How to spot a good IT support company
With IT support, your business can access technical knowledge and help to resolve any IT issue, at any level. That’s easy to come by – any IT company offers this. So how do you know what to look for when choosing an IT support company? Here are four things to consider:
Do they fix the problems, not just the symptoms?
The best IT support are people who go a step further than just resolving your immediate issues. They’ll also be offering solutions and recommendations that can prevent them from recurring. For example, our clients may call us with an issue with their email system. We’ll fix that fast, but then look beyond that immediate problem to ask larger questions – is this system right for you? Do you have the right processes around it?
It’s by this standard that a long-term relationship with an excellent, proactive IT company can keep systems ticking over, while also improving them. It means you’ll eventually be spending less of your resource on fixing issues, and more on developing and improving your system overall.
In fact, that’s exactly what happened recently with one of our customers when they were experiencing ongoing issues with their printer. We started by tackling the immediate problem and getting their business back up and running at full steam. But we didn’t stop there. Using our knowledge of our client’s industry, and of the business itself, we confidently recommended an alternate printer that would be faster, with improved productivity and lower cost of ownership.
Do they know your industry?
The reality is that most businesses in your industry will run pretty much the same way. There will be small variations of course, but fundamentally, the processes, outputs and needs will be the same. That means that an IT support person with experience in your industry is likely to provide a short cut. They already know what works and what doesn’t in other businesses. They’ll be able to suggest workarounds, reliable providers and software and hardware that will improve the efficiency of your IT. Someone coming to your industry fresh will eventually catch up, but it might be months or even years.
Are they nearby?
Remote access technology is extremely useful for tackling issues quickly. But for larger issues, or times when you’re looking for an improvement or change, nothing beats face to face. That’s why you should be looking locally for your IT support – this doesn’t mean they have to be next door. They just need to be close enough so that the thought of driving out to see you doesn’t fill everyone with dread.
Are they responsive?
This one is a little harder to gauge, but you need your IT support people to be there whenever you need them. That means people who answer phone calls, respond to emails and are generally easy to get hold of. So, while that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be able to fix your issues straight away, you’ll at least know that the wheels are in motion. The best IT companies will also triage their fixes – they’ll make sure the most urgent problems are resolved, or at least find workarounds so clients can still conduct business as per usual.
It takes a bit of trial and error but the best way to find a new IT support company is to give someone a go. Once you’ve found someone who suits your business requirements, you can start talking about managed service agreements – that’s the gold standard of IT support, and where your business will really start to benefit.
For more information on how Think Concepts could suit your business needs, get in touch today.