We’ve covered what your IT support provider should be doing in our most recent article, but it's also important to flip the question on its head: what are some red flags that you can look out for in an IT support provider? These red flags will equip you with the knowledge that a better alternative is possible for your business. Here are some key signs that your IT support provider is not delivering the service that your business deserves.
A lower quality IT support provider will be more reactive than proactive, meaning that, unless an issue comes up and they get a call or ticket, they won’t be going much out of their way to help your business. We would say this is based on an approach that sees their services as more of an obligation, rather than a partnership. The symptoms of this can vary; perhaps the customer support is underwhelming, there’s slow response times, the SLAs are being skimmed or are even not being met, or, the same issues keep appearing again and again, meaning root-cause solutions are not being used.
In the spirit of partnership and proactivity, an IT support provider will see their SLAs as a minimum benchmark rather than as the target to meet. They will also use root-cause solutions and take a forward-looking approach to your IT environment, seeing ways for it to be improved. With these insights, a quality provider will approach your business and be in regular dialogue to continue maximising the opportunities and lowering the risks and pain points that you face.
No business is the same, so a one-size fits all approach will never be able to deliver the maximum possible benefit to your business. How can you know that this approach is being used on your business? The provider may be keener on promoting a pre-defined solution, and as a result will be less inclined to listen to your needs and to respond to them flexibly.
The more a provider listens and takes the time to wrap a solution around your business, including curating or identifying the right tools and approach for your business, the more certain you can be that they are taking a tailored approach to your business.
A client-focused IT support provider will take more time to dialogue with your business about how it feels the services are going, what its plans are for the future, and how the services can be adjusted to this feedback and goals. The key word is that it is responsive to your business, meaning the services and support are in a dynamic feedback loop. As businesses and the wider world of technology are changing constantly, this approach ensures that your business is continually getting the support that it needs.
We alluded to this earlier, but a key ingredient to any quality IT support is a speedy and reliable service that gets your team back on the road quickly whenever disruption occurs. If you feel response times are slow, or that issues are not resolved quickly enough, then this is a sure sign that you can take that a better alternative is possible. In combination with repetitive IT issues, this red flag can be a particularly disempowering one to a business seeking to achieve excellence and growth.
Perhaps in the past a current IT support provider offered everything that you needed, but as your business evolves, so too does its needs and the technology that it needs to support. When a business outgrows its provider’s scope of service, its perhaps best to move on to a provider that can meet all of these needs.
Crucially, many IT support providers have evolved to offer cyber security services, which are a crucial component today to maintaining an efficient and secure operation in today’s digital world.
With many providers on the market, especially as the world has digitised, being able to select the right provider or to assess your current one against other providers, can feel like a difficult affair. However, by knowing the red flags to look out for, alongside the positive signs of a great provider, you can map out whether or not your business could gain much more empowering support elsewhere. We hope this list has empowered you with insights that can help you to get the best from your IT environment and support provider in the future.
Since 1988, we have prided ourselves on empowering businesses in Liverpool and Merseyside using technology. Over time, we have grown to become a leading IT support, telecommunications, and modern workplace solutions provider. Our mission is to keep your business secure, productive and connected. Although we’re experts in the world of technology, we’re all about people-focused relationships, bringing a personal touch and dedicated account management services that you can rely on. See what’s possible for your business today by getting in touch, we’ll be glad to assist you.
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