Ian Snow, MD at CT, takes a look at some red flags that could indicate you are on the lookout to switch IT provider
Switching IT support provider is not a decision to be taken lightly, but it is often one born from necessity rather than from choice. The perceived pain of changing often paralyses businesses – leading them to endure a substandard service until things become too costly to continue.
During this past year, getting the right support for IT has become far more important. We have had so many conversations with potential new customers looking to make the change and we wanted to share the triggers to making that first important move.
- We’re fed up with poor customer service.
“Our existing IT company used to be great, but recently their service levels have been dreadful! They keep missing their SLA (service-level agreement), they never return our calls, and we are bored with having to chase them to fix our IT problems!” It’s all about resources.
Service level shortfalls can occur when a helpdesk team is overworked, understaffed, or both! It’s also possible that the engineer/s with the most knowledge about your network have left. We don’t cut corners when it comes to recruiting good people in the numbers required to exceed our clients’ expectations. The knowledge of your systems is shared on our secure knowledge base, meaning multiple engineers can support your requirements.
- We can’t get 24/7 IT Support.
“Our existing IT company doesn’t provide support outside traditional business operating hours.”
Our engineers are always on-call.
Our UK-based team can provide telephone and remote IT support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Our IT company lacks knowledge in new technology.
“We’re interested in using new technologies, but our existing IT company doesn’t seem to know the answers to any of our questions!”
We’re a highly technical organisation.
We’ve been successful for over two decades because we’ve continuously evolved our skillset to support the latest technologies. Your dedicated account manager is on hand to answer ANY IT-related questions and supported by our team of consultants and project managers who are available to offer expert impartial advice for complex requirements.
- Our IT Company isn’t ISO accredited.
“We handle lots of sensitive client data, but our existing IT company isn’t ISO27001 accredited. It’s a shame because we are happy with the service, but we can’t take the risk of being non-compliant.”
We’ve got that covered.
Our IT Department is one of only seven UK IT support companies that is both ISO9001 and ISO27001 accredited. We work with clients from many sectors, including the legal and financial services that require an ISO-compliant IT support service.
- We’re fed up with unreliable cloud services.
“Our IT company provides us with a range of cloud services. But the platform is unreliable, and it takes them forever to get any cloud-related issues resolved.”
We have our own cloud infrastructure.
Many IT companies resell white label cloud-services under their own brand, meaning both support and reliability are out of their control. We continue to invest heavily in our very own cloud infrastructure that resides at four of the UK’s most advanced independent Tier 3 and Tier 4 data centres, allowing us to provide a better standard of service and faster reactive support.
- We don’t have a clear IT strategy.
“Our IT company seems to be more reactive than proactive. The technology is always having to play catch-up with what is happening within our organisation.”
Our Strategic reviews align technology with your business goals.
Recently, this has been our number one feedback from businesses. Having an IT strategy which aligns to your business goals is now paramount. With technology playing a more important role in growth and resiliency, business owners want to know what they need to invest in beforehand, so they can plan the budget and not be hit with any nasty surprises along the way.
Every new CT client undergoes a Strategic IT Review where we map out all short, medium and long-term recommendations. This is then reviewed regularly to take changes into consideration.
- Our technology seems dated.
“We always feel like we have to chase them for advice on the ‘next best thing’ to use rather than them coming to us.”
Our experienced team are always one step ahead.
With a wealth of technology experience across many different sectors, our consultants will always make recommendations that make a real business difference.
Your IT strategy will be reviewed regularly and include a review of the processes involved within the different departments of your business. Wherever possible, your account manager will already work with clients in your industry, giving them extended knowledge which can be shared across the client base if appropriate.
- We feel we’ve outgrown our current provider.
“Our current IT company simply haven’t got the resource, skillset, knowledge or services to meet our requirements.”
We can support all your new IT needs.
Around 30 per cent of businesses we meet have simply grown too big for the current IT provider to support. For example, you’ve quickly grown and have three times as many employees to support. You may simply be looking for an upgrade of support and need a more strategic thinking and proactive IT partner to take your business to the next level.
- We had a security breach and/or lost data.
“Our provider was late to install security patches and we have since been hacked. This has caused us huge downtime, stress and worry.”
Security is the heart of everything we do.
Our Data Security solutions are designed to keep your business moving and minimise downtime. We are specialists in design, supply, installation, and maintenance of backup solutions. All customer data is stored in secure data centres, right here in the UK that comply with ISO 27001.
To find out more about how CT can help your business, get in touch today on 01246 266130 or visit our site on www.ct.uk
