Sure, you know what interview questions to ask potential employees at your Dallas company. You may even know the perfect questions to ask new clients or other companies who provide outsourced services like accounting, payroll processing, or event management.
But what about information technology — IT. How are you when it comes to IT companies in Dallas and what they should be able to do for your business? Do you know the right questions to ask?
For starters, before we get into the key questions to pose to potential IT providers, be grateful you’ve made it this far. A lot of Dallas companies slog away, doing their own IT in-house for years — and they reap what they sow: Slow systems, buggy software, weak security, and other serious problems.
Now that you’re on the path to sourcing Dallas computer support from a local IT company, you’re headed for smoother internal systems, a better web presence, stronger security, improved lead generation, and happier clients and customers (even more satisfied employees, for that matter).
It’s all down to finding the right IT service provider for you.
As you interview potential candidates in the Dallas area, we recommend asking the following essential questions:
Top Questions to Ask Potential IT Companies in Dallas
1. What is the size and scope of your company?
It's up to you what level of service, attention, and care you'd like from your IT company. If you need someone to handle your cybersecurity, for instance, you may not mind hiring a large company with a long list of clients. You might fit in very nicely among their clientele.
On the other hand, some Dallas companies require a lot of attention and support. Perhaps you run a large business yourself and need IT help to handle cybersecurity, internal software systems, cloud hosting and other cloud services, computer repair, and more. In this case, you should look for a company who doesn't take on too many clients and can give the necessary attention and devotion to your company.
2. What types of companies do you primarily service?
Many IT companies service only a specific industry — or several industries. For example, a given IT company may have narrowed their market to only provide IT support to healthcare providers or lawyers.
Make sure that your company and industry falls into the service area of the IT company you are interviewing. This is essential because it allows you to know that your IT service company will understand your industry and your needs and pain points. If they do not understand how your industry and particular business function on a day-to-day basis, they will not be able to give you optimal support and care.
3. If we sign on for your services, what does this process look like?
In other words, how long are your contracts or do you use contacts at all?
You’ll soon find that some IT support companies take on work that's primarily on the job to job basis. For example, they may necessarily be on retainer for you if you need emergency computer repair services, online support, or other random assistance. On the other hand, they may offer full or partial services on a contract basis. For instance, you may be able to pay top dollar and receive every service they provide — from the installation of new hardware and software to cybersecurity, computer repair, cloud support, and more.
Some companies offer these full-contract services, and others do not. You need to know what their contracts may look like if you decide to sign with them. Most importantly, you need to know what is not included in your agreement, should you sign one.
You also need to know how long a given contract will be valid for. The majority of IT companies will have a minimum time commitment, which may or may not work for you.
Finally, as a side note, don't forget to ask about how you will be charged. Terms may vary, but it's vital for you to know whether you need to pay quarterly, monthly, annually, or in another scheduled timeframe.
4. When we have a problem, what will the response time be like?
Technological issues at Dallas companies are rarely problems that can be solved "whenever." Instead, they need to be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible; otherwise, the business can take a hit.
As you speak with potential IT companies in Dallas, ask them what their response times are like. Often, times will vary depending on what you’re willing to pay for. For example, if you’re up for paying premium prices, you may be at the very top of their list, in that they will respond to your request for service — whenever, wherever.
5. Do you have past clients or references we can speak to?
Lastly, if you want an excellent idea of how this IT services company is going to work for your Dallas business, it's best to speak to someone who has worked with the company before. For this reason, it's perfectly fine to inquire about current companies the IT service company contracts with, past companies they've worked with, or other references they can offer.
Now, the job is yours: You need to contact these references directly and ask them their honest opinions about IT service company you are interviewing. You'll need to have a list of questions to pose to these references as well. Some optional questions to consider are as follows:
- How long did you work with Company A?
- What was your overall impression of Company A?
- When you had a problem, how long did it take Company A to fix it?
- Was there a reason that you left Company A?
- Would you recommend that my Dallas business work with Company A as well?
Remember that asking the right questions to potential Dallas IT companies is critical to choosing the proper tech support for your company.
Your employees, your customers and clients, and the future of your business depend on having optimal IT support, and narrowing down your candidates to the best applicant is the only way to accomplish this truly.
Good luck as you search for your new IT support provider in Dallas!
