Many companies are relying on technology to stay contact with their customers, but also to assist employees in carrying out their tasks efficiently and effectively.
Whatever the size of your company or the field that you are in IT support is crucial to ensure that your business runs smoothly.
What exactly is IT support, and what exactly does it mean? Join us for a tour.
What is IT Support do?
It’s likely to be easier to ask the question “what does IT support not do?”
IT support London is accountable for ensuring that all technologies used by a company run smoothly. The tasks performed differ from one business to the next but typically include:
Installing, acquiring and configuring the hardware, software and networks. It could be anything from a laptop mobile phone or computer, up to the server room!
Monitoring, maintaining and updating networks and systems
As quickly as is possible
Installing new starters with the equipment they require and making sure that leavers are removed off the system
Staff training to use the systems and technology
Supporting customers with technical issues
In charge of data security and information security (for instance, ensuring that the company GDPR and PECR in compliance). To achieve this, they’ll need collaborate with other departments such as finance, marketing, and sales.
The company is leading the modernisation and optimization of business systems. This will allow the company to reduce costs, manage information more effectively and improve customer satisfaction.
The amount of support required will vary. In smaller businesses there could be a single person committed to every aspect of IT support as well as it could be a job they perform alongside other duties in the company.
In larger organizations and those that have greater emphasis on IT There may be an additional team and with various people working on different areas of customer support. For instance, you could have a 1st line support person who is the first contact point whenever an issue arises as well as 2nd and 3rd lines of support who deal with particular and niche issues.
Do I need in-house as well as remote IT support?
Certain businesses have in-house support and others rely on third-party support to offer assistance for their own behalf. There are pros and cons for both.
The advantages of having an in-house support staff is that problems are resolved quickly. Since the support team is located in the company, they will not only be able to build relationships with other employees within the company, but also learn about all the various hardware and software that you employ.
The drawback of having in-house support is the price – not only do you have to pay their salaries, but you also have to pay for their benefits as well as holidays, training and other benefits.
The advantage of the option of remote IT support is the price that you only pay for the services that they offer, which makes it a great option for small-sized businesses that may not have the funds to hire in-house employees.
There’s also the element of flexibility as well. You can choose to pay for as little or as many hours of assistance as you require month-to-month. The downside is that problems might take longer to be resolved as you’re not the only customer You may not always receive their full attention.
The system of support you choose to use will depend on your company’s size as well as your goals and budget. If you’ve got any kind of IT support system in place it’s all that matters.
What should you look for in an individual or company who can provide support?
If you’re looking to establish an IT support staff in-house or work with a third-party service There are a few things to take into consideration to ensure you receive a top-quality service.
Here are a few aspects to consider when deciding who to collaborate with.
Experience Does the IT support representative of your choice had experience and expertise within your field? Are they able to provide references that you could reach out to find out how they did?
Qualifications: If you are using an specific system is your employee of choice have accreditations and qualifications to demonstrate their expertise? If you’re hiring someone to work within the company Are they determined to acquire new skills and earn the appropriate qualifications?
Performs well under pressure: IT support must stay cool and be quick in situations that could be challenging. Does your preferred person give examples of situations in which they needed to maintain their cool?
Trustworthiness: Since your IT support representative who has access to sensitive data, they have to be reliable. It is possible to conduct a an background check and look up their previous references to ensure they’re accountable.
Flexibility: If a problem occurs outside of normal working hours, the IT support representative of choice should be available to resolve the issue, regardless of whether it is during weekends, evenings or on bank holidays. Do they have the time to work on this?
Communication: The person of your choice must be well-informed but must also be able to communicate in terms that others are able to comprehend. Are they able to describe how things work without using jargon or technical language?
In short, is IT support vital?
IT support whether outsourced or in-house IT support is no longer something that is merely ‘nice to have’.
It’s a must to ensure that your infrastructure is operating efficiently, keeping your data safe and your marketing channels open to potential customers.
If you don’t have a system of support for your business, this is the perfect opportunity to put something put in place.
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