Now more than ever, we depend on technology to manage our businesses and daily lives. When the “Internet goes down,” many businesses grind to a halt until connectivity is restored, resulting in significant losses in productivity and sales. Take, for instance, the recent AT&T outage that left an estimated 1.7 million customers, including small business owners, without service. No phones, no Internet. Can your business afford to be offline for minutes, hours, or even days? The likely answer is no.

Downtime due to technical issues is one way inadequate IT support can disrupt your business, but it’s not the only concern. Major issues like recovering deleted files, eliminating malware, and consistently monitoring and patching your network, along with minor inconveniences like resolving file access issues, resetting forgotten passwords, and fixing malfunctioning printers, can accumulate over time and impact productivity.

That’s why it’s crucial to have a contingency plan to quickly restore operations in the event of an issue—or even better, to prevent tech problems before they occur.

Unfortunately, paying a premium for subpar IT support is more common than you might expect. These self-proclaimed “IT Wizards” who promised top-tier support for budget prices often fail to deliver, leaving you to discover and report problems to them. This cycle must end. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of essential requirements that ANYONE working on your network should meet.

Check off all that apply:

Does your IT company answer their phone LIVE and respond promptly to emergencies (within 15 minutes)?

Is your IT company easily accessible and highly responsive (responding within an hour) for non-emergency issues?

Does your IT company proactively monitor, patch, and update your network’s critical security settings daily, weekly, or at all? How can you be sure? (Hint: Most don’t!)

Does your IT company provide evidence that they back up ALL your data, laptops, and devices?

Does your IT company meet with you regularly (at least once a quarter) to report on their activities, review projects, and suggest new ways to enhance your network’s performance rather than waiting for problems to arise before offering recommendations?

Does your IT company issue detailed invoices that clearly delineate the services provided?

Does your IT company communicate in plain language, avoiding technical jargon or ‘geek speak’, and routinely ask if there’s anything else they can assist with, regardless of the size of the issue?

Does your IT company proactively address cybersecurity concerns, recommend measures to safeguard your network from ransomware, and offer training materials to educate your employees and prevent falling victim to scams?

Has your IT company furnished you with comprehensive network documentation, or do they withhold administrative passwords, leaving you powerless if issues arise and they’re unavailable?

Do technicians arrive punctually, dress professionally, and foster a positive working relationship with you, or do you dread contacting them?

If your current IT provider, technician, or “IT guy” fails to check all the boxes, you may be—and likely are—receiving substandard support. This oversight not only puts your data and network security at risk but also results in substantial losses in productivity as you and your employees grapple with avoidable issues. And if something goes wrong, you’ll be the one held accountable.

If that’s the case, it’s time to explore alternative options and ensure you’re receiving the quality service you’re paying for. Anything less is a liability to your business.

To schedule a free 10-minute discovery call to see how we can get rid of your tech issues once and for all, go to https://www.spartantec.com/discoverycall/ or call us at 843-418-4792.