IT support Placerville

Increasing numbers of SMBs are opting either to do without an internal IT team, or to keep that IT team for “value add” tasks such as development. Everyday housekeeping is handed over to managed IT services in Placerville and both project and break/fix work is handed over to an IT support partner in Placerville. Here are some points to keep in mind when you choose one.

Remember that on-site support can still be very useful

When researching potential IT support partners in Placerville, be very careful to check and see whether an IT support company is in Placerville (or at least near Placerville) or whether they’re based further afield and offering IT support services in Placerville. Even though most if not all IT support is delivered remotely, it can still be reassuring to know that you can get someone on-site quickly if you ever have the need.

Remember that contracts are usually written under the service provider’s local law

Service providers usually have a policy of insisting that all contracts are written under their local law and that any disputes are settled by their local courts. If you use an IT support partner which is actually based in Placerville (or a nearby locality such as Sacramento), then everyone will be on the same legal page and will be bound by the same local courts. If, however, you opt for a company which just offers IT support services in Placerville, but is actually based elsewhere, then you could be at quite a disadvantage if you do have a dispute.

Remember to check the actual process for break/fix support

Even though modern IT support companies are generally mostly focussed on projects (as good Managed IT Services companies will do a lot to reduce failures and hence the need for break/fix work), you will probably want to know that they have an effective process in place for resolving break/fix issues as these can be highly disruptive.

Essentially, you want a step-by-step walk-through of the process used for break/fix support, including full details of any variations which may occur depending on circumstances (e.g. time of day). In particular, you want to know the process for raising a ticket and any and all SLAs in place from that point up to and including resolution.

Think carefully about whether or not you’re happy to work with an IT support partner which insists that you open a ticket online or charges you extra to make a phone call (especially if the charges go up according to the duration of the call). This may seem like a great way of reducing costs and streamlining the process (by gathering as much information as possible before a human takes over the query), but it can be a real headache in an emergency, especially one for which there’s no obvious ticket category.

In fact, even in the 21st century, you probably want to assume that you are going to need (or at least want) to open break/fix tickets by phone. That being so, you’ll want to know how long your maximum waiting time will be and how long it will take to engage second line (and beyond) if need be. This is very likely to vary according to time of day and/or service contract. You might also want to ask some questions about the capabilities of the first-line operatives. In other words, are they just there for triage or do they actually have technical skills too?

Remember to check the pricing models and payment terms

It’s useful to check an IT support company’s default pricing structure and payment terms just in case you need to use them, but generally you’ll want to avoid it. What you want to know is whether or not an IT support company offers discounts for advance payment and/or volume purchases. If they do, you’ll want to know if they’re available for break/fix work (which is reactive and unscheduled) or just for project work (which is proactive and can be scheduled).

You’ll also need to check the payment terms, especially for payments that are billed in arrears. Typically these will be 15 days or 30 days (sometimes with a discount for prompt payment), but they can vary. Another useful point to know is whether an IT support company can offer cyberinsurance or if they can work with cyberinsurance companies. Cyberinsurance is becoming increasingly popular as a way to limit your potential liability, especially with regards to security breaches so it is often very much worth checking.

If you’d like to speak to a reputable and experienced IT support partner in Placerville, please click here now to contact Salient IT.