Ten Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring An IT Person
1) When I call for service, will I be guaranteed to get the same technician dispatched every time?
Many larger IT companies will dispatch whichever technician happens to be free, which leads to technical inconsistency,
and wasted time as the dispatched technician attempts to follow what the previous technician started, or must call them
for help.
CNS's answer: Paul Nicodemi and Terry Anderson are the co-founders of CNS. We are the only two technicians who
are dispatched on-site. Typically, each customer has an assigned tech (Terry for Naples, Paul for North Naples and
Bonita), but each of us can swap out at any time, and both have a full knowledge of every site's configuration.
2) When I call for service or support, do I get in direct touch with the technician who last worked on my system?
Many larger companies will route your call through a helpdesk, secretary, or answering service to weed out "nuisance"
calls. This leads to wasted time on the part of the customer, who then has to "prove" to them that their call is worth
routing to the technician.
CNS's answer: You will have the direct cell phone number for both technicians, as well as an email help line for nonemergency requests. We take calls 24/7 and the help line goes into a general queue where it is picked up by the first
available tech between us.
3) How long have you been in business under this name?
With the technology field moving so rapidly, many companies go out of business very quickly. This leads to a lot of
"upstarts" and inexperienced businesses and technicians. Others find that they must change identities every few years to
remove a negative stigma associated with their name.
CNS's answer: We have been serving southwest Florida under this name since 2005, and have never changed names
or been out of business.
4) Am I required to sign a service contract in order to get fast response times and quality service?
Many technology providers rely on service contracts where they aggressively push service packages on customers.
These packages often have names like "silver", "gold" and "platinum" service, and will require either a 1-2 year minimum
and/or a 90 day notice before cancellation. Often, companies will not promise fast response times or priority service
unless customers sign up for a contract. Often, the packages include much more than the customer needs.
CNS's answer: We do not have any contracts of any kind. Our response times and service are consistently top-notch,
regardless of what size your company is, or how much you spend on IT. We do offer flat-rate services, which basically
entail purchasing a block of hours at a discounted monthly rate. This allows our customers to better plan their IT needs
each month, but does not require any contractual commitment or cancellation notice. Our customers stay with us
because our service is exceptional, not because they are locked into a contract.
5) What are your policies as to what qualifies for billable time?
Some companies are bill-crazy when it comes to time spent on-site, often starting the clock from the minute they turn off
their engine, and rounding up to the nearest hour. Technicians have high rates, so billing should be a delicate art, but I
often see techs fail to stop the clock for things such as:
- Phone calls from other customers
- Bathroom breaks
- Smoke breaks
- Speaking to another tech to acquire background info on the systems and equipment in place
- Wasted time trying incorrect solutions to a problem
- Chatting with other workers in the customer's office
CNS's answer: You will only be charged for time spent working toward the solutions to your problems or requests. By its
very nature, fixing computer problems leads to a lot of dead time for a variety of reasons, and we always try to take this
into account when we bill. We analyze every job we perform for dead time, and refund it when appropriate. In addition,
we work very quickly and decisively towards a solution, and can often accomplish in an hour what other techs would take
3 hours to do. This leads to a significantly lower overall cost, even if the actual billable hourly rate is similar.
6) Will you publicly document the changes you make on my system? Will I have all the passwords for everything
you work on?
Unfortunately, I see many technology providers fail to do this to maintain control over their customers. If a customer is
scared to switch IT companies because they have no idea what your old company has done to your system, odds are
they will be too afraid to switch. Good IT companies will document all system changes, formally or informally. This
includes things like printer and server names and IP addresses, network topology map, public and private IP information,
and application vendor support list. Also, there are many passwords besides just the server logon. Equipment such as
switches and routers, and websites such as your domain registrar all have passwords. If any of these are missing, it can
mean big trouble when it comes time to troubleshoot the system.
CNS's answer: We document all major system changes and save the file directly on the server, as well as our internal
website. Our philosophy is that if another tech were to come in behind us, they would have all the information they need
to begin working on the systems without having to contact us. We also document and provide customers with passwords
for all servers and equipment.
7) Do you charge extra for off-hours service?
Most IT companies love to charge extra for off-hours service, and you'd be surprised at what sometimes qualifies. Often,
large projects must necessarily take place after hours or on the weekend so as not to interfere with business operations,
but IT companies will routinely charge overtime for these types of projects, which can last all night! Even small items can
add up quickly if they start charging overtime as soon as the clock strikes 5:01PM.
CNS's answer: Scheduled maintenance and upgrades that occur after-hours or on weekends are billed at the regular
hourly rate. The only things that qualify for an overtime charge are non-scheduled (i.e. emergency) calls on weekends,
that the customer cannot wait until the next business day to have resolved. Work already in progress by 4:00 does not
incur an overtime fee, regardless of how long it takes to complete.
8) Do you mark up your parts for resale? When you order large items for my business (such as a server) will it be
in my company's name?
A big profit center for some IT providers is a gross markup on resale equipment such as servers, switches, printers, etc.
This is particularly disturbing in the IT industry because there is such a wide range of parts available, that companies have
an easy time going for the part with the high margin rather than the right part for the job. Most companies not only mark
up their parts by an average of 43%, but will then charge you labor for the time spent quoting and ordering the parts as
well!
CNS's answer: If you are a customer which is on a monthly payment plan, we do not mark up parts at all! We have a
corporate account with Dell, so we get excellent discounted pricing which is not available to the public. When you need to
order hardware, we will spec out the parts, and put you directly in touch with the Dell representative who will complete the
order. By ordering directly from the manufacturer, you are getting the exact same pricing we would get, plus you can
choose you method of payment (credit card or financing) without involving a third party in your financial transactions.
Lastly, by ordering direct, the equipment will be in your company's name. This is important if you switch IT companies,
and need to call Dell for support. We only charge for the time spent actually quoting out the system and working with the
vendor, which is significantly less than a 43% equipment markup, especially on large purchases. For hourly customers,
we generally mark up parts just 10-20% to cover our cost of procurement.
9) Do you have a retail store location?
Surprisingly, an affirmative answer to this question is not a good sign. Many companies get into the business of corporate
networks by beginning with a PC retail store. They buy, sell, and service PC's. When this fails to make them
enough money, they start to branch out and visit people in their homes, and eventually in their workplace. Corporate
networks have very little to do with PC repair, however, and what usually happens is they find themselves in over their
head when they have to work on servers, domains, switches and routers, etc. Additionally, they will usually push for
hardware solutions that they sell in their store, rather than the right solutions for the job.
CNS's answer: Our company was founded specifically to work on corporate networks. We have an office on Enterprise
Ave. in Naples, but it is not open to the public. We use it mainly for storing equipment, staging servers, and doing remote
work.
10) Do you offer free network evaluations and consultations?
Many companies do not, or will limit the length or scope of such a meeting.
CNS's answer: Of course we do! For no charge, we will visit your place of business, examine your current equipment,
meet with key staff members and spend as much time as you need answering your questions and laying out our
recommendations for solutions moving forward.