5 Signs your IT services provider is a bad fit

5 Signs your IT services provider is a bad fit

It can be hard to break a relationship with a long-standing business partner, but if you aren’t getting the maximum value for your monthly spend, you owe it to your business to move on. When it comes to your managed IT services provider (MSP), in particular, hanging on when you’re not getting the level of service you need is not only costly but also dangerous in terms of cybersecurity.

Ending your partnership with an IT services provider is a big step, so to help you make the right decision, look for these signs that your MSP is no longer a good fit for your business.

1. Slow response times

How effective or valuable your MSP’s services are is irrelevant if they don’t respond to your communications or address your issues in a timely manner. When it comes to technology downtime and cyberthreats, good service delivered late is useless. And with the widespread availability of remote IT support tools, there’s no excuse for delays.

If your MSP takes longer than an hour to respond to your requests for help or they have to constantly escalate your issues to other technicians, then you aren’t getting your money’s worth. Every minute you spend waiting for them to fix your problem affects your productivity and costs you money, making your monthly costs that much higher.

2. Frequent downtime and technical issues

If you experience frequent IT breakdowns, then your MSP is likely not solving the root of the problem. This also suggests that they are working reactively instead of proactively.

An effective MSP will proactively perform maintenance and adjustments to your systems even when there are no problems to ensure that issues don’t occur in the first place. If your MSP doesn’t do this for you, it’s time to get a new one.

3. Negative feedback from employees

Now, maybe you feel the responsiveness of your MSP and the frequency of your issues is acceptable, but remember that your IT services impact all of your employees. It’s a good idea to listen to those in your company who experience IT-related frustration most often to help you decide whether your MSP is truly a valuable partner.

Be on the lookout for frequent complaints from your employees about:

  • Slow systems
  • Frequent drops in internet connectivity
  • Unresolved IT issues
  • Poorly integrated software
  • Lack of swift support
  • Unaddressed common IT security risks

4. Uncontrolled costs

Your MSP is responsible for maximizing the impact of your IT spend, and they shouldn't be blowing your money on technologies that provide poor return. Switch to a new MSP if your're experiencing any of these issues with your current provider:

  • You have too many vendors: You’re paying multiple subscriptions for a wide range of products that you aren’t sure you’re making full use of.
  • Your IT has poor scalability: Adding or reducing computing resources costs a fortune.
  • Your have underutilized IT: Your MSP convinced you certain technologies were necessary, but you’re not able to leverage their full potential and so they haven’t had an impact.
  • You frequently go over budget: Your technology costs fluctuate wildly, and the MSP can’t get things done with the resources you provide
  • You’re paying retail prices: Your MSP lacks the partnerships to access top-tier IT at industry or wholesale prices

5. No plan for the future

Your MSP should have a clear roadmap for your IT development to meet your business goals. You’re supposed to be partners, so they should be helping contribute to your long-term success so that both of you can benefit.

If your MSP is not providing strategic IT consulting or long-term technology planning, then they aren’t providing maximum value for your money, even if their day-to-day service is acceptable.

Don’t settle for an MSP that isn’t providing the maximum return for your monthly investment. Want to see how an experienced and reliable MSP can take your business to the next level in 2025? Contact outsourceIT for a FREE consultation.


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