Is Your IT Company Holding You Hostage?

If your IT guy went away, would you understand where all the passwords, information, software licenses and disks, essential codes, and other important information were kept? Do you understand the passwords to all your employee's workstations? Do you understand where your offsite information is saved and how to access it?
If he's doing a great job, you might not mind too much; nonetheless, you must STILL have him or her provide full documentation of your network in case they didn't appear one day for work. And if you AREN'T actually pleased with their work and aren't sure if they are doing a great job, that's even more you need to have this done.
Occasionally we've encountered possible new clients who aren't truly pleased with their IT guy's work, however stay with them out of worry. As one business to an additional, this is NEVER EVER an excellent need to stay with your current carrier.
If you cannot trust the individual with the most access and power over your computer system network-- the core of your company-- you need to discover somebody you CAN count on... A really professional person or service provider would NEVER hold their client hostage or do any harm in handing over the "keys to the kingdom" to another business. And any excellent IT company ought to be able to walk you with the move to prevent that person from doing any damage.
Is There A Way To Know If Your IT Professional Is Doing An Excellent Job?
An additional reason company owners stay with their current IT professional is simply since they have no idea what excellent service really IS, and for that reason decreased their expectations. When we audit most business networks, over and over again we're absolutely FRIGHTENED by the incompetence and irresponsibility we find. In 98 % of the computer networks we evaluate, we discover non-existent or malfunctioning backups, safety loopholes, shabby reporting, and flawed systems that simply cost more to preserve and don't straighten with the operations of business.
Plus, not a week passes where we do not get a '911 emergency call' from a business owner with a significant technical disaster that COULD have actually been avoided. Why do so numerous businesses pay for low quality computer support? Because they don't understand how to really validate that their network IS secure and end up having to take somebody at their word.
Here are a few questions to find out if your IT person IS doing a good job. If your professional does not score a "yes" on every point, you could be paying for below average support:.

1. Do they reply to support concerns in one hour or less?


2. Are they remotely monitoring your network 24/7 to keep vital security settings, virus meanings, and protection restore to date?


3. Do they DEMAND monitoring an offsite along with an on site backup, or are they letting you count on out-of-date tape backups?


4. Do they DEMAND doing periodic test restores of your backups to ensure the data is not corrupt and could be restored in the event of a disaster?


5. Have they provided you with written, network documents detailing exactly what software application licenses you have, important network passwords, and hardware details, or are they the only individual with the "tricks to the kingdom?".


6. Do they regularly (and proactively) offer brand-new means to enhance your network's performance, or do they wait until you have an issue to make recommendations?


7. Do they offer comprehensive invoices that plainly discuss what you are paying for?


8. Do they clarify what they are doing and address your concerns in terms that you can understand (not geek-speak)?


9. Do they finish projects on time and on budget, or does every job wind up taking longer and costing more than you anticipated?


10. Do they provide any assurances on their services?


11. Do they have other technicians who are familiar with your network in case your routine professional goes on trip or gets sick?


12. Do their specialists keep current supplier certifications and take part in ongoing training, or do you feel as though they are training on your dime?


13. Do they take calls from other clients while working on your network (and on your penny)?


14. Do you need to manage their progress on jobs, or do they provide regular updates, condition reports, and follow-up calls and e-mails?


15. Do they offer fixed-fee or flat-rate task quotes, or do they offer themselves a wide open playing field with "time and materials.".

If Your Current IT Company Failed This Quiz, We Want to Give You A FREE Network Health Check To Make Things "Right" If you're NOT happy with your computer support company and have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't doing the best job possible, then contact us in for a second opinion. At no cost or obligation to you, we'll come to your office and conduct a network health check to look for problems with your backup, security, speed, and any other problems that could lead to data loss, downtime, and high repair fees.