Story · Onboarding · Process
A new client's first sixty days
A business came on board at the end of summer. Here is what happened from contract signing to the sixty-day check-in, in the order it happened, because the thing people fear most about switching IT companies is not knowing what happens next.
Offshore helpdesks subcontract the hands-on work to someone who has never seen your network. Every piece of gear we install is built and installed by a Midwest IT employee.
Local or offshore, honestly Gold Star survey"Great service, very fast to resolve the issue."
Melissa, manufacturerMore from the survey wallThe situation
The previous provider had been fine until it was not. Response times had stretched, the owner had stopped getting answers about a server that was making noises, and the last straw was an invoice for work nobody remembered asking for.
The owner's worry about switching was the same one everyone has: that the changeover itself would be the outage.
What we did
Thirty days before the contract started, Jim opened the first ticket: the transition prep meeting. What hurts, what is coming, what must not break. Hardware was ordered the same week so it could be built in the shop.
Twenty days out, the discovery meeting and Matt's assessment: every device, account, vendor and backup, documented, with a list of what the previous company had left undone. The server making noises had a failing drive and no working backup. That went to the top of the project list, and the software went in.
A week out, the replacement hardware was installed, already configured. Day zero was a kick-off meeting, not a scramble. By day thirty the projects were done; by day sixty the inventory and documentation were reviewed and a partner sat down with the owner for the check-in. Every step was a ticket the owner could see.
"The checklist is the point. Anyone can do a good onboarding once. The list is how you do it every time."
How the account manager puts itWhat changed
ResolvedSixty days in: a backup that has been restored, a server that was replaced before it failed, documentation the owner has seen, and staff who know the helpdesk by name.
The guide behind this story
Owner's guideSwitching IT providers: the owner's guide
How to know it is time, what to ask the next company, how to leave without an outage, and what the first month should look like.
Read the guideOrder the internet circuit the week the lease is signed. Carriers take six to twelve weeks. Nothing else on a move fails as often.
The relocation checklist Did you knowA backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan. Ask for the date of the last tested restore.
What to actually testQuestions people ask about this
Why tickets for everything?
Because a ticket has an owner, a date and a record. A verbal promise has none of those. You can see exactly what has been done and what is next.
The full answer
"Outstanding as always. Prompt, knowledgeable, and consistently exceeding expectations."
Senada, insurance brokerageMore from the survey wall- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Thanks for the hard work. I was kept informed with regular updates until the concern was resolved."
Jeff, insurance brokerageNervous about switching?
That is normal. Read the process, then call us with questions.
Talk to a partnerTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.