Humans donโt like change. Now you might say youโre the type of person who loves to try new things. But changing something fundamental, even when you know itโs not quite โrightโ is difficult. For example how many of you have changed virtual meeting platform since the pandemic began. Chances are if you started off using Zoom, youโre still using Zoom. This is despite all the security issues it had last year, and the massive improvements Microsoft have made to Teams.
Itโs OK. We are actually โhardwiredโ to resist change. Part of the brain โ the Amygdala โ interprets change as a threat and releases the hormones for fear: fight or flight. Your body actually protects you from change.
This explains why we have very positive discussions with some business owners who then opt to stay with their existing provider. Even though theyโve had enough of an issue to talk to other providers in the first place!
The business owner or manager thinks making a change of IT Support provider is going to be disruptive. They are not just thinking of the change for them of dealing with something new, itโs a change for everyone in the organisation.
Why make a change?
There has to be something wrong with the service youโre getting. We are great believers that the vast majority of IT Support Providers give a good service, especially doing the basics.
Of course if youโre Help Desk support is slow, sloppy, bad at communicating, or just simply doesnโt fix things then have a look around. But this is rarely the case.
Generally, the enquiries we receive are from businesses looking for a little bit more from the provider than just fixing the problems put in front of them. The catalyst for change is often a long-standing issue that never gets โproperly fixedโ. In other words, the provider fixes the symptoms never the cause.
Another common issue is the unexpected cost. As an example, a server might fail. Suddenly youโre looking for several thousand pounds for a new one, or an unplanned move to an alternative solution. The provider simply says โwell you should have expected it, the server is 7 years oldโ. You wanted some warning, to start discussing that change 2 or 3 years before itโs going to be needed.
Is it hard to change IT Support provider?
Probably not as difficult as you think.
Once youโve decided to change IT Support provider then the new provider should take control of the situation. Most incumbent providers will be cooperative. Everybody in our sector loses customers from time-to-time. The better providers believe in not burning bridges. Weโve had clients in the past think that a change would be beneficial only to return to us in the future.
When we take over a new client weโll discuss with the client how they want to handle letting the existing provider know. Occasionally relationships have really broken down fully and weโll liaise with the old provider on behalf of the client.
The actual change to a new IT Support Provider is not technically difficult. We have our system โThe Hassle Free IT Takeoverโ and other providers will have theirs. Any competent provider should be able to onboard you with an absolute minimum of disruption.
Communication is the absolute key. The provider should take control of this. Ensuring they communicate with all of the users in your business, not just you, to make them aware how they access support has changed.
Added complications
If you have phones, broadband, mobile or anything else โtechโ with your existing provider these can usually be changed over too. Youโll need to be aware contract lengths on those services might be different.
Taking over licencing from people like Microsoft is straightforward. Itโs done in the background and youโll notice nothing different.
A good provider will do their homework. Theyโll undertake a thorough audit of your existing systems (ours is a 50-point check) and SHOULD have anticipated any complications. We carry out certain tasks outside office hours to ensure minimal disruption.
Is change worth it?
We all know the phrase โbetter the devil you knowโ. Itโs not always the case. In fact itโs very often not the case!
Making a change is worth it if you’re not getting what you need from your existing supplier. But before you start along the road make sure you really are ready to move.
There is something called โFormula for Changeโ. Invented by David Gleicher in the 1960โs and refined by Kathie Dannemiller in the 1980s.
It looks complex: C = D ร V ร F > R
What it means is in order for (C)hange to take place you need (D)issatisfaction x (V)ision of whatโs possible x (F)irst concrete steps toward the vision to be greater than (R)esistance
In IT Support terms that means (D)issatisfaction with the existing supplier or the IT systems in place, a (V)ision from the new provider of what things will be like after the change, and a simple (F)irst step for making things better all of which is greater than you being afraid to change. Because difficulty in changing provider is NOT the resistance. But you’re mindset could be.
