More and more businesses are taking the hassle out of getting IT support by outsourcing this to an external provider and saving money in the process.
Since there are lots of competing IT support services out there, it helps to have a checklist for must-have features when making a choice, so let’s go over the biggest selling points in this marketplace to help you decide.
Will They Field Your Queries Quickly?
You don’t want to be left in limbo if an important IT issue has come up, so checking in on the responsiveness of support service is a must.
Many providers will give clear data on this because it’s one of the most important performance metrics they have, so don’t be afraid to come right out and ask them about their response times.
Will You Be Managed By A Specific Employee?
When it comes to resolving IT snafus swiftly, it helps if you’re able to talk to someone who’s already got an in-depth knowledge of your infrastructure.
IT support services that assign individual employees to manage cases for each client are a good option for this reason.
The same applies to any technicians and engineers that they send out to carry out on-site maintenance and repairs. It might be better for a consistent team to visit each time, for the sake of efficiency and effective customer service.
Will They Offer 24/7 Support In Your Local Area?
Speaking of on-site visits, it’s logical to hire a provider which covers your part of the country and has people in place so that problems can be addressed rapidly, whatever time of day they occur.
For example, working with USWired is sensible if you’re looking for Bay Area IT services. Wherever your business is based, seek out a specialist provider with local reach and round-the-clock support available.
Are There Flexible Pricing Options?
When it comes to IT support services, there’s no use in a one-size-fits-all model, because each client is unique.You want to work with a provider that reflects this in how their packages are structured and priced.
This ensures affordability at the point of committing to a contract, and also flexibility if you need to increase the level of service you receive in the future as your IT resources become more complex and mission-critical.
Do They Take Security Seriously?
Another reason to outsource IT support to a third party is if you don’t have the means to provide adequate protection and oversight against security threats in-house.
Ensuring that a provider is not only able to help you with downtime related to hardware failures and software flaws but also in the event of a data breach or DDoS attack, is sensible if you value the resilience of your organization.
Will They Be Proactive In Providing Support?
There’s a crucial difference between services that are proactive and reactive. In the case of the latter, you’ll have them fix issues as and when they arise.
Meanwhile, with the latter, they’ll be more hands-on in monitoring and managing your IT resources so that potential conundrums can be nipped in the bud rather than being left to fester.
The reactive approach is generally more affordable but does lead to sporadic bouts of fire-fighting and less predictability.
Do Other Customers Recommend Their Services?
Finding out what other customers think of an IT support provider is wise if you want to go into an agreement with confidence.
Reputable companies will be ready and willing to provide testimonials from their satisfied clients, or even put you in touch with them so you can talk directly and learn more at your own pace.
Be suspicious of any provider that doesn’t have recommendations to hand, or isn’t willing to share feedback from its client base for any reason.
What Are The Commitment Requirements?
Usually, when signing up to an IT support service, there will be a fixed-term contract that links you to the provider for a minimum amount of time, which could stretch to a year or more.
Longer contracts are often better value, but leave you tied down and less able to switch if things don’t work out. Choose providers that are more lenient, and don’t require clients to sign away their souls to enjoy their services.
Final Thoughts
A considered approach to looking for an IT support service is needed, as this competitive market is full of providers and you don’t want to get stuck with the wrong one.