Should your business change IT provider?

Reading time: 5 minutes

IT is such a key component of so many businesses’ day-to-day operations that you need to stay on top of all the issues surrounding it, from security and compliance to ensuring you have the latest and most effective solutions. That can make it not only a time-consuming thing to manage, but also an essential part of maintaining your competitiveness or even guaranteeing your survival. 

Sourcing out your IT requirements to a specialist company allows you to focus on what you do best – running your business – while leaving the experts to deal with what they do best.

But what if you’re not entirely satisfied with how your chosen provider is performing? Or if every time you raise an issue, they seem to understand and offer a solution, but nothing actually changes? Without the necessary expertise in the subject, it’s hard to know if they’re being upfront, if they’re stringing you along, or if they’re just not very good!

This month, we’re taking a look at a few of the signs you need to look out for that might suggest it’s time for your business to change IT provider.

They’re reactive rather than proactive

Do you find that it’s you that’s always making the running, whether it’s asking your provider about some new technology you’ve heard or read about that might be of use, or making sure they’ve taken into account a new security risk you’ve been warned about from a contact? Are they regularly monitoring your systems as part of their service or are they just waiting for you to call with a problem? A proactive approach, including regular audits of your existing systems to identify potential improvements, will give you the freedom to do your job with the confidence that your IT service provider is doing theirs without you needing to worry about it all the time.

Slow response times

Business moves quickly, and if you’ve got an issue that needs sorting, you need it to happen as soon as possible. If you find that you’re leaving voicemail messages but that no one’s getting back to you quickly enough, it can not only be frustrating, but it’s also likely to be costing you money, especially if it’s a serious issue that’s disrupting your operations. At the very least, you should expect a dedicated account manager who understands your business and takes a professional and keen interest in the wellbeing of your company.

Recurring problems

No one expects everyone to get everything right first time all the time. But there’s nothing more frustrating than raising an issue, thinking you’ve got it sorted, only for the same problem to keep happening time and time again. That suggests that your existing IT provider either doesn’t have the knowledge to get it sorted, or doesn’t care enough to make sure that it’s been properly resolved.

A worrying lack of focus on security

If there’s one thing that needs continual monitoring, it’s protecting your systems and data from the risk of a security breach. A good IT company should make it a priority to be aware and on top of all the latest scams, viruses, malware and other dangers that any business can fall prey to on a daily basis. Your peace of mind is going to depend on having confidence that your IT company is doing everything it can – and possibly even more – to protect you. If your IT company isn’t giving you that confidence, you need to ask yourself why, you need to ask them why, and if you’re still not satisfied it’s time to look elsewhere.

Poor communication

Part of the reason you’re likely to be engaging a specialist IT company is because IT isn’t your own particular area of expertise, and you may not want to stay on top of the latest jargon, acronyms, buzzwords and other tech talk that can often come with it. If you’re leaving a meeting with your IT support without clearly and completely understanding everything that’s gone on, it may be because they’re expecting you to speak their language rather than making sure that they’re speaking yours. At the very least, you should be able to hold a conversation with your IT provider that informs rather than confuses you.

General solutions rather than bespoke solutions

Your business is unique, and you’ll almost certainly be requiring IT solutions that are specially designed to meet your individual needs, systems, processes and interests. If you find that you’re being asked to do things differently to match the IT solution that you’ve been offered, rather than the solution being altered to suit your business, there’s something wrong in the way your current provider is approaching their work and it’s time to look for someone who can provide a bespoke solution that completely works for you.  

Here at Pickl, we allocate a dedicated account manager to your business, who will take the time to understand what you do and how you do it, so that they can help your business survive and thrive in the increasingly challenging world of information technology. With guaranteed response times, 24/7 support 365 days a year and a positive and proactive approach to your IT requirements, we’re a leading provider of all kinds of business IT support in and around London, Reading and Guildford.

Contact us now to find out more.