Choosing an IT support company

In a few short decades we've moved from a world in which computers were a useful accessory to doing business to one in which they are the business. Without your IT system, you don't exist. So hiring a good IT support provider, someone to get you operating efficiently and keep you that way, is no longer an optional extra.

Hiring a support provider isn't an overhead either – it's an essential investment in your system, your business, your clients and your peace of mind. But ONLY if you pick a good one.

A good support provider will employ helpful, keen, professionally-trained staff who will build a relationship with your team and prove an asset to your business. They will save you thousands. Bad ones hire under-qualified techies who are disorganised, unreliable and dangerous. They could COST you thousands.

Finding a good support provider is a bit like finding a good garage to work on your car. Because they know things you don't, a bad provider can take advantage of you – by overcharging, for example, or selling you services and kit you don't need. Here are some tips for making sure this doesn't happen to you:

Regard them as partners

Clients who work in isolation from their IT support provider until a problem arises, then throw everything over to the provider, will never have a stable system or get a cost- effective service. Those who work in partnership with the provider will do much better. Involve your provider fully and discuss all ideas or plans with your account manager BEFORE making decisions or rushing out to buy new computers. You should make it clear to prospective support providers that you are looking for a long-term relationship, in which you will both play your parts.

Check out their people skills

Good support technicians need to be able to work with people as well as computers. Check out their interpersonal skills as well as their IT abilities. They must be able to converse with your team in plain English rather than technobabble, and will be able to explain to you and your staff what has gone wrong and what they are going to do about it in terms ordinary people can understand. Some technicians either overload people with information they don't need or fail to communicate at all.

A good technician will always have the human aspect in mind, so they'll appreciate how problems can be caused by 'finger trouble'.

Make sure you know which of the team will be looking after your account. Ron may have great experience and excellent people skills, but that's no good if they keep sending Trevor, who has neither.

The risks of the 'one-man band'

Small firms are often tempted to save money by using a self-employed technician, even someone who is moonlighting from a day job. For the smallest company this may be the only affordable alternative, but it's a risky one, particularly if you depend on mission-critical IT and irreplaceable data. They generally do not have serious network experience and have a limited skill set. If a sole contractor is any good he'll be popular, so he may be too busy to return your calls, let alone come and sort out a problem at short notice. Then there are the times he goes sick, or goes on holiday. If your system goes down, you don't want to find your IT man has done the same.

Talk to their clients

Ask your prospective supplier to give you the contact details of two or three existing or recent clients who have similar needs to yours. Did they deliver on their promises? Were they responsive and easy to get hold of? Did they keep their costs to the level they promised? Are they still working for you?

Will they give you a free consultation up front?

It makes sense for a good IT support firm to start by giving you a free no-obligation consultation on your needs and requirements. That will help them to gain an overview of your system and your needs, set fixed prices for the work and avoid hidden or extra fees.

Don't accept the 'suck it and see' approach

Many IT companies may try to leave the exact outcome of a project vague. They will tell you what they are going to try to do and how they will approach the job, but may then prevaricate when asked how long it will take or just how the new system/s will perform. Press them on this point, because it's important. If they have the capability and experi- ence you need, they will be able to map out the project and the end result - in terms of how your systems will perform - in precise, comprehensible terms at the outset. Of course, there may be areas of uncertainty – but these must be identified in advance as such.