What to look for when hiring an MSP

I spend much of my week talking with business owners considering a change in IT providers, and most of those conversations start with price per user. That number matters, and I'd never pretend otherwise. In my experience, though, it's rarely the reason someone is unhappy with their provider two years later. Here is what I'd look at if I were on your side of the table.

Find out who owns the company

Over the last few years, private equity groups have bought many managed service providers in Canada. Some of those firms are run well, and I don't want to paint them all with the same brush. Still, a change in ownership changes priorities. Clients usually notice first when their favourite technician leaves, or when the renewal comes in higher than expected. Ask who owns the business today and what their plans are. At Campfire, we are owner-funded and led, and we don't answer to any outside investors.

Make sure they know the computers your team uses

If your office runs on Macs, or a mix of Macs and PCs, ask how many Macs they manage today and walk through how they'd set up a new one for you. Plenty of providers are excellent with Windows and treat Apple as an afterthought, and that shows up later as slow fixes and workarounds. I'm biased here, since we're one of the few Apple Premium Technical Partners in the country, but it's the first thing I'd check.

Ask for real numbers

Every provider says they're responsive, so ask them to show you how they measure it and how they report it back to you. We don't publish fixed guarantees at Campfire. Instead, we set objectives for how quickly we respond and resolve issues, measure ourselves against them, and go through the results with each client every quarter. Whatever approach a provider uses, they should be able to show you a sample of the report you'd get.

Pay attention to how they get to know you

Good onboarding takes real effort. The provider has to learn how your business works and clean up whatever the last provider left half-done. Ask what the first ninety days look like and who you'll be dealing with day to day. If the answer is vague, expect the first few months to feel the same way.

Read the contract like you're going to leave

Nobody signs up planning to leave, but how a provider handles the exit tells you a lot about them. Look at how much the price can rise each year and whether you can reduce your user count if the business changes. Then ask what happens at the end. You should get your documentation and admin access back without a fight, and the provider should help the next team take over cleanly.

Talk to their clients

Ask for a reference who has been with them for several years. If they seem confident, ask for one who left, too. A provider that parted ways on good terms will have no trouble with that request, and you'll learn how they behave when things aren't going their way.

Look for a fit that works both ways

The best relationships I've seen are with clients who see technology as something that helps their team do better work, and who want a partner who will tell them the truth even when it's inconvenient. We've walked away from work that wasn't a good fit, and I'd trust a provider more for being willing to do that.

If you're in the middle of this decision, I'm happy to talk it through to see if we're a fit. You can book a 15-minute, pitch-free intro call with me here: Book a Discovery Call