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Wichita IT Support – Listening to the Clients[google1]
At Proper Technology Solutions, we’re listening to our customers and our potential customers. We want to know what small business expect from their IT service provider, and what they don’t expect. Here’s a short list from our experience so far.
IT Company Traits Customers Don’t Want:
- The ‘typical’ Tech Guy – This is something we hear from our clients all the time. You know what you think of as the ‘typical’ tech guy. There are a few traits in common whenever we hear this. Antisocial, demeaning, and superior are the words we hear most often. The Fix: IT consultants that can hold their own both socially and technically and are able to understand not only their customers’ technology needs, but also able to understand the customer and help them learn to be more productive and more efficient.
- Difference in Priorities – I tend to ask new and potential customers what the average response time is from their current or previous IT company. The answers generally range from what I would consider acceptable to what I would definitely consider unacceptable. The Fix: If you don’t catch us on the phone the first time, we generally try to get back to customers within an hour. We understand that whatever we might think our priorities are, our customers’ systems are their lifeblood.
- High Cost – Most of our small business customers complain about the high cost of IT service, especially on-site support and are looking for a more affordable option. They know an on-site certified technician is better than the big box store, but the price difference is sometimes out of reach. The Fix: We strive to support small and medium businesses with fair pricing. While other firms charge $125-$140 per hour for on-site support, our rates start at just $70 per hour. The price difference reflects our business model. The customer still receive a highly-educated and certified technician to resolve all their business needs. Most have even worked for the others, billing out those same higher rates.
- Minimum Service Charges – Some call them trip fees. Some IT companies in Wichita charge a one-hour minimum for on-site service, though most seem to charge a two-hour minimum. We have customers that previously would wait for a second computer to go down before calling in for service on the first computer, just to justify the minimum fee. Nothing like paying $250 to have a technician on-site for 15-20 minutes. The Fix: Simple. We’ve eliminated the minimum service charges. If we’re at your location for 15 minutes, you are billed for 15 minutes. We want to support your business and keep your systems running; now, not later.
- Excessive Charges – We’ve heard the term ‘nickel and diming’ more than once. Just yesterday we heard a story of a business manager calling her IT company to discuss how her system still wasn’t running properly after an on-site visit. She actually received a $70 bill for that conversation! The Fix: We want to help your business. If you call a tech and ask a quick question, you won’t get a bill. If it goes long, the tech will let you know in advance that you’re getting into billable time. No surprises.
- Superfluous Equipment and Software – It’s amazing how many times we find Department of Defense level equipment at Jerry’s Deli and Diner. The equipment is outstanding, we understand that; but Jerry doesn’t need it and could have saved a bundle. The Fix: We make recommendations for equipment that the company needs, not equipment we can make a commission from. The non-tech equivalent: a business that only has $50 in cash on-hand at any time doesn’t really need a bank-grade time-lock safe. The same goes for software. We’ve eliminated annual software renewals for several customers by switching them to equivalent and functional open source alternatives.
If you’re looking for IT support for home or your small business, call Proper Technology Solutions at (316) 337-5628 and let us schedule a free visit to evaluate your network (we won’t send you a bill!). We can take the pain out of transitioning to a new IT company because we are familiar with a wide variety of technology. You’ll always be assured of having a certified, college-educated and ‘atypical’ tech at your disposal.