If you have ever caught yourself wondering "is it time to switch I.T. service companies?", the time is now.
If you find yourself contemplating leaving your current I.T. provider, there is more to the story than you know. The unfortunate truth is that most companies stick with an I.T. provider despite knowing they should leave months or years in advance. Unfortunately, many wait for a “last straw” that could adversely impact profits and the capability to service their customers. Here are several scenarios I see way too often.
- Your current provider was purchased by new owners that are not qualified to run an I.T. service business, or national company that has no concern with your organization.
- You have found things wrong in the past, and now constantly followup with your current provider to ensure their service is being provided the way you need it.
- You feel that your provider is too busy for you, and you constantly have to fight for any attention to get things done, are slow to respond, and miss appointments.
- You feel like you are not getting your money's worth, and have no clue what they are doing to support your business.
Once a prospect partner reaches out to see “if the grass is greener”, I meet with them at their business. We discuss how they conduct business, evaluate their I.T. systems against their business practices, and assess their environment/ business practices against regulatory compliance such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, etc. Unfortunately, most prospective partners were left in the dark regarding their environment and the level of support their current provider was supposed to be providing.
Most new partners I consult with had no idea what professional I.T. service should be like. In most cases, they were angry for staying with their previous provider for so long. They felt taken advantage of and were remised at the state of their I.T. environment. They knew they were unhappy with their provider for multiple reasons, but didn’t fully understand how much those reasons were effecting their business, and how insecure their systems were running. Over time, they just assumed all businesses had I.T. issues of that nature and that’s what I.T. services were like.
After transitioning to my team, the client discovered that their IT issues were greater than they had ever imagined. Most systems had been massively neglected, missed critical security patches, and they were also delinquent on HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or other regulatory requirements. In rare circumstances, critical systems had to be rebuilt because of the condition their critical infrastructure was in.
If you are asking yourself “is it time to switch IT service companies”, please consider this strong warning that there are more issues lingering in the soil than you are aware.
You may seem stuck with your current IT company for multiple reasons.
Most companies felt like they were captive with their current provider, or that the level of service they were being provided was normal. When contemplating leaving, they quickly justified their decision to stay based on one of the below criteria.
- I am locked into a service contract with my current provider.
- I know what I have now, but I have no idea what I will get if I change companies.
- I don't think another company will understand us, or the setup we have.
- I don't have the time to change I.T. providers. It was such a headache last time.
- I know they were great for the first year, they're just busy now and things will get better soon.
Let’s take a moment for a hard truth and look at Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological theory. The Oxford Dictionary defines Stockholm Syndrome as a feeling of trust or affection felt in many cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim towards a captor. In most cases, prospective partners felt trust, affection, or fear for leaving their current provider, and remained with them until significant damage or risk of financial loss was too high.
Understand that these justifications for staying are not insurmountable and easily overcome by professional I.T. service organizations.
So how can you find a better IT company to guide and support your business… greener grass?
Now that I have given you hope of finding greener grass, let me rain on your parade for one moment. Seriously, this is important. The IT Service Industry is not regulated like other professional businesses. This is important to know because your current IT company (or future) could have been fired from their IT job and opened a company with no training or knowledge to support your business. As you look for greener grass, I have the tools for you.
I have two solutions to assist you in finding greener pastures!
Solution #1 ask your current and prospect company to answer 21 critical questions that a computer consultant should know. I have provided a copy, just click the image to the left.
Solution #2 contact me for two free hours of consulting services to identify strengths and weaknesses of your current IT support plan.
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Still wondering if it’s time to switch I.T. service providers? Complete the form below to get my 21 revealing questions you should ask your computer consultant before giving them access to your company’s network. This document will assist you in determining if the grass is truly greener on the other side.
Click HERE to get a free consultation with John Maguire instead.
About the author:
My name is John Maguire, and I am a solution engineer with Magoo & Associates. My job is to ensure Magoo supports their business, and construct a secure and reliable plan to attain their business goals. I have dedicated most of my life serving others in the military, paramedicine, and law enforcement. I traveled all over the United States training and working Cyber Crimes. After noticing a need for professional IT services and cyber security, I began my journey with Magoo. Today, I bring a wealth of knowledge and a team that delivers the best service possible to our clients.
Each of our partners are provided a dedicated team of specialists to serve your organization with 24/7 monitoring and support. From automation to cyber security, each team is highly trained in their area of expertise to provide reliable solutions for our partners. Each partner is provided a dedicated account manager to keep you updated on recommendations and the nature of your IT environment. We also lead the industry with 12 second time-to-technician phone response.
