That’s because, with the right support, we shouldn’t need to.Enlisting an IT support team is crucial for business continuity, but service can vary drastically from one provider to the next. That’s why it pays to set some clear expectations when dealing with an IT company, to take the stress of technology off your shoulders.Whether you’re exploring IT support for the first time, or underwhelmed by your current ‘experts’, here are a few principles by which you should benchmark every service provider.

Fixed cost agreements

When something goes wrong with your IT, you shouldn’t have to think twice about calling for help. Therefore, it’s important to choose a fixed price service that gives you unlimited support whenever you need it.

So, before you sign the dotted line, check what the service contract includes, and make sure you’re opting for a fixed price agreement that deals in outcomes, not the days and effort it might take to fulfil a request.

Never shying away from a live phone call

The tech sector is still shaking off images of blinkered, hunched employees in the glow of a screen, hiding themselves away from the world outside. But we’re serious about expecting IT teams to be on-hand for a chat through the working day.

And they mustn’t balk at a ring tone, either – calls should be answered promptly or returned within a reasonable time-frame. That means no constant, back-and-forth emails, or a return call hours later… no, you need a solution as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency.

A tried and tested disaster recovery plan

The whole point of a disaster recovery plan is to anticipate for the worst-case scenario: a hack, maybe, or an accidental security breach. To be effective, these plans have to be tested against real-world conditions, like any other sort of disaster remediation. Otherwise we have no basis for their success.

So make pains to ask your IT provider what measures they put in place for your business continuity, such as penetration testing and regular backups, to give you confidence that they have you covered.

Patient, jargon-free advice

Lastly, we’d like to stress the importance of talking to you – the customer – as a human being. Few are us are born with an affinity for printers, tablets, laptops and data transfer. These skills take years to develop, and an IT provider should appreciate that.

We believe that every IT provider should take a patient, jargon-free approach when explaining issues and options. Forget talk of ‘RCA jacks’ and ‘TCP/IP addresses’ – the communique has to be simple, translatable, yet powered by a confidence in how they’re going to meet your needs.

Is your current IT support team failing to meet these expectations? Focus is here to raise the bar. These are just some of the ways in which we go further to help our clients. For more information, and to learn more about what makes our IT gurus unique, read our handy 21 questions.

To take the next steps to brighter IT, get in touch with us. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about our service!