
Quality IT support is as much about top-notch security measures and cybersecurity as it is about technical assistance. As you will learn in this article, the tall grass obscures the hidden cost of poor IT support if you are not careful.
Inferior IT support means you are paying for it directly and indirectly. Repeated IT issues can decrease staff productivity and morale. Also, should a cyber threat become a real-time reality, fixing ransomware issues becomes extremely costly for the business owner.
By contrast, IT support has many benefits. Avoiding service interruptions, enjoying robust data security, and continuing access to systems are mission-critical. Ultimately, subpar solutions resulting in inferior password policies or outdated systems creep up slowly. They are also costlier to resolve later.
The hidden costs of poor IT support hinder a company’s growth and, in dire cases, end its existence.
1. Understanding poor IT support
Small businesses often believe that the threat of a cyber breach is minimal, leading to underinvestment in cybersecurity. This is a completely wrong approach.
Statista discovered in 2021 that UK small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) lost approximately £2,600 because of data breaches. In the same year, Thycotic determined that over 60% of businesses were ransomware victims, and smaller businesses were not spared.
Trying to reduce support costs results in inadequate IT support in many situations. Reflecting the low initial cost, these service providers deliver inferior, inconsistent, lethargic responses. Meanwhile, staff productivity suffers, as does the company’s reputation.
Both outsourced computer support and supplemental IT resources play important roles in helping businesses reach their full potential. The best approach is to resolve inadequate security infrastructure rather than reactively respond to a ransomware attack and data loss.
Professionally run IT services respond faster and do not forget to follow up. Bad service providers fall way short of the mark. Training new staff and keeping current ones updated on best-in-class security practices is essential. IT support staff are no different. Insufficient or outdated cybersecurity knowledge is hard to overcome quickly.
2. Direct costs of poor IT support
As a business grows, it must be scalable. Otherwise, staff cut corners to keep up. One telling area is weak IT support, which leads to compounding problems.
Increased downtime:
When hardware or software is vulnerable to cyber threats, entire networks can fail. At best, one workstation becomes infected. Then, the race is on to isolate system access and prevent further intrusions.
Wasted time occurs when many workers cannot safely access their workstations. Declining service levels and data loss disappoint customers resulting in lost revenue which may be permanent if customers never return.
Generic solutions are employed to address complex IT security matters, wasting business opportunities. Customers become frustrated with the lack of responsiveness, and employees’ hands are tied until matters are resolved.
Costs of system failures:
Hardware repairs because of a cyber attack are not cheap. Replacing severely compromised servers and workstations is costly for SMEs.
Emergency IT interventions disrupt the normal flow of business. Resolving outdated systems, addressing mission-critical infrastructure, and implementing robust security measures are not accomplished in a day.
Managing personnel complications and keeping the team together is not easy, either. Overtime pay for staff becomes necessary. Soon, staff exhaustion and related issues exacerbate underlying problems.

3. Indirect costs of poor IT support
There are indirect costs associated with accepting poor IT support. Below are a few.
Impact on employee productivity:
Sluggish systems and even minor problems contribute to significant delays. Important projects get held back as a knock-on effect.
Employee retention is crucial for medium-sized and smaller businesses because of high recruitment and training costs. Increased staff turnover is disruptive and costly to manage.
Inferior IT hardware and apps that are not fit for purpose are problematic. Ongoing IT problems, especially ones that periodically resurface, reduce productivity and lower morale to the point that some people inevitably leave.
Effect on customer satisfaction and retention:
The Journal of Business Research in 2023 confirmed the importance of focusing on customer support throughout the customer’s journey. They found that the support framework needed to inspire confidence; otherwise, customer loyalty was negatively affected.
Brand name companies, such as Zappos (Amazon-owned) and the Ritz-Carlton hotel group, noted that better customer support resulted in a competitive advantage. For these brands, sustained investment in IT infrastructure and qualified support go hand in hand.
Reputation damage:
IT failures create a trickle-down effect on customer satisfaction. Brand reputation is negatively affected when reviews tarnish the company’s reputation. Disgruntled customers are not silent about a brand’s shortcomings, whether that is a severe Google review or a dressing down on social media.
With a growing negative public perception, seeking and securing new clients becomes an uphill battle. Contacts remain sceptical because of perceived inefficiencies or unresolved security questions. Often, they will not take the risk. Why? Because if something else goes wrong, that decision might cost them their job.
4. Case studies/examples
Significant losses can occur because of inadequate IT support, including cybersecurity. Advanced, an IT services provider for the National Health Service, was fined £6m because 82,946 patient records were stolen in a cyber attack. The lack of two-factor authentication (2FA) in key systems was a contributing factor.
Investment in quality IT support services improves staff productivity and company profitability. This was certainly the case with BP. They dealt with complex globalisation by choosing to reduce complexity. They achieved this through network segmentation into isolated groups, better user access controls, and real-time threat analysis. It reduced risk factors, prevented operational shutdowns, and shielded systems to maintain profitability.
5. Long-term implications
When IT infrastructure and security systems are not credible, you are scaling a business built on a faulty foundation, which will eventually negatively affect the company.
Keeping up with technological changes is more economical than upgrading later. Rushing to update ageing legacy systems often results in costly mistakes. Unsuspecting employees find the complete IT system overhaul especially jarring.
Poor advanced planning leads to technical debt because past capital expenditures were inadequate and reinvestment insufficient. Bad IT support systems increase the risks of cybersecurity threats, leaving the business and its personnel running to catch up.
6. How to recognise poor IT support
Here are some common warning signs to look for:
- Slow response times to requests for support.
- Poor explanations and suggested half-baked solutions.
- The same IT problem regularly reappears as an additional issue.
- Too few updates relating to system performance.
Talking with a potential IT provider? Here is what to ask:
- What is your typical response time?
- What percentage of IT issues appear multiple times?
- How do you handle system outages?
- What proactive steps are taken to improve client cybersecurity to prevent potential cyberattacks?
7. Investing in quality IT support
Proactive IT support is more valuable than reactive support. Active monitoring and regular system updates protect businesses from cybersecurity threats while avoiding oversights.
Employee productivity is negatively affected when experiencing repeated IT failures. However, Oxford University found that happy employees are 13% more productive. Customer satisfaction also affects business success, but it also negatively affects employees’ morale when dealing with disgruntled customers.
Inferior IT support leads to higher subsequent technology costs, financial losses, reputational impact, and staff dissatisfaction. Investing in quality IT support contributes meaningfully to current and future business objectives.
Conclusion
The hidden costs associated with poor IT support are sizable, multilayered, and long-lasting. Companies of all sizes should take IT support services and cybersecurity more seriously.
Contact us to learn how our managed IT services can enhance your protection. We have the depth of experience required to offer professional consultations and detailed assessments to improve your IT strategy.