If you've looked at more than two managed IT provider websites, you'll have noticed they all use the same words. Reliable. Proactive. Trusted partner. Tailored solutions.
Useful for the marketing department. Not so useful for an actual buyer.
Here are five questions that will tell you more about a provider in ten minutes than their website will in a week.
1. What does your average response time actually look like?
Don't accept "fast." Ask for a real number. Better, ask for it broken down by severity. The good ones will give you a clear answer because they measure it.
2. Who answers the phone when I call?
Is it a real technician who knows my business? A first-line triage operator? A different person each time? The answer tells you a lot about the experience you'll have when something goes wrong.
3. Show me how you'd document our environment.
If they look uncomfortable, that's a signal. Good providers have a clear way of capturing how your business works, with screenshots, diagrams, and procedures. Bad providers carry it in their heads.
4. Tell me about a recent client incident, and how you handled it.
Not the success story. The hard one. Listen for honesty, ownership, and what they did to stop it happening again. That's what you're really buying.
5. What's included in the monthly fee, and what isn't?
If the answer is fuzzy, the bills will be too. The good providers can give you a clear list. The very good ones can also explain why each item is in or out, in plain English.
One bonus question
"Why should we choose you?" If they answer with adjectives, walk away. If they answer with specifics about your business that they've already taken the time to understand, you're probably in the right room.
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