Professionals come in all shapes and sizes. When you’ve got a problem, their reliability will determine how fast you get the equipment back. Local IT services have a knack for resolving the most common problems quickly, and at a great price. With that said, mistakes can still be made from the consumer side. Here are three things to look out for when choosing a local IT service.
Read The Contract
A contract is not always the easiest thing for a consumer to read. But failing to read it is not an excuse when your money is on the line. There are stipulations in the contract that can remove liability from the company if your equipment is damaged in their possession. So, if a repair goes wrong, they are off the hook and you’re out of pocket.
It’s vital that you read and interpret the language in a contract to prevent this from happening. Always ask for clarity to prevent misunderstandings with provided services. When you sign the contract, it is an agreement from both sides. A company will do its part to honour whatever is written. As the consumer, your part is to understand what you’re agreeing to.
Are There Any Guarantees?
This is one of the big ‘gotchas’ with any service industry. Guarantees before any testing are pointless unless the company has a reputation for high customer service. Without that positive customer retention, their guarantees are only meant as a selling point to get you through the door. Think of a guarantee as nothing more than a sales pitch unless the company has the data to back it up.
Guarantees that are written into a contract are a different beast altogether and carry more weight than verbal promises. Find out how the contract connects to the guarantee to see if it all holds up. A company that is willing to put their reputation on the line (in writing) is always a great choice.
Read The Reviews
There will always be that one angry reviewer that no company can please. But in-between the negative and positive reviews, there is always some common ground to be found. When you see a lot of the same negative problems repeated over several reviews, there is a good chance that it is a fact. Even the positive reviews will list a few cons of the company that line up with the negative reviews.
As a potential customer, it is your job to determine if the reviews hold any weight. Take the time to call the company and get a feel for how they handle business. Do they sound professional? How quickly are your questions answered? These are all things that will point you in the direction of a good local IT company.
Wrap Up
The only wrong choice you can make is to not do research on a company. Pay close attention to what is offered upfront. Attention to detail works both ways, and will always favor the consumer.