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SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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“What Every Business Owner Must Know About Hiring An
Honest, Competent, Responsive And Fairly Priced Computer
Consultant”
Don’tTrustYourCompany’sCriticalDataAndOperationsToJustAnyone!ThisBusinessAdvisory
GuideWillArmYouWith21RevealingQuestionsYouShouldAskAnyComputerConsultantBeforeGiving
ThemAccessToYourCompany’sNetwork
Choosingthewrongcomputerconsultanttosupportyournetworkcanbeincrediblyfrustratingandexpensive,andcouldendupcostingyouindowntime,datalossandexpensiverepairbills,nottomentiontheheadachesandfrustration!
Readthisguideandyou’lldiscover:
ü The“dirtylittlesecret”ofthecomputerrepairindustrythatmostpeopledon’tknowandwillneverbetoldbytheirITguy(knowingthisALONEcouldsaveyoufromwastingtonsofmoneyanduntoldaggravationwhenoutsourcingyourcomputersupport).
ü 21revealingquestionsthatwillhelpyouinstantlyspotanunethicalorgrosslyincompetentcomputerrepair/supporttechnicianinminutes.
ü 4costlymisconceptionsmostbusinessownershaveaboutcomputermaintenanceandrepair,oneofwhichyouwillneedtoknowaboutBEFOREevenpickingupthephone.
ü Viruses,worms,spywareandhackers:whatyouneedtoknowtoprotectyourself.ü 5mistakestoavoidwhenchoosingacomputerconsultant.ü Why“cheap”or“lowestprice”computerrepairshopsaren’tthebargaintheyinitiallyappeartobe.ü Theonesurefiresignthatyoushouldrun–notwalk–awayfromacomputersupportfirm.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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FromTheDeskof:RonRothstein
President/FounderSMBTechnologies,Inc.
DearColleague,
Choosingacomputersupportcompanyisn’teasy.Thereisnoshortageofhorrorstoriesaboutincompetentcomputerrepair“gurus”bunglingjobsandcausingMOREproblemsasaresultoftheirloosemoralsorgrossincompetence.I’msureifyoutalktoyourownfriendsandcolleaguesyouwillgetanearfuloftheunfortunateexperiencestheyhaveencounteredinthisarea.
Whyisthis?Becausethecomputerrepairandconsultingindustry,alongwithalotofotherindustries,hasitsownshareofincompetentorunethicalbusinessesthatwilltrytotakeadvantageoftrustingbusinessownerswhosimplydonothavetheabilitytodeterminewhetherornotthetechnicianknowswhattheyaredoing.Sometimesthisisoutofgreedforyourmoney,butmoreoftenit’ssimplybecausetheydon’thavetheskillsandcompetencytodothejobright,butwon’ttellyouthatupfront.Frommisleadinginformationandunqualifiedtechnicians,topoormanagementandterriblecustomerservice,we’veseenitall…andweknowtheyexistinabundancebecausewehavehadanumberofcustomerscometoustocleanupthedisasterstheyhavecaused.
BuyerBeware:TheComputerRepairAndConsultingIndustryIsNOTRegulated
Here’sanembarrassing(andlittle-known)factaboutmyindustry:itisnotregulatedlikemanyotherprofessionalserviceindustries,whichmeansANYONEcanclaimtheyarea“computerrepairexpert.”Infact,alotofthebusinessesinthisindustrystartedbecausetheownerwasFIREDorlaidofffromtheirjobandcouldn’tfindworkanywhereelse.Thatmeansmanyoftheso-calledexpertsareuselessandmakesleazyautorepairshopslooklikethepinnacleofvirtueandcompetence.
Automotiverepairshops,electricians,plumbers,lawyers,realtors,dentists,doctors,accountants,etc.,areheavilyregulatedtoprotecttheconsumerfromreceivingsubstandardworkorgettingrippedoff.However,thecomputerindustryisstillhighlyunregulatedandtherearen’tanylawsinexistencetoprotecttheconsumer–whichiswhyit’ssoimportantforyoutoarmyourselfwiththeinformationcontainedinthisreport.
Anyonewhocanhangoutashinglecanpromotethemselvesasacomputerexpert.Eveniftheyarehonestlytryingtodoagoodjobforyou,theirinexperiencecancostyoudearlyinyournetwork’sspeedandperformanceorinlostorcorruptdatafiles.Thatiswhywedecidedtoofferthisreport.Theinformationinthisguideisprovidedtohelpraisestandardswithinthecomputerrepairandsupport
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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Industry,andtogiveYOUusefulinformationtohelpyouguardagainstthelackofethicsorincompetenceofsomecompaniesandtechnicians.
Dedicatedtoservingyou,
RonRothstein
AboutTheAuthor
RonRothsteinisaChicagonativewholovesDeepDishPizza,Portillo’sHotDogsandofcoursetheDaBears!
AftergraduatingfromDePaulUniversitywithaBSinCommunicationshesoonstartedtoworkinNewYorkforNewsdayatanexcitingtimeintheNewYorkNewspaperWars.Holdingandexcellinginseveralexecutivesales&marketingpositionsduringhis17-yeartenurehelpedRonhonehisskillsinoneofthemostfastpacedandaggressivebusinessmarketsintheworld.
In1995aftertakingadvantageofacorporatebuyoutRonsawthegrowthoftheinternetandtechnologyandgotinvolvedwithdesigningandsellingvirtualstorefrontsinthefirstinternetMallcallediMall.Thatbusinessgrewtoprovidewebsitesandmarketingforbigandsmallbusinessesalloverthecountry.
VisitingfamilyinPortlandin2002wasalifechangingtimeashefellinlovewiththebeautyandthepeopleofOregon.Soin2003hesoldthebusinessandheadedwesttobewithfamilyandhaveabetterqualityoflifeforhisfamily.
RonknewhewantedtostayinthetechnologyfieldandtheopportunitypresenteditselftobecometheGeneralManagerofthetechnologyservicesdivisionforthelargestAppleSpecialistinthecountry.Duringthattimehedevelopeda“BestPractices”approachtotechnologyforhissmall&mediumbusinessclients.Thisleadtoamoreconsistentdeliveryofproductandservicesalongwithcustomersgettingahighvaluefortheservicesrendered.Thedivisiongrewin5yearstoover$5,000,000inrevenuefrom$150,000byprovidingaconsistentcustomerexperienceandprovidingclientswithahighlytrainedengineeringstaffthatcouldhandleanythingMacfortheirbusiness.
SMBTechnologieswasformedin2008asthecountrywasgoingthroughatumultuoustimeinourcountry’shistory.Thecompanyquicklygrewbyprovidingexcellentcustomerservice(NoVoicemailAbyssatSMB),highlytrainedandexperiencedstaffandbeingabletoprovideturnkeyservicesandconsultingforallSMBClientsatreasonablecostfactors.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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BeingtheleaderofatechnologyservicesgroupforthelargestAppleSpecialistinthecountryRonsawmanybusinessesstrugglingwithmixedenvironmentswhenbusinessesuseMac’sandPC’sintheirbusiness.RondecidedtoformSMBastheone-stopshopfor“the”solutionthatmakessensefortheindividualclientinsteadofofferingasolutionbecausethatiswhatthecompanyknowshowtodo.ItwasnotuncommonthatclientsusedtwoseparatevendorsfortheirWindows&AppleproductsinthebusinessorletaWindowsgroupconvincethemtheycouldalsotakecareoftheirMac’swithoutbeingApplecertifiedandtrained.
Servicingover200clientssince2008SMBisa5-StarratedAppleConsultantalongwithbeingcertifiedtoserviceclientsthatutilizeWindows,Mac’sorLinuxintheirbusinessoracombinationofplatforms.SMBhasamoneybackguaranteeonallitsworkandconsidersthemselvespartnersintheirclientsbusiness.SMBisnowaFullServiceManagedServiceProvideroperating24/7bothnationallyandinternationally.Highintegrity,greatvalueandconsistentquickservicearetrademarksforSMB.
21QuestionsYouShouldAskYourComputerConsultantBeforeHiringThemToSupportYourNetwork
CustomerService:
Q1:Dotheyanswertheirphonesliveordoyoualwayshavetoleaveavoicemailandwaitforsomeonetocallyouback?
OurAnswer:Weanswerourphoneslivefrom8:30a.m.to5:30p.m.andgiveallclientsanemergencyafter-hoursnumbertheymaycallifaproblemarises,includingonweekends.Why?BecausemanyoftheCEOsandexecutiveswesupportworkoutsidenormalhoursandfinditthemostproductivetimetheyhave.IftheycannotaccesstheircomputernetworkANDcan’tgetholdofanyonetohelpthem,it’sincrediblyfrustrating.
Q2:Dotheyhaveawritten,guaranteedresponsetimetoyourcalls?
OurAnswer:Weguaranteetohaveatechnicianworkingonaproblemwithin60minutesorlessofyourcall.Thisiswrittenintoeveryserviceagreementwegivetoourclientsbecauseit’sstandardprocedure.
Q3:Dotheytakethetimetoexplainwhattheyaredoingandansweryourquestionsintermsthatyoucanunderstand(notgeek-speak),ordotheycomeacrossasarrogantandmakeyoufeelstupidforaskingsimplequestions?
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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OurAnswer:Ourtechniciansaretrainedtohavethe“heartofateacher”andwilltaketimetoansweryourquestionsandexplaineverythinginsimpleterms.Justlookatwhataclienthadtosay:
“SMB did a complete PC to MAC changeover for my company. They were timely, efficient, client responsive and available through all of the planned and unplanned issues associated with this transition. They have techs/staff that are knowledgeable about both PC and MAC systems and were able to perform and assist company transition both from onsite and offsite locations. SMB is call responsive and sensitive to the business needs created by reliance on technology. They also are able to explain in plain English what the problems and solutions are for our business. Their rates are competitive and highly recommend them to anyone using MAC OS systems and equipment or considering transitioning from PC to MAC.” TigerShark – Portland, OR
Q4:Dotheyconsistently(andproactively)offernewwaystoimproveyournetwork’sperformance,ordotheywaituntilyouhaveaproblemtomakerecommendations?
OurAnswer:Weconductquarterlyreviewmeetingswithourclientstolookfornewwaystohelpimprovetheiroperations,lowercosts,increaseefficienciesandresolveanyproblemsthatmaybearising.Ourgoalwiththesemeetingsistohelpourclientsbemoreprofitable,efficientandcompetitive.
Q5:Dotheyprovidedetailedinvoicesthatclearlyexplainwhatyouarepayingfor?
OurAnswer:Weprovidedetailedinvoicesthatshowwhatworkwasdone,whyandwhen,soyouneverhavetoguesswhatyouarepayingfor.Wealsodouble-checkourinvoicesforaccuracybeforetheyaresenttoyou.
Q6:DotheyhaveadequateinsurancetoprotectYOU?
OurAnswer:Here’ssomethingtoconsider:ifTHEYcauseaproblemwithyournetworkthatcausesyoutobedownforhoursordaysortolosedata,who’sresponsible?Here’sanotherquestiontoconsider:ifoneoftheirtechniciansgetshurtatyouroffice,who’spaying?Inthislitigioussocietywelivein,youbettermakedarnsurewhomeveryouhireisadequatelyinsured–anddon’tbeshyaboutaskingtoseetheirlatestinsurancepolicies!
Truestory:Afewyearsago,GeekSquadwasslappedwithmultimillion-dollarlawsuitsfromcustomersforbadbehaviorbytheirtechnicians.Insomecases,theirtechswhereaccessing,copyinganddistributingpersonalinformationtheygainedaccesstooncustomers’PCsandlaptopsbroughtinforrepairs.Inothercases,theylostaclient’slaptop(andsubsequentlyallthedataonit)andtriedtocoveritup.Bottomline:makesurethecompanyyouarehiringhasproperinsurancetoprotectYOU.
Q7:Dotheyguaranteetocompleteprojectsontimeandonbudget?
OurAnswer:Allprojectsarefixed-pricedandguaranteedtobecompletedontime,inwriting.Thisisimportantbecausemanyunethicalorincompetentcomputerguyswillonlyquote“timeandmaterials,”whichgivesthemfreereintonickel-and-dimeyouaswellastakeasmuchtimeastheywantoncompletingaproject.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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MaintenanceOfYourNetwork:
Q8:Dotheyinsistonremotelymonitoringyournetwork24-7-365tokeepcriticalsecuritysettings,virusdefinitionsandsecuritypatchesup-to-dateandPREVENTproblemsfromturningintodowntime,viruses,lostdataandotherissues?
OurAnswer:Yes,ourremotenetworkmonitoringsystemwatchesoveryournetworktoconstantlylookfordevelopingproblems,securityissuesandotherproblemssowecanaddressthemBEFOREtheyturnintobiggerproblems.
Q9:Dotheyprovideyouwithaweeklyreportthatshowsalltheupdates;securitypatchesandthestatusofeverymachineonyournetworksoyouknowforSUREyoursystemshavebeensecuredandupdated?
OurAnswer:Everyweekourclientsgetdetailedreportsthatshowsanoverallhealthscoreoftheirnetworkandtheupdatestotheirantivirus,securitysettings,patchesandotherimportantnetworkchecks(likehard-drivespace,backups,speedandperformance,etc.).
Q10:Isitstandardprocedureforthemtoprovideyouwithwrittennetworkdocumentationdetailingwhatsoftwarelicensesyouown,criticalpasswords,userinformation,hardwareinventory,etc.,oraretheytheonlypersonwiththe“keystothekingdom”?
OurAnswer:Allclientsreceivethisinwrittenandelectronicformatnoadditionalcost.Wealsoperformaquarterlyupdateonthismaterialandmakesurecertainkeypeoplefromyourorganizationhavethisinformationandknowhowtouseit,givingyoucompletecontroloveryournetwork.Sidenote:YoushouldNEVERallowanITpersontohavethatmuchcontroloveryouandyour
Company.IfyougetthesneakingsuspicionthatyourcurrentITpersoniskeepingthisundertheircontrolasameansofjobsecurity,getridofthem(andwecanhelptomakesureyoudon’tsufferANYilleffects).Thisisdownrightunethicalanddangeroustoyourorganization,sodon’ttolerateit!
Q11:Dotheyhaveothertechniciansonstaffsthatarefamiliarwithyournetworkincaseyourregulartechniciangoesonvacationorgetssick?
OurAnswer:Yes,andsincewekeepdetailednetworkdocumentation(basicallyablueprintofyourcomputernetwork)andupdatesoneveryclient’saccount,anyofourtechnicianscanpickupwhereanotheronehasleftoff.
Q12:Whentheyofferan“all-inclusive”supportplan,isitTRULYall-inclusive,oraretheir“gotchas”hiddeninthefineprint?
OurAnswer:Our“all-inclusive”supportplanisjustthat–all-inclusive.Oneofthemorepopularserviceplansofferedbyconsultingfirmstodayisan“all-inclusive”or“all-you-can-eat”managedservicesplan.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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Theseareactuallyagoodthingbecausethey’llsaveyoualotofmoneyinthelongrun–HOWEVER,makesureyouREALLYunderstandwhatisandisn’tincluded.Somethingstoconsiderare:
• Isphone/e-mailhelpdeskincludedorextra?• Whataboutnetworkupgrades,movesoradding/removingusers?• Whatabout3rd-partysoftwaresupport?(WerecommendthatthisISincluded.)• Whatarethecosts/consequencesofearlycancellation?• Whatifyouaren’thappywiththeirservices?Dotheyofferamoney-backguarantee?• Ifthehardwareandsoftwareisincluded,whathappensifyoucancelthecontract?• Areoff-sitebackupsincluded?Towhatdegree?• Ifyouhaveamajordisaster,isrestoringyournetworkincludedorextra?• Whatabouton-sitesupportcalls?Orsupporttoremoteoffices?• ArehomePCsusedtoaccessthecompany’snetworkafterhoursincludedorextra?• Dotheyguaranteeaquickturn-aroundtimeonservicerequests?
YouwillfindthatnotallMSP’sarecreatedequalandyouneedtocompareApplestoApplesbecauseitwillmakeabottomlinedifferenceforyourbusiness.Don’tmakeadecisionuntilyougettheanswers.
BackupsAndDisasterRecovery:
Q13:DotheyINSISTonmonitoringanoff-siteaswellasanon-sitebackup,oraretheylettingyourelyonoutdatedtapebackups?
OurAnswer:Wedonotallowourclientstousetapebackupsbecausetheyareincrediblyunreliableandexpensive.Wemakesureallofourclientshavebothanon-sitebackupandadisasterrecoveryoff-sitecloudbackupwithIBackup.IBackuphasgreatvalue,easytodeployandinanemergencysituationyoucanbebackupandrunninginaquicktimelymannertokeepthebusinessgoing.IBackupallowsunlimitedPCs,MacsandLinuxdeviceslinkedtoasingleaccountalongwithallmobiledevices.
Q14:DotheyINSISTondoingperiodictestrestoresofyourbackupstomakesurethedataisnotcorruptandcouldberestoredintheeventofadisaster?
OurAnswer:Weperformamonthly“firedrill”andperformatestrestorefrombackupforourclientstomakesuretheirdataCANberecoveredintheeventofanemergency.Afterall,theWORSTtimeto“test”abackupiswhenyoudesperatelyneedit.
Q15:DotheyinsistonbackingupyournetworkBEFOREperforminganytypeofprojectorupgrade?
OurAnswer:Wedoandthat’ssimplyasaprecautionincaseahardwarefailureorsoftwareglitchcausesamajorproblem.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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Q16:Ifyouweretoexperienceamajordisaster,dotheyhaveawrittenplanforhowyourdatacouldberestoredFASTand/oronethatenablesyoutoworkfromaremotelocation?OurAnswer:Allclientsreceiveasimpledisasterrecoveryplanfortheirdataandnetwork.Weencouragethemtodoafulldisasterrecoveryplanfortheiroffice,butataminimum,theirnetworkwillbecoveredshouldsomethinghappen.
TechnicalExpertiseAndSupport:
Q17:IstheirhelpdeskUS-basedoroutsourcedtoanoverseascompanyorthirdparty?
OurAnswer:Weprovideourownin-househelpdeskandmakesurethefolkshelpingyouarefriendlyandhelpful.Weconsiderthisoneofthemostimportantaspectsofcustomerservice,pluswefeelit’simportantforkeepingyourdatasecure.
Q18:Dotheirtechniciansmaintaincurrentvendorcertificationsandparticipateinongoingtraining–oraretheylearningonyourdime?
OurAnswer:Ourtechniciansarerequiredtokeepthemostup-to-datevendorcertificationsinallthesoftwarewesupport.Appleforexamplerequires,aspartoftheAppleConsultantsNetwork,thatcertificationsremainup-to-datetostayintheprogram.Ourtechniciansareconstantlygoingtotrainingopportunitiesandarerewardedfortheircontinuededucation.Plus,ourhiringprocessissostringent,99%ofthetechnicianswhoapplydon’tmakeitthrough(guesswho’shiringthem?).
Q19:Dotheirtechniciansarriveontimeanddressprofessionally?
OurAnswer:Ourtechniciansaretrueprofessionalsthatyouwouldbeproudtohaveinyouroffice.Theydressprofessionally,showupontime,andiftheycannot(forsomeodd,unforeseenreason),wealwaysnotifytheclientimmediately.Webelievetheseareminimumrequirementsfordeliveringaprofessionalservice.
Q20:Aretheyfamiliarwith(andcantheysupport)youruniqueline-of-businessapplications?
OurAnswer:Weowntheproblemswithallline-of-businessapplicationsforourclients.Thatdoesn’tmeanwecanfixfaultysoftware–butweWILLbetheliaisonbetweenyouandyourvendortoresolveproblemsyouarehavingandmakesuretheseapplicationsworksmoothlyforyou.
Q21:WhensomethinggoeswrongwithyourInternetservice,phonesystems,printersorotherITservices,dotheyowntheproblemordotheysay,“That’snotourproblemtofix”?
OurAnswer:WefeelWEshouldowntheproblemforourclientssotheydon’thavetotryandresolveanyoftheseissuesontheirown–that’sjustplainoldgoodserviceandsomethingmanycomputerguyswon’tdo.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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The4MostCostlyMisconceptionsAbout
ComputerMaintenanceandRepair
Misconception#1:Mycomputernetworkdoesn’tneedregularmonitoringandmaintenance.
Thisisprobablyoneofthebiggestandmostcostlymisconceptionsthatbusinessownershave.Usuallythisisbecausethey’vebeenfortunateenoughtohaveneverencounteredamajordisaster;butthat’ssimilartosomeonethinkingtheydon’tneedtowearaseatbeltwhendrivingacarbecausethey’veneverhadanaccident.
Computernetworksarecomplexanddynamicsystemsthatneedregularupdatesandmaintenancetostayup,runningfastandproblem-free.Infact,it’ssurprisinghowfastabrand-newPCwillslowdownafterafewweeksofusewithoutproperupdatesandmaintenance.HerearejustaFEWofthecriticalupdatesthatneedtobedoneonaweekly–ifnotdaily–basis:
• Securitypatchesapplied–withNEWvirusesandhackerattackscroppingupDAILY,thisisaCRITICALpartofmaintainingyournetwork
• Antivirusupdatesandmonitoring• Firewallupdatesandmonitoring• Backupmonitoringandtestrestores• Spam-filterinstallationandupdates• Spywaredetectionandremoval• Monitoringdiskspaceonworkstationsandservers• Monitoringhardwareforsignsoffailure• Optimizingsystemsformaximumspeed
Yourcomputernetworkisjustlikeacarifyoudon’tchangetheoil,replacethefilter,rotatethetires,flushthetransmissionandperformotherregularmaintenanceonyourcar,itwilleventuallybreakdownandcostyouFARMOREtorepairthanthecostofthebasicmaintenance–andacarisfarsimplerthanacomputernetwork!
Ifyourcomputersupporttechdoesnotinsistonsometypeofregular,automatedmonitoringormaintenanceofyournetwork,thenDONOTHIRETHEM.Lackofsystemmaintenanceisthe#1reasonmostpeopleenduplosingvaluablefilesandincurringheavycomputerrepairbills.Ifyourtechnicianisn’tofferingyoutheseservices,youneedtofindsomeoneelsetosupportyourcomputerornetworkfortworeasons:
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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1. Eithertheydon’tknowenoughtomakethisrecommendation,whichisasuresigntheyarehorriblyinexperienced,OR
2. Theyrecognizethattheyareprofitingfromyourcomputerproblemsanddon’twanttorecommendstepstowardpreventingyoufromneedingtheirhelponanongoingbasis.Afterall,they’llgetpaidMOREtoremoveavirusthantomakesureyoursystemispatched,updatedandsecured(whichcanbedonequicklyandinexpensivelywithgoodmonitoring).
Eitherreasonisagoodonetogetasfarawayfromthatpersonaspossible!
Misconception#2:Mynephew/neighbor’skid/brother-in-law/officemanagerknowsthiscomputerstuffandcantakecareofourcomputers.
Mostpeoplelookforapart-time“guru”foronereason:tosaveafewbucks.Butthisoftencomesbacktohauntthem.Wefrequentlygetcallsfrombusinessownerswhodesperatelyneedourhelptogetthembackupandrunningortocleanupamessthatwascausedbyaninexperiencedneighbor,friendorrelativewhowasjusttryingtohelp.
Ifthepersonyouhaveworkingonyourmachinedoesnotdocomputerrepairandsupportforaliving,thereisagoodchancetheywon’thavetheknowledgeorexperiencetotrulyhelpyou–theyareahobbyistatbest.Anddoyoureallywantapart-time,inexperiencedpersonresponsibleforhandlingsomethingasimportantasyourdataandcomputernetwork?Aswitheverythinginlife,yougetwhatyoupayfor.That’snottosayyouneedtogobroketofindagreattechnician,butyoushouldn’tbechoosingsomeonebasedonpricealone.
Misconception#3:Allcomputertechniciansarecreatedequal.Yourbestoptionwillbetheonewhooffersthelowestprice.
Aswestatedamomentago,yougetwhatyoupayfor.Acheappriceusuallymeansacheapjob.ReallygoodtechniciansdoNOTworkcheapbecausetheyareinhighdemandjustlikeeveryotherprofessionalservicecategory.Theonlytechniciansthatwillworkcheaparethosewhoarejuststarting,andtheyaregrosslyinexperienced.
Andsomeshopswillhirecollegekidsornewbietechniciansbecausetheywillworkfornexttonothingtogainexperience,ORtheyallowinternstosupportyournetworkbecausetheydon’thavetopaythematall–butwhatyoudon’trealizeisthataninexperiencedtechnicianlikethiscanendupcostingmorebecause:
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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1. Theyimproperlydiagnoseproblems,whichmeansyou’repayingthemtofixtheWRONGthingandtheySTILLwon’tresolveyourproblem.Caseinpoint:AfewyearsagoaTVreporterwentundercoverto8computerrepairshopsinLAwithaperfectlyworkingPC,butsimplydisconnectedacableintheback(afixthattheAVERAGEcomputertechwouldhavecaughtinminuteswithavisualinspection).Severalshopsimproperlydiagnosedtheproblemandwantedtochargethemanywherefrom$59toover$275tofixit!
2. Theycouldtake3to5timesaslongtodothesamerepairanexperiencedtechniciancouldfixquickly.Again,you’repayingforthoseextrahours.
3. TheycoulddoMOREdamage,costingyoumoremoneyanddowntime.
Withyourclientdata,accountingrecords,e-mailandothercriticaldataatstake,doyouREALLYwantthelowest-pricedshopworkingonyourmachine?
Wetaketheviewthatmostpeoplewantvaluefortheirmoneyandsimplywantthejobdoneright.Youwillfindthatwearenotthecheapest,butwedon’tapologizeforthat.Astheowner,IdecidedalongtimeagothatIwouldratherexplainourhigherratesONETIMEthanmakeexcusesforPOORSERVICEforever.Withthatsaid,we’renotthemostexpensiveeither.Wesimplyfeelthatweshouldofferagoodserviceatafairprice.That’swhywehavebeenabletostayinbusinessforover9yearsandhaveservicedover200clientswho’vebeenwithusthatentiretime.
Misconception#4:Anhonestcomputersupportcompanyshouldbeabletogiveyouaquoteoverthephone.
Iwishthisweretrue,butitisn’t.Justlikeagooddoctor,anhonestandprofessionaltechnicianwillneedtodiagnoseyournetworkbeforetheycanquoteanypriceoverthephone;considertheexampleabovewhereallthatwasneededwastopluginasimplecable.Ifsomeonebroughtthattous,wewouldjustplugitbackinandnotchargethem;butwithoutSEEINGthemachine,wecouldhaveneverdiagnosedthatoverthephone.
Also,someconsultantswillquoteyouacheaprateoverthephonetogetinthedoor,butthenjackupthepricesoncetheygetinyourofficebytaking3timesaslong,sellingyouadd-onsandup-sells,etc.Andfinally,reputablefirmsdon’tchargebythehouranyway–theygiveyouafixedfix,flatrate.Here’swhy…
Oneoftheeasiestwaystotakeadvantageofacustomeristogetthemtoagreetoatimeandmaterialsrepair.Unlessyouknowwhat’swrongandhowlongitshouldtake,theycansoakyouonthefees.Andwhatareyougoingtodowhentheyget5-6hoursintoarepairorprojectandthenspringonyouthenewsthatitwilltakeevenlongerthantheyanticipatedtofix,costingyouMOREmoney?
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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Always,always,alwaysmakesureyougetaflat-rate,fixed-feequoteinadvancesoyoudon’tendupgettingburned–andNEVERtakeaphonequote!
5MoreMistakesToAvoidWhenChoosingAComputerConsultant
5MoreMistakesToAvoidWhenChoosingAComputerConsultant
1. Choosingacomputerconsultantbasedonasinglephonecall.Werecommendyouinvitethem
intoyourofficeandaskthemforawrittenproposal.Beclearonwhatyourexpectationsareandwhattypeofproblemsyouwantthemtoresolve.Asstatedamomentago,acompetentprofessionalshouldoffertodoanauditofyournetworktodiagnoseyoursystemBEFOREquotingyouanything.Afterall,wouldyoutakeadoctor’swordthatyouneedsurgeryiftheyhadn’tdonex-raysorotherdiagnostics?Ofcoursenot!Prescriptionwithoutdiagnosisismalpractice.
2. Choosingacomputerconsultantthatdoesn’thaveawrittenmoney-backguarantee.Inourview,agoodconsultingfirmshouldbeaccountablefortheirservicesandforfixingthingsRIGHT.Ifyouaren’tpleasedwithajobthatwasdone,theyshould(ataminimum)makeitrightforfree;andiftheysimplycannotresolveanissuetoYOURsatisfaction,youshouldn’tgetstuckwiththebill.Plus,thefactthattheystandbehindtheirworkwithamoney-backguaranteeshowstheyhaveconfidenceinthemselvestomakeyouahappyclient.Anddon’tfallforthe“Wedon’tofferonebecausepeoplewilltakeadvantageofus”routine.Inourexperience,MOSTpeoplejustwantanhonestserviceatareasonableprice.Ifyougivethemthat,theyarehappytopay.Arethereafewunethicalfolksoutthere?Ofcourse,buttheyaretheminority,andwewouldratherbitethebulletontheveryfewdishonestfolkssowecangainthetrustandconfidenceofthemajorityofclients,whojustwanttheirproblemsfixedfastandfixedright.
3. Choosingacomputerconsultantwithoutspeakingtoseveraloftheircurrentclients.Checktheirreferences!Don’tjusttakethesalesguy’swordthattheyaregood–asktospeaktoatleast3or4clientsthataresimilartoyouinsizeandscope.Iftheyhesitateorcannotprovideyouwithreferences,don’ttrustthem!
Anothergoodsignisthattheyshouldhavemultipleclienttestimonialsandsuccessstoriespostedontheirwebsiteandthroughouttheirmarketingcollateral.Alackofthismaybeasignthattheydon’tHAVEclientswhoarehappyenoughtoprovideagoodreference–again,awarningsign.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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4. Choosingacomputerconsultantwhocannotremotelymonitor,updateandsupportyour
network.Inthisdayandage,acomputerconsultantwhodoesn’tdothisislivingintheStoneAge.Youwantsomeonetodothisbecauseitwilldramaticallyincreaseyournetwork’ssecurityandwillenablethemtodofasterrepairs.That’snottosaytheyshouldn’tcomeon-site;butremotemonitoringandrepairsmakefixingproblemsFASTERforYOUandhelpAVOIDproblemscroppingupinthefirstplace.
5. Choosingacomputerconsultantwhodoesnothaveanestablished“BestPractices”approachtoITallowsyourbusinesstheopportunitytohavetriedandtrulytestedsoftwareandhardwaresolutionsforthebusiness.SMBbelievesthatwiththemanychoicesinthemarketplaceforbothhardwareandsoftwarewewanttorecommendthingsthatworkseamlesslysavingtimeandmoneyforyourbusinessandours.WehaveseensomanyITenvironmentswehavetakenoverfrompreviousvendorsthatwereconstantly“McGyver’d”.Ourengineersarewellversedandcertifiedonthesolutionswerecommend.Wehavetheexperienceandknowledgeinbothalabandactualclientsiteenvironmentsofthesolutionsweofferourclients.MakesureyouasktheITvendor“Doesyourcompanyoffera“BestPractices”approach?Iftheyhavenocluewhatyouaretalkingabout,asthisisanindustrywidepractice,buyersbeware.
AFinalWord…Ihopeyouhavefoundthisguidetobehelpfulinsheddingsomelightonwhattolookforwhenoutsourcingthesupportofyourcompany’snetwork.AsIstatedintheopeningofthisreport,mypurposeinprovidingthisinformationwastohelpyoumakeaninformeddecisionandavoidgettingburnedbythemanyincompetentfirmsofferingtheseservices.
Ifyouhaveanyadditionalcommentsorquestions,wewelcomethem!Haveanideatomakethisguideevenmorehelpful?Letusknow!And,ofcourse,ifyouwerelookingforsomeoneyoucantrusttotakeoverthecareandmaintenanceof“allthingsdigital”inyouroffice,we’dlovetheopportunitytoEARNyourbusiness.
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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BelowyouwillfindinformationonhowtorequestaFREENetworkHealthCheckandDiagnosis.Thisis,ofcourse,providedforfree,withnoobligationsandnoexpectationsonourpart.IwanttobeclearthatthisisNOTabait-and-switchofferoratricktogetyoutobuysomething.MyreputationforrunninganhonestandtrustworthybusinessissomethingIholdverydear.Iwouldneverjeopardizethatinanyway.Sowhyareweofferingsomethinglikethisforfree?
Tworeasons:
1. Wearesimplyofferingthisserviceasarisk-free“gettoknowus”offertopeoplewehaven’thadthepleasureofdoingbusinesswith.Again,ourgoalistoallowyoutomakeaninformedandconfidentdecision–andofferingthisisonewaywecanhelpyoubetterevaluateus.
2. ThiswillallowustodetermineifweevenCANhelpyou.Obviouslywecan’thelpeveryone,andourservicesmightnotbeagoodfitforyou.ConductingthisHealthCheckenablesustodoasmallprojectforyoutohelpyouevaluatewhetherornotwe’retherightcompanyforyouwithoutriskingyourmoney.
Lookingforwardtoyourcall!
TheTeamatSMBTechnologiesPhone:503-895-9793Web:www.smbtechnologies.com
FREENetworkHealthCheckForAllProspectiveClientsWhoWantToPutUsToTheTest!
Asaprospectivecustomer,wewouldliketoofferyouaFREENetworkHealthCheckandDiagnosis($297value).Duringthishealthcheckwewillperformacomprehensivediagnosisofyourentirenetworktolookforpotentialproblems,securityloopholes,spywareandotherhiddenproblemsthatwillcausethecomputersonyournetworktorunslow,actfunny,crashandlosedata.
Wewill:
ü ReviewyoursystembackupstomakesuretheyareworkingproperlyandCANberestoredquicklyintheeventofadisaster.
ü Scanforhiddenspyware,malwareandvirusesthatMOSTantivirustoolsandsoftwarecan’tdetectorwon’tremove.
ü CheckforsecurityupdatesandpatchestovalidatethatyournetworkreallyISsecure.ü Reviewyourfirewallandsecuritysettings.ü Checktheintegrityofyourserverandworkstationshardware.(Sidenote:Didyouknowthat
hardwarefailureisoneoftheleadingcausesofdatalossthatCANbedetectedearlyandavoidedwithpropermonitoring?)
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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ü Audityourvirusandmalwareprocedures,definitionsandotherprotectionsü Conductavisualscanofyourserverroomandcablingtomakesureyournetworkis
PHYSICALLYsafeandsetupproperly.ü Checkyouroverallsystemperformance,spaceandsettingstoseeifyournetworkisrunning
asfastasitcouldbe.
WhyShouldYouCareAboutThis?
Becausethereareliterallydozensofwayshackersandvirusescan–undetected–gainaccesstoandremotelycontrolyournetwork,corruptyourdataanduseyournetworkasaconduitforspreadingspam,virusesandevenillegalsoftware.
Therearenumeroussystemchecksandupdatesthatshouldbedoneonaregularbasistoensuremaximumspeed,performanceandsecurity.Ignorethemandyoursystemwillgetprogressivelyslower,moreunstableandsusceptibletoviruses,spywareandhackers.
Tapebackupshaveafailurerateof100%–whichmeansalltapedriveswillfailatsomepoint,oftenwithoutwarning.Youdon’twanttofindoutthatyourbackupwasnotworkingthedayafteryourharddrivefried.
HowToRequestYourFREENetworkHealthCheck:
TotakeadvantageofthisNoObligationFreeOffercontactustoday!
Phone:503-895-9793-Email:[email protected]
Or
Web:http://www.smbtechnologies.com/contact-us/
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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ReadOnToHearWhatOurClientsHaveToSay:
SMB’s Skill and Responsiveness is Fantastic
Written by Portland Waterman From Portland, OR
SMB helped us to select our network configuration hardware in 2012 with a hybrid system of MAC Network OS and Windows OS to take advantage of the needed components and best components of each to create a secure stable VPN. As we have needed responses to minor issues over the past two years they have been incredible. Just the other week I was on the road and having a login issue to the VPN. It turned out to be an issue with my Verizon hotspot but SMB tech support gave me a call within 10 minutes at 10 pm at night to get after it with me and resolve it.
Great all-around IT Services firm w/ Apple expertise
Written by AdAgencyIT From Portland, OR
I've been using SMB for nearly a year now - they manage all of our internal IT needs. We were quite a mess when they first started working with us and within about 4 months they had transitioned our entire mail service, upgraded our wireless network, decommissioned a 3rd-party hosting service we didn't need, and started providing 24x7 support to our staff of about 50 people. I'd definitely recommend them and am happy we moved to them last year. Plus they are nice, fun guys to work with.
SMB is an excellent choice!
Written by DesignGuru77 From Portland, OR
I have been using SMB for my small business for the past two years. The team members at SMB are prompt, knowledgeable, and very detailed oriented. I am very happy with its dependable service, and I highly recommend its service to anyone and any size of business!
SMB Technologies, Inc. | Phone: 503-895-9793 | Email: [email protected]
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Best Service!
Written by SMB Fan From Lake Oswego, OR
We were happy to find SMB Technologies after bad luck with another local company (they didn't show up to scheduled appointments, took a long time to respond, and when they did, they just kept 'troubleshooting' to bill hours). SMB came in and fixed all problems (even our printer). They are our go-to when we have technical issues. Very responsive and friendly.
Lifesaver for a small Mac group in a big Windows Company...
Written by ScottK18 From Portland, OR
We are a small group of Macintosh users in a large PC based company. Time after time SMB has come to our rescue in a very short period of time and always have us up and running in no time. High quality Mac people are worth their weight in gold but to also have them expert in the Windows environment makes me feel more than a little guilty with what they charge us for each visit. :) Read: These guys rock!!
Efficient, timely response, client/service responsive and knowledgeable
Written by tigersharkm64 From Portland, OR
SMB did a complete PC to MAC changeover for my company. They were timely, efficient, client responsive and available through all of the planned and unplanned issues associated with this transition. They have techs/staff that are knowledgeable about both PC and MAC systems and were able to perform and assist company transition both from onsite and offsite locations. SMB is call responsive and sensitive to the business needs created by reliance on technology. Their rates are competitive and highly recommend them to anyone using MAC OS systems and equipment or considering transitioning from PC to MAC.
