Most modern businesses are entirely reliant on IT for operations. This is why it is essential to have a reliable IT support service provider nearby in case you experience any technical issues.
When interviewing potential IT service providers, ask about their onboarding process and how they plan to address your company’s needs immediately. Below are 6 tips that will help you find the right IT support provider for your business.
Look for Experience
If you’re looking for a managed IT service provider to help your company, you must take the time to research the way they do business. Ask for quotes and learn how they calculate pricing, as well as the services they offer and what’s included in each package.
Look for a company that has experience with your type of business, as they’ll be able to understand your specific needs and problems better than others. Find out if they use the break-fix method, where they wait until something goes wrong, then pause your operations to repair it, or if they take a proactive approach by providing solutions before an issue arises.
You should also know how you can contact them, if there are any emergency issues or problems. A good provider should be available through several means, including email, phone and a service ticket system. It’s also important to see how quickly they respond, especially after-hours support.
Look for Qualifications
It’s important to find out how much a company knows about your specific technology environment. Some support providers specialize in one hardware or software brand while others have more general knowledge across the board.
Also, ask what kind of IT support they provide and if there is any additional cost for certain services. For example, if they offer out-of-hours support but you only need it during office hours, then that could be a waste of money for your business.
Additionally, find out how they store passwords and other sensitive information. Many support companies keep passwords in unencrypted Excel spreadsheets which is a huge security risk. A good IT service provider will have protocols to secure this kind of data. They will know how to train employees to guard against cyber threats. This is especially important since small businesses are the targets of 58 percent of all cyberattacks. Moreover, look for testimonials and reviews of past clients on the company’s website.
Look for Guaranteed Response Times
As more and more organizations turn to remote work schedules, IT support is a vital component of any organization. Without a proper support system in place, companies can experience devastating downtimes and losses.
When vetting IT service providers, ask about guaranteed response times for problem resolution. These may vary based on priority levels and severity of issues, but an IT company should have a documented process for prioritizing and responding to IT glitches.
Additionally, if you need on-site support, make sure the IT service provider has a physical office near you. Oftentimes IT problems are resolved more quickly if the IT support person is able to physically walk to the computer in question. This is especially important for businesses that are dealing with local IT support issues, such as hardware or network issues. A centralized IT department also ensures consistency with software updates and helps prevent unnecessary downtime. This can be a huge benefit for small businesses that do not have the budget to maintain an internal IT department.
Look for On-Site Support
Look for a support team that can offer onsite support as well as remotely. That way, you can get IT assistance faster if something goes wrong. Having local support can be especially important if your business uses a lot of hardware that requires on-site support.
You should also find out if the IT company offers guaranteed response times. The exact time may vary depending on the priority level of the issue and the IT company’s policy. However, the best companies will offer specific guarantees that can help you to assess how they perform.
Call the IT company at night and during weekends to see how their out of hours support works. It’s worth doing this to find out if the IT support company can be relied on for system failures at 2am or for computer problems in the middle of a big meeting. Then, you can negotiate a contract with the IT company that gives you what you need.
