One thing that every business needs is reliable IT support services. Whether information technology assistance comes from an in-house department or a contracted company, this function is essential to making sure every aspect of a business operates efficiently.

The No. 1 complaint we get from new clients is that their current IT company is slow or unresponsive. This hinders the daily operations of the business, preventing websites, digital communications and integrated technology systems from functioning properly.

Increasingly, companies of every size are relying on their digital and technological assets to deliver their goods and services to their customers. When these assets and technological processes break down, that puts the brakes on what staff can accomplish during the business day, and it creates considerable obstacles to doing business.

When choosing an IT company, it’s important to consider the following three points.

Optimize Your Business With Fast Service

It may seem feasible to wait for solutions to your IT problems, but a problem of any size is sure to slow your staff down. Workarounds can be tedious, and instead of fixing an issue, they just allow staff to kick the bucket farther down the road. Businesses shouldn’t have to wait for a solution to a serious IT issue. Speedy response times for IT issues are vital to the smooth operation of a business. No matter what the industry, downtime is unproductive. There is also a real perceived difference for staff who work under the weight of IT problems. They begin to wonder if their IT service even cares about the company. Above all, maintaining fast response times to IT issues can save your business money.

Set Expectations for Solutions High

While it might be easy to ignore or work around small issues in information technology, technological systems are at the center of work for most people. Small issues can become larger if they are not properly dealt with, and some IT problems are insurmountable for office staff.

When you have an IT problem, you should expect your IT service provider to act quickly, whether they are in-house or not. For email, look for a response time of 10 minutes or less to ensure the issues are being resolved. When you place a call, expect an IT professional on the help desk line to pick up the phone immediately, especially during business hours.

Ensure Ample Staff Are Standing By

Working with a small staff can be challenging in any aspect of business, but that’s especially true when it comes to IT professionals. On any given day, there can be huge demand on these workers to resolve pressing issues. Sometimes, an IT issue will come up that could be detrimental to a business if it’s not resolved. That’s where having a full staff of IT professionals at the ready works to your benefit.

A competent IT services company should be properly staffed, with numerous professionals at the ready to assist with your next IT problem. They should be able to handle all support questions during business hours. The company should also have efficient internal processes in place, allowing room for flexibility when high-priority issues arise. With ample staff, the company will be able to address urgent problems first, while still tending to lower priority issues in a timely fashion. They’ll be prepared to offer solutions as quickly as problems arise.

Sources:
https://www.computerworld.com/article/2690856/big-data/8-big-trends-in-big-data-analytics.html
https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/04/7-trends-impacting-customer-service-2016.html

Regardless of what industry a business is a part of, they’re going to utilize digital technology in some way. Every budding entrepreneur must have access to the Internet and likely has several programs that are essential to their success. This type of technology is vulnerable to malfunctions, though, so IT professionals are necessary. Unfortunately, not every IT company espouses the “support” aspect of “IT support.”

What Does IT Support Mean?

Technical support is something that every business owner will eventually need. From something as simple as an employee losing email access to a major situation such as the entire network going down, technical support professionals are the ones who ride in like knights to save the day. The common definition of IT support relates to professionals that provide help to companies for technology products ranging from computers and phones to televisions and software.

Sadly, many companies miss the mark when it comes to IT support. Most business owners are happy if their tech professionals simply show up in a timely manner after something goes wrong. This is a best-case scenario, and some companies seem to take their time to even get professionals on site. This is perplexing, since there are 6.7 million people in the tech industry. It seems as if there would always be someone available to help.

Even tech companies that are expedient, though, can sometimes fall short in the “support” area.

Bigger Focus on Support

If a computer stops working and a tech company has someone on site within 30 minutes, most entrepreneurs would be happy with the service. It’s certainly important to consider how quickly IT support responds and whether it’s easy to get in contact with them at all. This can show if they actually care about their clients, but there are more things to consider when it comes to real “support.”

For instance, does the company take a consultative approach? This would include having training sessions for employees over the technology they’ll be using. Classes could also be held on cyber security best practices to ensure workers are careful, which could easily result in fewer necessary service calls.
Business owners should also look at more than simply how a tech company reacts to a problem. Real support means having a proactive support team that can recognize and address issues before they become actual problems. In the end, these few “going the extra mile” steps result in fewer service calls and decreased downtime.

Why Do Companies Miss the Mark?

Unfortunately, there are a variety of reasons tech companies miss the mark, and it’s not always related to intentional shoddy service. Some of these companies are simply too small to handle the needs of a growing business. This is why it’s essential to check an IT support company’s website to see that it looks professional, the services they offer and whether they provide a free consultation to nail down what a company actually needs.

Another issue entrepreneurs run into is companies that don’t provide the full range of services they need. A business that only handles cloud computing and data recovery might be useless when it comes to IT consulting and cyber security. Of course, some of these support “professionals” are really just bad at running a company. Long response times, inexperienced technicians and sloppy customer service and professionalism are just a few of the problems entrepreneurs run into.

What Now?

It’s a sad fact that IT support has consistently been moving away from full customer support. Many companies offer the bare minimum, and this simply isn’t enough to ensure great service. This is why business owners must take the time to research tech companies and have a consultation before making a decision that could define the direction of their company.

Sources

Tech industry job numbers