Information Technology is an everyday part of our lives. At home and in business, if your computer systems don’t work properly, you can’t keep your business running. Selecting an IT Consultant is an important issue. Choosing correctly means your systems will run smoothly, so when you do have a problem, it can be resolved quickly and with minimum cost. An incorrect decision can be costly – both in money and downtime.

Here are 6 key points to consider when choosing your IT consultant.

1. What approach do they take?

An IT Consultant can take one of two approaches:

The ‘band-aid’ approach fixes problems as they occur, but may not address underlying problems. Further costs are often incurred because this approach can cause further problems. How often have you heard someone tell you they had a computer person fix a problem, but since then something else isn’t working properly.

2. What experience do they have?

Experience in IT Support is a must. Although qualifications are a good indication of their know-how, it is not the only thing to take into account when picking an IT Consultant.

Ensuring that the technician(s) who will be working on your computers are familiar with your operating system, programs and any proprietary software is also important.

3. What are their rates?

Find out the rates they charge beforehand to avoid any nasty surprises. Any extra charges (for example call out fees) should be explained.

Although the price of IT Service is important, it should not be the primary concern. Other IT Consultants may quote lower rates and take longer than normal to fix a problem to ‘make up’ the difference. It is more important to base your decision on someone you think will be skilled and reliable than low-cost.

4. What support options are provided?

A variety of support options should be provided. Support options available include on-site support, phone support and remote support. Ensuring that a variety of options are available can decrease costs and increases productivity – as problems that can be fixed immediately on the phone will save you time.

5. What are their response times?

When your systems go down, knowing when you can have an IT Consultant attend to them promptly is very important. Response times can vary, so determine if your IT Consultant can guarantee you a response time. Most often extra fess can be applied to emergencies.

6. What if my problem reoccurs?

Does your IT Consultant guarantee their work, and come back to fix it at no charge? Ensuring that they have a guarantee will give you peace of mind.

Contact us on (02) 9870 7777 for any questions.