We see it again and again, businesses tire of the poor levels of support provided by “one man band” support companies.
As a business dependant on your computer systems, you need to ensure that your IT Services provider will be there when you need them. They must respond quickly to your support needs, they must have the broad range of skills needed to support your systems, they should have the resources available to carry out installation and project work within a reasonable time frame; and they should have the skills to advise you on the latest technologies to help you drive your business forward.
The main complaints we hear are:
“He never answers his phone”Being a one man band, as his workload increases he will often be busy with one client and is unable to take calls from his other clients. Telephone answering services are rarely suitable when you have a pressing IT Support need.- “He takes too long to respond”A one man band will almost never guarantee a response time, as he is never sure what he will be doing one day to the next. A good IT Service Provider will always offer guaranteed response Service Level Agreements to their clients. To make sure you get the level of support that you need.
- “He can’t fit me in for 2 weeks”So your business is growing fast, you have taken on 3 new employees and they start at the end of the week. But your “IT Guy” can’t set their PCs up for 2 weeks. Now what? You need to make sure your IT Service Provider has sufficient resources to carry out project work for you within a reasonable time frame.
- “He isn’t very pro-active, the same things keep breaking again and again”One man bands often work out of their home, spend the majority of their time on clients sites responding to faults and problems. They rarely have the means to invest in high quality Monitoring and Remote Maintenance Tools. They rarely have the means to invest in a job tracking system. As a result, you are always on the back foot, chasing down faults and fixing problems.
A good IT Service Provider will monitor and maintain your systems pro-actively, and track any problems you have in order to make upgrades and changes which prevent problems occurring again. The result is faster, more reliable systems and a more productive business with less unexpected costs. - “He doesn’t provide me with much ‘advice’ ”This is often the biggest problem. As a business grows, its dependence on multiple systems grows with it. As a result that business needs an IT Service Provider who stays right up to date with the latest hardware and software products, and the latest security trends and threats. Only then can they provide sound advice to help the business stay productive and secure as they grow.
A one man band often does not have time to adequately service his client base, where is he going to find the time to learn about all these new products, and become suitably skilled to advise on their use.
So What Should I Do?
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to spot a one man band until it is too late. It is very easy these days to create a professional slick website and set up business social media accounts.
By referring to yourself as “we”, rather than “I” and by using a telephone answering service, it is very easy for one man bands to pass themselves off as a much larger company.
Fortunately by exercising a little diligence when choosing your next IT Service Provider you can make sure that you do not fall foul of these problems.
Where are they based?Look for their contact details and location, check it out on Google Maps; is it an office building, or are they working out of their house?- How big is their organisation?Ask them how many engineers they employ, ask to visit their offices. A good IT Service Provider will be more than happy to show you around their offices and introduce you to their engineers and consultants.
- How long have they been trading for?One man bands are often short lived, unable to earn enough to survive, they “get a job”, or unable to sustain a good reputation will change company details every few years.
- What qualifications/certifications do they hold?How did they learn their skills and how do they stay up to date with the latest technologies? Training, Experience, Training. Courses run by Microsoft, Sophos, Kaspersky, Cisco etc. together with on the job experience are the only way to ensure that you have all the required skills to look after businesses properly.
These courses are often expensive and require taking a week out of the office. One man bands rarely have the time, or the money to stay up to date in this way.
Look out for current MCP and MCSEs (make sure they are in the latest products, not 10 year old qualifications for software that has long since been retired!)
Look out for current Microsoft CERTIFIED Partners, or Small Business Specialists. - Ask for up to date references.Ask to speak to current clients, any reputable IT Service Provider will not only have written references, but will also have current clients who are happy to speak to you about the services which they use.
We at First Stop IT Ltd. take extreme pride in offering premium quality IT Services. It really riles us when we see it being done badly.
Your IT Service Provider should become a part of your business, working with you to help you thrive and grow.
Of course we would love you to ask us for a quote to look after your business, and as we live by our word we will be happy to provide you up to date references, qualifications and certifications, show you around our offices, and come to visit yours to ensure that we provide you with the right service from the very first day.
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