If you’ve signed on to work with a managed IT service provider (MSP), then you already recognize the benefits of gaining an entire team of expert professionals with broad IT and industry knowledge to deliver proactive maintenance and responsive support.
As with any partnership, however, the unexpected is bound to happen. And let’s face it, we’re all human, so mistakes can also happen.
In this article, we’ll explore five common mistakes in a client-MSP relationship and how you can best avoid making them.
After reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how to strengthen your MSP partnership by sidestepping some avoidable pitfalls.
What Are 5 Avoidable Mistakes When Using Managed IT Services?
1. Unrealistic expectations
Clients using an MSP, particularly those new to managed IT support, can come into the relationship with unrealistic expectations.
For instance, thinking your provider can instantly resolve your device or networking problem.
It’s just as unreasonable to expect your MSP to be able to drop everything to handle your specific technology issue. Sometimes they can, but other times they may not be able to due to a host of reasons.
While managed IT companies always try to provide support as timely as possible, customers also have to realize that not all issues require the same level of urgency. From a logistical standpoint, MSPs must prioritize the many different service tickets and project issues they’re juggling each day.
Having outsized expectations will likely lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration.
How to avoid it:
You can avoid this mistake by working out the details of projected milestones and service level agreements (SLAs) during your contract negotiations.
You should have a clear understanding about what you can expect in terms of service and support, and how long you can expect certain things will take.
Of course, when it comes to IT remediation, there are many factors that can cause unexpected delays. It’s up to the MSP to give timely updates to ensure that you stay in the loop about the progress and projected SLAs.
2. Last-minute notifications
Another common mistake businesses make in their MSP partnership is not communicating staffing or other key changes in a timely manner.
Waiting until the last minute to notify your MSP about a new hire, for instance, can leave the provider scrambling to complete the pre-onboarding process.
This detailed process can include ordering the necessary devices the new hire will need—such as a desktop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and docking station—configuring all of the equipment with the provider’s security stack, setting up the employee’s email, and providing any necessary training to make sure the employee is good to go on the first day.
How to avoid it:
- Inform your managed IT provider as soon as you know that you’ll be bringing on new talent or when you’re aware that an employee will be leaving.
- Giving your MSP a few weeks’ notice rather than a few days or hours to handle onboarding or offboarding can help smooth the transition and make sure nothing gets missed.
- Providing timely staffing change information also ensures you’re being billed correctly each month.
3. Undefined roles & responsibilities
Businesses outsourcing their IT should make sure that their provider knows who the decision-makers are within their organization.
For example, who at your company has the authority to approve purchases for new equipment or to escalate an issue?
If the provider doesn’t know who to contact for a particular issue, then it could result in a project stalling or even missing out on cost savings for equipment purchases.
How to avoid it:
- Provide your managed IT services company with a list of key stakeholders, their contact information, and their responsibilities as it relates to the MSP partnership.
- This way, the MSP knows exactly who to go to within your organization to get an approval, request needed information, or to confirm a change order.
4. Poor communication
Another common stumbling block in a client-MSP relationship is a lack of communication. Not having open, responsive, and honest communication can cause misunderstandings and lead to friction between the two sides.
MSPs have to keep clients up-to-date about key milestones and issues as they come up. They also need to reassure clients that their concerns are valid and are not falling on deaf ears. This can help prevent clients from feeling neglected.
Likewise, clients also have to provide complete and timely information to the provider.
If you can’t figure out how to talk to each other, tensions will only mount. This could potentially lead to even more issues such as unmet expectations, critical errors, and broken trust. If it gets to this point, the union may be past the point of mending fences.
How to avoid it:
- Make sure you make time to touch base with each other for regular status updates, questions, or concerns.
- Ensuring an open line of communication is an essential part of trust building between businesses and their managed IT providers.
5. Lack of project management skills
As a project manager at Kelser, I see firsthand the many different issues that can arise unexpectedly. Using an MSP without project management leadership can sink a client-MSP relationship.
A project manager is the oil that keeps the partnership running smoothly. PMs skillfully guide projects from start to finish, regularly communicating with all stakeholders to ensure that nothing gets overlooked and that the work stays on track.
How to avoid it:
- If you’ve been working with the same provider for some time, and you’re experiencing missed SLAs, poor service, or avoidable errors, it’s best to bring your concerns to your provider’s attention as soon as possible to avoid the issues snowballing out of control.
- Choose an MSP with competent and responsive project managers to help you gain peace of mind knowing that your business is in capable hands.
The Bottom Line With Common Client-MSP Mistakes
A client-MSP relationship is like any relationship—both sides have to hold up their end of the agreement for it to work out. Like any solid relationship, trust and communication are the cornerstone of a strong MSP alliance.
After reading this article, you’ve learned five common mistakes when working with an MSP and ways to avoid them. With this information, you know now the steps to take toward developing a strong and long-term partnership.
Read this article, How To Pick The Right MSP: 8 Criteria To Evaluate Managed IT Providers, to learn what to look for in a provider.
Learn how managed IT can help drive your digital transformation. Want to find out about common MSP billing terms and practices? Read more about it here.
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