How to choose an IT company

10 October 2017 by
How to choose an IT company
Chris Connor
Choosing the right IT support company may seem like a difficult prospect, especially as there are so many potentials out there. There are some important qualities you should look for in a provider. We’re here to give you a little helpful advice on how to make the right decision.

1. Find someone who understands you

A positive business to business relationship is crucial. There should be no finger pointing, and a good IT company should, instead, get the job done. They should be proactive and anticipate problems, so they’re ready for any challenges that you need a helping hand with - supporting your business every step of the way. Tech companies sometimes struggle to understand their clients. That’s why the ideal company should take time to learn about your business, and what it wants out of the partnership. Choose one that both cares and provides a professional service. We offer potential customers a free-of-charge IT review, because we value the importance of understanding your systems before quoting and starting work.

2. Availability and good customer support

What’s the point in investing in an IT support company if they’re not actually around to offer any support? Checking the hours that they operate, whether they have an effective help-desk and/or a ticket system is important. Make sure they are ready to sort out your queries when you need them. The team should be friendly, clear and concise. Ensure that they are committed to providing the best service to you possible. Be wary of any IT company which is not committed to customer services and have committed to it in writing. Good customer support means that they will answer your support ticket quickly, keeping you up to date. You shouldn’t be left more confused after calling than you were before. Issues should also be explained without using confusing jargon. Through GloHelp we offer support - always aiming for excellence. Our response times are among the best in the industry with an average response time of less than 10 minutes.

3. Transparency equals trust

Your chosen company should be clear on what's included in the monthly payments, or packages, what each service costs and what's included - always looking out the offer the best possible, and relevant service. Latest figures from UK Government’s Department of Business shows that 58% of British business owners don’t understand technology. No IT company should take advantage of that, but rather be patient and transparent - be crystal clear on all the services that they provide. Make sure that you’re aware of everything that’s in the support agreement. Don’t get caught out by additional fees or unexpected invoices. GloHelp is our primary means of communication and is where we try to point our customers. Everything we do is logged on there - from messages to engineer notes explaining the work that needs completing.

4. Accreditations and experience

How would you feel about being treated by an unqualified Doctor? Or servicing your car with an inexperienced mechanic? Your IT engineers should be qualified and experienced to be able to do the job properly. Find out if they hold any certificates, qualifications and industry accreditations which prove that the IT engineers have the knowledge and skills. So, your mind is at peace, while your business is in the hands of capable professionals. For example, Glo proudly present their accreditations, which include being part of the Certified Microsoft Partner network.

5. Continuously invest time and money in cyber security

Be sure that your business is left safe and secure. Effective cyber security protects you and your customers’ data from being leaked and exploited by ill-intended individuals. In 2016, 65% of all medium-to-large companies in the UK experienced a cyber security breach or attack. A good IT company should invest in infrastructure, the latest technology and educate their customers to prevent breached and outages. Research has proven that undertrained employees are organisations’ biggest cyber security weakness. Unfortunately, the NHS have recently felt the painful effects of a malicious cyber-attack which resulted in operations being cancelled and documents such as patient records made unavailable. It’s too late now to talk about whether that could’ve been avoided, but an IT company should know the risks and be one step ahead. We keep up to date with the latest in cyber security to protect our clients’ systems. For example, at the time of writing (October 2017) we have been on a course about GDPR before its launch in May 2018 - so we can offer clients the best service and information possible.

6. Provide reliable ongoing support and maintenance

After the initial work is done, and contracts are signed, a bad IT company will simply go silent and be slow to answer your queries. With more and more businesses utilising the cloud, the need for reliable IT partners has never been more important. A study conducted by IDG highlighted the range of Cloud services used by companies:
  • work email (94%)
  • office apps (76%)
  • virtual private network server (75%)
  • databases (72%),
  • archives (55%)
  • production systems (55%)
  • CRM (47%)
  • video conferencing (25%)
Your chosen IT company should support your business, provide a solid network infrastructure, and be proactive in ensuring everything is running smoothly. This way your business continuity will remain uninterrupted. It wastes your precious time if you go with someone who doesn’t truly care about sorting their client’s problems. At Glo, we have strict processes, meaning we keep customers up to date. We'll even let you know when there's no progress - so at least you know that's the case. It's all part of our commitment to excellence.

7. You don’t want to cheap out on your IT support

Of course, cost is always a factor.  Whilst trying to find the most cost effective IT company is going to be a defining factor of who you choose, remember the quality of service is much more important. Try not to jump straight to the cheapest, it may be a decision which comes back to haunt you! Only 5% of budgets are spent on IT in the UK, which means not every company is ready to make the investment. Ultimately, the right IT support company will be an investment to your business, rather than an expense. Find out how we can help your business and get in touch with our friendly team today.
How to choose an IT company
Chris Connor 10 October 2017
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