subject: A Case of Mistaken Trust [print this page] A Case of Mistaken Trust A Case of Mistaken Trust
Things are Tough all over:
I got a call this week from an angry customer. Normally I am pretty adept at handling that (yes occasionally clients even get angry at me!) only this customer wasn't mine. It seems that he had a visit from a tech who handed him a card with my company name, did the work the customer requested - or so the customer thought and had the customer make the check out directly to him. Later that day the client tried to actually use his network only to discover that the whole thing was non-functional.
His first call was to the "tech" that had performed the work. Guess what? No return call. He tried for some and it became clear that he would not reach the person. He called his bank and the check had already been cashed. It was in fact cashed immediately. It was clear to him that he had been taken. At some point he had to hire another company to come in and repair the network.
All told he lost $1000 in service fees and lost revenue. By the time he called me he was beside himself. As a business owner I can relate. Competition is tough, consumer and business spending is tight and there are constant pitfalls awaiting the unsuspecting entrepreneur. Add to that - vendors that are out to do little more than steal from you and it enough to make all but the most unflinching business person call it a day.
It's a Numbers Thing:
Listen: There are a bunch of techs out there.There are three main contributing factors for this:
ITT Tech, Devry, University of Phoenix, etc... They continue to send them out in droves.
When the economy turned, many good IT people lost their jobs.
At the same time, our country corporately decided it would be a teriffic idea to elimintate many jobs in favor of cheaper solutions overseas.
Thecombined effect on IT professionals was devastating. They clogged up the highway exits across America with signs that read:
Will Code for Food!
So now we have a highly trained workforce in a service industry that belongs to an economy that can't support them. As a member of this lucky class what do you do? Easy, you build a website, slap a "Billy Bob's PC Repair" sign on your car and keep on trucking! Don't believe me? See for yourself. Go to Google maps type Computer Services and see if you can count all the dots. It is amazing. In my town there are so many dots it's difficult to see the map - I originally thought I was looking at gas stations.
Here's is what it looks like in my town:
It takes very little to get your company represented on this map so not every dot represents an ethical good quality vendor. There are other's still that haven't even discovered this free service so you can at least double the number you see here. So here's the point: in any business there is a small percentage of people who are if not entirely unscrupulous let's say in a hurry. Bad ethics and poor customer service a very short view of running a business is an actual strategy for some. A more crowded market simply means a larger number of these to contend with. This does not even take into account the huge number of people who simply feel they know more about computers than they actually do.
So how do you protect yourself?
The short answer is you can't, at least not completely. There are, however,some things to look for.
1. Are you dealing with a real company?
OK so everyone has nephew or brother in law that "knows computers". This can be a terrific help in a pinch, but where will they be tomorrow when things go wrong? This goes double when you are dealing with a perfect stranger. As a consumer you have a right to insist that an actual company provide your service. I am not suggesting that you research every vendor with the corporation commission, but it is a reasonable question to ask the vendor. Someone who operates in their own name while they may be a great technician is less likely to be around for the long haul. And In case I wasn't clear enough before: It is not reasonable for someone you don't know to hand you company business card then ask you to make the check out to them personally. Also be wary about paying in cash for someone you do not have a relationship with.
2. Is your technician certified by major hardware/software manufacturers?
You may have your own opinions about Microsoft, but you must acknowledge that a certification by them is not a give-away. The tests are difficult and require a significant knowledge, not only of their products, but of computers in general. The person who has invested in these certifications has not only demonstrated this knowledge but proven they are in it for the long haul.
3. Is the company home based?
OK so maybe I am a bit of a snob here, but so many of the dots on the map above are houses and PO boxes. Running a business from home is a decision and there are many very good technicians doing just that. Running a computer services business from an office or store front, however, is an investment. To me it signals, not only a level of success, but the intention to remain in service of the community.
4. Does the company have a presence or accreditation by directories, social networks or and consumer affairs organizations.
OK let's be clear here - most of the input that goes into these mechanisms is generated by the company itself. For the most part they should be read as any other sales material with care. Here is the difference - these mediums are bidirectional. They all have the means for you the consumer to give feedback. A Company who subjects themselves to this put their reputation on the line. The more places you find the company the more exposed they are to the feedback of those who use their services. Take a look around. Does the company have a presence on any of the medium below? Here are just a few:
dexknows.com
bbb.org
Microsoft.com
Superpages.com
Facebook.com
Merchantcircle.com
Yellowbot.com
5. Just how long has the company business?
OK so everyone has to start somewhere, and a 20 year old IT company is not necessarily any better than a year old one. It is just something to be aware of.
6. Feel free to ask for references?
Another "grain of salt" item, a company is unlikely to give a reference that would have negative things to say. The ability to provide solid, corporate references whether you call them or not makes a statement.
There is no full proof method for ensuring that you are working with a reputable company. Some of the things I've discussed here are fundamental, others are overkill. The point is to be aware that not everyone is what they appear. Your business data and computer infrastructure are too critical to not at least consider whose hands you are placing it in.
