8 Criteria for Technology Vendor Support

When evaluating current technology support or selecting a new vendor, there are some key criteria that are the most important for this critical partner in your business:

1. Pricing

No surprises should be the main criteria. Several items should be priced and all information stated up front.

a) Hourly charges:

Working on servers or workstations on site
Working on servers or workstations remotely
Emergency or “quick-response” surcharges

For companies with less than ten computers, an hourly rate for all support should be in the range of $80-$125 per hour. If you are considering a vendor with rates well outside of this range, ask how they set their pricing.

b) Maintenance contracts for a company that repair any computer related problem for a fixed monthly fee. Discounted hourly rates are offered for service contract clients.

c) If there are any minimum charges, ask for details.

d) Travel charges to your office location: There should be a reasonable travel fee for travel charges within a generously defined metropolitan service area.

If rates are “too-good-to-be-true”….then they probably are not accurate. Very low rates may be a sign of an inexperienced computer firm which may cause more problems that cost more in the long run.

2. Response Time?

Support should be available when you need it. Computers can be unpredictable.

a) Check on advertised, actual, and guaranteed response times.

b) Obtain documentation for these claims.

c) Sometimes a telephone call can resolve minor problems and get you back to work quickly.

d) Sometimes a technician can connect to your system remotely and resolve the issue.

e) Support should be proactive, so problems are avoided upfront as opposed to only reactive

3. Define Support

Understand what support your business needs by gathering information about the operating systems and applications in use in your company. If your company uses any custom software, your support vendor should contact the software tech support directly to minimize your downtime.

a) The vendor should offer equipment and software support/communication.

b) The vendor should contact other vendors when there is a problem.

4. Experience and Industry Certifications

There is no replacement for industry experience. When computer issues and problems arise, the technician only knows from experience and training how to solve the problem. Look for:

a) Industry certifications for the equipment or software platform that your system uses and that requires support.

b) Pricing that is fair when the vendor has to charge for research time. If the time is due to a problem with proprietary equipment or software, the vendor will probably charge you. If not, then you should expect to pay a reduced amount, if any.

c) Inquire as to how many years of average experience the staff has in providing computer support.

d) Inquire as to how long each employee has been employed for this vendor.

5. Local Business References

Choose a vendor with experience supporting businesses of a similar size and/or industry as yours. Get their names and call to ask:

a) Are they sensitive to your deadlines; your busy times; your working environment?

b) Are these customers happy with the service?

c) Do these customers trust them for complete technology support?

d) Are the technicians good communicators?

e) Are expectations set upfront and agreed upon prior to starting service?

6. Handling Your Emergencies

There should be very specific information and agreement on the handling of emergency calls for support. The vendor should give you contact information at any time, on any day.

a) First you need to create and test a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), providing for direct and indirect emergency situations and disasters.

Include what happens when your system goes down
When you are given priority and how that is determined
After hour emergency contact and procedures

b) Back-ups and safety should be covered.

c) Test restores are a necessity in case a back-up is ever needed.

d) Is the vendor remotely monitoring your systems to help keep emergencies from occurring in the first place?

7. Documentation

You need a vendor to provide a basic level of documentation:

a) Describes your computer system.

b) Contains every login and password.

c) Contains an updated copy of your system inventory.

d) Contains diagrams showing the physical and logical layout of your system.

e) Overall network scheme.

f) Vendors’ information, contact and logins.

8. Competition

A vendor should approach support with a proactive emphasis, striving to minimize your system downtime, rather than their monthly billings. A vendor should have the ability to provide services above and beyond basic computer support. Some good indicators are:

a) How much information they request before they offer solutions.

b) How much they consider the size of your business and more importantly, your budget.

c) How they view the relationship; are they a partner in your success or are they just hired help?

The more closely aligned you are with the degree of professionalism in which a vendor operates their own business, and is stable and dependable, the better chance that your partnership will be mutually satisfying. Consider the similarities in the ways that you and your vendor conduct business, and in how the vendor maintains customer support and contact.

ABS can be your total IT department and do everything, or supplement and consult as needed. Call us at 502-896-2557 or email us or fill out an inquiry form with your questions included. We want to make your computers work!