The right computer repair service can really save the day, but the wrong one could wreck much more than your day. Your computer and often more importantly your data are of great importance to you, and you really should be careful about who you let repair it when things go wrong. You need aptitude, a great work ethic, care and attention to details, and possibly the most important of all you need a focus on the needs of the customer, (NOT the wants of the engineer).
- What does their website look like?
The internet is the greatest chance for a business to present itself to the world, and technology businesses in particular cannot afford to get this wrong. It's not all about sleek and flashy design, but at the very least i would look for an understanding of basic web site design, and you should think twice if their website looks scruffy and ugly. If they don't care enough to present to the internet well, how are they going to present to you? Looks are not everything of course, but a professional freelancer or company should present themselves as such. Technology websites that offer free advice, tools, and downloads are obviously going to greater lengths to help you before you book them, and that's a good sign.
2. How do they sound on the phone?
Call them up and ask their advice about your problem. A good provider should have no problems with this (don't expect them to talk you through a repair though)
Will they put you though to an engineer for a chat?
Do they sound like they know what they are talking about?
Do you understand what they are saying?
An engineer should be able to talk to you in a way that you can understand. If it sounds like he's talking in buzz words and abbreviations then this should ring alarms bells. I have worked with a lot of low skilled IT guys who cover their lack of skill up by using buzzwords and abbreviations that they probably don't understand themselves.
3. What happens if they can't fix it?
Do you still have to pay?
Do you think you should have to pay?
No, of course you shouldn't.
If a business won't provide No Fix No Fees then you should be asking the question - why not?
At ShadowPro IT we never charge unless one of the following is true;
1. The issue that the job was raised for has been adequately fixed.
2. A work around is in place that the customer is happy with.
3. The customer has chosen not to go ahead.
The only reason not offer this is if they have little faith in their own work.
4. What happens if the fix they applied fails later on?
Will they come back to finish the job off?
Will they charge you again to do it?
You certainly should not have to pay again.
It is a fact of life that things can go wrong even when the best fixes have been applied. It doesn't happen often if the work is good quality, but it does happen from time to time.
Ask them or check their website before hiring them.
5. What is their hiring policy?
This is a trickier one to find out, but some providers will document on their webpage. At ShadowPro we insist that all engineers have more than 2 years experience, ideally have an industry qualification like CompTIA, A+, and are able to pass an exam. On top of all that we only hire engineers with great personality.
It makes hiring staff much harder, but we know that our engineers are often the only ShadowPro staff our customers meet so they have to be excellent. Hiring IT staff is a skill in itself, and it's one at which we spend considerable time. Every company will be different, but look for evidence that they are not willing to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get engineers.
Ceylon is a leading provider of tech support services to consumers and small businesses across a wide range of computing and communication devices and software. Ceylon delivers support services to millions of customers globally and its services are available on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year. With a growing global footprint, Ceylon's services are available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
