Do you have a reliable IT support team on speed dial you can call when something goes wrong? Or do you delegate the task of troubleshooting to several employees? When you have an IT-related problem, you need a plan that involves professional support.
Although we live in a DIY-centric world, searching for how-to videos on YouTube isn’t a good solution to IT problems. Often, IT problems are more complex than they appear to be on the surface. If you don’t hire a professional, your solution probably won’t last long and it could cause more damage.
When you need IT support, you need it fast. If you don’t already have a relationship with an IT support company, here’s how to find the right business.
Look for fast response times
Quick response times are paramount in the IT world. You need an IT support team that will respond fast. Palm Tech, one of the best IT teams out of West Palm Beach, guarantees a one-hour response time around the clock. They also promise expedited repair no matter how minor the issue.
When an IT team responds quickly to inquiries and prioritizes even minor repairs, you know you’re in good hands.
Look for predictable costs
IT support costs should be transparent and predictable. While there are some instances where your cost could increase as a problem grows more complex, basic services should be predictable.
If you ask for a quote, your final cost shouldn’t differ much unless the tech team had to perform work outside the scope of the original work order. If that’s the case, a reputable IT support company will let you know the moment they realize more work will be involved.
Unless you’re paying for regular services, a reputable IT support company will have you pay when the work has been completed, rather than making you pre-pay for their services. This is important to remember because some of the worst tech support scams require payment upfront.
Look for 24/7 support
That guy down the street might be great with IT, but will he answer the phone at 3:00 A.M. when your network goes down and your entire website is offline? Probably not. That’s why you need a professional IT support company and not an individual looking to make some side money.
A professional IT support company will provide 24/7 support simply because IT problems don’t pause on weekends or holidays. IT professionals know that being available around the clock is part of the job.
When an IT support company makes their services available 24/7, live, you know they’re dedicated to their work.
Look for strong communication
Great communication is always a good sign, no matter what services you need. When you contact an IT support company, pay close attention to how they communicate.
Are they clear, polite, and helpful? Do they offer specific time slots for an appointment? Do they take down your information so they can call you back? Do they ask questions to understand your specific problems?
Strong communication involves more than just clarity and transparency. Strong communication involves every part of an interaction, including tone of voice, energy level, and willingness to help.
Look for extreme attention to detail
Attention to detail is what makes an IT support team superior to all others. Details matter. For instance, if you’re having your networking cables organized, you want someone who pays attention to detail because in the end, your cables will look beautiful and they’ll be functional.
The same is true for any type of IT job. Attention to detail matters because most IT issues are caused by minor things. For example, if your website appears completely broken, there might just be an extra space in your PHP code, or your CSS file is missing a semi-colon.
The best IT support technicians are like the mechanic you pay to fix your headlight and without being asked, they replace your broken radio button just because they can.
That doesn’t mean you can expect an IT team to fix additional problems for free, however. It means that if, during their contracted job, they encounter a simple issue they can fix, they will. For example, if you have a 3-foot Cat6 Ethernet cable fraying on one side, if they have an extra cable in their pocket, they’ll replace that cable without saying a word.
IT support professionals love their job
When you find a good IT support team, you’ll want to keep them forever. IT techs love their job, no matter how frustrating it gets. Once you find a reliable team, you’ll never again worry about how to handle tech breakdowns.
