When working with an MSP, many clients run into the same problems. Managed services aren’t the right fit for everyone. But in many cases, the experience you receive from an MSP depends on who you are partnered with. All MSPs have a different approach to their services, and if they do not meet your needs, this can lead to many issues for your business.
As an MSP, we talk to many businesses looking to make a switch from their current MSP because they are not satisfied with the support and services they received. After working with so many clients who are unhappy with their MSP, we began to recognize that their issues are all very similar.
To help ease your frustration of partnering with an MSP that could pose the same problems, we have put together a list of the biggest problems that many businesses have with MSPs and ensure that you find an MSP that will not leave you with the same experience.
When you work with an MSP, they will not be sitting in your office with you waiting for an issue to pop up. MSPs typically manage many more minor issues remotely through a help desk support line. If something requires them to come into your business, they will, but you are usually not communicating with them face to face.
Some companies may prefer having someone in-house so they can simply walk over to a desk with issues. If this is a problem for you, you may want to consider hiring a team of in-house IT technicians.
Although your MSP is not technically on-site, they should be exceptionally skilled at solving issues in a different location. To have an MSP as a teammate, it's essential to ensure they can provide you with that support.
This can mean constantly communicating with your business to ensure you are up-to-date on any issues or changes to your IT environment. You will want to have an MSP you can rely on to collaborate and communicate with you even if they are remote. A well-managed MSP should be able to do this.
Many clients get extremely frustrated when they work with an MSP that can’t support their business during a period of growth. This is a prevalent issue we hear from companies. If you are a new or growing business, it is essential to have an MSP with the necessary tools to set you up for future growth.
To avoid hiring an MSP that could hold you back from future success, you will need to talk through this scenario before partnering. This can give you an idea of how they have dealt with similar situations with their current clients.
For example, many managed service providers should have success stories to share. This can help you feel confident they can quickly and seamlessly onboard new users as your company grows. This can help you avoid partnering with an MSP provider who will not support your long-term goals.
A major problem you can face is if your MSP does not have the proper security measures. They must prioritize cybersecurity within your IT environment.
When companies hand over the keys to MSPs that are ill-equipped to mitigate risk, this makes them more vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can wreak havoc on any business.
Avoid this by ensuring you understand your MSP’s processes and the tools they will use to secure your environment. Some of those processes and tools include firewalls, Endpoint Detection and Response, cybersecurity training, and multi-factor authentication.
Firewalls are among the most basic forms of protection you need for your organization’s security. A firewall is a security device that acts as a form of protection between your internal network and outside traffic. It monitors everything and everyone trying to gain access to your network to keep out suspicious or unrecognized sources.
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is an integrated endpoint security solution that monitors your system for suspicious activity. The solution will monitor and collect information from your endpoints and look for potential threats.
If the system recognizes a threat, it will automatically respond by either removing or containing the threat. This identifies and mitigates threats before they can cause harm to your network.
One of the most essential things an MSP can do regarding cybersecurity is train your employees on best threat detection practices. Many cyber attacks occur simply due to human error. It doesn’t take a malicious person to accidentally click on an email that’s embedded with a virus. Cyber-attacks happen very frequently, every 11 seconds, to be exact.
Your MSP should train employees on the latest cyberattacks and how to recognize and avoid them.
Your MSP should require MFA (multi-factor authentication) as a standard security tool organization-wide. MFA is one of the most basic yet effective security tools to block someone hacking into your secure network.
Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide two or more verification factors to access an account, application, or VPN. This adds a layer of protection anytime someone attempts to use your credentials to gain access to any of your devices. This is a minor extra step for users, but a huge roadblock for hackers.
An issue many clients face with their managed service provider is slow response time. For example, when you have a problem, the first thing you do is send a service ticket to your provider. The time it takes until you hear back from them indicates their response time.
If your MSP takes longer than 2 hours to get back to you for minor issues, this is a bad sign. They may not have the resources necessary to support you, whether it be a staffing or communication problem.
You should feel important to your MSP. If they are not taking your service requests seriously, it may be time to switch providers. To read more about how to seamlessly transition between providers, read our article: “It’s Not You, It’s MSP”: How to Break Up with Your MSP.
If your MSP is not providing quick support when you need them, your business could incur more significant damage during downtime. In this way, a slow-to-respond MSP can significantly harm your company’s ability to work efficiently.
Do not overlook this problem. Before partnering with an MSP, determine the size of their support team and their process to assist clients efficiently. Make sure to set clear expectations of the service response time you expect for your business.
Heavily relying on your managed service provider to maintain your network can go one of two ways. You might continue your business operations as usual without worrying about your network as it seamlessly runs in the background. Or, you could be in constant battle with a network that runs slowly or crashes often.
This can be extremely frustrating and put your productivity to a halt. There are several reasons your network is constantly experiencing issues. Those reasons could be network bottlenecks, outdated hardware, viruses or spyware infections, and wireless interferences.
When businesses work with an MSP and face these issues, it may mean they did not properly build your network. If you have an excellent MSP, they will ensure that you have the latest tools implemented to run a smooth network.
They will also ensure your network is strategically configured to ensure everything is running smoothly. If your MSP does not adequately assemble your network with the right tools and solutions it can affect your productivity and open your business up to many security risks.
Many companies face issues when working with their MSP because they do not share the same philosophies or values as you. Working with an MSP whose goals do not align with yours can lead to a very unsuccessful and unproductive partnership. Many MSP clients look to change their MSP simply because their needs are going unmet.
To avoid partnering with an MSP that is not the right fit for your business, ensure you have spoken clearly about your expectations for accountability, quality of service, and level of support.
For example, if you want an MSP that is going to manage your IT without requiring any involvement from you, then this should be communicated before partnering.
Another barrier may be cultural differences from offshore providers. Language barriers, time zone differences, and other issues can arise from non-local providers. To read a thorough comparison of local vs non-local providers, read our article: Local vs Non-Local IT Providers: Which Can Meet Your Business IT Needs?
Looking for the right MSP for your business can get very overwhelming. The last thing you want is to partner with an MSP only to be dissatisfied. Although the option to switch is always there, most business owners would agree that it's better to get it right on the first try.
A quality MSP will determine early on if they're the right fit for you and you for them. To help find the right provider, be open and upfront about your expectations when speaking to a potential MSP.
For more information on determining what type of MSP is the right fit for your business, check out this article: 5 Tips to Ensure You’re With the Right Managed Service Provider For Your Business.
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