Simply put, it’s all about the relationship, but there is much more to it than that.

Boiling it down to its fundamental element, IT support is a necessity because you simply need your network and workstations to remain faithfully up and running in order to do business. Naturally, that is a given, but if that’s all you believe you need from IT, you are missing out on the premier benefits of having a true ‘Technology Partner’ relationship with your IT provider.

What’s the Difference?

The difference between a Top-Notch Managed Services Provider (MSP) and a run-of-the-mill ‘IT guy’ can be, and usually is, like night and day. It’s akin to the difference between eating at The Four Seasons and eating at McDonalds, although it surprises many administrators that the costs are much closer than that of a Five Star restaurant versus a burger joint.

You may well ask, “How can that be?”

Simple. The longer a low-quality IT guy with questionable abilities thrashes about your network trying to patch things up (we call it ‘Band Aid’ repair), the more hours they bill you for, and the more you experience downtime. First, you ask why it’s taking so long, and after a ‘Geek Speak’ explanation of jargon and gibberish, you still have no idea what’s going on. The nickel/dime IT guy always operates in a state of emergency - to you, but not necessarily for him – he gets paid by the hour, so he’s good.

An MSP makes its money by providing proactive, ongoing forecasting and maintenance that keeps most of these problems from happening. That, in turn, means that they spend much less time keeping your network humming along. It saves them money and it saves you money: Win/Win. While they typically work quickly, they do not operate in a state of emergency, although unexpected things like power outages (and worse external disasters) at your office can and do happen. The less time they spend on you, the less downtime you experience (if any): another Win/Win.

How does Your IT Provider Treat You?

This goes well beyond a pleasant ‘hello’ when you encounter them. One can only hope that even the Nickel/Dime IT provider knows enough to be courteous, but you may be surprised. In meeting with prospective clients, we have heard horror stories – including having to communicate with a law firm administrator through personal email, because the IT Guy was reading her emails and demanding to know why she was talking to other IT providers. AND he was holding their network administrative passwords hostage. Can you imagine that? It is 100% true.

When you call, do you get a live person, or do you have to leave a message with an answering service? How long before somebody gets back to you? Does that returned call put the fix in motion, or is it just a place-holder (so that they can put a mark on their own internal board that contact was returned) until someone qualified to solve your issues can attend to you?

In short, do you sometimes feel like you are on the longest ‘Bad Date’ in the world? “Check, please!”

Attitude

When technicians are in your office, what kind of attitude do they present to your employees – bearing in mind that as the boss, you probably get more civil treatment? Do they brush off your workers’ questions and concerns with an “I’m the expert, not you” arrogance? Or do they explain things simply and effectively so your employees feel comfortable that he’s there to help. Again, Real World experience with workers and business owners informs us that many ‘IT Guys’ are simply rude – sometimes even to the boss! We have taken over the IT duties from end users who’ve said they spend too much time trying to fix things themselves – just so they don’t have to see a surly technician?

To many of us, that is bizarre, but it is more prevalent than you would think.

Do They Seek Out Your Input to Improve Their Service?

This goes beyond an automatic email survey – just like the low-quality IY providers, those are a Dime a Dozen. Do they ‘go deep’ with you to better understand if there are any ways that the quality of their service affects your business or your employees negatively? Most Nickel/Dime IT guys don’t want to hear it – just keep those checks coming.

A true Top-Notch IT provider will always want to know if there is even a hint of an iota of ‘bad news’. At IT Support LA, we have fundamental Policies and Procedures in place that typically inform our work for any client, but, these are slightly altered depending on a specific client’s needs – the way they work, when their own internal deadlines are due – in effect, when must our work not come at cross-purposes with their routine. In effect, each client has its own version of ‘Best Practices.’

Without asking for too much of our clients time, we specifically ask for feedback, and hold ‘State of the System’ meetings to toss about any methods we can employ to improve our service. If not for our clients and their happiness, there would be no IT Support LA.

Clients, Not Customers

These are not synonymous. A customer buys something from somebody. A client relies on the fiduciary responsibility that defines the nature of an ongoing relationship. We have both chosen to take this journey together, so let’s make ourselves comfortable with each other and make the ride as enjoyable as possible.

If your IT Provider truly acts as your Virtual CIO (Chief Information Officer), they will be on the lookout for ways technology can help improve your business and bottom line – not just their own.

If you have found technology that you think will improve your business or workflow and want to discuss this with your IT provider, such as how the technology or application will interact with your existing network setup, are they available to brainstorm with you? Will they bill you for the time they spend talking with you?

The Nickel/Dime IT Guys may talk with you but will typically have no valuable input. Their attitude is “Just do what you’re going to do, and we’ll fix whatever breaks after you do it.” How helpful is that?

A Top-Notch MSP Like IT Support LA wants to discuss these things with you, with no added charge. What helps your business helps our business and vice versa. That is the earmark of having a relationship with a Technology Partner.

Do You Feel Tolerated or Pampered?

As a Top-Notch, multiple award-winning MSP, we at IT Support LA continuously strive to help your business in the ‘big picture’ way, not just with prompt ‘fixes’. Our CEO, Yuri Aberfeld, is a business owner just like you, and understands a lot more about people and business than just how to keep your network running seamlessly and operating at peak level. All of us here are real people, with real lives, and we enjoy relating to our clients as real people, not just ‘fixit tickets’ that come in.

Honestly, nobody is happy when they have to call IT, because it means something has gone wrong, but we strive to take the sting out of it. Our clients know that when they call, they are going to receive expert care from our friendly, empathetic staff. It is in both of our best interests to resolve any issue our clients have quickly, efficiently, and with a smile you can see in your office or even ‘hear’ over the phone.

We do our best to make our customers feel pampered for two main reasons:
1) We get to know our clients and care about them.
2) We know that comfortable, happy clients are as loyal to us as we are to them.

Check us Out at No Risk

If you would like a sampling of our relationship based, top-notch service, take advantage of our FREE, no strings, no obligations Network and Security Assessment. With non-intrusive software, we will look only at the network – not your data, and we will submit a FREE comprehensive report showing not only what may be preventing your network from operating at premium speed and efficiency, but will also shine a light on any dangerous vulnerabilities lurking within your Cyber Security setup.

The report is yours to keep, with no obligation to do business with us. You can take the report to your IT ‘Guy’ and demand explanations, fixes, and better ongoing care for your system. There will be no sales pressure, no gimmicks, just knowledge you can use in a very real way.

Either fill out the form on this page or call us at: 818-805-0909