How much will I.T. support cost ?
Costs will vary but typically range from £60 - £90 per hour for site visits.
If someone is charging less than this you might wonder what
qualifications and experience they have and how long they are likely to
continue trading.
What are their contact details &
location?
Sounds obvious but if a support company only publishes
mobile numbers they may be just a one man band working from home. If a
company is located outside your near area then ask yourself how long
might it take to get a technician on site in a real emergency.
How many people are there in an I.T. support company?
A "one man band" may be less expensive but what if they
fall ill or are away on holiday? Can you be sure that you will still get
the support your business needs?
How long have they been trading What experience do they
have??
We have seen many I.T. companies come and go during our time in
business (now 11 years), companies that are still around after the first
5 years may be considered to be here to stay.
What qualifications/certifications do they hold?
The most common questions we get asked, how did you learn all this?
and how do you keep up with the technology? The answer, training,
experience and more training. Courses and examinations for, say
Microsoft or CISCO qualifications, aren't cheap. A 7 day course with 3
examinations (each requiring 80% as a pass mark) for Microsoft
Certified I.T. Professional cost typically £3500! Look for
Microsoft/CISCO certified/registered partners or something like small
business server specialist.
Do they have professional indemnity insurance?
It's always reassuring to know that a supplier has PII
albeit we've never know of any I.T. support company that have had to
call on it, you just never know!
Are they a registered company and are they VAT registered?
I think we all feel that companies that are registered at Companies
House and that are VAT registered are just that little bit more reliable
and really do mean business. With registered companies it will be
possible to get details of their accounts that have been filed at
Companies House so you can easily see how they are doing.
What affiliations do they hold?
Again we probably all have more confidence in businesses
that are members of institutes such as the Chambers of Commerce or the
Small Business Federation and even better are members of recognised
trade associations.
Can you get references from other businesses?
Don't be afraid to ask for details of existing customers
that you can contact and ask for references a good I.T. support company
will be only to glad to have their customers singing their praises.