Over the past 20+ years, I’ve worked as an IT manager, consultant, and CIO. There was one common thread in my experiences working with 3rd party technology support firms. They suck. They are not responsive, they do not communicate, they make you feel like you’re the problem. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted on support calls (my record was 3 hours on hold with a major hardware vendor!). I once had a consulting firm that thought nothing of rebooting a production server in the middle of the day. No wonder IT support companies have poor customer satisfaction ratings.
But I remember the moments when I found that rare person who had a clue and actually wanted to help. These individuals and their companies are the few I kept close. They made my life easier. I could rely on them. They had my back when I urgently needed help. They became more than vendors – they were trusted partners and an invaluable part of my team. I leveraged their expertise and services as if they were my own.
With today’s business environment and technology, it’s easier than ever to outsource specific technology needs, but is it really worth it? The answer is maybe – if you find the right partner. First, can the firm address your range of needs – helpdesk, network management, server monitoring, and strategic guidance? Check. Second, can they do it in a responsive and trusted way? You bet. Of course I’m biased because Waident does both of these things well. There’s a third component to successful virtualizing of IT support – fit. Fit is hard to describe, but you know it when you experience it. For example, are you comfortable picking up the phone and asking what might feel like a dumb question? If yes, that’s probably a good fit.
I’m proud to say that the IT managers who use our services love us. They trust us. We have their back. We proactively recommend good ideas that we have learned from across our client base. We make their lives easier and allow them to work on areas that they enjoy. We help them look like winners in their organization. That’s because we’re that very special needle in the haystack.
