By Jordan Westcott, Managing Director
When IT support is slow, businesses suffer. It’s as simple as that.
Missed deadlines, frustrated employees, and dissatisfied customers, all because an IT issue wasn’t resolved quickly enough. For many SMEs, this has become an accepted part of working life. But it shouldn’t be.
Too many IT providers are clinging to outdated support models. The ‘log a ticket and wait’ approach has become the norm, forcing businesses to fit into the provider’s system, rather than the other way around. Meanwhile, time is wasted, productivity stalls, and trust erodes.
If you’re a business leader, this story probably sounds familiar. You’ve experienced it first-hand, waiting for a support ticket to be acknowledged, chasing status updates, or relying on one overworked person to solve all your IT problems. It’s not just frustrating – it’s bad for business.
It doesn’t have to be this way. IT support should feel like an extension of your team, not a service you have to chase. Providers need to challenge their approach and start prioritising people over process.
Why slow IT support is a serious problem for SMEs
It starts with a simple issue: a login fails or a payment system goes down. You log a ticket, wait, chase, and wait some more. By the time support responds, your employees have wasted hours trying to fix it themselves, deadlines have slipped, and productivity has been lost. Reactive support only fixes problems after the damage is done.
Slow IT support affects every part of your business. What starts as a small issue, like a payroll glitch or CRM outage, can quickly escalate. Missed deadlines, frustrated employees, and lost revenue are just the beginning. Delays disrupt productivity, erode customer trust, and impact morale. For many SMEs, chasing IT support has become routine, but it shouldn’t be. Slow support isn’t “just how it is,” it’s a sign that something needs to change.
Why SMEs need to challenge their IT providers
Instead of call centres and ticket queues, clients need direct access to experts. When clients need help, they need to speak to a specialist straight away. No chasing, no delays.
If your IT provider isn’t delivering on these principles, it’s time to ask some tough questions.
Are you still stuck waiting for calls to be answered? Are you logging tickets and chasing responses? Are you relying on one person to handle all your IT issues?
If the answer is yes, you’re being let down. The old models are no longer fit for purpose. Businesses should expect direct access, proactive support, and access to a full team of specialists, not a single overworked point of contact.
Don’t accept slow support as the norm. Demand better.
Take the survey and help drive change
Slow IT support costs time, money, and trust, but it doesn’t have to be this way. We’re gathering insights from SME business leaders in the South West as part of our ‘Going beyond: The 2024 South West IT Support Survey’.
Your input will shape a regional report with practical recommendations for businesses and IT providers. Have your say and help raise the standard of IT support in the South West.
Take the survey here.
