The Top 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your IT Provider
In the modern world, IT services touch nearly everything, so in a real way, your company and all its services depend on your IT, even if you're not a tech-heavy company. That's why choosing your IT Provider is one of the most critical decisions you'll make as a business owner or manager.
Business owners hire IT providers because they don't have a deep understanding of IT themselves – and why should they? It's not their business. However, that puts decision-makers in the unfortunate position of having to pick a provider for something they don't understand. That's where this blog comes in.
Today, we're letting you know the top 5 questions to ask when choosing your IT provider.
How Long Have You Been in Business?
Our first 2 questions are questions you should ask any business. Let's start with "How long have you been in business?" We all start somewhere, and being new doesn't automatically disqualify you, but knowing that someone has been around for a while is a comfort.
When choosing your IT provider, it's essential to know that they'll be around in a few years if they're offering you a protection plan. That plan doesn't mean a lot if they're gone! The same can be true for other types of contractors.
Do You Have References?
Knowing a business has a solid track record can ease your worry before hiring. Review and consumer protection sites like Google and the BBB (respectively) is a great way to understand a company's quality. Barring that, speaking to previous customers can augment your decision.
What Do You Service?
Now, we get into IT-specific territory. IT service is such a broad category that you can't assume when choosing an IT provider that they will service all your equipment.
IT providers specialize in many things, including software, hardware, telephones, cameras, computers, and even remote support. The best thing to do is find a local company to meet with you and review everything in your office to let you know what they can and can't do for you.
While you can have different companies focus on specific aspects of your IT picture, having one number to call is always beneficial if something goes wrong. And when there's one provider, there's no one else to point a finger at if something breaks.
What Is Your Pricing Structure?
There's not necessarily a right or wrong way to price IT services, but you should ensure that whatever price structure the company you're considering using will work for you. Some companies prefer to pay by the hour or project, while others want a monthly option to better budget expenses.
What Is Your Response Time for Emergencies?
If, as we established in the opening, your business depends on your IT equipment, you're dead in the water when certain systems go down! So with that in mind, another essential question is, "What is your response time for emergencies?"
A good follow-up question is, "What constitutes an emergency?"
Emergency service is just one more reason for locally choosing an IT service provider.
Other Important Considerations When Choosing an IT Provider
Every business has its own priorities, so it's impossible to give you every possible priority to consider when choosing an IT service provider. Medical offices and lawyers have legal privacy requirements. Call centers lose massive amounts of money if they go down for an hour.
In your initial consultation, you should bring up your business priorities and ensure that the IT provider you're considering can meet them. Ask plenty of questions, and make sure they're all adequately answered.
Let us know if you have additional questions about choosing an IT provider!