advice | Paul Wallbank - Communications Professional

Why manners matter online

Good manners go a long way on the Internet

Yahoo!7’s attempt to reduce bullying and offensive behaviour in their forums and comments illustrates a problem we have in the online community — that many people forget their manners when they connect to the Internet.

Manners matter online because there is no divide between your behaviour on the Internet and in the physical world. What you say and do online can affect your personal and professional life.

In previous posts I’ve looked at how this affects business people and politicians, but poor online behaviour such as bullying, offensive language and just downright poor manners can affect all members of the community, even if you aren’t online yourself.

Much of the problem lies in that people forget the Internet is a global medium, what you post from a computer in Parramatta can be seen by someone in Paris. Many also think they are anonymous online when it’s actually difficult to cover your tracks.

So here’s a few ideas on how to be a good cybercitizen;

You are what you tweet

Keep in mind everything you do online can affect your job, your family and your personal assets. All the rules and laws of the physical world apply online as well.

If you wouldn’t do or say something on the street, then you probably shouldn’t do it online either.

You are not anonymous

Okay, you signed up to a forum with a false name and setup a dummy hotmail or gmail account to confirm your identity. You are still not anonymous.

Upset enough people or seriously break the law and you will be found. Being truly anonymous on the net actually takes a lot of effort .

Show respect

We all have ideas and opinions which the Internet is a great medium for spreading, be it using social media tools life Facebook and Twitter or in forums and comments sections on websites.

Regardless of how good your idea is or how passionate and well founded your opinion is, there will be those who choose to disagree with you. Respect those views and don’t get offended when dissenters, however shallow or ill-informed appear.

Be helpful

If someone is asking a silly question or is clearly new to an online forum, be polite. Don’t put them down or call them names, just help them or direct them to where they can get assistance.

Take a deep breath

If someone has got under your skin and you’ve written a savage reply, think before pressing the “submit” button. Often, that witty riposte doesn’t look so clever when you’ve calmed down or looked at it in the cold light of morning.

Avoid foul language

Swearing online makes you look low rent, just as it does in the real world. Save the invective for when you’re with your mates in a private forum. The Internet is generally not a private forum.

Walk away

Sadly the Internet attracts trolls who enjoy upsetting people and provoking strong reactions. Don’t join them.

If you find someone is upsetting you or sucking you into a vortex of pointless arguments, just walk away from the discussion. Block them, unfollow them, defriend them.

In the worst case, if you’re finding one online venue such as a web forum or social media site attracts people who upset you, stop using it. Your life is too short to be sucked into negative, carping discussions with people who thrive on criticism of other’s hard work and ideas.

The Internet is becoming the repository for our culture while our society has a lot of negativity we’ve also done great things. So rather than be part of the negative aspect, be part of the solution — be bright, welcoming and honest but most of all show respect to your fellow online citizens.

A strong and vibrant society is built on respect and manners so let’s make our online communities how we’d like the world around us to be.

12 rules for using the web

Twelve tips to stay out of trouble on the Internet

I’m currently writing a book, provisionally titled Seven Steps to Online Success. One of the chapters looks at using social media for business and I included twelve rules to keep businesses out of online purgatory.

On reviewing that chapter, the rules really apply to the web in general. So, with a little bit of editing, here are the 12 rules for using the web;

1. Show respect to everyone. Even people you find disturbing, you’ll quickly learn the Internet is mankind’s gift to the disturbed, deluded and downright deranged.
2. Listen. Once you’ve filtered out the crazies, you’ll find the collective intelligence of the web can be quite powerful.
3. Converse. The big currency in social media is conversation, by joining in with constructive comments you enhance your reputation.
4. Be constructive. Add value to the conversation
5. Positivity. The web rewards the positive more than the negative, by all means post critical comments, but it’s best to for your posts to be more positive than negative.
6. Be honest. Social media has a horrible way of catching people out, so don’t tell porkies.
7. Associate with the smart kids. You’re judged by the company you keep, just like in the school ground.
8. Don’t constantly plug your services. You’ll be branded a spammer and shunned.
9. Social media is not a numbers game. Don’t obsess about the number of Twitter followers or Facebook friends. Quality beats quantity every time.
10. Never post when drunk or emotional. You will regret it.
11. Step away. If you find a social media channel is taking up too much of your time or passion, take a break.
12. Learn. Use what you’ve learned.

Seven Steps to Online Success is due out in Australian bookstores in June. In the meantime, my new business Netsmarts is running workshops helping businesses use Google and News Limited’s free local search services to grow their business.

So you want to be an entrepreneur?

Do you really want to start your own business?

There’s a school of thought that starting your own business is the passport to independence from the rat race or liberation from the servitude of employment.

A lot of blogs, books and writers encourage this idea and there’s no shortage of multi level marketers telling you self employment is the pathway to wealth and status.

On his Planning Business Stories blog, Tim Berry looked at one of the other sides of self-employment, that you’ll become unemployable.

Tim’s observations are right, but there’s a few other downsides to consider before trashing your cubicle, cashing out your savings and establishing that radical startup or buying a doughnut franchise.

I don’t want to work for a boss anymore
If you think your boss is an unreasonable swine wait until you deal with customers, particularly those who don’t pay their bills. Then there’s shareholders, business partners, suppliers and the taxman.

You’re leaving the rat race
No you aren’t. As a business owner you’ll find there’s a lot more rats than you thought when you worked for The Man, as the man employs lawyers, debt collectors and HR staff to deal with the rats.

The sad thing is you’ll probably end up being even more in the rat race, it’s just that you may not realise you’re racing the other rats as you aren’t stuck in traffic with them anymore.

I want to be the boss
That’s a noble and fair aspiration. Just be aware that in your own business, you take the risks and responsibilities too.

The boss at BigCorp can often mess up and move onto bigger and better things as the organisation is usually big enough to hide the mistakes and it’s often in senior management’s interest to hide their subordinates’ mistakes from the shareholders or taxpayers. In your own enterprise, it’s your own assets at stake.

I’ll get a better share of my rate
A common gripe with skilled workers, like plumbers and lawyers, is they get ripped off by their employer who pockets 3/4 of their hourly rate.

When you start your own operation, you’ll learn the existence of overheads and soon realise why you were only paid a quarter of what you were charged out for.

The only way to get rich is to work for yourself
Kind of sort of true, except there’s a big survivor bias in that saying. The people who do really well out of building a business receive accolades and boasting rights, those who don’t get quietly on with their lives if they are lucky.

In a capitalist society we reward risk, and the biggest risk you can take is setting up your own business. If you’re successful you’ll be rewarded, but the risk of comparative failure is high which is why successful entrepreneurs get more money and accolades than successful managers or politicians.

You’ll work fewer hours
This is probably the greatest myth of all, usually perpetuated by someone selling a multi level marketing scheme. In truth, you’ll work longer hours and many of those will be unpaid as you chase up debts and fill in government paperwork.

On the rare occasions you do get to sit down and catch up on the news, you’ll learn to dread reports that the government is going to “simplify” or “reform” something. This will almost certainly mean more paperwork for you.

Keep in mind that no politician – be they Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, New Labor or Labor – is “business friendly”. At best they are sympathetic in the way a non-lethal host parasite is to a warm mammal.

You’ll never work in this town again
Tim’s article makes this point well, that if you spend any considerable time working in your own business – be it a startup, consultancy or small business – you’ll find it difficult to get a job in the corporate sector.

I personally found this after 12 years of running a moderately successful business, basically I was told all of that experience was irrelevant to a corporate management position. In big business terms, I’d have made a better career move if I had been driving a bus for those dozen years.

All of this isn’t to say you shouldn’t strike out and build your own business, for many of us it’s the course in life that suits us and what we work best at. But it isn’t the lifestyle for everyone.

We certainly shouldn’t be saying those who aren’t suited to this lifestyle are bad or inferior people; most folk simply don’t want to take the risks and demands on family, finances and nerves that running your own business entails and this is fair, sane attitude to take particularly in a time of uncertainty.

Successful entrepreneurs have certain skill sets and a focus which can be tough on families, friends and children. For many there’s an element timing and luck as well.

For the success of a capitalist society, we need to celebrate and reward the entrepreneurs and risk takers, but before anyone dives into a start up or small business it’s best to understand the risks and costs involved.

Good luck.

Shopping safely online

how to avoid traps when shopping on the web

The New York Times’ story on Tony Russo and his online sunglasses business is a reminder of how we should be careful when shopping online. Just because a website appears on the first page of Google or offers what appears to be great prices, we shouldn’t be suspending the same rules we’d use when shopping at the local mall.

So here’s some thoughts on buying those big ticket items online;

Know your prices
Before venturing online, check what your local stores are offering so you know what the prices are locally. For some items, you may find the nearest department or speciality store offers the best deal.

What is the list price
If you’re buying a brand name product like shoes, books or sunglasses, visit the manufacturers and distributors’ websites. Know the range available and what the prices are from the source. You should also note what are the current models just in case you encounter any superseded stock online.

Ask your friends
You’ll find many of your friends and relatives have been happily shopping online for a while, ask them where they are buying. They’ll be able to tell you what works for them along with some traps to avoid.

Do your search
Search for the products you are looking for using two or three search engines; say Google, Bing and Yahoo!. Don’t just choose the first result that comes up, have a look at five or six of them across several pages.

Check their stock levels
You don’t want to deal with sites that don’t have any stock as this can indicate a shoestring operation. Also keep in mind if different online retailers are reporting the same stock levels, then they are probably “drop shippers” who don’t hold the stock themselves but deliver straight from the distributor’s warehouse. Drop shippers usually don’t offer much beyond cut throat prices so be aware that after sales service is usually not their strong point.

Do some research
Once you’ve found what appear to be legitimate retailers, check out their reputation by doing a search on the business. For US based retailers you can also check out the Better Business Bureau or Consumerist.com. Make sure you go beyond the first couple of pages.

Watch out for shipping costs
One of the biggest traps for online shoppers is high shipping and insurance costs. Check these before submitting your order as sometimes you’ll find a cheap headline price is padded by extortionate courier charges, this is a common problem on eBay and other online auction sites.

Use a credit card
With a credit card you have some protection in the event of a dispute. Other forms of payment, particularly cheque and money order, give you little if any recourse should there be a problem. Paypal isn’t recommended as the service is know to tie all parties up with paperwork and inconsistent policies when there’s an argument.

Check your statements
After an online shopping binge, watch your credit card statements closely for any irregularities. Keep in mind if you are buying from overseas sites that you may get stung by unfriendly exchange rates so factor those into your costs.

Take care
The old saw, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is” holds true on the Internet. If someone’s offering an unbeatable bargain at an amazing price, be skeptical and take care.

Online shopping opens a world of deals to the canny customer and offers real value for money for the right products, so taking a little care to avoid the crooks is well worth the effort.

The Smartphone wars

Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 system means there’s much more competition in the smartphone market.

The mobile phone market has become a lot more competitive this morning with Microsoft’s launch of their new mobile phone system, Windows Phone 7, which will be appearing on new phones in the shops over the next few weeks.

For the Australian market Vodafone have announced they will make Window 7 available on the new HTC 7 Trophy model while Telstra are offering it on the HTC 7 Mozart and LG Optimus 7Q.

Interestingly, Optus haven’t announced what handsets they will be selling Window Phone 7on while parent company Singtel are offering the same handsets as Telstra in Singapore which, depending on exclusivity agreements, might mean Optus will have some suprises at today’s Australian launch of the product.

Should you be looking at buying a phone, you’ll find there will be a big push on the Windows 7 models as the telcos and phone sellers are desperate to have another smartphone alternative to the iPhone alongside the Google Android models.

Last week before the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce Telstra chief executive David Thodey described some of the challenges his organisation has with Apple and that frustration is shared by all the telcos and retailers who hate seeing the bulk of the profits going back to Steve Jobs.

So if you do set foot into your local phone shop before Christmas expect the hard sell on the Windows and Google Android phones as the dealers will be seeing better commissions from those devices.

As well the obvious incentives to salespeople, Microsoft’s always impressive PR machine has been rumbling away on this for several months after Windows 7 was launched at the Barcelona World Mobile Congress last February showing off early versions of the phones so we’ve had a chance to play with the devices and they certainly behave nicely.

It may be that the Windows 7 phones may well be the right thing for you. A play with them finds them fast and responsive with built in support for standard Microsoft features such as Exchange and Office applications along with consumer attractions such as XBox Live.

Where the Windows phone sits in the market is going to be interesting — we’ll almost certainly see the Microsoft and Google phones selling at cheaper price points than the Apple iPhone — however Apple tend not to respond to price wars so the battle is going to come down to features.

The real battle ground will be in the applications space as we now demand more from our phones. For most smartphone users, actually speaking on the thing is a small part of what they use the device for. US technology writer Robert Scoble points out Google’s Android system has over 100,000 apps available while Apple has 270,000. That’s a lot of catching up for Microsoft.

Although if any organisation can do this, it’s Microsoft as they have a well established culture of supporting developers for Windows applications alongside a massive army of resellers and support companies which all have an interest in the success of Microsoft’s latest product.

The biggest player, Nokia, isn’t taking this lying down with at least one new product launch coming up in the next few weeks. So the run up to Christmas is going to be fun for mobile phone resellers.

If you are shopping for a new phone, it might be worthwhile nursing the old one along for a little while, let the early adopters deal with the teething problems and seeing which product meets your needs and budget when the hype settles down.

The innovation smugglers

Those dissenters sneaking new tools into your business are the future. Your organisation needs to embrace them.

“Sales staff have bought a pile of iPad’s!” wailed a senior executive last week “they didn’t get authorisation through IT, there are all sorts of security and business risks!”

This echoed the comments I’d heard a few weeks earlier while doing a workshop on cloud computing, that people were running software as a service applications alongside their businesses’ software without telling their management what they were doing.

All of this is reminiscent of the spread of personal computers in the late 1980s where IT departments, such as they then were, banned the use of IBM compatible or Macintosh computers because they were outside the control of the organisation.

The prevailing view was that computer systems were the domain of a select few, running the payroll and doing complex calculations in batches at two in the morning. There was no reason why the average worker should need this sort of technology.

Eventually, managements realised those subversive personal computers running programs like Wordstar and VisiCalc improved productivity and made businesses more flexible. Within five years few businesses didn’t have computers on the desks of every office worker.

We’re at the same stage now with cloud computing, social media and portable devices as many of today’s managers see them as at best toys and a threat to their organisation’s integrity. Quietly though, groups within are using theses tools to improve their teams’ effectiveness while not letting IT or senior management know how they are doing it.

These dissenters are an organisation’s innovators and in a perfect world they would be embraced by managers, directors and shareholders alike as the future of the company.

Many large organisations though don’t see it this way, as their view of the workplace is that innovation and new ideas have to be signed off by seven layers of management after being cleared by legal, HR and the facilities department.

This is where the opportunity lies for the smaller, smarter companies. These tools make organisations faster and more responsive to threats and opportunities which is perfect for the nimble and flexible enterprises.

If you have staff who are smuggling in these tools and devices into your business, consider sitting down with them and getting them to show you how these products improve their work. You may be surprised and it may save you some time in writing stern memos which will be ignored anyway.

The beauty of these tools is you don’t need to throw out your existing equipment and methods as often these new innovations sit happily alongside the legacy stuff. Cloud services are good example of this where services such as Salesforce and Google Apps work with and often plug into the older, established tools.

Because they play nice with existing business tools it’s easy to introduce or evaluate new systems by encouraging the innovators to set up groups or pilot projects within the organisation, which is probably what they are doing anyway without telling you.

In a competitive world, your dissenters are one of your greatest assets, by questioning how and why we use the tools we do, these folk are figuring out how businesses will run in the connected economy.

The question is, do you want your business to be succeed in this new economy?

Why I won’t be buying an iPad for now

iPad hysteria is in the air. But the smart buyers are waiting for the next version.

This week the Internet is alive with tech journalists and Apple fans breathlessly describing how the iPad is going to change business and the world. All of their predictions may well be true, but it’s best holding off buying an iPad until the hype cycle runs its course.

Right now, iPad users are in classic bleeding edge territory as the early adopters explore the neat features and the disappointing drawbacks of the new device. There will be joy and tears as they make their journey.

It’s great they are making those discoveries as this knowledge will make life easier for the later adopters and Apple will address many of the disappointments in their next version, which is the main reason for holding off buying the first version.

We saw this with the iPhone — the early adopters rushed into buying it even though it wasn’t a particularly well featured device. A year after the original iPhone release, the new 3G model addressed most of the dissatisfaction with the original model. It was a better, cheaper product.

Exactly the same thing will happen with the iPad, and that’s why you should save your pennies. Almost certainly the next version of the iPad will include multitasking, without which you can’t be talking on Skype while editing your LinkedIn profile and will probably prove the biggest headache to iPad users.

Where the iPad may really change things is in the retail, logistics and medical industries. All of these sectors have seen some adoption of tablet computers, but the clunky, overpriced Windows based tablets have held the market back. The cheaper, lighter and better designed Apple device will probably accelerate the take up of tablet devices and the business methods that work with them.

The retail angle shouldn’t be understated. We recently looked at how iPhone products like Redlazer are changing the retail industry and Smart Company’s Craig Reardon recently described how Australian retailers are being left behind by the net.

It’s no coincidence one of the first business applications for the iPad is a point of sale application. Should the next iPad version be released with a rear mounted camera, it will be more than a glorified cash register and deliver some serious power to smaller retailers.

The iPad further illustrates just how pervasive computing and the internet is capable of challenging established business models. If you’re ignoring how tools like the iPad, mobile Internet, cloud computing and social media are changing your business then your company probably isn’t going to be around in a few years time.

While it’s best to hold off buying an iPad right now, you can’t ignore the changes it presents to business. By waiting you make sure you get the best return on your technology investment.

Twitter is like CB radio and this isn’t a bad thing

Of all the predictions we can make for 2010 one good bet is social networking is approaching, if not past, the fashionable peak of the hype cycle. Particularly Twitter which we’ve seen pronounced dead by various writers over the break.

Last week’s Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show illustrates the Hype Cycle we discussed just before the Christmas break. If there’s one thing for sure, we can say tablet computers, 3D televisions and Google phone are racing to see which will be the first to the “peak of inflated expectations”.

Funnily, we’ve been here before with mobile phones, tablet PCs and 3D entertainment so it will be interesting to see where these are in 18 months or so.

While it’s entertaining looking at the new gadgets, the interesting action is happening on the other side of the peak where real uses for technology and gizmos are found after the hype moves on to something newer and prettier. When the bored fashionistas move on from a product that’s no longer the newest and shiniest we see if something is genuinely useful or just a pointless fad.

My favourite comment was from an weekend newspaper entertainment columnist stating the Twitter hype was driven by “Boring Old Farts Suddenly Discovering Technology” and the whole thing is now dead because an MTV host declared she was over Twitter. The Luddites are crowing that Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the entire Internet thingummybob can join CB radios in history’s discount bin of overhyped technology.

Citizens Band radio is a good lesson of what happens as a product moves through the hype cycle. In the mid 1970s peak, songs were being written about it and the media was awash with spookily similar stories of how CB radio was ushering in a new era of participatory democracy. Within a couple of years, the hype had passed and those who had a use for it, such as truckies, farmers and service people, got on with their work without the kids and newbies hogging their radio channels.

Exactly that process is happening now with the various online networking tools. The naysayers will crow they were right all along about a fad for boring old farts while unknown to them entrepreneurs will be figuring out ways to make money from these tools and smart businesses will be using them to stay ahead of their slower competitors.

As well as the trendies moving on, the social media snake oil sellers who’ve traded on the social media hype over the last two years will also move on to the Next Big Thing or go back to selling multi level marketing schemes. The honest consultants and genuine experts who survive the shakeout will be able to genuinely add value and help their clients achieve more with the tools.

So a product or technology passing the peak of the hype cycle is an excellent opportunity to use it do great things for your business without the fashionistas and snake oil merchants distracting you. Don’t be afraid to experiment just because the PR machines and fashion victims have moved on.

Riding the hype cycle

Despite the Google Phone only existing in a couple of photographs, the device is making headlines as the new “iPhone killer” and there’s no doubt early adopters are asking “should I wait for this new phone?”

It’s a tough life on the bleeding edge – the life of an early technology adopter features long days breathlessly waiting for the next hyped up product with short periods of extreme disappointment when the latest uber toy fails to live up to the marketing promise.

To explain how hype works in the tech sector, the consultants at Gartner invented the Hype Cycle. The cycle explains how a typical product is released in a wave of publicity that drives it to the “peak of inflated expectations”.

Eventually the bubble pops and the widget plunges into the “trough of disillusionment” where users either abandon it or suffer the taunts of their friends and workmates.

Over time, those persistent fans find what the widget does well and it begins to crawl up the “slope of enlightenment” as the believers convince others the product really is good for something.

When enough people accept the widget as the best tool for a certain job it settles on the “plateau of productivity” where it happily sits until a better mousetrap comes along.

In reality some widgets move faster than others and not all make it over the peaks and plateaus. A look at the 2009 cycle shows some products that have taken a decade to approach the peak of inflated expectations while others have simply been abandoned by their makers or the market before they’ve completed the journey.

For business owners, most focus on the tools that have reached the plateau of acceptance. This is partly because wasting time on a new device that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to squanders an entrepreneur’s scarcest asset.

The other main reason for avoiding hyped products is they carry risk and most business owners have enough risk in their lives to satisfy even the most adventurous tech warrior.

None of that means we shouldn’t be looking at new gadgets and ideas – the world is moving fast and those who don’t adopt new technologies and concepts will be left behind. But just be a bit careful of the hype and unrealistic expectations of what the latest new thing can do for you.

The basics of service

Cathy’s saga shows how people skills are as important as competency when you’re running a service business. You need manners and respect to match your skills.

Of course, if you don’t have any skills to start with, you might want to consider doing something else.

Recently I wrote about the things you should look for when choosing an IT service provider. Shortly after writing that column I caught up with Cathy (names changed to protect the guilty) and found out what happened in her search for a tech.

The results weren’t pretty and the reasons why are a lesson for anyone in a service industry. Let’s start with the most fundamental.

Respect
I find it hard to believe I actually have to write this, but I’ve seen it too often myself. Cathy’s first computer tech treated her with contempt and didn’t listen to her problem and needs.

You might think your clients are beneath you and maybe you are right. After all, that dumb customer doesn’t know how to use a mouse, fill in a BAS, fix a cistern or carry out root canal therapy.

But that dumb customer also pays your wage, so quit the attitude and show some manners and respect.

You should also respect your competitors, a point I forgot in last week’s column. Scoffing at the previous guy’s work is bad form and good clients will show you the door if they have any sense.

Competence
Don’t take on jobs you don’t understand. This is particularly common with computer techs who have a habit of saying: “yeah, I can fix anything” when a client calls.

In Cathy’s case she had a Windows 2003 Small Business Server which superficially looks like Windows XP but is a very different beast under the bonnet. The tech was experienced enough to know better.

Funnily, the tech I referred to Cathy declined the job because he felt her requirements were outside his skills. If the first guy Cathy called had shown the same humility and competence it would have saved everybody a lot of distress.

Appearance
In an industry known for cowboys, wearing boots that would look straight out of Rawhide is a big mistake. Clients are conservative creatures and many will turn away if you are too different to their expectations.

Dress how a customer expects you to dress- an accountant wears a suit, a computer tech has the blue shirt, dark pants combo and a bricklayer wears a pair of stubbies revealing more than you care for when the brickie bends over.

When you’re in an industry where people are afraid of being ripped off, showing up in a flash car confirms their fears. Leave the Porsche at home and show up in a cheap hatchback, the things are easier to park anyway. As you’ve probably guessed, Cathy’s tech drove up in a Mercedes.

Billing
Last week I advised avoiding the “no fix-no fee” crowd. However, that’s different from standing by your work.

If you’ve screwed up, as Cathy’s tech did, then bleating: “I sweated for you” is plain silly. If the customer is unhappy, waive or discount the bill.
Sure, sometimes you end up copping the pain when an unreasonable customer complains but billing issues are a reliable early warning a client is going to be a major pain. Refund their money and get them out of your lives.

The story does end well though. Finally Cathy found someone who was polite, competent and barely raised an eyebrow when they saw the mess made by the first tech.

Cathy’s saga shows how people skills are as important as competency when you’re running a service business. You need manners and respect to match your skills.

Of course, if you don’t have any skills to start with, you might want to consider doing something else.

Saving your technology relationship

Like it or not, your businesses is married to technology and often that marriage is not a happy one. Tech support is like a counsellor to your IT relationship; a good one will save you a lot of drama, stress and tears.

When a friend asked about changing IT support for her organisation last week I had to give the question some thought as switching service companies isn’t something you do rashly.

The first problem she presented was price. She was worried the quotes she’d received and the hourly rates were more than her own charge out rate.

On that front the advice is simple – get over it. Your doctor and plumber charge more than most peoples’ hourly rates and a good tech will save you a fortune in therapist and data recovery charges. So we’ll leave price to last and look at the other factors;

Confidence

Do their staff inspire confidence? The truth is support is as about trust mort than it is about competence. You have to trust the tech with your valuable data and systems.

The first step in establishing confidence is how they answer the phone. Are they polite, informed and prompt to return calls?

If they don’t care about you when you make a sales enquiry, you can be pretty sure they aren’t going to be helpful when you have a computer disaster.

So if you don’t like their phone manner, look elsewhere.

Presentation

They say looks don’t count for much. They are wrong when it comes to support.

Tidy, well dressed techs and a well presented web site indicate a business that takes itself seriously and is more likely to treat your needs as important.

Curiosity

Every business is unique in its own way and a good support company will ask lots of questions when arriving at a new site. Confidence inspiring questions include your business objectives, how you use technology and where it is currently frustrating you.

Questioning along those lines indicate people who want to know where technology fits in your business and how you can get the best return on your investment. Techs that ask those questions are worth a lot to you.

A good tech isn’t a “yes” man or woman. If your brother in law who knows something about computers has suggested something truly stupid then a trustworthy advisor will point you in the right direction rather than just agree with you. So take polite disagreement as a very good sign.

Training

It never ceases to amaze me how the tech support industry doesn’t train people. The vast majority of techs don’t get formal training and most support companies, particularly at the SME level, give their staff little preparation for new systems.

This means lower charges for you, but lousy service. Which is another reason why price should be the last of your concerns. Ask your prospective support provider what training they give their staff.

Outrageous claims

Be careful of silly claims. One of my favourites was a dodgy business a few years ago that claimed “all our technicians are qualified computer programmers” which is the same as an electrician advertising “all our staff are licensed forklift drivers”.

A similar thing applies to “no fix, no fee” claims. Avoid any company advertising they won’t charge you if they can’t figure out the problem as you’re paying a new operator to learn on your system.

Claiming to support big corporations is often the mark of a new, naïve business. Usually that indicates the owner once worked as a contractor for a company that setup that BigCorp’s desktops. Treat those claims with disdain unless it is a big support outfit with accordingly high charges.

24/7 service and two hour callouts are fair enough if you are prepared to pay for them. Be careful though when dealing with smaller support outfits as they can struggle to meet these promises.

Charging structure

Unethical support companies love the large billing unit. So avoid companies that charge in 30 or 60 minute blocks as these encourage techs to pad out basic jobs. A fair unit is ten or fifteen minute periods

The best plan for a business is a regular support contract which includes a basic level of services per month. These often include a base number of technician’s hours, either onsite or remotely. Review the hours regularly as you can overpay for time you don’t need.

Price

Finally we get to where most clients fall down. Good support companies that train, support and reward good staff have high overheads and the corner cutters will always be substantially cheaper.

You should be prepared for rates in excess of $150 an hour, with discounts for bulk purchase and fixed fee support contracts, the longer you are prepared to enter into a contract for the better the discount.

By all means shop around but don’t fixate on price, the company that charges $180 an hour to provide a qualified, experienced tech is far better value than outfit charging $60 an hour to provide a part time student working for beer money.

Don’t be surprised or offended if the really good support companies tell you they can’t help. Many choose businesses they can help and decline those who they don’t believe are a right fit for their skills. If that happens, ask them if they know of someone who is a better fit for you.

The relationship between technology and business is often complex, but its not one most businesses can neglect. Make sure you’re investing the right people and expertise in your systems.