Is IT Time To Switch To A New IT Company In St. Louis?

Is IT Time To Switch To A New IT Company In St. Louis?

Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, right?

At least, that’s what they say. Often, when it comes to your IT company in St. Louis, the assumption is that if you’ve worked with one company, you’ve worked with them all.

If you’re not satisfied with the one you currently have, it’s probably not worth you’re the time and effort it’ll take to find a new one. You’ll just encounter the same problems.

But really, this is a rather baffling assumption – as with any market, how could you expect the many, many options available to you to be the same?

The fact is that they’re not – and not all IT companies are created equal. That’s why it’s crucial that you weigh your options – ask for client testimonials, case studies, service level guarantees and more so that you can be sure of what you’re getting in to. If this is to be your next IT company in St. Louis, you don’t want to rush into any arrangement without being sure you’ll get what you need.

10 Signs You Need A New IT Company In St. Louis

1. You Can’t Work.
   Whether it’s a slow server that won’t let you access shared company files or a buggy email client that leaves you unsure whether your messages are actually being sent, when your computers aren’t working, you’re not working.
2. You’re Waiting Days For Fixes.
   Every minute you or your staff can’t work because of an IT problem is a direct waste of your time and money. If your IT support isn’t responsive and prompt, then it’s not effective, simple as that. Don’t wait for any more than a couple of hours for a response and more than a day at most for a fix.
3. You’re Paying For Short-Term Fixes.
   Even if you don’t have to wait long to get a technician on-site, it’s not worth much to you if they just have to come back in a few days.

   Ineffective IT support often means applying a “band-aid” solution that doesn’t really get to the root of the problem. The problem is that while the hardware may work when you get it back from them, there’s no guarantee it’ll last for long. That means there’s no way of knowing how quickly you’ll have to call them again to come back and do the same thing.

4. Your Customers Are Unhappy.
   If you can’t work as quickly or as effectively as you should be, it’s only a matter of time before that affects your customers’ experience. And there’s nothing worse than having to face an angry customer and tell them that it’s because your computers aren’t working right.
   
   
5. Your Employees Are Unhappy.
   IT user experience is a big part of business culture these days. If your staff feels that they’re fighting against their computers in order to get their work done, morale will plummet. Staff members will get the impression that you don’t really care about them getting their work done. After all, if you did, wouldn’t you invest more in the tools they rely on every day?
   
   
6. No “Big Picture”.
   Your IT company shouldn’t be 100% focused on maintenance. Their role should expand further, to help you strategically plan your IT for the future, whether that means planning a new business location’s IT infrastructure, helping you price out cloud services or ERP options, or whatever else you have on the horizon that intersects with technology.
7. You’re Doing Their Work.
   Think about the last time you or an employee called up your IT company – what was the conversation like?

   Did they provide support via a remote access tool? Did they come to visit on-site and fix the problem for you? Or did they just lead you through a list of steps to try to get a fix?

   Sure, sometimes when it’s a simple fix and you need it quick, having the person on the other end of the phone line tell you what to unplug and what to click can be an effective way to go about it.

   But if it’s like this every time? That’s another story. You need an IT company in St. Louis that actively manages the support process – not one that tells you what to do.

8. You Don’t Believe What They Say

   Again, as a matter of trust, this is a major issue. Have you gotten to a point with your IT company where you think (or, know for a fact) that they’re lying to you?

   Maybe it’s that they say they’ll be in that afternoon to fix something, but they actually show up the next morning. Maybe they say they’ve updated your systems, but you’re still getting prompts.

   No matter what the lies are, if you think your support provider is being untruthful, then you need to make a change.

9. Lack Of Expertise
   Do you get the impression that your support technician knows about as much about technology as you do?

   After all, you’re hiring this company for their technical capabilities. They should have years of experience and a range of technical certifications that make them fit for the job.

   Whether you think you’re getting their most novice technician most of the time, or even worse, that their team as a whole is just Googling answers to your questions, then it’s time to move on.

10. They Don’t Know Compliance.
    This is another matter of expertise. Regardless of how capable they are with technology, if you operate in an industry that requires you to maintain compliance (healthcare, financial, etc.) then your IT company needs to support that.

    If you feel that you’re just getting a range of generic IT services that don’t actually consider compliance needs, then you need to find an IT company in St. Louis that can deliver.

Time For A New IT Company In St. Louis?

Do any of these signs ring a bell?

Then it’s time to make a change. Keep an eye out for our follow up blog, where we’ll explain exactly how to find the right IT company in St. Louis, as well as how to transition to them without any problems.

Like this article? Check out the following blogs to learn more:

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Microsoft Office 365 and St. Louis Nonprofits (Questions/Answers)