A contractual maintenance agreement is a contract under which a service provider agrees to perform maintenance services. Contracts vary, and may include the costs or servicing and/or materials. Services may include diagnosing problems, phone support, onsite repairs, spare parts, substitute units, supplementary program equipment, preventive maintenance, and other provisions. Reasons for entering into such contracts by a consumer may include, among others, the impracticality of staffing and equipping maintenance facilities or lack of a technical support staff to develop effective maintenance programs.
