How Can IT Support for Your Small Businesses Help Improve Customer Service?

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t support small businesses

Customer service is critical for your company’s success. Recent data reported at Small Business Trends shows that some form of poor customer service is responsible for over half the negative complaints small businesses receive.

One function of strong IT support for small businesses is to enhance customer service in a number of ways, including the following:

Minimizing Downtime for the Business Website

Customers need consistent access to the site, for example to contact the business, buy products, leave comments and reviews, sign into their accounts, download forms, and look up important information.

Gathering and Analyzing Information About Customers

Businesses can better serve their customers and respond effectively to concerns and complaints by having a clearer picture of who their customers are. They need to understand the customers both as individuals and as members of a larger group. IT support professionals can help your business implement powerful solutions for managing customer relationships and gathering, organizing, and analyzing data from customers. They can help you maintain databases of critical customer information.

Establishing Reliable Ways to Deliver Customer Service

For example, IT support professionals can help you establish and maintain a reliable business email service and Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions.

When your business enjoys strong IT support, customers also benefit. Your employees are able to work more productively and efficiently. Both customer and employee data are more secure and, thanks to reliable backup and recovery measures, are less vulnerable to permanent loss.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to further discuss how we can help you improve your customer service performance, along with strengthening your business operations in many other respects.

IT Consulting Support Services in Fort Lauderdale

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If you’re like most small businesses in Fort Lauderdale, you have very little time for anything other than running your business. So, the thought of developing an information technology (IT) infrastructure equipped with a fully functioning network may seem like a daunting task.

At Bluwater Technologies, we offer innovative, IT solutions for your business to streamline IT processes and increase business efficiencies.

Specifically, Bluwater Technologies of  Fort Lauderdale can provide IT support services to address this problem by analyzing your company’s business plan and assessing current IT systems to ensure the proper integration of all IT systems.  Bluwater IT solutions are proven and designed to enhance current data processing plans to ensure effective workflow and simplify data management systems.

Bluwater can offer the following IT consulting support services to transform your business and streamline IT processes:

IT Analysis

We can remove IT barriers or flaws from your current IT systems or from emerging cloud and digital technologies. Then, identify tools and solutions to integrate new technology.

IT Installation

We align installation IT plans to offer businesses with the ability to leverage cloud and digital technologies using vendor partnerships and strategic planning.

Technology Direction

Bluwater offers IT expertise related to network consulting, technical support services,  IT outsourcing, computer security, trusted vendor partnerships, and strategic planning.

At Bluwater, we diligently work with our customers to provide custom, high-quality, IT consulting services to develop a business strategy specific to your industry and business.

Contact us today to schedule an IT consultation with a Bluwater expert in Fort Lauderdale!

 

Computer Tip of the Day: Is Your Computer Hacked?

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Having a hacked computer can be a business’ worst nightmare. When that does happen, it’s important to take actions as soon as possible. Early detection can ultimately save your money, identity, and time. In this computer tip of the day, we we show you signs to look for if you suspect your network’s security has been compromised.

Strange Hacked programs

If you see unfamiliar software suddenly appearing on your computer, it is best to be wary. Chances are, you probably installed these unknowingly when you tried to set up another program. Even if they came with legitimate programs, they could still be dangerous to have around.

Fake antivirus messages

It is very common for hackers to pop up messages on your computer to announce that you suddenly have viruses. Their goal is to convince you to buy their security software, at which point your credit card and personal information will be stolen. Any time you spot warnings that are not from your trusted antivirus programs, take precautions immediately.

Hacked Cursor movement

Problems in your mouse can cause the screen cursor to move around randomly, which should not be alarming. However, if you notice your cursor performing actions without your control (such as clicking on and successfully opening programs), it is likely that someone else is using the computer. Hackers typically try to do this as sneakily as possible and at times when you are likely not there, such as in the middle of the night. This makes it easier for them to then break into other computers in the network and steal sensitive information.

Random toolbars

As with programs being installed on your computer, you probably agreed to installation of strange toolbars for your browser as you set up another software. Besides toolbars, hackers can make other changes to your browser such as setting a new homepage or default search engine. Be wary if you suddenly see your browser being configured without your knowledge.

Please contact us for more information on security and what to do when your network is hacked.

Computer Tip of the Day: Hard Drive Defragmentation

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Defragmenting your hard drive is a bit like changing the oil in your car. It’s not something you do everyday but it keeps your system running smoothly and efficiently. It also takes time and is an annoying part of maintaining a well optimized PC.

When files are stored on your traditional mechanical hard drive (HHD), the file data is written on spinning platters of silicon in a near linear fashion.

This means that as you download and install programs on your drive those programs are stored sequentially on the drive.

However, if you delete a file or uninstall a program, that space is now free to be written to and your operating system will break new files up and write them in whatever free space is available. This is called file fragmentation.

Since your hard drive has to physically spin to each sector to read the fragmented file, this causes huge performance issues, causing programs to start slowly and sometimes resulting in freezing and crashing.

Defragmenting your HDD effectively combines fragmented files and programs into one continuous block. Then, combines all the free space on the drive to one area.

If you have a newer laptop or high-end PC, you may have an SSD instead of an HHD. Solid state drives do not have spinning platters and therefore do not benefit from defragmentation. Attempting to defragment an SSD can actually harm the drive. This is because SSD cells can only be written to a limited number of times.

Contact us to learn how we can manage your IT infrastructure.

Value from Managed Services

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Giving responsibility for your IT operations to a managed services provider is a big step, and you want to get the most value out of it. If you make the right choices when setting up management and in the ongoing relationship, you can get the most effective use of your equipment and software, whether you keep them on site or use remote systems.

Step 1

The first step is to choose a provider that understands your technology. Select one with a proven record of reliability, one whose expertise includes the machines, operating systems, and software that you use. Whatever your application is, it’s vital to have an MSP that understands security issues and doesn’t neglect them for the sake of convenience.

Make sure to understand the scope of your agreement. How much is the provider promising to do? Are you getting 24-hour support? Is there a guaranteed turnaround time for getting systems back up? Whether you need the highest support level or a more economical option, you need to know what to expect.

Step 2

Once the arrangement is in place, ongoing communication is important. Let the provider know when your needs change. If you learn about new tech that might help your business, ask what they think about it and whether they can support it. You’ll learn something about it, even if you end up choosing a different option.

Even when you use an MSP, you’ve probably got employees whose expertise and responsibilities include IT. As a senior manager, you need to know what the MSP is doing, but you shouldn’t let your in-house people feel they’re in an adversarial position. Let them communicate freely with the provider so that they’re on top of all the issues and can make useful recommendations to you.

At Bluwater Technologies, we can provide managed IT services that will meet all your business’s goals. Please contact us for more information.