Are You Unhappy With Your Current IT Company?
Is your current IT services provider failing to meet your needs? Are you thinking about switching to a reliable IT company? When it comes to IT support, don’t settle for less than the best.
You rely on your IT infrastructure for almost all of your activities. Think about it. Would you be in business if all your technology suddenly failed? It would be a tall order at the very least. That goes for companies of all sizes and across industries.
It’s therefore essential to ensure you’re working with the best IT support you can find. Regardless of how innovative or expensive your tech is, you need the right IT support to complement it before you realize any benefits. Unfortunately, finding a capable managed IT services provider (MSP) can seem like a daunting task.
We’ve come across a worrying trend through the years we’ve been providing reliable technology solutions to companies in Minnesota. After talking with the representatives of several companies, we soon found out that most were dissatisfied with their MSP. Many of them told us that despite their ongoing IT issues, they didn’t see the point of going through the hassle of switching MSPs. After all, once you’ve seen one IT services company, haven’t you seen them all? Well, that’s completely wrong.
Instead of focusing on the challenges of identifying and switching to a new MSP, you should be worried about the cost of doing business with an incompetent MSP. It’s just too big a risk, and it significantly slows down the growth of your company. It would be best if you cut ties with an unreliable MSP as soon as possible.
That said, we understand that the transition process can be tricky. To help you make the right call for your business, we came up with this article. We take it upon ourselves to educate business decision-makers, so they can make well-informed choices that satisfy their unique IT needs.
The article explores some key questions to ask before switching or contracting managed IT services providers.
How Do You Know It’s Time to Switch IT Companies?
Since you’re in the market for a new MSP, odds are you have your specific reasons. Most of the time, the signs are impossible to miss. However, there’s a chance some of the warning signs might have escaped your vigilance.
Here’s a list of some issues you might have encountered:
- You Wait Too Long for Support: Time is money. Every second that an IT setback disrupts your business represents lost revenue. Whatever the issue, you shouldn’t have to wait for days for solutions. Your MSP should respond in a timely fashion and provide a prompt resolution.
- IT Solutions Never Last: It doesn’t help if your MSP is quick to respond if you’ll need their help again just a few days later. If your IT services provider doesn’t offer long-lasting solutions, you’ll still suffer constant disruptions and extended downtimes. For example, they may be providing “band-aid” solutions that don’t get at the root of the issue. Consequently, you won’t know the next time you’ll need to call in a technician but it will probably be soon.
- You Never See Any Familiar Faces: Do you see a different technician every time you call for help? This could be as a result of a high turnover rate at your MSP. Whatever the reason, the result is your IT team won’t have enough time to get accustomed to your IT. A lack of familiarity severely hinders the quality of their services. Your MSP should furnish your business with a single team of IT professionals with experience in your industry.
- You’re Being Sold Unnecessary Services: Although the IT field changes rapidly, every conversation with your IT services provider doesn’t have to end with a pitch to sell you extra services. It’s your MSP’s job to keep you ahead of advancements in IT. They should do this by advising you on strategic IT investments and considering factors like your budget and goals. If your MSP frequently offers additional services without explaining how they will benefit your business, it’s time to switch IT companies.
How Do You Know You’re Hiring the Right IT Services Provider?
To choose the right MSP for your organization, you need to ask the right questions. Only you can ask questions that address the particular needs of your company. Nevertheless, we came up with this list of critical questions to ease your selection process.
- Do They Understand Your Industry? You deserve better than generic IT support. You need an MSP that has previously supported businesses in your industry. Familiarity with your industry means they fully understand your demands and the solutions you require. Furthermore, they should advise you on how you can improve.
- Do They Have a Data Backup and Recovery Plan? The right MSP should safeguard your sensitive data from tech failures and hardware glitches by having a secure backup and recovery plan. This has to involve multiple backups (onsite and in the cloud) for optimum redundancy of data to prevent disruptions to business.
- How Frequently Do They Verify Backups? Beyond having a robust backup plan, your IT services provider should regularly test and verify the backups.
- Do Their Technicians Have Recent Qualifications? The right MSP should make it a requirement for their staff to go through regular training to keep pace with the rapidly advancing tech world.
- Do They Offer a Network Map? It’s convenient to have thorough documents detailing your IT environment to help you find your way around your network.
- Will They Be Available When You Need Them? Hackers and other cybercriminals stay on the job even past regular business hours. It would be best if you had an MSP that can come to the rescue whenever a problem comes up.
At On-Site Computers, we are eager to discuss any of the questions above and provide honest answers.
Ready to Outsource Reliable IT Services for Your Minnesota Company?
We are enthusiastic about providing your Minneapolis-St Paul, Grand Meadow, and Kasson based companies with the standard of IT support you deserve.
Contact us now to get started.
