5 things to look at when choosing a Service Provider
At Stability we know there is a lot of competition in the area of IT Managed Service so the decision of who to choose as a provider is not an easy one.
So, we have sat down and put a guide together as to what to look for and watch out for when choosing any provider.
1. Who will you be dealing with?
This is important because once you sign a 1-2-year agreement with your chosen provider will the people you signed with still be at the company throughout the process. We totally believe that when you make a buying decision a lot has to do with the people that you meet during the process and the promises that they made to you. So, question one is do you have a dedicated contact person that will help you when you have a problem or when you have a goal/project in mind.
2. Do they do things differently?
If you have met with a few different suppliers, are you hearing the same soundbites and industry buzz words? or have they put some work in and given you a different angle that proves they really know what they are talking about? When providing a service of any kind the detail that you can go into as a provider can show you as a potential client that the provider has more experience in this area and should make you feel more comfortable to work with them.
3. Are they going beyond your expectations?
This can be a tough one to measure sometimes but a good provider will have a great network of contacts not just in their area of expertise but outside as well. These are normally trusted contacts that can show you more value by offering an introduction to a specialist in an area that doesn’t naturally benefit the provider.
4. Is planning for the future a priority?
Poor providers will only focus on the immediate issues that a client is facing and will not try to investigate what the plans are going forward. This can be important for the client as by being proactive and planning for a known expansion now can save you considerable costs in the future. Poor providers will not care about the future proofing your business as they will see that as a revenue opportunity rather than building trust with you as the client.
5. Will they vanish once they get paid?
Does your provider want to have a relationship with you and constantly show value or do they just want to contact you when it is time to renew your contract? As a provider it is really easy to show value to your clients just by having regular meetings and ensuring everything is OK. This is so simple but from what we see this is not done.
In Summary
Picking a provider is an important decision as once you sign you are generally stuck with that decision for the length of the contract. However, there are a few things that you can look out for that makes the decision easier.
Make sure they have good staff that has low turnover
Look for extra details/procedures that they show you to show they are actually experts
A good provider will be able to help you in other areas thanks to their professional network.
They look to your future and not just about what is wrong now
Does it look like they want to build their relationship with you are is it just for the last two months of a contract.
If you like this, please share it with your network and if you have any questions on what you read here contact us directly info@stability.ie