We Asked 50 Business Owners To Rate Their IT Support

Half said 'it's fine.' But when we dug deeper, the cracks started showing. Here's what 'fine' really means.

We recently surveyed 50 business owners about their IT support. The results were... interesting.

When asked 'How would you rate your current IT provider?' the answers looked reasonable:

• Excellent: 12%
• Good: 24%
• Fine/Okay: 48%
• Poor: 12%
• Terrible: 4%

'Fine' was the most common answer. Nearly half of all respondents.

But here's what happened when we asked follow-up questions.

What 'Fine' Actually Means

Response Times

Of those who said their IT support was 'fine':

• 67% wait over 2 hours for urgent issue responses
• 42% have left voicemails that took over a day to return
• 21% couldn't remember the last time an issue was fixed on first contact

Proactive Contact

Of the 'fine' respondents:

• 83% couldn't remember the last proactive call from their IT provider
• 75% had never received a quarterly review or health check
• 58% didn't know what their IT provider did each month

Communication

Of those rating their IT as 'fine':

• 54% had received jargon-heavy explanations they didn't understand
• 46% didn't fully understand their invoices
• 38% had been made to feel stupid for asking basic questions

Security

Among 'fine' respondents:

• 33% weren't sure if MFA was enabled on all accounts
• 29% didn't know their current Windows version
• 71% hadn't had a security review in the past year

The 'Fine' Trap

'Fine' doesn't mean 'good'. It means 'not bad enough to change'.

Business owners are busy. IT is one of a hundred things demanding attention. If it's not actively on fire, it gets filed under 'fine' and forgotten.

But the costs of 'fine' IT support add up quietly:

• Slow response times = lost productivity
• No proactive monitoring = preventable problems
• Poor communication = wrong decisions
• Weak security = data breach risk

You don't notice these costs because they're dispersed. A bit of frustration here, a few hours of downtime there. No single incident is dramatic enough to trigger action.

Until something breaks badly enough to wake you up.

The 12% Who Said 'Excellent'

Now let's look at the business owners who rated their IT support as 'excellent'. What was different?

Response Times

• 100% received responses to urgent issues within 30 minutes
• 83% reported most issues fixed on first contact

Proactive Service

• 100% received regular proactive contact
• 92% had quarterly reviews scheduled
• 83% felt their IT provider understood their business goals

Communication

• 100% said their provider explained things clearly
• 92% fully understood their invoices
• 100% felt comfortable asking 'stupid' questions

Security

• 100% knew MFA was enabled everywhere
• 92% had received a security review in the past 6 months
• 83% had some form of security awareness training for staff

The Gap Between 'Fine' and 'Excellent'

The difference isn't magic. It's:

1. Response time standards Excellent providers commit to and measure response times. 'Fine' providers respond when they can.

2. Scheduled proactive contact Excellent providers book regular reviews and stick to them. 'Fine' providers are purely reactive.

3. Communication style Excellent providers adapt their language to their audience. 'Fine' providers speak tech regardless.

4. Security as standard Excellent providers include security reviews in their service. 'Fine' providers wait to be asked.

What 'Fine' Costs You

Let's quantify the gap. For a 10-person business:

That 'fine' IT support costs you £1,250 more per month in downtime alone. That's £15,000 per year - likely more than the difference in invoice price.

The Rating System Business Owners Should Use

Stop asking 'is my IT okay?' and start asking:

• How quickly do they respond to urgent issues?
• When did they last contact me proactively?
• Do they explain things I understand?
• Can I see what they're doing each month?
• When was my last security review?
• Do they challenge my spending and find savings?
• Are issues usually fixed first time?
• Do I feel like a priority or an afterthought?

If you're unsure on several of these, your IT support isn't 'fine'. It's underperforming.

The Quick Check

We built a quick assessment based on these factors. It asks 10 questions about your current IT support and gives you a grade.

Rate Your IT Support

Most people who think they're 'fine' are surprised by the result. It takes 2 minutes.

Moving From 'Fine' to 'Excellent'

Some providers can step up with clear feedback. If you've never told them your expectations, they might not know they're falling short.

Schedule a review. Share this article. See how they respond.

If they get defensive, that's your answer. If they acknowledge gaps and propose improvements, they might be worth keeping.

And if they're consistently unable or unwilling to improve? There are providers out there who make 'excellent' their standard, not their exception.

See what excellent IT support looks like.