One of my favorite things to do is observe. I watch from every vantage point possible. And being in the IT support industry allows for some interesting perspectives. One such perspective is that of watching how support firms make crucial mistakes that ultimately lead to either failure of technology or the supreme displeasure of clients. I thought it would handy for owners and IT support staff to see the list of mistakes I have compiled.

1: Overlooking the little guy

This one hurts firms that tend to start seeing dollar signs in the corporate IT world and begin focusing on larger and larger clients. When this happens, those small clients (the ones that made the firm what it is) start disappearing from the radar and, eventually get completely neglected. This is bad because although those smaller companies might not have the budget the larger companies have, they still have a fairly strong voice within the community. That voice can easily spread word of neglect and poor service. Enough negative statements spread about your company and things will go south quickly.

2: Trying to be larger than you can handle

There are many levels of bad involved with this. The biggest  and most pervasive is that you will simply not be able to deal with the tasks at hand. It’s one thing to have grand designs, but those designs must include the ability to actually handle the workload. This situation can also turn around and bite your budget in the behind. As you spend on your clients, and your client hesitate to remit payment, your debt is climbing.

3: Not vetting prospective employees

One of the most challenging aspects I have witnessed in support is finding qualified engineers. This doesn’t necessarily mean just qualified to handle the technical task at hand. It means knowing the engineers you’ve hired can work with others, be friendly and professional, work under pressure, be creative with solutions (when necessary), and assure clients the job will get done. The biggest problem with hiring employees who lack these skills is that if you are constantly having to train new people, work is not getting done. These are setbacks you do not need.

4: Losing sight of the mission

This falls somewhat in line with the first two points. If your mission is about the small to midsize businesses, don’t get sidetracked with the spotlight your corporate clients might shine on you. Your company must have a mission, and it must adhere to it at all times. Otherwise, the company will struggle to remain successful on any level. Over time, you will either wind up doing too much or too little. Know what your goals are and know how to achieve them.

5: Not staying current with technology

Technology moves incredibly fast. If you can’t stay current, you will lose out. For example, tablets are growing ever more popular and are being deployed more and more by businesses. If your company hasn’t bothered to keep current with tablet technology, you’re going to miss opportunities. Make sure you know the most current technologies and what’s about to hit the streets.

6: Deploying faulty technology

This one always astonishes me. It’s not so much that the hardware isn’t up to the task, but that software is deployed that is not best suited for a job or that isn’t configured correctly. If software is poorly chosen, poorly configured, or installed on bad hardware, you will be returning — and that return trip will be on your dime.

7: Failing to plan jobs properly

In the same vein, jobs must be planned properly. The required software, hardware, tools, time, and engineer must be perfectly matched to the job. This most often becomes a problem with time. By not scheduling the proper amount of time for a job, the job gets rushed. A rushed job is a poorly handled job and will always cause problems later on. Always, always, always plan for extra time. Drive time and padding for the unpredictable is a must for every job. Do not cut engineers short just to pack in more jobs.

8: Not considering the morale of employees

Those employees who are being overworked, undercompensated, and demoralized? They’re going to leave. And the last thing you need is a high attrition rate in your company. That kind of reputation gets around, and the next thing you know, you won’t be able to hire an engineer to save your life. Treat your employees like the precious cargo they are. When you have a group that works well together, do everything in your power to keep them together.

9: Overselling products to clients

You know that product that will make you a huge profit but that might not be the best solution for a job? You might not want to sell it as often as you are. Yes, it might have a profit margin like no other product. And yes, it might even be well suited for a job. But if a less expensive product can do the job just as well in some circumstances, you’re better off selling and deploying that less costly product, lest the client catch wind that they’ve been oversold.

10: Sending out engineers before they’re ready

I often see firms send engineers into the field before they’re ready. Sometimes, these engineers are just out of school, but other times, they’re experienced engineers who are used to working internally. The best thing to do is to use new engineers for remote support so they can get used to dealing with different situations and different clients. Once these engineers have proved that they can handle remote support, they’re most likely ready to give the field a go. This extra step will keep your employees from melting down under pressure ,and it will go a long way to ensuring client satisfaction.

Other mistakes?

Not every situation, organization, or employee is the same. But some issues can be applied across the board, no matter how big or small your business. What other mistakes have you seen that cost a support firm some business?