Running a Mac Based Law Firm – How GlobalMac IT Stands Apart
The Fourth in a Four Part Series
Over the past three articles, I shed light on the IT options available to small law firms.
We’ve addressed the most common ways of managing IT- taking care of it yourself, using an hourly consultant, and managed services. We touched on their pros and cons and provided you with strategies for each.
In this final article, we discuss how GlobalMac IT’s service differs from all other options.
You’ll learn how exactly we differ from the vast majority of IT providers (I’m talking 95% plus).
So how are we different from other IT providers?
First of all, we do not charge for labor. Ours is a TRUE flat-rate model.
The reason is that we don’t want to be rewarded for doing sub-standard work if we don’t complete the job or need to address an issue more than once.
We think if we don’t do it right the first time, it should cost us, not you. This also includes after-hours and emergency support.
While many IT companies claim to be ‘flat rate,’ those claims come with disclaimers and fine print, which often lead to unexpected and budgeted bills, and not surprisingly, project work is rarely included.
In comparison, our service includes unlimited time for support and project work.
Let me elaborate:
Unlimited Remote, Phone and On-Site Support
Our clients receive unlimited time for remote, phone, and on-site support.
This is simply unlimited support for any IT issues that arise.
We are based out of Cleveland, Ohio. The second I mention this, everyone thinks: ‘Well, I’m not in Cleveland, so how do you provide on-site support?” We locate a sub-contractor ahead of time, in most cases, an Apple Certified consultant, who we can call to be our boots on the ground when needed.
The truth is, only four times in our history have we ever called upon a subcontractor. This is due to the high level of service we implement which leads to greatly increased security and stability.
TWe support clients nationwide and have developed mature and fine-tuned solutions that are ultra-reliable. If we do need to call a subcontractor, we take care of their bill, which is included in our fee.
Unlimited Project Work
In addition to unlimited support, our clients receive unlimited time for project work. The overwhelming majority of companies bill this separately, so you never truly know what your IT budget will be.
This includes, but is not limited to, computer and server upgrades, office moves, email migration, case management system implementation & migrations, and all major operating system upgrades.
If it is technology related to your business, it will be included.
Unlimited Nature
I want to expand on the impact of the ‘unlimited’ nature of our service.
Take, for example, a typical web design company. The majority nickels and dimes for everything: for spelling errors, they will bill 30 minutes of time or more. This often creates a culture of delay – when something needs to be addressed, it is added to a list that will ‘eventually be all addressed in one shot,’ to get the best bang for your buck.
The problem is this leads to lost clients, uncaptured leads, and other negative impacts to your practice. If a webform is not working properly, delaying fixing it could cost the firm thousands of dollars in lost revenues through lost leads.
The same thing occurs with IT when it is billed hourly. Many things that should be addressed are ignored or put off, which leads to bigger problems. Small issues end up turning into big issues that may create a firm-wide impact.
On the flipside is our current web design company. For a flat fee of $250 a month, they take care of everything: updates, changes, new pages. If I wanted them to super-impose my head on a pink flying elephant on my homepage, they’d do it, and I wouldn’t pay a penny more.
I also wouldn’t spend time reviewing an estimate for what it would cost to do, approve it, or ask questions for clarification. In many cases, the project ends up going over the estimate, leading to more frustration.
The mental impact with the fixed fee is that my entire team feels increased confidence in reaching out to the web company if we need a change made or a page added.
Problems are resolved much faster, and I always know what the bill will be.
Suffering in Silence
One hundred percent of the time, when we assume the IT role for a law firm, people step forward with issues they have been silently dealing with for years. That’s not an exaggeration.
If you are taking care of IT yourself or you do not have a flat-fee arrangement with your IT provider, I guarantee you that your staff is suffering in silence with IT issues. They either don’t want to incur a bill for the firm, don’t want to bother the head attorney asking if they can call IT, or they just decide it’s not that big a deal.
However, something that’s not a big deal and only costs them 5 minutes a day adds up to 18 hours per year, per person. Do the math; it does matter.
The biggest impact of unlimited is it allows us to focus on what is best for our clients and empowers their staff to reach out to us for help unencumbered. Whether it is a simple support request, a big project, or training, these areas create a massive lever that, when compounded, has a major effect on the bottom line for your firm.
Our Proven Process™
The GlobalMac IT Proven Process is revolutionary because it empowers our clients to let go of managing their Apple technology and security, and instead, invites them to take a back seat as we implement their ideal vision.
Dozens of law firms have increased their billable hours by streamlining their technology with our Proven Process. This unique process walks every single one of our clients through our eight steps to increase the stability and security of your firm, then continually increases the efficiency and adherence to our defined highest standards.
We know how hard it is to find a company that is both proficient with Apple technology AND understands the needs of a law firm. We have helped dozens of medium and small law firms maximize their technology investments. When they maximize your investment, their technology starts working for them, their team members become happier and more efficient, and their clients benefit from increased security and better connectivity.
The first step in the Proven Process is the Technology Vision Builder discussion, where prospective clients work with me to help define their goals, challenges, and opportunities related to technology. They will create clarity with the impact technology can make in their practice.
The human brain is drawn to CLARITY and away from confusion. If our clients’ team members are confused about technology, they’ll waste time creating workarounds or inadvertently cause a data breach. Once our clients have a clear approach to technology, their team’s overall efficiency will begin to improve. Law firms that strategically use technology win in the marketplace.
By providing this leadership, relationship, and creativity, we provide unparalleled value when compared to other firms.
Unfortunately, we don’t work with every firm out there. If your firm is Mac-based or if you’d like to make the switch, no one comes close to our level of depth.
I only touched on a fraction of the services we include in our TotalCare Managed Service Plan, but I shared some of the core differences that set us apart.
We love what we do. We have a great team and even better clients we love to support. We are not the cheapest, but we know we are the best option for law firms using Macs. Ever since 2006, I have continually strived to deliver a 5-star, white-glove service to our clients, and our service delivers many things our clients don’t know they don’t know.
- Multiple Layers of Security.
- Data and Cloud Backups.
- Pro-active monitoring, IT budgeting, and planning.
- Virtual Chief Information Officer.
- After-hours emergency support.
- Mobile Device Management.
Still only scratching the surface.
If you have more than ten users in your firm and want to maximize your leverage on your technology and see it as an investment, we’d love to discuss out TotalCare service.
And if you have less than ten users, we now offer multiple other solutions and tools to support you – we’d love to talk to you to determine if our options could provide you value.
If you’d like to talk, book a time with me directly for a complimentary strategy session at www.globalmacit.com/strategy2
