There are several compelling reasons you should hire an IT managed services provider. According to studies, about 140,000 hard drives lose data in the U.S. The cost of recovery can swell up to tens of thousands of dollars.

An IT-managed service provider helps you reduce the recovery cost by implementing better data management and recovery practices.

However, merely having an IT-managed services provider doesn’t guarantee that your business will enjoy significant cash savings and better IT disaster planning. Your current provider might be the bottleneck you need to handle.

Some signs you need a new IT managed services provider include losing trust in their reputation, customer service is no longer excellent, minimal communication between you and their team, and not transitioning your organization to the latest technologies.

Let’s further break down these reasons.

1. You’ve Lost Trust in Their Reputation

Like any other business, an IT-managed services provider will want to portray themselves in the best light possible. However, you should not take their pitch for the ultimate truth. Before committing or recommitting to a relationship, check out what previous clients have to say.

Testimonials provide helpful information that can help you gauge the reputation of the MSP, but don’t rely solely on the testimonials posted on their website. Instead, check other review sites for additional complaints or reviews.

Google and directories such as the Better Business Bureau are also great resources to learn about an organization’s reputation.

As you read the complaints, ensure you’re paying attention to the relevant ones, founded on the poor quality of service rather than hard feelings.

Pay closer attention to whether and how the IT managed services provider responds to these complaints. A company with an excellent reputation will:

• Respond to a customer’s complaints
• Offer solutions to the customer
• Resolve most complaints raised by customers

If you find you share similar complaints with other customers, then probably your current or desired IT managed services provider is not suitable for you.

2. They Don’t Provide Excellent Customer Service

Whenever there’s a crisis, time is crucial to handling the situation. A seasoned IT managed services provider should have a proactive IT team that can quickly respond to IT disasters and exacerbate the problem, saving you time and money.

There are many cues you can take in your current or desired MSP’s response to an IT crisis that can tell you whether they’re the right fit for your business. For instance, they should sound genuinely empathetic in their response and not insincere or scripted.

The customer service team should also sound friendly and personable. Harsh responses from the MSP’s service team can make you feel like a burden whenever you seek help.

The IT MSP should also try to follow up and ensure all your concerns have been addressed. If you feel unsatisfied every time you call for a service request, it might be time to change your IT-managed services provider.

3. They’re Falling Short of Deliverables

Most IT-managed services providers get into a service level agreement (SLA) with their clients at the beginning of their partnership. The SLA holds the IT MSP accountable and responsible for meeting expectations and delivering on agreed outcomes.

Most SLAs are flexible and adaptable to account for an ever-changing business environment. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself often with the terms of your service level agreement and assess the progress and performance of your IT MSP.

Doing this periodically allows you to identify areas where your service provider is underperforming and not meeting your business needs. If your concerns cannot be addressed, it might be time to switch to a new IT-managed services provider.

4. There’s Minimal Communication

You should always be aware of the impact your IT managed services provider has on your business. Their customer service should do more than assist you only during an IT crisis.

You should be able to communicate and collaborate with the MSP to deliver specific, genuine, tailored solutions that positively impact your business in the short and long term.

Thus, communicating strategic approaches should be an ongoing conversation and fully transparent to build trust between both parties.

If you have to ask yourself questions about the impact of your IT managed services provider on your business, your communication may be lacking, and a new service provider may be the cure to your business’ IT ailments.

5. You’re Suffering from MSP Buyer’s Remorse

Sometimes, your IT-managed services provider is grossly lacking in every facet of your partnership. As a result, your business may experience sudden, frequent, and prolonged downtimes from malfunctioning equipment, data loss, and several other IT problems.

The problems may be so glaring that you may regret not doing enough research when looking for your business’s IT MSP. You may even start glossing over other companies with better-managed service providers and customer satisfaction ratings.

That is the onset of buyer’s remorse and is a tell-tale sign that you need to hire a new IT managed services provider.

Continuing to use the services of an IT MSP you deem unfit for your business can make you feel neglected and resent the provider, which is unhealthy.

6. They’re Not Using the Most Current Technologies

The modern workplace has embraced remote work. Your team members can connect and collaborate remotely, in real-time. Cloud services are also becoming a staple in modern offices, helping most businesses develop practical solutions for their in-office and customer challenges.

Therefore, if you have an IT-managed services provider who’s not catching on with the latest technology, you might get left behind by the industry.

For instance, your IT MSPs should have transitioned your business’ network to modern offerings such as Microsoft 365 to ensure it’s seamlessly connected and productive in the modern workplace.

Your data should also be automatically backed up on the cloud to significantly reduce the risk of data loss caused by employee error, power failure, natural disaster, or a cyber incident. Cloud backup services also make it easier to restore lost data.

Invest in a Valuable and Trusted IT MSP

Your choice of IT managed services provider will significantly impact the performance of IT resources and your employees who rely on these resources and services. Thus, based on these six signs, if you’ve observed that it’s about time to switch to a more reliable provider, don’t hesitate to make that move.

Get in touch with us today and learn how we can offer you industry-standard IT-managed services.