1. Competence
What training or certifications do they have to make them competent enough to work on your IT systems? Any reputable IT service provider will have a recognised association with the products they supply. For example, QiC is an approved supplier of Dell and Microsoft products, including Office 365, and a certified supplier of Maximizer CRM software. Customer references should also be available on request.
2. Flexibility
Can your service provider offer a package that suits the requirements of your business? There should be a variety of service packages available to you, including ‘Pay as You Go’ Consultancy, where you’re billed as and when you need assistance; Fixed Rate Maintenance, where you pay a monthly fee for peace of mind that your network is covered for both pro-active and responsive support; Block Hour Arrangements, where you purchase a set number of hours each month, normally at a reduced rate, which you can call upon as and when you need them.
3. Ease of use
What’s the process for reporting problems? Is there a help desk for you to call, or do you send an email to request assistance? Think about what option would be best for you in the event of an IT failure.
4. Dispatching technicians
What happens if you need an engineer on site? Although it’s possible to fix most issues remotely, you may feel more confident if an engineer is available to come to your office and fix the issue on site. QiC offer an emergency call out service to get an engineer to you as soon as possible.
5. Billing
Once you’ve chosen a provider you’re confident can supply a competent service in a timely fashion, you’ll want to make sure you’re billed fairly and can clearly see what you’re paying for. Your provider should be able to show you an example statement and provide fully itemised bills as requested.