10 Questions to Ask When Looking for a Technical Support Provider
Searching for professional IT assistance you can trust in a crisis?
Per incident technical support is a convenient, cost-effective solution for businesses: you can access expert help in a range of tough situations without being tied into contracts. Just contact your provider to discover an effective, efficient resolution to your problem.
But the technical support you receive will only be as good as the team that provides it. And finding the best specialists for your business goals, operations, and budget can be tricky.
To help make it easier, we’ve compiled 10 questions to ask before you choose.
How Quickly Do You Respond to Issues?
Per incident technical support solves one issue at a time. That’s a huge part of this service’s appeal — and so is the quick response that the best providers offer.
Why does that matter? The sooner you resolve a problem affecting your operations, the sooner you can get back on track and start generating revenue again.
A slow response could leave you and your employees without the technology you depend on for hours or days.
Ask your provider if they have a guaranteed response time so you know how long you can expect to wait at their busiest times — GenX guarantees a 30 minute response time on submitted issues.
Be wary of any team that appears to be evasive when discussing response times.
How Much Experience Does Your Team Have?
An experienced per incident technical support team has handled more situations and resolved more issues than a newer one. That means they’re more likely to have the insights and resolution paths to help you with almost any technical problem.
Check out a potential provider’s website to learn more about their background, the type of clients they work with, and more. This should help you make an informed decision and understand what to expect.
What Contact Methods Do You Offer?
Your selection process should become easier when you find out whether a provider can accommodate your communication preferences.
Technical support providers may have only taken phone calls at one time, but they have a bigger range of technologies at their disposal today.
A quality provider will cater to diverse client needs by offering more than one contact method, such as phone, live chat, email, etc. This flexibility allows you to access the support you need in an emergency through your preferred channel, on any device.
You might struggle to articulate an issue verbally, for example, or find chatting via instant messaging cumbersome.
What are Your Payment Options?
Your per incident technical support provider should be upfront about which payment methods they accept and other details surrounding costs.
You may have strict requirements when making payments. Perhaps you only rely on one or two methods and need your chosen provider to offer that, or you may be a little more flexible. There’s no right or wrong here.
Have You Worked with Businesses in My Niche?
Technical support specialists may work with clients in various sectors or they could focus on one or two specifically.
But if they have no experience of helping a business in your niche, with your type of IT configuration and needs, they may be unable to deliver the right standard of assistance.
That might not always be the case — but it’s worth considering before you reach out for help.
When Are You Available?
Choose a provider with operating hours that align with yours. Otherwise, you could struggle to access technical support in an emergency and be forced to wait for their office to open or find an alternative.
Committed providers understand their clients’ operational needs and offer a responsive service to minimize delays.
What Problems Does Your Per Incident Technical Support Service Solve?
This question is particularly important if you have a persistent, highly complex technical issue to resolve.
Technical support providers may have certain specialisms that mean they’re more effective in some emergencies than others. Or they might be committed to expanding their expertise with frequent training and research.
In any case, you want to feel reassured that your chosen provider can help you diagnose and fix IT problems effectively.
Are Your Technicians Certified?
Ask about the type of certifications that a provider’s technicians hold to get a clear insight into the service you can expect.
The most reliable support teams have industry-certified technicians on hand to help you with any IT challenge. They draw on hands-on experience, training, and skills to deliver a high-quality client experience with each interaction.
Where Are You Based?
A per incident technical support team’s location can affect their availability if you’re in different time zones.
Imagine how frustrated you would feel if the experts you want to speak to in a crisis are inaccessible because it’s later or earlier in their region than you realize.
Another potential issue related to a technical support provider’s location is local regulation/certification requirements.
Are they obligated to hold any specific titles or accreditations to provide their services? Could you experience difficulties with different terminology or language?
Location may not be a deal-breaker but it’s important all the same.
What Other Services Do You Offer?
A company offering per incident technical support services may offer additional IT solutions. And if you’re impressed by the quality of their support, you could draw on their specialist knowledge in other areas.
For example, your current information security setup may be weaker than you know it should be or you want to migrate to the cloud.
An extensive portfolio of services also indicates that a provider may have more credibility and more varied technical knowledge than those offering fewer solutions.
These 10 questions will help you learn more about any technical support provider you intend to contact on a case-by-case basis.
GenX’s per incident technical support brings you efficient diagnostic services and resolution paths for any issue. We have a 95% Tier 1 resolution rate and strive to resolve problems in the shortest possible time.
Want to learn more? Speak to GenX’s team now!