Red Cup IT

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general counsel for Hemopet, an animal blood bank and veterinary diagnostic facility. I handle business development and ensure operations go smoothly. We’re a small nonprofit company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Cup IT?

They maintain our electronic and computer systems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started, we were like a mom and pop operation so our computers weren’t properly networked. Red Cup came in when they were starting their business and integrated our systems. They created networks, improved our computer systems, resolved accounting packages, and improved our internet. There’s no effective cable system or satellites where we operate so our internet wasn’t good, but they were able to convince AT&T to lay cable across the street to service us.

They used to do on-site visits, and they actually need to come in and look at some of our hardware including routers, modems, and computers, but they work remotely now. It’s a 24/7 service. We can’t afford their highest service contract now, so we don’t get the number one service call return but if we have an emergency they’ll jump in and help us.

They’ve also ensured we have the best systems for a variety of tasks including internal and external communications and accounting. As a nonprofit, we’re often able to get benefits from service providers on different programs.

What is the team composition?

We interact with 3-5 people depending on the time of day and the nature of our problem. We recently tried to launch a new website but our email system crashed. It was panic at that particular time, and they came through well, accessing our computers through their off-site program.

How did you come to work with Red Cup IT?

I spoke to our finance officer and I believe they went on Yelp. They were close by our location, and Dan (Co-Founder & President) came in. We both needed each other.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $1,200 per month plus whatever extra things we have them work on.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The quality of work is really good. We have some people who aren’t tech-savvy, and they come in and help us. We got into a situation four weeks ago when we were having trouble with our website developer. They were going to build a marketing program but we weren’t very confident. Dan recommended that we look on Clutch and we were able to find another company to help us out.

How did Red Cup IT perform from a project management standpoint?

We request support through a ticketing system. There is some lag on that since we don’t have the priority service, but it’s around one hour for turnaround time. We’ve also got their cellphone numbers for a dire emergency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fundamentally, they give us a fair price for what we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their response time. It may be limited because of our contract type, but we just can’t afford the high-dollar price.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them as being very capable and skilled and talented in what they’re doing. They’re also adaptable to whatever is needed. My only advice is to match your need for response time with what they can offer.