Pull the Plug on Mediocre Support: 5 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a New IT Provider

As the old saying goes, you are who you hangout with. It has been said that we are the sum of the five people closest to us, so whoever is in your inner most-personal circle matters a lot. The same concept can be applied to your brand. The services that are supporting your franchise behind-the-scenes can influence consumer perception of your business. If your providers are made up of experienced and reliable teams of trained professionals with an understanding of your vision, the choice will positively reflect on your company. If they’re not, well, you get the general idea.

Before making any decisions on a future technology partner, we recommend conducting initial research and talking to several providers. Still finding it difficult to make a decision? Here are five questions to ask yourself before choosing your franchise technology partner.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing an IT Support Company

Does this company provide a remote 24/7 unlimited helpdesk, without hidden costs?

Slow troubleshooting can give customer satisfaction a serious hit. Most of today’s payment solutions are cloud based. If your Internet is down for five, ten, thirty minutes, how will this affect purchases and customer experience? For setbacks that occur outside of the Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. window, who will be there for you?

Is the provider insured and how much?

When things go south you don’t want to be caught out on a limb, so to speak. Make sure the company you outsource to is properly insured. You don’t want the cost to fix problems originated from your IT company to come out of your pocket.

Do installers travel nationwide to ensure consistency and quality? 
Will the technicians make it a point to drive or fly to your franchise locations to ensure proper installation instead of simply hiring a third-party with an unknown background?

Are ANY of the company’s services outsourced to a third-party?

Small business owners and franchisees generally operate on a budget much smaller than that of a fortune 500 corporation. Can you afford to wait for your IT company to fix the same problem five times in a row? Ensure the highest quality possible with first party support and installation.

Do they have a WiFi backup plan?

Because most of today’s payment solutions are cloud based, finding a full-service technology group that uses a backup “plan b” solution when your Internet cuts out is very important. If the connection drops, your Internet access should immediately bounce to a backup Internet service until the issue is resolved.

So who’s in your circle? It’s a big decision, but asking the right questions will lead you to the right answers and the best provider.

Nationwide Leader in IT Support and Installation for Franchises

Wired National is a leading comprehensive technology support service specifically developed for franchisees. Wired offers a free consultation for implementation and ongoing support tailored to the needs of your business. With a quick explanation and a smart fix to immediate problems, Wired offers leading nationwide IT support and installation.

For more information on Wired National IT installation and support and a free consultation, visit our website or contact us at info@wiredtelcom.com or (315) 326-0001.