Imagine watching your entire workforce sitting around doing absolutely NOTHING.
They’re not making sales, they’re not servicing clients. No phone calls, no emails—nothing. But you’re still paying them. And on top of it all, you’re also paying another company to get them all working again.
If you’ve ever experienced a major IT outage, then I don’t have to ask you to imagine this because you’ve experienced it!
So, what gives? You immediately notified your “IT guy”, Kevin, but he’s on vacation. He’s sipping margaritas in Mexico, which means his company will need to contact his backup, but there’s no telling when he’ll call you back let alone show up. Then finally, it happens… the backup “IT guy” shows up! You’re relieved.
Four hours into it, still no sign of life. Your server and computer network are still dead. You’re hemorrhaging money with every tick of the clock. Clearly this backup guy is no Kevin. You think to yourself, worst case scenario we have to wait until Kevin’s back from vacation. When is that anyway? Next week?!? No way you can be down until next week!
OK, I’ll dispense with the horror script.. but believe it or not, this happens. It’s happened to companies we know before they became our clients. If you’re unsure whether your current IT service provider has the wherewithal to support you in when you need them most, or if you’re shopping for a new IT service provider, here are four things they absolutely must do/have:
1. Use a Ticket System
All information about your company should live here. Past incidents and current issues. The system should be used to assign new service requests, track common or repeat problems, and serve as a database of all information about you and your IT environment. Ask about additional support tools that supplement their ticketing system, such as remote access to your systems for speedy resolution.
2. Metrics and Alerting
Use of data to further track and manage service requests allow an IT support provider to maintain standards and set expectations. For example, an automated system that alerts supervisors when thresholds are nearing their limits allows an IT service provider to scale resources as needed in order to provide consistent and quality service.
3. Live Answer & Dispatch Process
Every service desk should provide a single phone number to call for support. It shouldn’t go to straight to voicemail. You should expect to talk to a real person employed by your provider. Furthermore, your provider should have in place a process to triage and assign service tickets. Your employees should expect someone skilled to address the problem handling the task.
4. Hire and Train for Customer Service
The ability to provide excellent customer service is crucial to a successful service desk. Look for a company that tracks customer service satisfaction and hires individuals with a proven track record in providing customer support. Your employee satisfaction will increase productivity, so make sure it’s important to your IT provider to keep your staff happy!
Find an IT Support Provider that Cares About Your Employees
Great IT support providers have processes, procedures, and hire a staff of well-trained technicians and engineers that CARE about the job they do, and more importantly, the job you do.
Metrics are in place to track issues, response times, and monitor service outages. A ticketing system is in place to review past service requests and look for trends or predict and prevent the next issue.
Also, you’d do well with a provider who asks your employees if they are satisfied with their service and takes action to make things right when you didn’t receive excellent service.
Every tech should be a Kevin and all service requests must be responded to within a reasonable amount of time. When you call the service desk, a real person should answer the phone. If not, fire them / switch providers in a hurry.
Your business is your business. No one knows it better or cares about it more than you. You have a lot to protect, a lot to gain, and a lot to lose. Technology is a required part of your business and with it you can gain competitive advantages and move mountains. Without smooth-running technology, you become the status quo and the also ran. Your IT Support Provider should work with you to understand your business process, your need for data protection, and where efficiencies can be gained.
If you are finding yourself behind your competition, it is time to give Accelerate a call.
