Compare Managed IT Service Provider Guarantees

What Are Your Options if You Want Out?

Getting started with a new vendor is like getting a new roommate. You think you will be compatible, but you don’t really know what it'll be like until you move in together. This can hold true with IT services, but as you do your homework to evaluate a managed IT services provider, you should ensure that if the relationship doesn’t live up to your expectations, you can move out and move on without penalty.

Set Up for Success

Before you even get to the point where you want to talk about a guarantee, ensure you are set up for success with how the managed IT service company will deliver services. The best way to do this is to determine if their goals are the same as yours.

You will only find this with proactive IT services that focus on preventing problems from happening in the first place. The results that you want – less downtime, overall improved performance of your technology, better security – should not only be the results they want for you but how they get the most out of their relationship with you.

Read: 5 Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Managed IT Services Company

Stay Out of the Weeds

As you compare managed IT service providers, you probably don’t want or need to know every detail about how they will do the work. The technology tools that professionals use are complex and sophisticated, and apart from satisfying your curiosity, getting into a conversation about this won’t help you to evaluate their performance. You must be clear about the work results and how the working relationship will develop.

Expectations for Results

How a managed service provider meets your expectations is the best way to evaluate their performance. Expectations include the benefits you should receive, such as greater efficiency, improved productivity or streamlined business processes.

Also consider if the company is doing what they said they would do. If they said they would be on site regularly, are they? If they said that your employees will love utilizing their help desk, do they? If they said they would align your IT with your business goals, are they regularly meeting with you and your management team to develop an IT strategy?

Lastly, consider if the relationship you are developing with them due to their work with you is helping your business improve.

Guarantee that You Are in Control

Based on how you think the service provider is meeting your expectations, the guarantee you should look for will have two options – to continue the working relationship or to discontinue the working relationship. This type of guarantee puts you in control, giving you the freedom to move out and move on if you think things aren’t working out, and it's a good thing to keep in mind while you are choosing an IT managed service company.