Investing in IT services and solutions can be a daunting task. Every business, whether large or small, needs to keep abreast of the fast-changing world of technology but that obviously costs money.
So how can you ensure you get a great return on your IT investment? Just as a lot of businesses need IT support, there are also a lot of IT companies out there to choose from!
So how do you ensure you choose the right one? To help, we thought we would share our list of ten top things to consider when engaging an IT Company.
1. Try them out first! Make sure you benefit from an initial “no obligation” appointment during which you can discuss your ideas, concerns and business goals within the context of IT support and strategy.
2. Make sure they communicate well. The need for “good communication skills” seems to be a pre-requisite for any job application and it’s the same when investing in IT support and solutions. Make sure the company uses plain, down-to-earth language and avoids ‘tech-speak’ as much as possible.
3. Find out how they will keep you informed. Will they readily answer all of your questions? Will they keep you informed every step of the way? Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, possibly a finished job you may not be happy with and even unwelcome surprises on the final bill. Discover what the company does to avoid this scenario!
4. How quick will they respond? What do their service level agreements say about response times? Does the company provide remote and on-site support? How can you contact the company – by telephone, by email, through online ‘chat’ or social media? You want to know that you have back up should something go wrong or help is needed and that you can contact the company in a variety of different ways.
5. Find out about their team. A company is only as good as the people it employs – do they have a great team of hard-working, dedicated and enthusiastic people who are all friendly, warm and personable?
6. What accreditation do they hold? Are all the staff fully trained and do they have the right knowledge and skills? What accreditation do they have that verifies their level of service and support?
7. Find out who’s talking about them. Can they provide genuine customer testimonials and case studies? Can they give you details of existing clients who you can contact yourself for references?
8. How long have they been established? Is their reputation well founded? Do they have a proven track record of supplying business solutions in your area?
9. Do they have the necessary clearance? If your business is an educational establishment or a care-home, does the company have the necessary DBS/ CRB clearance? In addition, your chosen IT company may have access to your company records, files and financial information – are they compliant with specific industry regulations such as data protection. And whilst you’re at it, find out what level of insurance they hold.
10. Do they offer an iron-clad guarantee? Are they confident enough in their services to offer a written guarantee? If they do, does this apply not only to the normal product [hardware/software] warranty but also to the installation and on-going service level agreements?
Next time you’re looking for IT solutions or support, go armed with these ten tips in mind. And if you want to make it a really easy search then why not give us a call because PearceIT already score 10/10 in all these areas!
PearceIT is justifiably proud of its long-standing and good reputation for doing IT really, really well. We are very proud of our track-record of solving complex issues and providing continuous improvements and business solutions for all of our clients.