Now that he will be gone I will potentially have to deal with staff training, direct support if there's an issue, angry managers, etc, currently with nothing in return for myself. If the software or integration fails, then the business grinds to a halt. How should I go around approaching this issue given that they are used to paying nothing, or would it be better for them to approach me when they first need my assistance?
I would want to make sure that I am correctly compensated with a monthly retainer. I wouldn't be able to provide anything in the way of an SLA because I have other work commitments. Any advice would be appreciated.
For example, you charge $100 per hour with a $1,000 per month retainer, guaranteeing them 10 hours per month. If you and they agree to go above 10 hours for a particular month, you charge $100 per hour in addition to your $1,000 per month retainer.