We take pride in our service. But what do our clients really think?

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Colocation with a difference

When we founded Datum in 2013, our vision was to provide a better alternative to the default scale colocation providers – data centre facilities offering advanced performance efficiencies, superior resilience and security, and (crucially) exceptional service to provide real value to our clients.

It’s true that the foundation of our offering is a secure, resilient location where clients can house their IT infrastructure and workloads, but the key differentiator is the support and partnership we offer our clients to facilitate the development of the bespoke, hybrid solutions they require. No two clients are the same. Their requirements are many and varied, and we embrace this. In fact, it’s what makes us tick.

Complex? We LOVE complex!

We elevate our offering well beyond ‘colocation with a service wrapper’. Where we really shine is when dealing with complexity – getting our team involved in developing bespoke, flexible and scalable solutions that fulfil client needs.

This approach is why we have been so successful as a platform for digital transformation. True digital transformation requires a deep understanding of client needs, the development of bespoke solutions, and the accommodation of specific client requirements. We ensure a smooth transition, making this complex process as smooth and pain-free as possible. Importantly, we build in the flexibility for client installations to evolve over time rather than pegging out a pitch and stepping away.

What our clients say…

The bespoke nature of our offering means that client feedback is paramount – without this feedback we are unable to shape our offering to meet their needs. As part of this feedback process, we run an annual client survey, focusing in on some key elements that help us measure the quality of the service we offer. For example, we look closely at:

  • the way we deal with client requests and issues;
  • client perception of the range and scope of services we offer;
  • our ability to meet required timescales.

Dealing with requests and issues

Things move fast for our clients and as the custodians of their business-critical IT and workloads it is vital that we respond quickly to their needs. We know that downtime is not an option, and our 100% uptime SLA guarantees that downtime won’t be an issue for our clients.

Occasionally, however, other issues may arise, or clients may require changes to be made to their installation at short notice, and they rely on us to respond swiftly and efficiently. That’s why we are immensely pleased to receive glowing feedback on our response to requests and issues:

“Any issues/problems are addressed quickly and are often remedied immediately. Datum communicate well with [us], and are fair and transparent at all times.”

This high standard applies across the board. As one client puts it:

“Things like visitor requests, goods-in delivery requests, right through to more crucial issues within in the data hall environment, are all met with the same prompt, professional, reliable approach.”

Range and scope of services

Whilst our service can be measured in terms of footprint and power, this is only part of the story. We overlay this with a whole range of additional services, often offered by our network of partners – as client requirements change, so does our range of service offerings. This means that our clients can be sure that they are part of wider ecosystem that can support them as they evolve.

When asked what improvements could be made to our range or level of services, one major client responded: “I don’t know if that’s possible.”

Of course, we are very grateful for comments like these. That said, we don’t take them as licence to be lackadaisical – client requirements are constantly changing, so our partner network and scope of available services must evolve constantly too.

Meeting agreed timescales

Inordinate amounts of planning and scheduling are required (often amongst multiple service providers) to prevent service interruptions and delays. This is especially true during migrations to our facility and during complex digital transformation processes.

Setting realistic timescales and sticking to them is vital, and over-promising is counterproductive, so we do all we can to stick to the deadlines we set. If there is slippage, we are clear about implications and offer workarounds to prevent disruption. We are pleased that the feedback we received about our timescales during our client survey was overwhelmingly positive:

“Any requests for additional services/quotations/tasks are always treated with priority. Very efficient!”

Moving in the right direction

While we’re very grateful to our respondents for taking the time to share such positive feedback – we’re equally appreciative for the insight and recommendations for making our service offering even better. This real-world, ‘client’s eye view’ of Datum is invaluable feedback that we will take on board and act on accordingly. And as long we continue to receive reviews like this one from our clients, we can be sure that we are moving in the right direction:

“Our relationship with all Datum staff is brilliant. Everyone is approachable and polite. Datum FRN is perfectly situated for us, as it is close to the M3 corridor, making it easy for all of our staff to visit. The quality of services at Datum FRN is superb.”

If you’re considering an off premise solution for your business-critical IT and workloads, and would like to see for yourself what a partnership with Datum might bring, why not get in touch or book a tour of our Farnborough or Manchester facilities?

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