Successful businesses rely on great communication throughout the organisation. It’s how you foster relationships with customers, build great teams, and draw more people towards your brand.
Why is it, then, that you’ve not heard from your IT provider for the last three months?
Come to think of it, the last time you heard from them (and the time before that), it was simply because they had a new service to plug.
This really isn’t right. Your IT provider should be proactively keeping in touch with you, because if they’re not, it really might be time to hit CTRL + ALT + DEL.
Communication: it’s high on the agenda
It’s thought that 89% of consumers are more likely to make a subsequent purchase if they experience great customer service.
This is why communication is so high on the agenda for successful businesses. It’s therefore surprising that so many IT providers get it so wrong.
We know this is the case, because whenever we speak to potential new clients and ask them why they’re thinking of switching providers, their answer will often relate to poor communication.
In fact, for some, it’s the only reason they’re looking elsewhere. The service and expertise – when it’s called upon – is generally pretty good. It’s just never a two-way street.
There are three communication issues we hear about from the customers of other IT support providers:
- “We’re never made aware of software updates or new infrastructure requirements.”
- “We have to chase the status of outstanding support tickets. It feels like we never know what’s going on.”
- “When something has been fixed, it’s never made clear what that fix actually was or what we can do to avoid future instances.”
You may be acutely familiar with one or several of the above, and you’ll therefore know how frustrating it can be.
You can’t plan for the future if you don’t talk
One of the biggest areas of frustration when it comes to bad communication and IT companies relates to future planning.
You may even find that communication is completely non-existent when it comes to looking ahead. This can create huge issues further down the line because there’s no strategy in place for the IT engine of your business.
For instance, let’s consider the situation in three months’ time when your system isn’t performing as it should be. When that happens, you’ll know, deep down, that there probably is a better way of doing things and that you may have missed out on a crucial update.
But how are you supposed to know what the answer is if your IT provider never forewarns you?
Any update you should be considering or trend you need to jump on should be communicated in good time and succinctly by your IT provider. They should sit down with you and get to know your future business plan so they can align the evolution of your IT infrastructure to grow with you.
The same goes for cybercrime – it evolves every day, therefore it’s vital your IT company works proactively to help you understand and then mitigate any risks.
Communication and proactivity go hand in hand
Your IT provider shouldn’t be viewed as just another supplier – they should be a strategic partner for your business.
It’s why you and your colleagues should get to know your IT partner as though they’re actually part of the team. This will create a relationship where support requests are updated every step of the way and the reasons for any changes discussed in the same way you undertake internal meetings.
If it’s been far too long since you had a check-in call with your IT partner, or you simply feel completely left out in the cold by them, why not get in touch with the Compex team to see and experience what it should be like?