Mac tech-support in Indy?

August 10, 2012 2:28 PM

Mac small-business tech support in Indy?

Can any MeFites recommend a competent tech-support person/group for an all-Mac small business in Indianapolis?

The missus works in a small (8-person or so) agency in Indy and they're an all-Mac business. Their current tech support is a group that broke-away from a larger support group, and, judging from my wife's description of their issues, the guys are pretty damned incompetent.

It's typical stuff...Software upgrades done without any warning, and no investigation as to whether the upgrades will break hardware compatibility. Suddenly booting people off their Macs when the tech remotes-in to do some "fiddling" without warning. Just recently, the tech guys showed-up to do something and, when they were done, my wife could no longer communicate with the mission-critical printer. Two weeks later, she still can't and all she gets from the tech guys is "they have some ideas".

The latest snafu happened when one of the techs remoted-in and, once he was done, everyone in the office only had read-only privileges on all of the documents on the server.

The place is a basic collection of 1-2 year-old iMacs and MacBooks, MacMini server, and Airport wireless, and a big honkin' Toshiba print center. Everyone is on 10.7.

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

posted by Thorzdad to computers & internet (3 answers total)

Hi There, Mac IT Professional here (albeit a few states away). I specialize in Mac-focused small businesses here in Rochester NY. Sorry to hear that your wife has had trouble. First place to start would be the Apple Consultants Network Locator page. You can sort the results by speciality.

Your local Apple Store is unlikely to be of much help, they're not officially allowed to recommend someone who isn't directly associated with Apple. It's worth a phone call though.

It sounds like you need a basic support and maintenance contract where all of the terms are spelled out.

Feel free to send me a MeFi message if you'd like.
posted by Wild_Eep at 6:09 PM on August 10, 2012

I worked with a fellow named Robby Slaughter in Indianapolis who I respect a lot. I'd trust him to either help you directly or point you to good local people. His company is Slaughter Development.
posted by spbmp at 6:44 PM on August 10, 2012

She shouldn't have to put up with shit like this. Seriously, that few macs there's no reason anything should take 2 weeks to resolve. Time machine that thing back to when it worked.

I can't wrap my head around crap like this. These guys need fired.

A shop that small...I'd say what they need to to let people take care of their own boxes and only hire a person if needed.

You didn't mention the type of business, but if a person has a mac at home I'd be apt to trust them with one at work.

In a place like this I would make a base image for the Macs (the software that's on them all). If something goes South image a new Mac. What they really need is a test box. Apply the updates there, test it out, good to go update everyone. Can't print? No one moves forward with an upgrade before you get it working on the test Mac.

I'd do a better job than these idiots and I am a ways away (I support servers and software for a large company with a mixture of Macs and PCs). I'm not looking for additional work and not pitching myself here, but my point is I RCD or ARD into all kinds of boxes. I would never boot someone off a box.

It doesn't sound like these guys spun off, it sounds like they were fired.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:35 AM on August 11, 2012