How many of us are guilty of sticking with service providers simply because it’s “better the devil you know”? There can be a lot to consider when you’re thinking of switching from one IT Support provider to another and it can seem like a daunting process. However, it doesn’t have to be. While there may be a little more involved, Switching IT Support providers is largely no different than switching to any other utility provider. Over the past number of months, many businesses in Ireland and indeed globally have suffered, not as the result of poor business practices but because of an unexpected health emergency that has affected the entire planet. Entire business models and work practices have had to change and adapt to new ways of operating with many companies now effectively operating from the homes of their employees. At the start of the crisis, we published a post (Is Your Business Remote Working Ready) where we stated that there would be a seismic shift in how businesses operate in a post COVID world. Remote Working and other flexible working solutions are here to stay and for many workers and indeed businesses, this is good news. Remote working gives autonomy to workers and many businesses have or will likely see a reduction in operating costs and an increase in employee productivity. What has this got to do with switching IT providers, I hear you say? Well, what you need to ask yourself is; how well were you supported over these past few difficult months? Did your current provider assist you in the transition to remote working? Did they have the hardware you required when you required it and did they have the expertise to support your IT infrastructure, whether it was from the homes of your employees or from your business premises?
IT.ie is currently running a promotion, offering all new potential clients 2 months FREE IT Support. As a business, we naturally want to grow our client base but we are also acutely aware of the financial difficulties many businesses are having and this offer is also designed to alleviate cash flow problems as your business juggles with new ways of operating for the foreseeable future. Outside of the current uncertainties, there are several reasons why businesses switch IT Support providers.
Reasons why Businesses Switch IT Support Providers.
1. You don’t want to sign a long-term agreement.
We don’t tie you down with long term contracts. Our Managed IT Support Services contracts are month-to-month meaning that you are only required to give us 30 days’ notice, should you wish to cease with our services. The current Free IT Support offer is pursuant to the signing of a 6-month contract; however, this reverts to a 30-day rolling contact after the initial period.
2. You’re fed up with poor customer service.
Our relationships with our clients are of paramount importance to us. Our success is linked to that of our clients and therefore we cannot exist without them. Our main priority is to earn the unambiguous trust of each of our clients.
3. You have to wait ages for an engineer to visit your business premises.
If you require assistance on site, we deploy our engineers in minutes, not days. We work for you and are ready to respond, when and where you need us.
4. Your IT company let us down when you needed them most.
Downtime is one of the most serious IT issues a client can experience. If your systems are down, you take priority over everything else we are doing. At this point, getting your systems back up and running is our only goal.
5. Your IT company lacks knowledge.
You need to be confident that your IT Support provider has the requisite skills and training to effectively manage your IT systems. We take training seriously. Both the in-house & field team regularly attend partner-driven training & offsite courses so as to ensure they are fully up to date and certified to provide you with the best possible customer experience.
Just How Easy is it to Switch IT Providers?
There was a time when the logistics of changing IT Support providers would fill most business owners with dread. Downtime during the transition was a real worry that resulted in many businesses sticking with inefficient IT Support providers. Switching IT Support providers is no different than switching any other utility and should be no more difficult. Your current provider certainly won’t want to lose you as a client but should be professional enough to allow for the seamless transition to another provider. Most communications from here on in should now be carried out between your old and new provider with little interaction required from you. Many businesses have switched to IT.ie which has enabled us to develop a seamless onboarding process, utilising tools, strong documentation and cloud architecture for a hassle-free migration.
Steps to help you prepare for your switch.
- Check your contract. Before you switch you will need to check the contract with your current provider. It is likely that you will be required to give a notice period before you can end the contract.
- Be clear about your reasons for switching. You place a lot of trust in your IT Support provider, so you need to ask where the current provider let you down. Is it one or several of the reasons listed above?
- Create a comprehensive list of your IT assets. As your new provider, we can help you with this and will likely send a representative to your business premises to record your IT assets, however, it will speed up the process if you have a list ready from the start.
- Know your login details. Your current provider will have this, and it is suggested that you ask for a complete up to date list of all usernames and passwords before you give your current provider a termination notice. Disgruntled providers have been known to delay the handover of this vital document once notification of termination has been received.
Many business owners are faced with making difficult decisions in the coming months to ensure the continuity of their business. Switching IT providers is an important decision but shouldn’t be a difficult one. If you don’t have an IT Support provider and you are running a business, then you’re playing Russian Roulette with your business and it’s only a matter of time before you have a serious issue that could impact on the survival of it. On the other hand, if you have IT Support in place but for whatever reason aren’t fully satisfied, then the decision to switch is a very easy one. If you are considering IT Support for the first time or looking to switch providers, reach out and we’ll be happy to discuss it further. You are under no obligation to accept our quotes and we won’t continue to hassle you if you aren’t happy with our proposal. Give us a call on (01) 8424114 or email hello@it.ie and one of the team will get right back to you.
