Thinking Of Switching IT Companies? (Questions/Answers)

How To Make Switching IT Companies Smooth And Painless

It happens to the best of us…

You think your technology support company is fantastic while you’re meeting with them, then regret your decision only AFTER you’ve signed the dotted line on an agreement. Now, you’re stuck. But are you TRULY stuck?

We’ve found that oftentimes, you’re not. This is especially true if they’re not keeping up to their end of the bargain. People switch IT companies for a multitude of reasons. Here are a few we’ve heard about:

• They don’t get back to you within their specified response time guarantee
• They lack the knowledge and/or training to work with technologies you use
• They aren’t available after-hours or on weekends, even if they said they were
• They don’t offer something you need, like strategic planning or automation

Whatever your reason is, you’re ready to switch IT companies but you’re worried it’s going to be a long, hostile process. But if you don’t have the right IT company helping you manage, monitor, and maintain your information technology, it’s hard to see all of the benefits available to you – from greater productivity to fewer costs and everything in between.

How Do I Know It’s Time To Switch IT Companies?

Here’s the thing…

You might feel uncertain about your decision, even if they’re not exceeding your expectations. The truth is, it’s a massive choice and it takes careful planning to make sure it’s successful. So how do you know that you really DO need to switch IT companies? Here’s a few major signs:

The Service Level Agreement Isn’t Being Met

You decided on an MSP and checked out their service level agreement. You made your choice based on the information presented to you. But now, they’re not meeting the service level agreement they laid out in front of you. Maybe they’re not responding to your support requests within a specific time, or worse, you’ve had major outages that they didn’t even notice. Regardless, this is one of the top reasons to switch IT companies.

The Communication Is All Over The Place

Communication is key throughout all relationships in life. A good IT company will communicate with you seamlessly throughout all aspects of their responsibilities – from opening and closing support tickets to discussing budgeting to strategic planning and everything in between. If they’re not communicating with you frequently about your information technology, especially when something goes wrong, it’s time to make a change.

The Scalability Simply Isn’t There

This is another common reason we’ve seen businesses experience. They’ve grown since they signed the agreement, and all of a sudden, their IT company doesn’t have the bandwidth to handle the size of their organization anymore. They are struggling to keep up with supporting all of your end-users and it’s frustrating. If this happens to you, it’s time to speak with them about whether or not they’re ready to support you, especially with continued growth.

These are only a few of the reasons we’ve heard for switching IT companies, but they’re all very valid reasons to make a change. You may also change due to a lack of cybersecurity knowledge, strategic planning, or in some cases if they’re not personable enough and you simply don’t click.

How Do You Choose A New IT Company?

Although we’ll review our recommendations for switching IT companies, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing a new IT company that will suit your unique requirements better than your existing IT company does. Here are our tips:

Don’t Overlook The Important Details

You should be paying attention to the following important details when you’re looking at IT companies:

• How long they’ve been in business
• Whether or not they’ve worked with other companies in your industry
• What certifications, if any, they currently hold
• The breadth of services they offer
• Whether or not they have case studies and/or testimonials to review

Ask To Speak With Some Of Their Current Clients

Next, it’s time to ask to speak with some of their current clients. If they don’t have any current clients they’re willing to let you speak with, it’s probably best to pass on them. If they do, ask the following questions:

• Do you find they’re meeting their service level agreement?
• Do you sit down with them and talk strategically about technology?
• Do you experience any outages or virus infections? If so, how often?

Don’t Be Afraid To Speak Up And Ask Questions

The entire purpose of meeting with potential IT companies is to get familiar with what they offer and how they can help you. Don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you need to feel like you’re going to get the level of service you deserve.

How Can You Switch IT Companies Smoothly Without Hassle?

Our recommendation is to switch IT companies in a strategic, well-thought-out manner. Here’s how to do that:

1. Don’t cancel with your current IT company until you’ve found a new IT company and they’re ready to help you with the process of transitioning.
2. Transfer all administrative access to everything on your network, including logins, passwords, etc. over to your new IT company.
3. Undergo an extensive security assessment to uncover any vulnerabilities and/or backdoors that need to be resolved right away.
4. Give notice to your current IT company now that you have access to everything you need in terms of documentation.

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