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If you need help, call (352) 316-7704
Confidently Choosing IT Support
Over the years we’ve noticed that as we go to meet a client and learn about their company, many of the newer business owners have never worked with an IT support company before and are really nervous about selecting someone to work with. Seeking help can be scary and requires a lot of trust up front; just like trusting a car mechanic when you don’t know what’s rattling under the hood. How do you know which company is the right company for you?
Gaining trust with your IT team is key to building a successful partnership. After all, the IT team has access to some of your teams most sensitive files. In a crisis, some companies call a third-party service and some larger companies may lean on an informal pool of on-staff “experts”. Nobody wants to learn the hard way, for example, that the lack of a back-up strategy has led to a wipe-out of client records.
TRUST Your IT Team:
Questions to ask while choosing a team
Time: How much time does it take to address a support case? It doesn’t make sense to employ a team of IT specialists who take 2-3 weeks to return phone calls/resolve issues, or maybe they just leave you in the dark. This can be very frustrating and costly on a company while creating unnecessary down time. You’ll want to take into account the amount of time it takes the support team to address, fix, and close a case.
Reviews: Learning about the IT company’s current clients can teach you a lot about what to expect. Ask for a portfolio and references so you can learn what their clients like or dislike about the IT service.
Understanding: How many times have you called a support line only to have the person on the other end sound like a robot? “They just don’t understand…” In our experience, the personality of our support team has won our clients’ trust and confidence. Anyone can know “how” to do something, but not everyone provides positive, supportive customer service. Our long-term relationships with clients are based on the fact that we do our job well and with a smile!
Skills/Certifications: Does the support company you’re looking at have any certified technicians for the particular technologies that your business operates? Certifications are like tools, they’re only useful if a team can successfully apply the knowledge to fix an issue.
Team: Does the company offer you a dedicated person to your account or multiple technicians? We have found that our team of technicians working together allow our customers to have cases resolved must more efficiently and the system is reliable.
A company West Networks began servicing years ago had a fall out with their IT team. While the IT team was supposed to be their first line of defense in protecting the company files and databases, the IT firm had failed them deleting all their databases and backups. Within a week of calling West Networks for support, our team was able to recover all data using advanced recovery software. We understand that forming this trusting partnership is not easy. At West Networks, our team takes the time to ensure that your team is comfortable and confident in our ability to provide support for you.