Tech Guru is known for delighting clients, but sometimes it’s only after clients have passed up Tech Guru for a seemingly cheaper option. Yes, it’s happened before, and it will happen again. Potential clients compare proposals, focus only on the bottom line, and get burned when the deal they were promised costs them more than they ever bargained for. Find out how you can avoid the pitfalls of low-cost IT.
Know What’s Included
“The world of IT service is the Wild West,” says Dan Moshe, founder and CEO of Tech Guru. Some tech service providers specialize in creating their own jargon for services that Tech Guru spells out in plain English. “Our service descriptions aren’t trademarkable,” Dan chuckles. When you’re not sure what you’re getting, it’s hard to compare one company to another. Beware, says Dan, “if you’re only comparing costs, it’s at your own peril.” Talk through service descriptions in detail to be sure what you see in writing is what your company actually needs. Dan explains, “When we lose a potential customer to a low-cost provider, they come back a year later saying, ‘We ended up paying more than what you had quoted us – and we weren’t happy with them anyway!'”
Value Your Future Business
If you fall for low-cost solutions, it could cost you business. Tech Guru ensures clients are able to be as productive as possible, whether it be at the office, from home, or from your smartphone. Is a tech provider offering you the least expensive internet connection? You don’t want cheapest one, you want the right one. “If you’re delivering furniture,” says Dan, “you don’t give your guy a minivan, or he’ll be making 20 trips. You have to give people the right tools for the job.” If a knowledgeable IT provider can evaluate a company’s needs and set them up for optimal efficiency, “you’ll be delivering more quickly, on time, with the capacity to sell more.” On the flip side, says Dan, “The cost of lost business is people not having the right tools and not being set up for success.”
Put a Price on Your Time
It’s not that IT is none of your business, but it’s not the business you’re in. Rather than having a true tech support team taking care of your IT, with low-cost IT you may find yourself getting dragged in to come up with solutions that weren’t included in your initial package. “Ask yourself if you really want to be stuck in the middle having to micromanage your IT,” suggests Dan. “It can end up costing you your time, your employees’ time, and therefore, money.”
Don’t settle for anything less than an IT company that can figure out the right solutions for your business, gets your values, and fits your budget. Micromanagement and complaints from your employees should definitely not be part of the package!
When it’s time to look for tech support, read up on 5 Essential Issues to Consider When Hiring a IT Service Provider. And of course, Tech Guru is around when you’re ready to discuss your company’s technology solutions.
Dan Moshe helps business owners in the Minneapolis area with all things tech, and is the CEO of the Caring IT company Tech Guru. He cares about your business as much as you do!