We have put together a list of things to look out for when hiring good small business IT support companies.
Case Studies
You will want to look at some existing case studies to find out how this company have helped other companies that are similar to yours to learn how their experience was. You want to make sure they can provide services across a wide range of areas, from email support to data storage. Everyone will have slightly different needs. A good example of this is a recruitment company who will need to make sure that all their data is backed up securely and that their emails never go down.
Access 24/7
One of the main reasons for hiring an IT company is that you may need their help 24/7. This might cost you a bit more, but it is something worth having. If you have an issue late at night that needs fixing for the morning then this is crucial so that you don’t lose any of the next working day. In the modern fast paced world 24/7 access is essential in our eyes.
Different levels of support
As discussed in the previous point, you may want a different level depending on your companies sizes and needs. A good example of this is a charity who may only want support when needed and may not be able to commit to a monthly fee. Some companies also offer blocks of time. This means you can pay in advance for 10 hours of support and only use it when you needed. Then you could pay for a 24/7 service if you have a large company that may need essential support.
24/7 monitoring
If your virus software flags a breach or some other kind of issue you want to know that your IT company will be able to deal with this no matter what time of day it is. Cybersecurity is something every business needs to be aware of and 24/7 access could be something you need to monitor this.
Response times
Most IT companies will have their response times listed within the contract. Make sure you read this part and negotiate it if you need to. This section is closely related to the case studies section above. Call up the company on the case studies if you can and ask them how long they took to reply to their issues.
A dedicated account manager
A big part of business is relationship building and we think its good to check if you will get your own dedicated person on the other end of the phone. That way they can get to know you and your business better.
An account manager on the other end will also be able to suggest new changes that you could make to help prevent future issues.
Do they offer discounts?
If you are using a company a lot and have built up a relationship then it could be a good time to ask if they can offer a discount for you. Chances are they will say no, but its always worth asking.
Cancellation terms
Always read the contract and make sure you are happy with the notice period that you have to give. You don’t want to have to give a 6 month notice period for a service you are not happy with. You need to make sure you can end the contract quickly.