It may be time to switch IT provider if you notice these signs…

The existing pandemic has put immense pressure on numerous businesses across the country.  You may be finding it difficult to provide a valuable service to your customers and operational challenges may have caused many sleepless nights as you work with your staff and partners to steer a route through the crisis.

In times like these, you need an IT partner you can rely on.  Your IT provider should have stepped up to the challenge presented by the crisis.  They should be delivering high-quality, ongoing support, maintenance and they should have been instrumental in executing your business’ secure and successful conversion to remote working.  The current situation is a test of your provider’s resolve and commitment to your business.  In this article, we explore some of the signs to look out for that suggest your IT support provider may not have what it takes to protect and correctly support your business in times of crisis.

Inexperience

Businesses need highly accredited professionals on hand to effortlessly guide your transition to new technology and different ways of working.  Due to the ever-changing nature of technology, ongoing training is crucial in the IT sector and any skills or knowledge gap is soon laid bare.  If you sense your provider is learning as they go and battling to implement changes it may be time to consider switching.  If they’re struggling now, they will likely struggle as your business grows and shifts in the future.

When choosing a provider, you should consider their qualifications, client testimonials, evidence of continuous training and staff development, and (while it is no absolute guarantee of quality) you may want to consider how long a provider has been around, especially if your IT demands are considerably high.

Can’t meet promised response times

‘Response times’ aren’t necessarily the same as ‘resolution time.’  Your IT provider’s ‘Promised response times’ typically refer to how quickly you can expect the first response to any issues that you log with them.  Expectations should be excessive, and you shouldn’t be forgiving!  Your provider’s response time promises might be reliant on the level of supporting your paying for and the level of priority assigned to particular issues, but you should expect close devotion to promises made; if a 2 hour response time is guaranteed then hold them to that, and you should expect business-critical issues to be responded to with near imminence.  You should equally consider any uptime guarantees your provider may have specified and whether or not they have been able to meet these commitments.

A failure to meet response times may be a sign of an under-resourced helpdesk or merely a provider that makes promises it can’t deliver in order to lure customers through the door.

Poor business security

Businesses unconditionally expect their IT support provider to adhere to immaculate security practices.  The bond of trust between IT providers and their clients assumes that IT companies take security extremely seriously – but many don’t!

It’s difficult to assess a provider by a simple website, but your provider should hold ‘cyber essentials’ accreditation at a minimum, carry out effective update and patch management and implement a ‘zero trust’ policy (an approach to security where all individuals within and out with the company are viewed as a potential threat to security).

Disregarding responsibility

The connection between your business and your IT provider is one of ‘shared responsibility.’  Your IT provider has a duty to ensure that the solutions they provide pose a low level of risk that is adequate to you, your business and your clients, while your business is also accountable for ensuring that you take on board and implement the advice given by your IT provider.

Occasionally things go wrong, and when mistakes are made it’s essential that the guilty own up!  If your IT provider has an inclination to redirect errors to you, your staff or business at every given occasion despite your best efforts to follow the advice and act in good faith, then it may be time to seek a new IT provider who’ll treat you and your business with the respect you deserve.

Your business isn’t learning anything from your provider

Good Quality IT providers don’t just pass off technology on their clients, they educate and restore confidence.  There’s a good chance you decided to outsource your IT because you wanted to tap into the supervision and expert knowledge that IT companies should hold. So, if your IT provider isn’t giving you the time of day to guide you and your staff through new technologies then it may be time to look for a partner who is willing to devote time in their relationships with clients.

Not familiar with your business industry and aren’t commercially aware

It’s imperative that your IT provider appreciates the unique operational challenges faced by your business and has some knowledge of the challenges faced by businesses in your district more generally.  If every conversation with your IT provider sounds like a sales pitch, and they never mention the likely outcome for your business or ways in which particular solutions are advantageous in your sector then it may be time to switch.  Essentially, businesses adopt technology to help them grow and achieve their goals, your IT provider should be mindful of this and present the benefits of new technologies in the context of your business or businesses in your industry.

No signs of pre-emptive maintenance/monitoring

If your provider only deals with issues as they arise it may be time to switch to a company that implements the prevention approach instead.  IT issues can result in lost revenue, so choosing a provider that carries out proactive maintenance is often a very wise investment.