Our IT Department have been around for a long time now (since 1990 to be exact). During this time we have been approached by many businesses looking for alternative IT Support because they were unhappy with the service levels provided by their existing IT company.

Choosing Outsourced IT Support isn't always easy. With so many companies out there in London it can be difficult to decide what company to work with. Obviously we would be bias and say ‘work with us' because we know how good our level of service is!! However here are some pointers to consider when looking for professional Outsourced IT Support;

Choose an established company.

London is a very competitive marketplace for all of us. Many businesses come and go and IT Support companies are no exception to the rule. For this reason we would suggest working with an established company that has a proven track record at supporting Small businesses over a long term period. If an IT company has survived for as long as we have then they must know what they are doing.

Customer retention is important.

Customers who are happy with a service will not look for it elsewhere. A good IT company will has a record of working with a large portfolio of clients over a long term period. Do not be afraid to ask for referrals that are specifically long term customers.

Referrals.

Many IT Support companies on the web choose to show their clients as case studies, but can you be really sure that these are genuine referrals?  It may be an idea to ask for a referral from a company that does not feature on the website. Never be afraid to ask for a multitude of referral's and be fair when assessing them.

Resources.

It's no good working with an IT Support company that doesn't have the resources to look after you properly!!! Don't be afraid to ask how many engineers they have and how many clients these engineers are currently working with.

Location.

Remote support has changed the way we look after clients. Only the other day I was working on a laptop remotely that was in Australia from my office in London!! However at some point you will probably need some onsite support and that is when it is important to choose a company with local resources available. This nicely brings me onto the next pointer....

SLA

One of the main reasons many of our customers have moved over to us from other IT Support companies. It is no good having a local IT company if they are going to take 8 hours to come and fix something!!! Check the service level agreement with a fine tooth comb and make sure you are happy before signing on the dotted line.

Services

There is nothing more annoying than trying to get a problem fixed, only to be told ‘sorry, this isn't part of your contract'. IT support companies SHOULD be flexible and try to help you whatever the problem may be.

I hope these tips are of help. If you are thing about using Outsourced IT Support then please bear the above points in mind.