I wanted to write this because I know that you aren't shopping for an I.T. company but rather an I.T. company that cares. Here at Response I.T. we do just that. We Care! This article will help you make an informed decision on just who you are going to call when trouble happens.

We care about you, your wallet, your computers, your business and your home computing security. Now before I go further I should explain that when I say we care about your wallet, we don't mean we want everything in it. Sure, we want some, but we would rather save you money then show you a million reasons to spend it willy nilly. We will show you some great reasons why you should invest money in your I.T. solutions, but we will help you more by helping you get the most out of your current gear.

Nobody WANTS to call an I.T. company because usually that means there is something wrong with your computers, network or server's possibly even your website. The possibilities are endless really and I like to use a euphemism that my jump master told us in our pre-jump training class.

He said 'A parachute is simplistic for one reason, it is meant to work, and it is a fact that the more parts, the more chance there is that something will go wrong.'

I use that because your computer, network, and systems are quite complex and although they are meant to work they will eventually fail to function as they should. Whether that means you slow down, get hijacked, infected, or just shutdown sometime, somewhere your devices will fail or need to be replaced or repaired at the very least.

So now you know why, let's get to what shall we.

• When it happens do you know who to call?
• Do you know he or she knows what they are doing?
• Are you really getting your money's worth out of your I.T.?
• How do you know?

These are all great questions you should ask sometime and you might just be a little afraid of the answers you give yourself. Many people are with their current I.T. provider because they helped them once, or because they are inexpensive. Another euphemism comes to mind at that point and I am sure you are all chiming along when I say "you get what you pay for".
So how DO you figure out who is good and who isn't? Who knows their stuff and who doesn't? If you knew what Drivers did and why your BIOS is necessary, or what the heck a Boot.ini or a Bootstraped Installation were you wouldn't need anything from anyone when it came to fixing your computer, well maybe you would, but at least you'd know if they were decent.
Here are some things to look for in an I.T. company that I believe are important. This should actually say a lot because I decided to join the great team at Response I.T. because I know they have them all.

1. Certified. Are the technicians certified? If not, then you may or may not be getting true value out of your dollar and more importantly the chances of you losing data because "The only option is to format it" is a great deal higher. Most technicians will take the time to do a good once over on your computer and tell you what's wrong before ever quoting you a penny. "Professionals!"
2. Are they quoting before they know the issue?A great many people tell their I.T. person what is wrong and are given an instant quote and diagnosis without ever touching the computer in question and although a good technician will generally have a pretty good idea based on symptoms of exactly what is wrong, they can't know for certain until they diagnose the computer. "Skill & Honesty"

Most things can be diagnosed with a thorough once over with some specialty software and knowledge.
3. Are they able to come to you, or do a remote service call? Sometimes things need to be fixed fast, and more often than not this is the case. Will your I.T. company be able to provide this service? "Extended Services"
4. Do they have a brick and mortar location? It's worth it to invest in a company that is solid enough in what they do to have a storefront location. This shows dedication to their business, steady income (to pay overhead), and solidarity and if they have been around any length of time it speaks volumes as we all know. Sound Business with potential for long term service. "Reputable"
5. Are they friendly? I know redundant, right? Well no, some people believe that Techs, Geeks, Nerds and the like are boring, anti-social people who only know about computers and technology. WRONG! Some of us are fabulous people who love to socialize and be friendly.

If the tech in question wasn't happy and smiling then look elsewhere. (Do be forewarned that we don't always smile...some of us really hate breaking bad news. Sometimes though it is inevitable and must be done. In this case solemnity is probably what you should look for as well as supportive documentation on the issue and suggested resolutions) "Personable."
6. Do they have any testimonials from previous clients? Testimonials speak more than pictures and in fact paint a picture of someone's experience with the company or individual in question. You can also use resources like Facebook or YELP to find out more on what people think of a company. "Good Standing & Reputable"
7. Do they do YOUR kind of I.T.? Sure we all want to save a buck when we can, but at what expense? You wouldn't hire a Volkswagon Mechanic to work on a Crane so why would you hire a technician to fix your Server when their experience has been with Personal Computers? Windows XP is NOT the same as Windows Server and yes there are amazing differences in architecture. "Expertise in all areas"
8. Do they offer next day Return? Not always possible but if they do offer to have your machine fixed by the next day then chances are if everything else was good then this is excellent news. "Speed and Quality."
9. Will they be there when you need them? Does the company offer 24 hour support? Sorry a question in answer of a question. This is extremely important for businesses and shows a lot about what you can expect when things go wrong! "There when you need them"
10. Will they tell you ways to help yourself or where to find answers and more information? They need to be able to give you enough information to make an informed decision. Plain and simple. Research is important to any venture from writing a book to buying a house. Why should it be any different when planning the safe return of your data? "Integrity"
11. Do they speak their Lingo AND Yours? They need to talk the talk in a way they understand and you can grasp. No crazy words, or at least if there is, then an explanation you can understand to go with it.  "Condusive of Honesty and Integrity"

Some other things to look for are just general things we would expect from any company really, but if applied to choosing an I.T. company you won't go wrong. Don't settle for 'maybe' fixing your computer, or erasing everything to get it back to the way it used to be. Do you really want to pay $25 and a bunch of additional hardware fees to the same guys 6 times to fix something that could have been done 1 time by a professional?

All in all I hope this helps you decide on how to pick your next I.T. company, and as biased as I am on this subject I hope you choose us here at Response I.T.!!! If not, at least you read this and are heading out informed. Thanks for reading and I hope you check out my other blogs.