Seven questions to ask before you sign with an IT provider
Tech323
Comparing IT providers is difficult because the proposals all look similar and the terminology is deliberately fuzzy. These seven questions surface the differences quickly. Ask them of us, too.
1. What is your response target, and what happens if you miss it?
“Fast response” is not a commitment. Ask for acknowledgment and resolution targets in writing, broken out by severity, and ask what the remedy is when a target is missed. A provider who will not put numbers on paper is telling you something.
2. Who owns the documentation?
If you leave in three years, do you get your network diagrams, passwords, license inventory, and configuration notes? The answer should be an immediate yes. Some providers treat documentation as leverage. Find out before you sign, not during an exit.
3. What exactly is included in the flat rate?
Get the boundary in writing. Common exclusions worth checking: after-hours work, onsite visits, projects over a certain size, third-party software support, hardware procurement, and anything involving a vendor you already have. None of these are unreasonable to exclude — but you should know before the first invoice that surprises you.
4. When did you last restore a client from backup?
Not “do you do backups.” Ask when a real restore last happened, how long it took, and whether the results were documented. If they cannot answer specifically, the backups are unverified regardless of what the dashboard says.
5. How do you handle offboarding an employee?
This is a good proxy for overall process maturity. A solid answer covers a defined timeline, what happens to the mailbox and files, which systems get access revoked, and who confirms it was completed. A vague answer means it is handled ad hoc, which means it is sometimes not handled.
6. What is your escalation path?
When the first technician cannot solve it, who is next, and how long does that take? For a small provider the honest answer may be “the owner.” That is fine — what matters is that the path exists and you know it.
7. Can I talk to a client who left you?
Anyone can supply three happy references. Asking for a departure is unusual, and the reaction tells you as much as the answer. A confident provider will have one.
One more thing
Read the termination clause before the service description. Notice period, data return obligations, and any early-termination fee. You are not planning to leave, but the terms you would leave under reveal how the relationship is designed.
Want a plain-language read on a proposal you were handed? That is something we will do as a fixed-fee second opinion, with no obligation to switch.