Many times when we go on a sales call for a prospective client, it’s because their current IT provider “broke” a component of their network and does not know how to fix it, or the IT guy is not responding to any requests. Leaving the customer stranded and their business stopped to a halt.

This is usually not the first time they have had an issue of some sort with the current IT provider. There were many warning signs before this incident finally pushed the prospect to search for a new solution.

But, the signs were there. If action would have been taken sooner, business would not have stopped for a full day.

If these businesses would have known the following five warning signs, things may have been different.

Signs To Watch For

1. No Response: If you call and no one answers or you do not get a call back, it’s probably time to start looking for a new IT guy. Many IT companies act like they can handle everything, no matter how big the environment or the problem. But, a lot of the times it’s just a one man show. They may advertise like they are a full-fledge IT company but in reality it’s just one guy working about of a van. This means it can be almost impossible for this individual to provide quality service to all customers. Leaving you with no resolutions to your problems.
2. Experiencing Consistent Network Downtime: Are you constantly down? If so, it could be more than just your internet service provider. Many times the proper updates or hardware are not in-place to keep a company’s network up and running. This could be happening because the IT provider does not have the proper experience and knowledge. Many times they will continue to point the finger at another vendor, like your ISP or VoIP provider. You’re network should not be going down on a constant basis. If it is, it’s time to start interviewing other IT companies.
3. Response Time Is Greater Than 1 Hour: If it takes longer than 1 hour for an IT provider to respond to your call or ticket, it’s too long. Most reputable managed IT service providers will have a 1 hour response time. Meaning, from the time you call or enter a ticket, you will get a response within 1 hour. XPERTECHS usually gets you a response immediately by phone.
4. Does Not Have Proper Network Documentation: Ask your current IT service provider if they will provide you with documentation of your network and licensing. If they cannot give you documentation, or seem to be stalling, it is probably a good time to start looking elsewhere. If a company does not have documentation of your network, how can they truly know where everything is? Unless you are their only customer, documentation is crucial. If your usual engineer is sick one day and a different tech is sent on-site for an issue, he will need some sort of documentation to understand the layout of your system in order to fix the problem.
5. Is Reactive and Not Proactive: Does your current provider monitor your systems, run updates, backups and is able to catch potential problems before they occur? Or, does he only come on-site/fix an issue after it occurs and you have to call? If so, you’re in a “break-fix” model of IT. Something breaks, and then the technician comes out and tries to fix it. Followed by sending you a hefty bill for his time. Today, companies are moving away from this archaic style of IT support and moving towards managed IT services. With managed IT services, your provider is monitoring your network 24/7, so potential problems are discovered before they occur. Most of the time, you won’t even know they happened because you will not experience and disruption to your business.

Is Your IT Guy Not Meeting Expectations?

If you are ready to move away from subpar IT support and want to receive world-class IT services, give us a call today at 410-884-0225 or click here to fill-out our contact form.