A recent wave of Reddit comments has highlighted a series of poor customer service experiences with tech support. Although I usually avoid Reddit and its community of chronic complainers, I decided to browse through a few posts for research purposes, given my involvement in the industry. Some of the complaints seemed so far-fetched—like the woman who claimed a technician took a bathroom break in her attic—that they were hard to believe. However, other more common issues discussed in the thread are ones I've encountered myself, and to be honest, they were frustrating.
When you're facing a tech emergency—whether it's a malfunctioning printer, hardware issues, internet connectivity problems, login difficulties, or similar challenges—poor tech support only exacerbates the frustration. It leaves employees unable to perform their tasks efficiently because they're busy troubleshooting tech problems and waiting on hold with an IT company that is "looking into it." Meanwhile, customers just want a seamless experience when dealing with your organization.
This can lead to losing both customers and top-tier employees to competitors who don't face these daily issues. While it might initially seem dramatic to suggest that a few unresolved tech issues could cause such a disturbance, the repetition of these problems without resolution fosters growing resentment. Eventually, this will drive people to seek out organizations that don't have to deal with such headaches.
So, how can you get ahead of the problem? Start by polling your employees. Ask them questions that will help you evaluate your current IT company's performance to determine if they are addressing your team's needs promptly and effectively. Here are some questions to consider:
- Do you experience any recurring technical problems that haven't been fully resolved? If so, what are they?
- How would you rate the response time of the IT support team when you encounter a technical issue?
- Have you found the IT support team to be knowledgeable and helpful in resolving your issues?
- Do you feel that the IT company communicates effectively and keeps you informed about the status of your requests?
- How would you describe your overall satisfaction with the support provided by our IT company?
