Much of the time, when looking for a managed IT services provider, people look immediately search for a company nearby to them. This instinct makes sense for several reasons. One might assume that it’s necessary to work with an IT company that is physically close in case onsite technical work needs to be completed. The truth, however, is that what you actually need is a quality IT services provider that is customer focused, regardless of where they are located. The current state of technology absolutely does not require you to be physically near your partners in IT support. What you need is a company that will work with you on what you specifically need and is communicative and responsive to you.
Communication Does Not Require Proximity
You do not need to hire a California IT company if you’re in Los Angeles. You can partner with a Salt Lake City IT services company just as easily. Most IT work can be performed remotely through virtual machines and cloud services. Remote IT work is valuable and a responsive IT team that connects this way is far more valuable to your company than one next door that does not return your calls. You’re not walking across the street or taking a bus to talk to your IT company when there is a support or service question. Who you’re working with is an e-mail, phone call, or support ticket away, or at least they should be, regardless of physical location.
Even in the case of onsite service, there are systems in play that allow companies to deploy technicians all over the country in many cases. Many IT companies do not limit themselves to local service and have ways to provide onsite work in the instances it’s required. Managed IT services providers don’t limit themselves when providing service, so you should not limit yourself when looking for one.
The Local Bias
Some larger companies are fully aware of the bias small business owners may have to finding a “local guy” and they try to exploit it dishonestly. Despite being headquartered in a specific place, they will claim satellite locations all across the country and act as if they operate distinctly in a specific region. Many of these larger companies are unresponsive and treat customers not like people but like numbers in a spreadsheet– meaning that these companies are often unresponsive and uncaring when clients have immediate issues. Meanwhile, many IT companies that may not be local to you but provide white glove service and care about the issues you face can get looked over.
How Do They Treat You?
The key is not to focus on location when searching for the right IT services partner. Focus on whether the company is a good fit and how they treat you when you discuss your specific IT needs with them. A customer focused managed IT services company is what you want no matter how big they are or where they’re located.
