Finding the right kind of service for anything you need is easy with the help of the internet. With sites like the BBB, Yelp, Facebook and Google, the right help is at your fingertips. But who can you know to trust? And how do you validate their service? With some industries like IT and tech support, there are a few things to look out for that will tell you the service provider is a professional.

Start with a Provider’s Website

If you’re in the market for someone who works in tech support, they should have a website where you can find their information, services offered, pricing and testimonials from past customers. If a tech support provider is relying on a 3rd party website like Facebook or Yelp rather than having their own custom developed website design, they are likely not very invested in their own brand. Just think, how trustworthy of a company would Nike be if they only had a Facebook page instead of a real website?

Look for Reviews & Testimonials

When a business, be it a tech support business or anything else, provides great work for its customers, those customers are likely to leave reviews. A good tech support company will feature reviews and testimonials to show future customers what kind of work they provide. You can find reviews on the provider’s own website or on review sites like Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, Bing Local, etc.

It should be a red flag if an IT support company doesn’t have any reviews at all. However, if a business is brand new, they may be in the process of gaining new business and will later focus on reviews.

Look to Google

A trustworthy and reliable tech support company should rank well in Google search results. This is usually a good sign that a business provides great support for its customers and is generally trustworthy. Head over to Google and search your local area + tech support or whatever service you’re in need of to see what kind of businesses show up. You’ll want to click through a few businesses, get to know them and then reach out.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for References

Anyone handling your technology needs to be trustworthy. Therefore, it’s completely appropriate and expected that customers will want to ask for references. Just like a job interview, you are hiring a tech support provider and need to know their work history and ability to fix critical issues. Any qualified IT or tech support service provider will have at least 2-3 references ready to give you right away. If not, consider it a red flag and move onto someone else.

Other Considerations

If you’re dealing with fixing computers or cell phones (like a cracked phone screen), there are several online tutorials and videos on YouTube if you’re brave enough to perform DIY tech repairs. If not, you won’t regret spending a little money on a tech support service provider.