At one point, we did a search and discovered that there are nearly 500 IT consultants in Seattle. That’s a lot.
Here’s the thing. Even though 500 is an astronomical number of IT companies (proof that we’re high tech here in Seattle!), very few of these providers will end up being the best IT support option for your business. Some of them may even be a straight-up bad choice.
If you’ve been wondering whether or not you’re working with one of the best IT support companies in Seattle, check out this list of 10 ways you can tell your support is among the best.
Some IT support providers come in and know all the answers. They start bossing you around, telling you that all your hardware is out of date and that you need new IT. Immediately.
Come on! How would they possibly know you need new IT if they haven’t listened to you and learned about your business? If you run across one of these providers… well, you can bet they’re not one of the best IT support companies in Seattle.
It’s a fact of life that IT problems happen. You know that. It’s why you had the foresight to hire an IT support company. However, if you’re finding that your IT support is MIA whenever you have a problem… that’s a good sign you’re not working with one of the best.
Here’s an industry secret: Many of the IT support companies say they offer 24/7/365 monitoring of your networks to keep your business IT and data safe, but they clock out at 5:30 PM, just like you. They may have a tech on standby at nighttime with an alarm on her phone that notifies her if there’s a big problem, or they may outsource their after-hours care to a global help desk.
The best IT support companies keep their own best people watching your networks around the clock, just like they promised you they would.
One of the benefits of having an IT support company that listens to you is that they can tailor their services to your needs. Not-so-great companies try to strongarm you into paying for services and solutions you don’t need (and will never need), whereas the best of the best will design a personalized package, just for you.
That way, you can be sure you’re getting the best care for your business at all times.
Say you call up your IT support company and they show up to help. Great! However, after they take a look at your system, they start throwing techie terms at you and tell you that you need to call in an outside professional to take care of the issue. They leave, and you still have a problem. But now you don’t even know who to call.
The best IT support companies have a wide range of skills in house, so when you call them for help, they can help.
Tech changes quickly, and it can be exhausting to keep up with new business technology, especially if your organization is growing. As a business leader, you have enough to focus on day to day, so you should be able to trust that your IT support company maintains their focus on your tech and tells you when — or if — you need to update something.
By the way, they also should tell you this in advance. It’s not helpful to hear that you should replace an IT tool after it breaks.
Have you ever called for IT support and found yourself being talked down to by the surliest jerk ever? (You know the person we’re talking about.) Of course you have. We all have. And it’s an awful experience.
If you reached this surly jerk at your current IT support company… you’re definitely not working with one of Seattle’s best support providers. Ouch.
Here’s another industry secret: A lot of IT support providers out there these days are new to the business. That doesn’t mean they’re bad – after all, in 2001, we were new too and our first clients were kind enough to give us a chance. However, when your organization reaches a certain size, or when you have specific compliance requirements to deal with, you don’t want to work with a rookie.
The best IT support providers have success stories, testimonials, references, and all sorts of other proof that they’re awesome.
Remember, we’re not simply talking about the best IT support companies anywhere, we’re talking about the best in Seattle. Therefore, you don’t want to rely on a national provider (those “big-box” providers usually aren’t the best anyway) – you want to work with someone who giggles when they think of geoducks, is comfortable taking the water taxi, and who shares your frustration with the Seattle Squeeze.
That’s because a Seattle-based IT support company will truly want to see your Seattle-based business succeed. And you want a cheerleader on your side when you’re facing tech issues.
Perhaps you’re already working with a great IT support company that checks the box in all the previous nine categories… but when it comes to your industry, they seem to be in the dark. For example, you’re in healthcare, but your IT provider seems a little fuzzy on HIPAA. Or you’re in architecture and design, and your IT provider doesn’t understand why your expired software license is such a big deal.
Working with an IT expert is great, but working with an IT expert who knows your industry is one of the biggest keys to ensuring that you’re working with one of the best IT support companies for you.
Back in 2001, Interplay’s founders decided that Seattle deserved better IT support – and, since then, they’ve been working hard to make sure Seattleites get the outstanding IT help they deserve.
Interplay is committed to listening to clients, working around the clock, meeting clients on their terms, and delivering the skills they need – both proactively and strategically. This commitment is the reason Interplay is one of Seattle’s only true managed service providers (MSPs), the winner of multiple IT awards, and the long-time team to trust for many of our community’s leaders.
Plus, we’ve got a great sense of humor – and when your business IT is on the fritz, you’ll really appreciate that. 😉
Curious to learn more about how to tell if you’re working with one of the best IT support companies here in Seattle? Check out our in-depth Seattle Business Owners’ Guide to IT Security, so you can get the facts.
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16300 Christensen Rd Ste 304 Seattle, WA 98188
(206) 329-6600
