When should businesses request references for an MSP’s support quality?

Businesses should request references for an MSP’s support quality during the evaluation stage of selecting a provider. This ensures the MSP has a proven track record of delivering reliable, responsive, and effective support tailored to similar industries or business needs.

Key stages to request references

1. During the vendor selection process

• Why: To verify the MSP’s claims about their MSP’s support capabilities, responsiveness, and expertise.
• How: Request references from clients in similar industries or with comparable IT requirements.

2. Before signing a contract

• Why: To ensure the support quality aligns with your expectations and SLA terms.
• How: Speak to current or past clients to understand their experience with the MSP’s helpdesk, escalation processes, and issue resolution times.

3. When evaluating SLAs and performance metrics

• Why: To assess the MSP’s ability to meet uptime guarantees, response times, and other performance indicators.
• How: Ask references about the MSP’s adherence to SLAs and their handling of critical incidents.

4. Before onboarding complex IT environments

• Why: To ensure the MSP can manage and MSP’s support sophisticated infrastructure or applications effectively.
• How: Confirm their ability to handle similar environments by speaking to references who faced comparable challenges.

5. When transitioning from another MSP

• Why: To ensure the new MSP’s support will address gaps or shortcomings experienced with the previous provider.
• How: Use references to evaluate the MSP’s responsiveness, scalability, and customization capabilities.

Questions to ask MSP references

• MSP’s support responsiveness:
  • How quickly does the MSP respond to issues and resolve tickets?
  • Do they meet the response and resolution times specified in their SLA?
• MSP’s support quality:
  • Are the helpdesk technicians knowledgeable and helpful?
  • Have you faced recurring issues due to poor resolution?
• Escalation process:
  • How effective is their escalation process for complex problems?
  • Are higher-level MSP’s support teams accessible and proactive?
• Proactive MSP’s support :
  • Does the MSP proactively address potential issues before they become problems?
  • How well do they handle monitoring and maintenance?
• Client satisfaction:
  • Are you satisfied with the overall MSP’s support experience?
  • Would you recommend this MSP to other businesses?

Benefits of requesting references

• Validation: Confirms the MSP’s claims about their support quality and expertise.
• Trust building: Demonstrates the MSP’s willingness to showcase their success stories.
• Insight: Provides a realistic understanding of what to expect from their services.

Looking for an MSP with proven support quality?
Medha Cloud delivers expert-managed IT services with a track record of satisfied clients.