But how do you know for sure if your new IT partner has the experience they should have in order to work on your system? Ask their clients!
It may seem obvious, but a lot of business owners skip over the crucial step of checking their prospective IT partner’s references.
Here are the top seven questions to ask your IT partner’s references:
1. Did they deliver on their promises?
2. Did they stay on schedule and deliver on time or early?
3. Were they responsive and easy to get hold of in times of emergency?
4. Did they bill accurately?
5. Did they nickel and dime you over every little thing?
6. Did they stay within the projected budget?
7. Would you use them again? Why or why not?
You might also ask if there were any problems that arose and how they handled them. Not every project goes as planned, but it’s not the problems so much as how they were resolved. If your consultant seems hesitant to provide you with references, or if they don’t provide client testimonials, take that as a red flag. Ideally, these references should be similar-sized businesses with similar problems to your own.
It’s also important that anyone you choose to work on your network has access to a team of peers who can offer support during difficult times. We’ll discuss the importance of having a team of technicians at your disposal in our next article “Two Big Reasons Your IT Technician Shouldn’t Be Flying Solo”
Note: This content is based on an excerpt of “The Search for Hassle-Free IT” book. Request your FREE copy.