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.
