Hiring an IT Company: Start With These 10 Questions
So, you’re in the market for an IT company and are actively seeking the right digital transformation experts for your business. Where do you even begin? What questions do you ask?
We understand that not all IT managed service providers are the same. From a single contractor operating out of their garage to national chains you only see on TV ads, there are a lot of companies promising you the best in managed IT services.
At SkyTerra, we believe you deserve the best managed service provider (MSP), no matter what size company you work for.
We’ve created a helpful list of 10 questions that’ll help you on your journey to IT excellence.
10 Important Questions to Ask Each Potential Provider
There are multiple levels to explore with each question you ask any potential IT company, so we’ve broken them down into categories with simple, easy-to-understand questions.
1. Monitoring and Support
- Do you provide 24/7/365 monitoring and support?
- Is your support available for all issues or only urgent ones?
- Who determines what qualifies as an urgent issue?
2. Responsiveness
- How quickly can I expect a response once I report a problem?
- What is the typical timeframe for activity on my request?
- Can you provide an estimated resolution time?
3. Customer Satisfaction
- What is your average customer satisfaction rating (CSAT)?
- Over what time is this rating measured?
- Can you provide references to validate your CSAT score?
4. Understanding Your Unique Needs
- Do you understand the unique needs of my business, industry, environment or requirements?
- Can you provide references from current clients in a similar space?
5. Local Presence and Onsite Support
- Do you have a local office or just a local address to attract business?
- Will you perform job duties onsite if needed?
- Can I expect same-day service?
- Do you plan regular onsite visits to review equipment or train staff?
6. Contract Terms
- Do you require a long-term contract?
- What is the shortest term you offer?
- What is your process if I decide to terminate the contract early due to dissatisfaction?
Once you have gathered these initial details, it’s time to dive into more specific IT requirements. Here are some key areas to explore:
7. Cybersecurity Protocols
- What are your cybersecurity protocols?
- What multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution do you provide?
- What firewall solution do you implement?
- Do you offer end-to-end network security?
- How frequently do you conduct email phishing testing?
- Do you provide cybersecurity awareness training?
- How often do you reassess cybersecurity risks for my business?
8. Cloud Computing
- Do you provide or manage cloud-based computing?
- Can you assist with migrating from an in-house server or hosted platform?
- What cloud solution do you recommend? Public or private cloud?
- What are the pros and cons of each type of cloud-based service?
9. IT Asset Management and Budgeting
- Do you offer IT asset management with annual budget reporting?
- Can I order my hardware needs through your services?
- Is hardware procurement mandatory or optional?
- Are there any additional costs associated with hardware procurement?
10. Data Backup and Recovery
- What are your data backup and recovery options for recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO)?
- How would you accommodate different objectives?
- Can you provide actual use cases from businesses similar to mine?
While we are confident that SkyTerra could be the best MSP for your business, we encourage you to conduct your own research. It’s essential to find an IT company that best suits your needs.
Take the time to read reviews from our clients and learn about their experiences. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Contact us or book a meeting today to discover how we can meet your unique IT requirements.
