Need a Data Recovery Service? How to choose the right one.

You were always hoping that you would never need it, maybe you even had a backup (and hopefully it is up to date), but sometimes bad luck just can’t be avoided! Now that you have lost your data and you come to the conclusion that you need a data recovery service, a big question hits you: how to choose the right data recovery company? What to consider before putting your valuable files (e.g. documents, photos and videos) in the hands of a third party?

Sure, to find a list of possible data recovery providers is not difficult – you just need an internet connection and a search engine – but making the right decision while in the midst of chaos is completely a new story!

Here is some advice to take into consideration before making your decision

• Data recovery is not a series of attempts –When it comes to data recovery, only the first data recovery attempt has the highest chance of success. Nobody can prevent you from sending your media to a data recovery company and then to another one and again but your chances of success will decrease each time until it is zero! So the first data recovery provider should be the best one. For the same reason, DO NOT open damaged media if you want to maximize the chance of the recovery.

• Select a company which you have already heard of – Think about how you choose other important products/services. Do you point yourself in the direction of a well-known brand or do you choose the “first thing” you find? If you are looking for a data recovery service probably it’s your only way to retrieve your data, don’t take risks and choose a well-known provider on the market you have already heard and see if customer opinions are available.

• Give weight to the experience – Storage technology continuously improve and change over the time ( e.g. flash technology, virtualization technology, encryption, etc.) this means that it’s important to choose a data recovery provider with a strong experience in this particular field and that handles thousands of cases every year. This can assure that the technical staff and the recovery tools are up-to-date also that other cases like yours have been already faced and solved successfully. Long experience means higher skills; higher skills mean a better chance at recovery.

• Ask the right questions! – When you get in touch with the Customer Service of a data recovery provider it’s time to request all the clarifications you need. Ask the right questions, for example: what does the price include (and what does it not include)? There’s nothing more unpleasant than pay an amount that is higher than the one budgeted. If the data is unrecoverable, do you have to pay something? Once recovered, will the data be fully functional? Where will the data recovery take place? You may think that the recovery will take place in the same area where the company is located, but there are many cases where media are sent to other locations and you may experience troubles in receiving back your original disk. If the answers from the Customer Service are unspecified or not so clear, you should forego a data recovery contract with this provider!

• Check for partnerships - Ask about possible collaborations between the data recovery company and the manufacturers/OEM of your media, partnerships are an indicator of high technical skills.

• If possible, bring your media in person –Try to bring the damaged media to the company in person. In doing so you will see the premises. If you are close to the right address but in front of you there is a private house instead of a company door probably the recovery will take place in a basement instead of a cleanroom! Be aware that beautiful websites are perfect to attract potential customers but sometimes they hide a lack of professional resources. Take care also of messages like “we will recover 100% of your data” or other strange statements… nobody can guarantee a full recovery before completing an assessment of the damage.

• Pay attention if it sounds too good to be true! – Every individual gives data a certain value and the price of the recovery is comparable with this value. The same price can be a good price for one person or too high for another. In general, you should be suspicious if the price is too good to be true because the quality of the service might be really poor while the risk of permanently losing your data too high.

The considerations listed above should help you in making a decision in case of a data loss. If something happens, don’t be in hurry and remember our advice, you can also contact our sales representative to get your free consultation and quote.

Author: Massimo Mazza