We’re not asking if your IT guy is “really nice” or “funny” or “pleasant to have in the office.” We’re asking: do they properly support your business? Do they get the job DONE?
We’re on a mission to do a fantastic job for our clients and help prospective clients recognize when they’re not getting the IT support they need (and deserve).
Enter…5 Corners Your IT Guy is Probably Cutting
(HINT: PK Tech DOES want you to know these things, and we’ll not create environments with these massive pitfalls in them).
Have a hunch your IT guy is cutting corners? Let’s identify where some of these corners might get cut. You don’t have to be a tech expert to determine if your IT support is not up to snuff.
1) They don’t turn off and remove old equipment (such as your old server) because they never finished the project you paid for!
We cringe whenever we walk into a prospective clients’ office and see old equipment on the floor with the lights still on. We’ll ask, “What’s this old device doing for you?”. The prospective client says, “I think that’s our old server, no idea why it’s on.” It’s probably because your IT Guy didn’t do the hard part of the project. Did they migrate your applications and data to the new server? If so, they would have retired your old equipment. When your seven-year-old server kicks the bucket, you’re hard down. Why’d you paid $10,000 for a new server project when your old server is still fulfilling a critical role? This is a question asked to us after prospective clients finally lose confidence in their IT Guy.
2) They don’t check that critical tools (such as antivirus) are installed, running, and updated.
The tools IT people use to manage computers and deliver solutions, such as antivirus software, aren’t great at alerting IT people to gaps in coverage out of the box. Why is this bad? Imagine your staff clicking on the wrong link on a computer without antivirus software that you paid for, and it takes your company down. Gaps in tool coverage are prevalent. While we’re performing an assessment, we’ve even seen antivirus software being quickly installed by the incumbent IT Guy trying to cover up their sloppy work!
3) They don’t update anything.
Another topic that boggles our mind is IT Guys that go into Windows devices and disable Windows updates. They’ll also never update firmware on critical network devices. Why? For one, they’re probably not using a robust solution to manage the minefield that is Windows Updates. They’re likely minimizing noise caused by allowing Windows to update and reboot computers without restrictions. The easiest (and laziest) way is to avoid an angry call from a client to turn it all off until you’re caught. We see this the MAJORITY of the times we take over clients!
4) They backup useless data and charge you for it.
Over the years, you’ve likely upgraded applications, moved servers, or had data restored from backup. You don’t see the IT Guy (or your software vendors) probably copied and pasted a few large folders, made backups, backups of backups, and now you have a lot of data being backed up. We’ve historically inherited a slew of temporary folders with redundant/non-critical data taking up both disk space and offsite backup storage when onboarding a new client. With many of these IT Guys charging you for offsite storage used, you can see the conflict here.
5) The majority of small shops and independent IT Guys lack proper insurance.
In 2020, your IT Guy or Company must have an errors and omissions policy covering mistakes and cybersecurity attacks due to a mistake on their part. Why would they not have this? The paperwork that must be completed to get this type of coverage is lengthy and requires nearly zero “no” answers. E.g., are you implementing encryption on customer laptops with protected information on it? The reality is that many small shops tend to set up insecure and cheap solutions that disqualify them from being insurable. IT for small businesses is the Wild West — you need just a pulse and an email address to offer IT support these days. However, getting insured requires much more vetting.
Ask this question of your IT Guy and next IT Guy or Company: “Please prove you have an errors & omissions policy with a cybersecurity component.”
We can confidently say we make the cut for great IT support and service and don’t cut corners. If we’re not currently working with you, can you tell your IT guy makes the cut after reading this?
PK Tech is always happy to connect with you or your business to provide insight, assessments, service quotes and support. Contact PK Tech today.
