How do you know if an I.T. company is just milking you for cash?
You know that I.T. is important to your business and that it will cost to do it right but – ouch – the big invoices hurt!
How do you know that the money you spend is really delivering value or if you are just getting ripped off?
I’ve listed a few of the tell tale signs that perhaps your I.T. Support company is taking you for granted and is abusing the trust you have given them.
1. Everything costs money!
In your conversations with your I.T. Account Manager, monitor how quickly the conversation turns to money. Do the conversations seem dominated by discussion about new equipment or software and what it can do for you? If you ask about a problem, does it quickly turns into a quote without any attempt to try and solve the issue within the existing arrangement you have with them?
These sign demonstrate a worrying mindset that is focused on sales not solutions.
2. They bill you for installing a new computer
Are you in a situation that you are paying for a fixed amount of I.T. support per month? Do you pay an additional fee for them to replace old computers with new computers or upgrading components on the server? I am surprised how common this practice is and if this sounds like your situation – don’t accept it. Yes it will take your I.T. company time to setup the new computer but they will also benefit from the reliability of the new system that will reduce support costs over time. By asking you to pay for the install and then to benefit from a more reliable workstation seems a bit rich to me!
3. They don’t share knowledge
If you find it hard to extract information such as passwords, software licenses and configuration documents from your I.T. company then it is likely they have an attitude of over-servicing (therefore over-charging) you and want you to be dependant on them. This is not in your best interests and only ensures that your I.T. company never misses an opportunity to make money from you.
4. You never see them (and if they do they charge you for it)
Does your I.T. Company come to you or are they available only at the other end of the phone? If they do come, is it an extra charge?
It costs your I.T. Company to come to you so if they send you a monthly bill for I.T. support but you never see them then they are making money. The trouble is that it is very hard for them to truly understand your business and deal with potential risks and offer potential solutions if they don’t visit.
If you are paying for support but never see them it shows they want your money but are not interested in your business.
5. There is no long term I.T. plan
Managed I.T. service providers can get in a rut where you pay them money and there seems to be not many issues. Months and even years go by and no further improvements seem to happen. This should send warning signals to you that perhaps your I.T. support company is just taking your money. Instead, every month where there is no problems should be seen as an opportunity for process improvements.
If your I.T. company offers you a long term I.T. plan and can demonstrate how you are moving along that plan over time then you know they have your best interests at heart and are not milking you for money.
If any of these points raise warning bells for you, then pick up the phone and call us. You deserve better.
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Network Overdrive is your I.T. specialist. We know what you do and how you do it. So call us at 1300 368 928 for a complimentary review of your business. We serve businesses across Australia, and we are ready to serve you.