FAQ
What does “unlimited onsite support” mean?
When a support request is raised, we will initially attempt to resolve the issue remotely in order to get you up and running as soon as possible. Where a remote resolution is not achievable, we will schedule an on-site visit. Depending on the severity of the issue, an engineer may be dispatched to site on the same day. Unlimited support is subject to a fair usage policy.
We specify the locations covered by onsite support in your contract (your office locations). We reserve the right to determine what requires an onsite presence and what can be solved remotely. If it is discovered that to resolve the issue, project work (such as fitting replacement hardware), is required, we will quote you upfront for this and close-down the initial support request.
What does “unlimited” phone, email and remote support include?
Phone and email support is unlimited for all registered users on all of their work (including BYOD) devices. Although we will strive to resolve your issue at the first point of contact, it may at times be necessary to arrange a call-back, schedule in a remote support session or escalate an issue to a more senior technician or on-site visit.
Similar to the onsite support, if an issue can only be resolved by project work (replacing a user’s PC for example) then again, the initial support concern will be closed and we will quote you upfront for the additional work. Support issues that cannot be resolved remotely and require an on-site presence will also be quoted for upfront, however the support concern will remain open in this case.
What is the purpose of the quarterly IT meetings?
As your IT partner and trusted advisor, we feel that it is necessary to maintain a regular line of communication to discuss the state of IT in your business, upcoming compliance requirements, and provide a retrospective look at the support we have provided in the preceding quarter. These meetings will be with your account manager, someone who is familiar with your infrastructure and the nature of your business. IT is an ongoing process, that if managed correctly, can allow for the maximum amount of efficiency to go hand-in-hand with the minimum of cost and will help to mitigate risks to the business, such as downtime.
What pro-active maintenance do you perform?
When we onboard you as a customer we set up monitoring on servers and key infrastructure which provides our service desk with key information about the devices on your network, such as operating system version, if a security patch needs to be installed, or if a hard disk is failing.
We use this information to pro-actively protect against vulnerabilities and to make you aware of upcoming issues that could result in data-loss or degraded performance. We also keep tabs on expiring licenses, certificates, and ‘end of life’ products and services, ensuring you are kept in the loop every step of the way. Additionally, we test new versions of operating systems in our test environment, prior to upgrading equipment in your live environment.
What is “network management”?
Through both onsite and remote support, we will maintain both your wired and wireless networking. This includes changing Wi-Fi passwords, fixing VPN issues, editing Quality of Service (QoS) rules and other minor configuration issues that may occur. Also included with our Onsite Support offering is presence onsite to physically fault-find issues with routers, switches and wireless access points. The only exclusions to this would be the physical cabling infrastructure (data points, CAT5/6 cables and patch panels), installing new equipment and surveying the Wi-Fi network, as this would be classed as project work.
What is included with new user on-boarding?
If you let us know with at least two weeks notice before a new employee is due to start at your organisation, we will arrange to help you to induct them into the organisation with either a video call or onsite visit to introduce them to your IT systems (typically 1 hour). We will also prepare their accounts and access permissions ahead of time with your guidance on their role in the organisation as well as setting up their workstation (can be purchased through ourselves in advance where necessary).
What is “security patching for Windows servers”?
Your server is a vital part of your business’ infrastructure and holds the key to all of your data. As such we monitor these devices to ensure they perform at their best. With our suite of tools we can identify emerging issues with the hardware, approve and deploy critical patches and security updates and enable remote access to perform maintenance or changes when it will affect your business the least. In addition to physical servers, we also monitor hosts and virtual machines, even those stored in the cloud.
How do we raise support requests?
We have several channels in which you can raise a support concern with us, including our dedicated helpdesk phone number, support@ email and ticket-logging portal. Depending on the issue and time of day, any authorised user can log support requests with us via one of these channels. Our helpdesk contact details will be provided to you during the on-boarding process and can be found on our website.
When can we request support?
Our helpdesk is staffed Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. During this time the support phone line is available for you to call. Outside of these hours, you can either email support@employeezero.co.uk or log a support ticket on our portal. Close down periods such as bank holidays and the festive period will be defined in your contract and advertised on our website. Upon special arrangement, we can offer out of hours support should you need it for a special event on an evening or weekend, which will incur a nominal charge to cover our increased costs.
How will I know how much we have used your service?
We want to provide the best service to you. That means courteously handling your requests and setting your team at ease when issues occur. It also means monitoring your usage so that you’re getting the best from the services we provide. Each month we can send you a report detailing the usage of our services. This forms a basis of conversation for our quarterly strategy meetings. In these reports you’ll see:
- Tickets raised (quantitative and qualitative data)
- Additional billing from other services
- Patches approved and applied to your devices
- Alerts and concerns that have been raised (both by you and from our monitoring tools)
- This is part of what we deliver as a responsible IT provider. We will use this information to identify trends and as your trusted advisor, suggest ways to remove these trends that reduce productivity within your organisation.
What is MDM support?
If you have a Mobile Device Management system in place for your devices, we will provide support for configuration changes to existing profiles, pushing new apps out and remotely locking and wiping devices in emergency situations. We can also manage software updates where applicable from your MDM platform. New profile creation and new equipment roll outs are classed as project work.
Do I get preferential rates for other services as a contracted customer?
We offer discounts on our professional services when you need an IT project delivering. We can take care of small projects or large and even arrange and manage specialist sub-contractors such as electricians on your behalf.