Why is IT Support Important for Businesses?

Technology plays an essential role in any business. Businesses today need technology. Unfortunately, something will definitely go wrong at some point, that’s just the nature of technology.

This is where managed IT support comes in. The last thing your business needs is failing and faulty technology. Hiring a third-party IT support team will help take weight off your shoulders and will keep your business running efficiently.

Here are some reasons why IT support is important for businesses:

Quick and Effective Solutions for Hard to Solve Problems

Regardless of how well you know your company’s systems, what can you do if something goes badly wrong? How long can you afford to be without your systems before it starts to affect your customer satisfaction and your business long-term?

Slow IT costs UK businesses around £11billion a year in lost productivity. Yet, technical support over the phone can fix most problems quickly. In fact, many issues can be prevented before they happen with proactive monitoring and an effective data management strategy.

You might be thinking, “most software comes with customer support services, why do I need a managed it provider?”. The answer is simple. They can save you time, stress, and in the majority of cases, prevent the issue from happening in the first place.

Keep your Business Secure from Cyber Threats

Cyber security is a major issue for businesses, even if they don’t recognise it. No matter how big or small your business is, it is likely that you are vulnerable to financial attacks. In fact, over the past 12 months, 32% of all businesses in the UK and nearly a quarter of charities reported a cyber-attack.

Many businesses think that if they have business insurance in place, they’re instantly protected against cyber-attacks, however this is far from the truth. If you have professional indemnity insurance, it might cover some aspects of a cyber incident, such as litigation resulting from the loss of customer data, but that is only a fraction of what a specific cyber insurance policy covers.

So… What’s your best option to stay protected?

Well… Insurance companies are asking organisations for evidence of cyber security certifications such as Cyber Essentials, this is because it has been proven that certified organisations are significantly less likely to suffer a serious cyber or data incident. By gaining the Cyber Essentials certification, you can keep your business protected from 95% of attacks and once the certification is gained, we suggest investing in cyber insurance for your business.

Better Data Storage and Management

All businesses, no matter the size, carry a lot of data. Customer information, employee data, transactional data and other sources are all critical data that needs to be stored securely. IT providers will be able to evaluate your company’s data landscape and assess its needs for proper data storage and management, saving you time and stress.

What to Look for in an IT Support Provider?

No one wants to spend time fixing IT related issues, you should be focusing on what your business does best. Follow these tips to ensure you end up with reliable and competent individuals who help transform your business.

Communication

Communication is one of the most overlooked aspect when it comes to choosing an IT Provider. Contacting your IT Support team should be a quick and easy process. They should give you regular updates and contact you when necessary, instead of waiting for you to call. Sometimes, IT issues need dealing with yesterday, and therefore you need a responsive IT team. Look for a service that gives you a guaranteed response time, and a single point of contact.

Experience Working in Your Industry

Choosing an IT Provider who has experience in your industry could be a huge decision maker. For example, at Method IT we have 25 years of experience working with Legal Firms, Accountancy Firms, and Professional Services. This results in a better understanding of timeframe when solving issues and most importantly, knowledge of the different software each industry uses.

Cost

Cost shouldn’t be your top priority when choosing the correct IT Provider for you, but budget always plays a part. Regardless, no business wants to invest much money into something that gives you little to no investment return. When you hire an IT support team, you are investing, but IT investments almost pay for themselves and more every time you have a software issue or a hardware problem. Make sure the quotes all include the additional services that you may need and if the price is very low, you might want to consider why. Is the IT Provider as good as they say they are? Do they have proof?

Consistently High Client Satisfaction and Support Team Stats

No one knows an IT Provider better than their current clients. When choosing an IT Support Provider, it’s important you ask them for their monthly CSAT (customer satisfaction scores). So… What exactly should you be looking for? Here are some stats you should look for:

• Response Time – You should never wait long for a response time when contacting the support team, this is why we have a 5 second average answer time here at Method IT.
• Same Day Fixes – No one wants to wait days for an issue to be fixed, the quicker the better. Some issues are always going to be a longer process, it’s inevitable , however an IT Provider should never have a lower same day fix rate of under 50%. This is why our average at Method is 75% every month.
• Client Satisfaction – A businesses clients know best. If their monthly satisfaction score is low, that’s not a good sign. Our clients are our priority at Method IT and this is why we achieved 100% client satisfaction in 8 out of 12 months in 2023, with the other 4 months being above 97%!

Not all IT Providers are Experts

Not all IT providers are created equal! Each one all has different levels of expertise, pricing, services, and areas of specialisation. You need to do your research before choosing an IT provider, and you also need to know what to ask them.

• Do they specialise in your industry?
• Is the price too good to be true?
• What about their certifications?

At Method IT, not only do we have the answers, we also have the questions. We’ve created an eBook that covers 10 questions to as a potential IT Support Provider, as well as an answer from us. After reading this blog, you should hopefully have a better understanding of why an IT provider is important. Whether you’re looking for your first IT provider, or you’re looking to switch providers, we make the onboarding process quick and simple, with minimum effort needed from you.

So… What are the best 10 questions to ask an IT Support Provider? Find out in your free eBook below.