They don’t call you back, they don’t text back, and when you get time with them, they are disheveled, rude and uninterested, doing barely enough to keep things going.

This sounds like a bad date…and it’s one that many businesses are on with their current IT guy.

You have a problem, need a password, the Internet is down, you have site problems, need a new computer [insert any part here] and you “submit a ticket” only to wait hours, days or even weeks to hear back, much less get the problem resolved.

The #1 complaint businesses have that causes them to “break up” with their current IT guy is that he simply wasn’t responsive.

Just like you wouldn’t stand for this in your personal life, you shouldn’t stand for it in your professional life…especially when you’re paying them!!!

If your current company doesn’t have a response-time guarantee, you’re probably on a bad date.

Most IT firms offer a 60-minute or 30-minute response time to your call during normal business hours. Be very wary of someone who doesn’t have a guaranteed response time IN WRITING – that’s a sign they are too disorganized, understaffed or overwhelmed to handle your request.

A good IT firm should be able to show you statistics from their PSA (professional services automation) software, where all client problems (tickets) get responded to and tracked. Ask to see a report on average ticket response and resolution times.

Also, any good IT company will answer their phones LIVE (not voice mail or phone trees) and respond from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every weekday. But many CEOs and executives work outside normal “9 to 5” hours and need IT support both nights and weekends, so ask about their guarantees for after-hours issues as well.

Not having a guaranteed response time is just one way you know you’re on a bad date… To get the full checklist and see if you’re on a “bad date,” download our free report here: 16 Questions – TOSS C3