Searching for the right IT service provider can be challenging, especially if you’ve not used an IT service in the past. You may have questions about what to look for in an IT service provider. So, in this article, we’ll take a look at the top mistakes made by IT service providers. 

Read on so you can learn what to look for and avoid IT service providers who make these mistakes! 

Most Common Mistakes IT Service Providers Make

Over Specifying Solutions

The first common mistake made by IT service providers is selling a client more than they really need. This mistake can come about in a couple of days. Why would an IT service provider make this mistake? Well, it may not be so much of a mistake as a method to make more money. In that case, a service provider may try to sell you technology and solutions that are soon out of date or that don’t bring value to your company. You end up paying for tech and solutions that cost a huge part of the company budget, but these solutions don’t help your company run efficiently or scale. 

An IT service provider may be over-enthusiastic and want to sell you more tech & solutions that are truly needed. They may believe these solutions are correct and best for your business. However, the mistake here is that the IT service provider needs to study or analyse your business needs correctly. So, they end up trying to sell you solutions that are too expensive and are not the right fit for your business. 

Under-Specifying Solutions

Under-specifying solutions is another common mistake made by It support providers. While over-specifying solutions can be a huge problem, under-specifying solutions can be worse. The problem with this issue is that it may not make allowances for scaling your company. 

Your company needs “space” to grow. This means that an IT support provider must consider the future growth of the business. They must ensure your IT requirements are met now and into the future. Otherwise, it’s necessary to update or change your service periodically. 

The result is that company faces major interruptions to its operations. This can mean losing clients, credibility, and revenues. 

Neglecting Networks & Never Visiting Customer Sites

This common mistake can also cost your business. It could be caused by a lazy provider or one that doesn’t value its clients. When your network is neglected, the result can be that problems start to grow and become more numerous. Over time, system functionality goes down, and business operations may become disrupted and slowed. 

The IT service provider may miss essential problems, such as security compliance & updates, failure of hardware and software, and much more. 

Installing Old Technology

If an IT support provider recommends installing old technology, stay clear of this provider. Technology is essential for your business operations. Installing old technology means your company won’t function as well as its competitors. 

Technology makes business processes more efficient and cuts down on the costs of storage, transport, and more. Everything today is stored as digital files in the cloud. In addition, new technology ensures your business stays organised and can easily share files from a central location. It’s easier to get information to your accountant, clients, and more. 

Modern tech also ensure your company can accurately track records, with each financial record recorded and saved in the cloud. When the data is needed, you simply head to the central storage location (in the cloud) and download the data. It’s that fast and easy. 

When you have updated technology, your business is also more secure. Cyber threats abound today, making it necessary to ensure that your network and processes are updated with the latest versions and security patches. Then your data is safer and protected from cybercriminals. 

These are only a few of the reasons that updated technology is necessary for your business. If an IT service provider recommends older technology, avoid them. Your business deserves the latest tech to stay secure and operate efficiently. 

Don’t Monitor Servers & Workstations

Monitoring is one of the most effective ways to stay alert to small issues before they become major problems. Some IT service providers don’t monitor, and that means they are reactive rather than proactive in keeping your network up and running. 

With a reactive IT service provider, there’s a high risk of your network going down. And because they don’t monitor continuously, there’s also a higher chance that the problem will be a major one. This may include hardware or software failure, a cyber threat, and more. These are serious problems that can keep your business from running for days and weeks. 

Not Talking with Clients

Many IT providers avoid too much interaction with their clients. They may only respond when there’s a problem, or the client has urgent questions. You’re left wondering if the network is truly working as it should and if there are any problems. You won’t know because the provider doesn’t interact with your company on a regular basis. 

It’s essential for an IT service provider to keep their clients up to date on the state of their network. The service provider needs to let their clients know of any issues and see if the client has questions or problems (including those that are minor) that need to be addressed. 

Interacting with the client is a common courtesy and standard behaviour of professional organisations.

Not Using Best Practices

IT support providers may stress that their clients need to use best practice solutions; however, IT support provider fails to implement these solutions on their side. That’s a problem. 

Consider that IT support providers know they need to turn password policies on and explain why these are necessary to their clients. However, the support provider may fail to do this, leaving their clients open to security problems and more. 

Summing It Up

As you search for an IT support provider, this list may help you avoid bad service providers and help you see what constitutes good service. 

The key is to find an IT support provider who fits your business and offers the right tech solutions to help your business grow. A professional IT support provider should also ensure that your business follows best practices in security and other areas. And a good support provider regularly interacts with you, checking for problems or questions you may have. 

So, avoid IT support providers that make any of the problems listed above! You and your business will thrive with the right IT support provider, one that offers professional services and takes interest in its clients.