If your technician does not score a “yes” on every point, you could be paying for substandard support AND be wide open to a very expensive, very frustrating computer disaster:
1. Do they answer their phones “live” and respond to support issues in 1 hour or less?
2. Are they remotely monitoring your network 24-7-365 to keep critical security settings, virus definitions, and security patches up to date?
3. Do they INSIST on monitoring an offsite as well as an onsite backup, or are they letting you rely on outdated tape backups?
4. Do they INSIST on doing periodic test restores of your backups to make sure the data is not corrupt and could be restored in the event of a disaster?
5. Have they provided you with written, network documentation detailing what software licenses you have, critical network passwords, and hardware information, or are they the only person with the “keys to the kingdom?”
6. Do they consistently (and proactively) offer new ways to improve your network’s performance, or do they wait until you have a problem to make recommendations?
7. Do they provide detailed invoices that clearly explain what you are paying for?
8. Do they explain what they are doing and answer your questions in terms that you can understand (not geek-speak)?
9. Do they complete projects on time and on budget, or does every project end up taking longer and costing more than you expected?
10. Do they offer any guarantees on their services?
11. Do they arrive on time and dress professionally?
12. Do they have other technicians on staff who are familiar with your network in case your regular technician goes on vacation or gets sick?
13. Do their technicians maintain current vendor certifications and participate in ongoing training, or do you feel as though they are learning on your dime?
14. Do they take calls from other clients while working on your network (and on your dime)?
15. Do you have to manage their progress on projects, or do they provide frequent updates, status reports, and follow-up calls and e-mails?
16. Do they offer flat-rate or fixed-fee project quotes, or do they give themselves a wide open playing field with “time and materials?
Contact Kanobe anytime for a no-obligation quote for your IT needs.