Everything You Should Ask Before Choosing an MSP: 20 Questions to Determine if Your IT is in Capable Hands
In our last blog we took the time to discuss 10 key areas you should be exploring and considering as you evaluate the technical expertise of an MSP and how to determine if using them as your IT service provider will be a pleasant experience. Check out last week’s blog here: https://www.snaptechit.com/article/how-to-evaluate-and-compare-managed-service-providers-msps-a-guide-for-business-leaders/
This week, we want to go a step further and give you the gift of a powerful questionnaire that will help you properly evaluate an MSP.
20 Questions to Ask and Evaluate an MSP:
1. Does your MSP have any relevant certifications such as SOC2, or ISO 27001
2. Does your MSP have at least 1 CISSP on your team?
3. What advanced monitoring and detection technologies do you use to protect your internal infrastructure?
4. Please describe the latest security incident that one of your clients experienced. What occurred, what was the impact, and how did your MSP respond to the incident?
5. Do you perform regular risk assessments to identify and address risks inside your MSP
6. Does your MSP follow documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all tasks, including maintenance, troubleshooting, and incident management? Please provide several sample SOPs.
7. How does you MSP review and update your processes to stay aligned with industry best practices and emerging technologies?
8. Can you provide examples or case studies demonstrating consistent results across different clients due to your internal process-driven approach?
9. Please provide references from current clients who are in a similar industry or have comparable needs.
10. Please provide your most recent Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores, and explain how you collect, measure, and improve client satisfaction.
11. Describe your MSP’s Business Reviews process, including frequency and the agenda. Please include a sample report.
12. What certifications do your technical staff hold (ex. Microsoft Azure, Cisco, CompTIA, CISSP, or other industry-recognized credentials?
13. Describe how your MSP performs ongoing training and certification for your team.
14. Provide examples or case studies showcasing how your technical expertise solved complex IT challenges for other clients.
15. Please describe your pricing model in detail, sharing what is included and what is out of scope.
16. Describe any automation that you use to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and optimize IT system management.
17. Describe your SLAs and how you track performance.
18. What are your support hours, and do you offer 24/7 customer service for critical IT issues?
19. Please describe how you organize your service teams. What roles and responsibilities do they have?
20. Can we come to your office, tour your facility, and observe your service team in action?
Bonus Question: How would you describe your company culture?
When you’re evaluating which MSP you’d like to work with, remember that your employees will be interacting and relying on the MSP you choose. What will that experience be like? Are the techs and customer service agents at the MSP empathetic, or are they condescending and annoyed when your employees reach out with a tech issue? Choosing an MSP that demonstrates patience and the heart of a teacher when helping your employees can mean all the difference in the world between a great MSP partner or someone your employees dread reaching out to.
Ready to Consider Working with a New MSP?
Selecting the right MSP shouldn’t be taken lightly. The right choice will align with your business goals, strengthen your IT operations, and protect your organization from cyber threats.
Print off these questions to help you evaluate their security expertise, processes, customer service, and technical skills to identify the best fit for your organization.
Don’t forget to focus on value over cost—partnering with the right MSP is an investment in the long-term success of your business.
If you’re searching for an MSP in the Atlanta, Phoenix, or San Francisco areas, we welcome you to meet with us and evaluate our performance.