Hire the wrong IT service and you could be out of business overnight.
Why risk hiring the wrong company when you can do some research and hire the right one?
Don’t choose anyone for your business IT support services. You need to know how they operate, how they can help you when you need it most, and how they can help you succeed.
Don’t know where to start? Here are the top questions you should ask an IT company before hiring them.
What areas do you specialize in?
Different IT companies may specialize in different services. Some may offer managed desktop services, cloud services, or mobile services.
Depending on your industry and the specific needs of your business, you may need all or only some of these services. Or you may need them on a much larger scale than the company can provide.
Do you have experience in this field?
Some IT companies act as leading deals and work in a wide spectrum of industries. Others may have extensive experience in one area but little or no experience in another.
For highly regulated industries such as healthcare and financial sectors, a data breach or failure to comply with HIPPA regulations can be a very costly mistake.
How can you help us stay relevant?
Let’s say you work in a highly regulated industry. A good IT service provider should be able to help your business stay relevant.
One way to do this is a cyber security audit. An audit can identify your organization’s vulnerabilities as well as provide remediation methods. It is much more affordable (and easier) to prepare for a security threat before it happens, as opposed to waiting for one to happen and then reacting.
Do you order any services?
Sometimes an IT company may offer many different services. But if they’re a smaller company, they may not have in-house staff, which means they can outsource some of their services. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s important to note.
Be sure to ask them what services they outsource and why. There are a few services that you won’t want to be passed on, especially if they involve sensitive data.
What is included in your contract?
Perhaps one of the most important questions you can ask an IT provider is what exactly is included in your contract, as well as the cost of those services.
Your provider may charge extra for additional device support or mobile device support. Some will not support programs from other companies.
An on-site visit can cost more than you think when mileage and travel time are included.
How will you work with our existing IT staff?
You probably already have an existing internal team of IT staff. Ask them how they would work with or supplement your existing staff. A managed IT service provider should always have a good answer as to why you shouldn’t do it exclusively in-house.
How can you help scale our organization?
Your IT company shouldn’t be holding you back. Before signing a contract, ask them how they can help you scale. They should have an answer on how to do it, what equipment will be needed and how long it will take.
Do you have dedicated account managers?
Do they provide dedicated account managers? The account manager will act as liaison between you and the company. One of their goals will be to keep you satisfied.
One way to do this is to act as a single point of contact. If you have questions, you can reach out to them and they will get to know your business and your unique needs better over time than having multiple contacts. You must have at least one point of contact.
What happens when we need help?
You will need help. Your question may be trivial, or it may be a serious problem. Either way, you have to figure out what happens next.
Ask what happens if you need help and what the process is. Who do you or your employees communicate with? What is their help desk process like?
What does a site visit entail? How long will it take to get a response?
No one likes to think about the worst-case scenario, but it’s important to ask these questions beforehand so there are no surprises later.
What is your SLA (Service Level Agreement)?
An SLA or Service Level Agreement is a document that defines what services are offered and what the standard of those services should be. It should define the general objectives of the services provided, as well as describe the services and what standards should be implemented.
a good SLA should also include a financial consequence for the service provider, as well as your right as a customer to terminate the contract if the service becomes so terrible. Hopefully it never comes to that, but if it does, at least you have the right to terminate your contract early.
Take the time to find the right business IT support services
Finding the right business IT support services doesn’t have to be rushed. Take your time and find the right partner for your business or you may regret it.
Techspert will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Techspert Services has been providing cutting-edge managed IT services to businesses across the US for 10+ years.
Contact us today to find out what we can do for your business.