MSPs Provide IT Support Just How You Like It

August 27th, 2018
MSPs Provide IT Support Just How You Like It

Managed IT Services Providers -- aka, MSPs -- are doing a brisk business lately. This is because companies of every size in every industry need reliable IT to stay competitive, but a large percentage of them lack the internal resources to make it happen.

By partnering with an MSP, they can choose from a range of solutions that will keep their IT running smoothly and keep online hackers at bay. These include everything from network monitoring & maintenance to cybersecurity systems to data backup & recovery plans -- it just depends on their needs.

But what every business needs from time-to-time is technical support for day-to-day computer problems. MSPs can provide it in one of two ways -- either at their client’s site or remotely over the Internet -- again depending on what the customer needs.

Onsite Technical Support

Whether your business needs a technician to visit your site to fix computer problems, or you’d prefer they be handled by a technician connecting to your IT network over the Internet, there’s a certain style of customer service that defines the modern MSP help desk technician.

Of course you’ll be dealing with a certified IT expert, but you can also expect them to exhibit the following behaviors:

  1. They will regard you and your users as partners, and work as an extension of your team
  2. They will be the kind of people who enjoy solving problems and overcoming challenges
  3. They will stay positive under pressure in their pursuit of prompt solutions

Onsite support technicians will behave like this when they visit your office to fix computer problems, and ideally it will remind you of the relationships you have with your plumber or electrician -- where you know each other’s names, they know your business, they’re familiar with your systems, and they have an idea of how quickly you’d like them to work.

The work that an onsite support technician performs usually has to do with physical hardware: servers, desktop PCs, WiFi routers and the like. When any of these devices require someone to pop the hood and look inside, connecting over the Internet isn’t going to work.

The benefits of onsite support -- whether for hardware or software -- include easier communication and clearer explanations of your issues, confidence in knowing work is actually being done while the technician is “on the clock,” and huge savings from having outsourced experts at your beck and call, as opposed to full-time, in-house ones on your payroll.

Remote Technical Support

If your computer problem isn’t hardware related, then your technician won’t need to visit your office -- although they could if you wanted them to. But most of the time, an accommodating MSP like OC-IT will handle any repairs remotely by using software to “connect in” and gain access to your network. Then, they can troubleshoot and solve whatever problems you are experiencing.

These usually pertain to your software applications and database programs, and are caused by everything from outdated versions of your software and software/hardware compatibility issues to corrupted internal network connections and highly damaging viruses from security breaches (HINT: they can destroy your business).

The benefits of remote support include convenience from being able to have repairs done at odd hours without you having to let someone into your facility, speed of completion since there is no travel time for the technician, and improved productivity resulting from the fact that the repairs can be done behind the scenes without having to “take down” any of your computers or servers.

And, as with onsite technical support, there are significant savings to be had by employing an MSP for remote support.

Onsite & Remote Support in Tandem

Onsite support is great for hardware issues and small-business owners who prefer face-to-face interactions with their vendors; while remote support is great for software issues and those who prefer speed and convenience.

But as you’ve likely experienced in your day-to-day operations, IT issues aren’t so easy to separate into those that are strictly hardware-related and those that are strictly software-related. The reality is your business would be best served by having both onsite and remote technical support at your disposal.

Call today for a free assessment of your IT network so you can get set up with the mix of support that’s best for your employees’ productivity.

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