One of the worst parts of doing business is when you know you need to let go of someone. This could apply to both internal employees and outside vendors when they're just not meeting your standards.
However, how do you know the right time to fire your managed IT service provider? What are the standards to use when evaluating whether they're doing a good job? There are many things to look for in a good provider, but it's just as important to identify what a bad fit looks like, too.
To simplify things, here are some of the warning signs to look out for that indicate your MSP is a bad fit for your business.
1. You Want Help Quicker Than They Can Provide it
Few things are more stressful than having immediate issues with delayed solutions. When businesses experience outages, downtime can quickly rack up and result in thousands of dollars in losses per minute.
Because of this, your IT provider should make speedy response times and efficient service a priority. If your provider isn't very responsive or takes several hours to respond to tickets, this is a sign they are not a good fit for your business.
2. Your Business Has Outgrown their Ability to Serve You Properly
Growth is always seen as a good thing when running a business. However, as you add more users and tools to your technology stack, your IT troubleshooting needs will also expand.
Sometimes, an MSP starts as a good fit, offering enough service to support your initial needs. However, you may find that as you grow, your IT infrastructure services might not have the manpower to help you scale effectively. You may also find that they don't have the staff to accommodate the daily support your growing team needs.
3. They're Too Pricey for Very Little Return
Like many essential business services, IT support isn't the cheapest. That's why it's crucial you find a provider that makes the most out of your budget with quality service and long-term support.
Budget planning, technology roadmaps for strategic device replacements, and many other services can contribute to the ROI of IT services. A good service provider can help you save money in areas such as:
- Planning for steady cash flow instead of waiting for expensive breaks
- Reducing the risk of cyber attacks, which can drain resources if successful
- Fostering growth and cost-effective scalability
If your IT company doesn't offer the above services, it may be costing you more than it's worth to your business. If so, it might be wise to explore a service provider that more closely aligns with your goals for cost-effective IT.
4. Your Big Concerns Aren't Being Addressed
Another aspect that defines quality IT business solutions is their ability to address long-term projects. These are overarching technology migrations, refreshes, or transitions that take time and advanced expertise. Common big concerns businesses have for their IT strategy include:
- Outdated hardware or software tools cause frequent downtime
- Overpriced services or licenses are draining resources
- They don't know what they don't know about cybersecurity or becoming secure
- They've suffered cyber attacks in the past and need to revamp their protections
These are examples of more issues that require long-term planning and budgeting to resolve. If you take the break-fix approach to IT, you'll forego the long-term project management that managed IT providers can offer.
5. You're Seeing Red Flags in their Company
It's always worrying when you see red flags in how your IT provider runs their business. Customer happiness starts at the core of how a business runs operations and treats their employees. If IT technicians are miserable, they are much less likely to be engaged with client service or offer quality technical assistance.
Some common red flags you might notice in IT providers include:
- High employee turnover causing a revolving door of techs unfamiliar with your business
- Unfriendly, impatient, or condescending service technicians
- A tiny team lacking the experience or knowledge for quality tech assistance
- Unresponsiveness or no sense of urgency in resolving your tickets
These issues indicate that your outsourced IT service struggles to hire or retain quality talent, which can directly harm the quality of their customer service.
What Do You Look for In a Good IT Services Company?
IT companies go by many names, but many of them offer similar services. Because of this, you can measure each by roughly the same yardstick. The difference between MSP vs MSSP, for example, is simply that MSSPs offer only cybersecurity services while MSPs offer that plus daily IT troubleshooting.
- Overall, elements to look for in a quality service provider include:
- Responsiveness
- Industry-standard cybersecurity practices like Zero Trust to offer you peace of mind
- Support for long-term planning, budgeting, incident response preparation, and compliance readiness
- Transparency on MSP pricing structures
- A modern MSP stack of technology
To learn more about what makes a good IT provider, read our blog: 10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Managed Services Provider
How to Choose the Best IT Support
Now that you know the red and green flags to look for in IT infrastructure outsourcing, you should know how to find this information in the first place. Managed service provider (MSP) reviews are often an excellent resource for obtaining honest feedback from past clients.
Some MSPs also offer references from happy clients that will help you find the best day-to-day support for your small business. Along with reviews, references, and the general research you do to find the best fit, the best way to learn about a provider is by reaching out to them.
If you're ready to speak with an IT expert about your business, click the button below.
