The days of traditional business hours are over. In a world where customers have been trained to expect round-the-clock access to their favourite brands, out of hours IT support is vital to ensure your business continues to thrive.

We live in an on-demand society today.

Thanks to Internet-based companies like Amazon and Netflix, and the rise of 24-hour retail, modern customers expect to be able to get the products and services they want, whenever they want them.

So, if your business is going to succeed in this always-online economy, it’s vital that you’re there when your customers want you, even if that means opening early, closing late, or simply operating online 24/7/365.

Doing so, however, presents its own unique challenges.

For example:

• What happens then, when demand for your services exceeds your network’s ability to meet that demand and you experience downtime at a critical moment?

• What happens if your WiFi goes down just as you’re trying to help an important customer, or your desktop machines malfunction to such a degree that staff are left with nothing to do but sit twiddling their thumbs whilst productivity levels sink down the drain?

• What happens if all this occurs after your in-house IT staff have all gone home for the evening or if your outsourced IT support provider promptly close down for the day at 5pm?

The answer can be frightening:

Your customers, unable to get the services or products they need from you, simply turn away and go to one of your competitors.

That may not be a one-off transaction you lose, either.

If your competitors are able to deliver a solid service, those customers may well switch brand allegiance entirely, and never return.

What’s the solution?

How do you avoid losing customers and ensure that yours is the business customers can always rely on no matter what time of day or night?

By investing in out-of-hours IT support.

More Than Just an Insurance Policy

Having round-the-clock access to highly qualified IT consultants who are trained to quickly and efficiently deal with all manner of technology failures can prove invaluable when it comes to remaining competitive in today’s 24/7 society.

But look:

There’s being competitive and there’s beating the competition, and -let’s be honest- it’s the latter that really appeals to you, isn’t it?

Though it’s tempting to think of out of hours IT merely as an insurance policy or ‘just-in-case’ precaution to protect your business, it’s actually much more.

In fact, it can even be the catalyst for finally gaining the edge over your competitors and developing  a reputation as leaders in your industry.

Here’s how.

Improved Customer Service

Imagine the scenario:

It’s the weekend. Your in-house IT staff are all at home and off-duty, but your customer service representatives still have an important job to do:

Making sure your customers’ experience of your business is a positive one.

There’s just one problem:

Your mission-critical networks are performing so slowly that delivering the service those customers expect is taking far too much time.

With no one on call, the best you can do is apologise and hope for the best.

With access to out of hours IT support, however, a specialist can be on the case within minutes, identifying the error that is causing your network to lag and rapidly implementing a solution.

The result is better service and happy customers who are far more likely to return time and time again.

Enhanced Reputation

With your out-of-hours IT support team ensuring that your WiFi is performing at its best, your hardware is running smoothly, and your servers and networks are all doing their job well at all times, that improved customer service isn’t a one-off fluke – it’s a consistent approach to the very way you operate.

The more you deliver these consistently high standards of service, the more your customers are likely to recommend you to friends and relatives, to leave glowing reviews, or to talk positively about you on social media.

That alone can prove invaluable to getting ahead of the competition, ensuring that it’s your business -not your competitors- that’s got everyone talking for all the right reasons.

Business Growth

The growth of high-speed broadband and communications technologies such as video conferencing and VoIP (Voice over IP) telephony means you’re no longer limited to providing great customer service to those you share a timezone with.

With the backing of qualified IT consultants who can ensure lag-free VoIP calls, reliable broadband connectivity and safe, secure connections with networks across the globe, you can take your business overseas and provide them with the same outstanding service your domestic customers receive, no matter what time of day it may be.

Discover how out of hour IT support can help your business become unrivalled leaders in your industry. Contact Pacific Infotech online today, or to discuss your requirements, call now on  020 313 76707.