What is an MSP anyway? Managed service providers (MSPs) are an essential asset to any organisation. And whilst most organisations security budgets are up, finding the perfect MSP with the knowledge, skills and experience it takes to handle the intricate and often sensitive nature of full-on IT managed services can seem an impossible task.

Fortunately, some MSPs have the acumen necessary to handle your organisations IT infrastructure and end-user systems remotely. You just need to know what a talent-driven MSP provider looks like. Here are some things to look for when choosing your MSP.

A Customer-First Approach To Business

The first thing to look for in a dependable MSP is their approach to customer service and the way they interact with their customer base. Since the client-MSP relationship is in much the same regard as a friendship you must be capable of fully entrusting your service provider with your IT needs in the same way you’d entrust a friend with your secrets you’ll want your MSP to focus on costumer-first solutions.

The right MSP will listen and respond to your enquiries without delay. They’ll fully understand the work your organisation handles, and familiarise you with IT solutions that help to both maintain and enhance your current IT infrastructure. MSPs should also provide overall cost-saving benefits to your business in the long term.

Knowledge-Based Expertise on Multiple Platforms

Whilst it may be impractical to expect one person to have all the knowledge necessary to maintain the multiple IT platforms that run your organisation, you should expect your MSP to maintain a staff of experts who can. When considering an MSP, familiarise yourself with their knowledge base. Expect them to have at least a basic understanding of every platform you use day-to-day.

A well-managed service provider will allocate one dedicated contact to your organisation that ensures your IT solutions are maintained daily; what we at IT Department call a Service Delivery Manager but will also offer a team of dedicated support personnel that can provide you with quick and professional solutions for IT-related emergencies.

Round-The-Clock Access

Your organisation’s IT infrastructure runs 24/7, and often maintains some highly sensitive information that keeps your business running. That’s why when choosing an MSP, you’ll want to find one that operates round-the-clock as well. A solid managed service provider will maintain a dedicated staff who can be reached whenever you need them day or night, every day of the year.

But merely having 24/7/365 access to a staff of IT professionals isn’t all that should be required. You’ll also want access to a knowledgeable staff, one that maintains a customer-focused approach to customer care, one that responds quickly and efficiently to your IT-related needs and provides a satisfactory resolution to those needs every time.

Proven Dependability Record

MSPs should always maintain a proven record of dependability. Ask a representative at an MSP you’re considering the following three questions to know if their dependability record is acceptable for your organisation.

  • What is your organisation’s remote resolution rate? Look for an MSP that has a high remote resolution rate to ensure that most of your company’s IT-related issues can be resolved remotely when something goes wrong.
  • What percentage of IT-related incidents are resolved on the first call? You’ll want your incidents to be solved quickly and efficiently, so consider those MSPs with a high first-call resolution rate.
  • What tier-1 vendors do you partner with? Look for MSPs who partner with tier-1 vendors whose products or services you use in your organisation, or those that you know and trust.

Your managed service provider should be able to answer all these questions and more.

High Customer Satisfaction Rate

All MSPs should have a client-focused service plan that puts the needs of their customers at the forefront of everything they do. Unfortunately, many managed service providers today have less-than-desirable customer satisfaction rates. When considering which MSP is right for your organisation, you’ll want to look for one that has a high level of customer satisfaction.

MSPs that engage their clients through regular IT-related communications generally have better overall customer satisfaction rates. Be sure that your managed service provider is willing to go above and beyond what you ask of them, delivering fast and reliable solutions to your organisation’s IT-related needs.

Choosing the right managed service provider is an important step in ensuring that your IT infrastructure is well maintained. But a good MSP is not enough. Your organisation deserves the best. Use these tips to find the right MSP for your business to see how we can assist you with managed services.

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