When the first Jamie Leeds Restaurant Group opened the first Hank’s Oyster Bar opened in 2005, basic IT support for the company’s computers and point of sale system was enough.
That changed as JLRG added locations in the metro Washington DC area.
IT Wasn’t Broken, But it Wasn’t Working
JLRG had a Microsoft 365 license. Cloud-based solutions were available, but their IT provider did nothing to change or improve the system. As a result, tasks that should have been simple frequently turned into an ordeal.
Even printing that day’s menu required multiple unnecessary steps and drove employees insane.
“You have a restaurant with 1,000 covers and you need to print menus but can’t access the printer because it’s offline. So you have to call someone from IT to come in, and they can’t remote in – that’s frustrating,” Penelope Crocker, Head Of Marketing, Brand, and Strategy for JLRG, said.
The situation reached a tipping point in 2020
The pandemic forced JLRG Restaurant Group to make tough decisions. Several Hank’s Oyster Bar locations had to close and the company reevaluated all costs and partners.
As it looked into IT, inefficiencies and costs crystalized
- JLRG was charged for IT support based on 300+ users even though only 35 employees need IT resources.
- When JLRG submitted IT tickets, support took 5 business days.
- JLRG paid for Microsoft 365, but their IT partner did not share how to streamline operations using apps, like Teams or OneDrive.
It was time to cut “bad antiquated service”
The evaluation confirmed what JLRG suspected – they were paying for “bad, antiquated service” and it was time for a change.
Peers Consistently Recommended Nortec
Organizations in the community frequently recommended Nortec for IT support. Still, JLRG wanted to carry out their own vetting process.
Valuable recommendations from Nortec built trust between the businesses
“Nortec took time to explain to me any word I didn’t understand. Not a lot of organizations take the time to do that,” Crocker said. “They earned my trust because they took time to make me feel comfortable.”
This thoughtfulness and high-level of service to a non-client convinced JLRG to partner with Nortec.
Nortec Stepped in on a Holiday to Avert Disaster
After JLRG sent their IT provider a cancellation notice the relationship rapidly deteriorated. It culminated on New Year’s Day when the IT company decided to cut off JLRG’s access Microsoft 365, email and data stored on their physical server.
JLRG got Nortec support within 30 minutes
Once they realized what happened JLRG reached out to Nortec and had help within 30 minutes on a holiday.
Pre-planning saved over 95% of JLRG’s data
Nortec and JLRG already had plans for a cloud migration in place and had created backups of JLRG’s data.
As the old company shut off access, Nortec moved swiftly to migrate data out of the old system to the new cloud-based environment.
The day was stressful, but successful.
Thoughtful planning and quick action meant JLRG retained over 95% of their data and started their partnership with Nortec ahead of schedule.
Superior IT Support for 60% Less Each Month
Unlike their original provider, Nortec does not charge organizations for users who do not use IT systems. This simple change immediately slashed IT support costs.
Managed Cloud services created additional saving opportunities and made JLRG employees more efficient.
Moving to the cloud eliminated the clunky VPN-server situation
Everyone can easily access, share and print any document, at anytime through Teams or SharePoint without having to remote into the system. Instead of relying on email and remote access people collaborate in real-time, without the hassle of remote access or waiting for someone to see a message in a crowded inbox.
Additional IT support projects build resiliency
To maintain JLRG’s ability to quickly share information across sites, Nortec is strengthening the network. Since Nortec takes the time to explain the value of different tools, JLRG knows every recommendation is honest and well-priced.
“We had vendors who took advantage of us,” Crocker said. “We are so thrilled to have Nortec as a partner who makes sure we can operate efficiently and reliably without killing our bottom line.
If anyone asked me who to work with for IT, I would recommend them because they’ve been so fantastic in every level their support.”
Testimonial
Not all managed service providers look for ways to save clients money or take the time to explain solutions and train users. JL Restaurant Group’s first IT partner had a per user pricing model that included waitstaff – even though only 35 out of 300+ employees have email. JLRG paid for Microsoft 365 but time-saving collaboration tools like Teams went unused because the provider did not share the value of the platform. The experience left JLRG doubting how much they could trust IT providers. That changed after working with Nortec.
“Nortec took time to explain to me any word I didn’t understand. Not a lot of organizations would take time to do that. They earned my trust because they took time to make me feel comfortable. I know if I go to them asking for help, they’ll come back with honest, well-priced recommendation.
We had vendors who took advantage of us. We are so thrilled to have Nortec as a partner who makes sure we can operate efficiently and reliably without killing our bottom line.
If anyone asked me who to work with for IT, I would recommend them because they’ve been so fantastic in every level their support.“
