Public Library IT Equipment Flooded!
Thanks To Outsource IT Group’s Responsive Help Desk Support– They Were Able To Remain Open
A Public Library that serves a large suburban community outside of Chicago has a unique mission. Their staff works to be a catalyst, advocate and place to advance the vision and ideals of the community. Whether it’s through the items that the Library buys for collections, the programs it runs for enrichment or fun, or the partnerships it fosters within the community, the Library aims to be a valuable part of the community’s daily life.
A Water Leak From Their Plumbing Created A Disaster For The IT System
The Library recently had a plumbing problem that caused a major water leak. It flooded the wiring closet containing the backbone equipment for their IT network and phone system.
They contacted our Help Desk, we responded immediately, and were able to resolve the issue over the weekend. Our team contacted vendors to seek out replacement equipment and were able to keep part of the Library open during this disaster situation.
We Were Able To Keep The Library Open Due To Our Fast Response & Resolution Times
The Library was able to keep patron services available during this disaster situation in part due to the responsiveness of our technicians. This shows the importance of having a reliable IT Service Company that provides responsive Help Desk Support.
What Kind Of Response Should You Expect From Your IT Service Company?
First, make sure they provide a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that clearly defines acceptable response and resolution times. Many IT companies claim that they will respond to and resolve your issues quickly. But unless they measure this and prove what they can do, these promises mean nothing.
A company that continually assesses its response and resolution times will be more effective. If for some reason they can’t meet an expected response/resolution time, they should clearly communicate why.
Response Times
Your SLA response time refers to how quickly your IT Service Company will respond to a technical issue that you raised via a phone call, email or another method. And, they should be easy to contact by phone, email, or via an online service portal.
Phone call response times may be measured in the number of rings it takes for you to reach a technician; or it may specify how quickly they will reply to an email, voicemail message or online ticket request. Most businesses expect that their complaints will be addressed over the phone, by email, or online within an hour.
It’s also essential that your IT provider clearly define their work hours and ensure that you know that only these hours are included in response time. For example, if their operating hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday thru Friday, and you place a request at 4:55 pm on a Friday evening, the response time might be at 8:05 am on Monday morning. So, officially the response time is 10 minutes. This is acceptable because it’s based around their business hours.
Resolution Times
This refers to the length of time it takes from the time a ticket request is logged until the issue is fully resolved. Typically, a company will establish a range of job priorities with a target resolution time for each. For example, a downed computer will be a higher priority than setting up a new one.
Just like response times, it’s important to understand that resolution times are calculated based on the agreed-upon work hours. And your IT Service Provider should stipulate that a resolution time starts when the request is logged.
For example, they might specify that when a computer goes down the problem will be resolved within 4 hours, where routine maintenance will be completed within 48 hours. These resolution times assume that your computing equipment is solid to begin with. You can’t expect their techs to abide by resolution times if you haven’t kept up with maintenance requirements, or if your hardware needs upgrading.
What Happens When You Don’t Get Prompt IT Service?
If you’re not getting prompt service, your business could face the following consequences:
- You can’t operate or provide the services that your customers expect. If they have a choice, they may leave your business and go to a competitor.
- You’ll be wasting money if you pay for monthly service. You’re not receiving your money’s worth for the service you’ve invested in. One of the reasons businesses sign up for Managed IT Services is to benefit from prompt response and resolution times.
Why The Public Library Chose Outsource IT Solutions Group
They chose us as their technology partner more than 10 years ago because it was clear that it was less expensive to hire outside IT experts than to maintain that expertise on their own staff. Technology changes so rapidly and the Library has a continuous goal of providing current technologies to patrons. It was clear that Outsource IT Solutions Group Hassle-Free Program best suited these demands. Plus, we provide an SLA with response and resolution times. They knew that they could depend on us.
For more information about Help Desk response times, contact the team at Outsource IT Solutions Group in Naperville, IL.
Want to learn more about the other IT topics? Check out the Articles on our website.
