When Nikal originally contacted us back in 2003, they were a growing business looking for software support and help with their IT processes. Fast-forward 16 years and we’ve built up a loyal partnership and service level that covers our full spectrum of IT support.
We recently sat down with Stephen Robinson, Finance Director at Nikal, to discuss his interactions with Apex and how this has benefited the business as a whole, and the impact this has had on their operations.
Due to our long-standing partnership, we were interested in what has made them stick with us all these years….
‘’It’s safe to say that we pretty much use every single one of your services: Software licensing support; hardware maintenance and support; offsite storage and security; firewalls; Microsoft products, because as we’ve grown we’ve needed an IT business that is dependable, and you have always certainly been that.
More than this, it comes down to service level. It’s very difficult – it’s a service-based industry. I know there’s hardware and bits and pieces and licences but they’re very much commodities and you can go buy them anywhere really but it’s all about the service. If I can buy something £1 cheaper but I can’t get it to work or it goes down for a period and it causes problems within the business, then it’s not good, so having an IT business with a high level of service is key. It’s absolutely critical.’’
….and how we’ve benefitted their business…
‘’There are a number of benefits. One, is that you’re extremely professional and have a great service level. So, in terms of being operative, we’re operative 100% of the time. If there are any issues, then you respond very quickly. You’re ahead of any service level I could ever expect or select. You’re very, very responsive. We don’t have our own dedicated IT team, so in terms of development –
security, the cloud, backups and use of technology and how we develop our business – Apex are an integral part of that. You really are an IT partner, rather than just a service provider. The value that we get from Apex – you provide such a good service – and the cost of it, is very reasonable, compared to what it would cost to do all of this inhouse. So you provide a number of things for us really. The IT specialism on tap is really key.’’
…and what makes us a good IT Support Partner…
‘’You’re technically very competent. In terms of understanding what we do and what we’re trying to achieve, you’ve taken the time to get to understand us and our business, therefore, providing IT solutions for us that benefit the business.
All the staff are also very polite, courteous and just genuinely a good organisation full of nice, supportive people. It’s always nice to do business with people that you like.’’
….and if they would recommend Apex to other companies….
‘’Absolutely and I have done. For example, we built 12 offices in Altrincham recently, selling some of these offices to other occupiers, and renting out others to new businesses. We recommended that they should use our integrated IT services for the best uptime and service provision, which is effectively Apex, and we recommended them as a partner too. We’ve been a big supporter of Apex all through the 16 years that we’ve used you’’
Are you looking to switch IT support suppliers? Think we could be the business for you? Give us a call today on 0161 233 0099 to learn more about our range of services, and just how great of an IT partner we can be.