summer holidays and then either Easter or Christmas) which is proven to cut emergency calls during term time by up to 83%.
- Extra discounts on consumables and repairs
- Priority call out service for emergencies with no extra charge
Whatever your size, we’ll have a plan fitting your needs at a cost fitting your budget:
- One-off visits start from £2,495 (ex. VAT)
- Service plans start from just £191 per month (ex. VAT, direct debit)
- We have tailored rates fitting rural, micro and trust schools
All our staff are CRB checked, we offer attractive rates for all consumables and repairs.
The world has changed since the 1980’s, when we initially started to see overhead projectors, VCRs and TVs on trolleys invade the schools. We now have interactive smart screens, sophisticated projection systems and premium audio experiences in the classroom.
It’s fair to say that the educational world is getting ever more dependent on high technology in this world of connected smart devices.
Schools just can’t deliver the curriculum without it. Any failure, small or large, is now considered a major disruption.
We, at Halcyon Audio Consulting, only deal with audio visual equipment, amplifiers, speakers, projectors, smartboards and large format displays and the like; we don’t do computers, networking, software, telephones or tablets. Our management and staff have huge experience in this particular field; we understand your needs!
We dispatch our teams from bases in Surrey and Yorkshire, working nationwide, from John O’Groats to Lands’ End.
We can directly supply almost any spare or replacement part that you may need to keep you running, usually with a 24-hour turn-around (some larger or less standard items can take longer). We always ensure you benefit from our discounts.
We have our own repair facilities based in our offices in Hull.
We work from a standard matrix and our pricing is transparent. We’re cheaper and more effective than your IT contract because you’re dealing with people that only look after audio-visual equipment.
Our services come in two flavours
Regardless of the path you may chose, we will repair or replace minor faults and items on-site, using competitively priced parts and consumables. For items needing work at our repair facility will do our best to loan temporary equipment, before we return within 30 days.
One-off visit
Those are intensive visits where we will
- go through your entire audio-visual inventory,
- ensure everything is working as it should,
- report on anything we feel is subpar or not working,
- arrange to do any maintenance and work that is required,
- leave you with a report on our work and help you prepare future requirements.
Service plan
Our service plans are the best way for you to ensure that your audio-visual equipment will run in the most reliable way, the entire academic year.
We ensure that all of your A/V equipment in maintained, free of damp and condensation (major issues for most electronics), connected as it should be and working properly.
We will replace small items such as connectors, fuses and many cables as part of the contract. Projector lamps or other consumables will be charged for. We can usually source missing or broken remote controls and any covers or parts that may be missing.
If your facilities include a dedicated or occasional performing space, we’re very comfortable working in this environment, it’s literally where we came from: theatre and entertainment are in our blood. We can test, maintain and service this equipment just as well as we can audio-visual equipment in your classrooms.
We call twice a year (usually in the Summer holidays and again either at Christmas or Easter) to go through everything, make sure it works, clean, strip and rebuild where necessary and ensure that your inventory is up to date and you are aware of any outstanding issues we may detect.
What do we need to know?
We need to know how many classrooms with AV installed you have. It helps if you have an inventory and location for each piece of equipment. Remember to include any non-installed equipment, they are also covered by the service plan.
It also helps us if you have a list of previously problematic equipment that is still a part of your inventory. We can divert resources to ensure that items which have caused you issues in the past are looked at first.
Anything else?
We can supply and fit any new audio-visual equipment you may require as you grow and modernise, at competitive rates. Generic installation will be covered under your service plan. More complex or time-consuming jobs will require additional labour. If you are not covered under one of our service plans, we will gladly set one up for you or we can quote for the work to be completed in a traditional way.
We’ve also supplied and operated equipment for special events such as fashion shows, charity events and even wedding receptions!
Finally, we can offer a competitive PAT testing service starting from just £0.75 per item.