Technical Support Contracts and Customers’ Common Complaints

Once you have been providing technical support contracts for a while, you begin to hear a standard set of complaints that customers typically have about IT companies. Often, these complaints are in reference to the service of a previous support provider who you have been brought in to replace. (For details, see How to Win a Computer Consulting Contract from a Competitor.)

It is very wise to be aware of these common complaints to make sure you don’t fall into the trap of making similar mistakes when delivering your technical support contracts. Otherwise, it may only be a matter of time before you are replaced! Here are five of the most common IT complaints:

Too Much “Geek Speak”

Many IT professionals forget that typical customers lack technical knowledge.

Computers and gadgets may even intimidate some. The best IT people know how to talk about computers in plain English.

Poor Response

The surefire way to lose technical support contracts is to allow emails and phone calls to go unanswered.

What may seem like a minor issue to you could be slowing a client’s workflow or losing them money.

Poor Follow-Up

Many customers complain that support people too easily assume that a problem is fixed without checking back with them.

Delivering technical support contracts is as much about customer service as technical ability.

Reactivity

Customers want and need to be guided through the bewildering world of IT. Many complain that their support providers do nothing but firefight issues as they appear.

Being proactive is not only more professional; it also creates more opportunities to earn revenue.

Disruption

Customers want to be free to run their businesses and get annoyed when IT hinders them.

Good IT people are aware of this, work to ensure maximum uptime during office hours, and keep a low, quiet profile when working on-site.

What complaints do you hear from your customers about technical support contracts? Share your experiences in the comments below.

And to follow through on the tips introduced in this short article, especially if you also support SaaS and IaaS, be sure to enroll now in our free 7-day eCourse: Go-to-Market Strategy 101 for B2B SaaS Startups and Scaleups.