Why this decision matters more than you think
Your IT support provider has access to every system, every file, and every password in your business. They are also the people you rely on when something critical breaks. Picking the wrong one costs you money, time, and probably a fair amount of frustration. Somerset has a reasonable number of IT support companies ranging from one-person operations to larger managed service providers, so you have options. Here is how to evaluate them properly.
What to look for
Response times that are actually defined. Ask for specific numbers. "We aim to respond quickly" is not a commitment. You want something like "critical issues acknowledged within 30 minutes, standard issues within 2 hours." And check whether those are response times (when they start looking at it) or resolution times (when it is fixed). They are very different things.
Local presence. If your server goes down at 8am on a Monday, you need someone who can get to your office, not someone who is going to drive two hours from Bristol or Exeter. For businesses in Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, or anywhere in between, having a provider based in Somerset means faster onsite response. If your provider is based outside the county, ask how long an onsite visit actually takes.
Experience with businesses your size. A company that mostly supports 500-person enterprises will not give a 15-person business the attention it needs. Equally, a one-man band who is brilliant with home networks might struggle with your business requirements. Look for providers who regularly work with businesses in your size range.
Clear, transparent pricing. You should know exactly what you are paying for and what is extra. If the quote is vague or the provider cannot clearly explain what is included, that is a problem.
Proper documentation. Ask how they document your systems. A good provider maintains a record of your network, passwords, configurations, and licenses. This matters because if you ever need to switch providers, poor documentation makes the transition painful.
Red flags to watch for
These should make you pause during your evaluation.
- No written SLA (service level agreement). If they will not commit to response times in writing, they are not confident they can meet them.
- Long contract lock-ins with no exit clause. A 36-month contract with no break clause benefits the provider, not you. Look for contracts with 30 or 90 day notice periods, or at most 12-month terms.
- They cannot explain their backup strategy clearly. If the person selling to you cannot articulate how your data is backed up, how often, and how quickly it can be restored, worry.
- They are reactive only. If they are just waiting for things to break rather than monitoring and maintaining your systems proactively, you are paying for a fire brigade, not prevention.
- They badmouth competitors by name. The Somerset IT market is small enough that everyone knows everyone. A company that spends the sales meeting slagging off competitors is a red flag.
- Reluctance to provide references. Any established provider should be happy to put you in touch with existing clients of a similar size.
Questions to ask during evaluation
Go beyond the sales pitch. Ask these specific questions:
- What are your average response and resolution times for the last three months? (Ask for actual data, not targets.)
- How many engineers do you have, and how many clients does each one support?
- What happens if our main contact leaves your company? Is the knowledge about our systems documented?
- What is your out-of-hours support process? Who answers the phone at 11pm?
- Can you walk me through what happens when we report a critical issue?
- What security certifications do you hold? (Cyber Essentials at a minimum for an IT company.)
- How do you handle onboarding new starters and offboarding leavers?
- What is your process for recommending hardware and software upgrades?
Why proximity matters for onsite support
Somerset covers a big area. The drive from Minehead to Yeovil is over an hour. If your IT provider is based in Bridgwater and your office is in Chard, even a straightforward onsite visit eats up half a day in travel alone.
Some providers cover the whole county but base all their engineers in one location. Others have staff spread across the region. Ask where their engineers are actually based, not just where their office is. And ask how many onsite visits are included in your contract, because if every visit costs extra, you will think twice about calling them out even when you should.
The trial period
If possible, negotiate a trial period or start with a short-term contract. Three months is enough to see whether a provider delivers what they promised during the sales process. Pay attention to response times, the quality of communication, and whether problems actually get resolved or just get patched temporarily.
The best IT support relationship is one where you barely think about IT because everything just works. If you are three months in and you are constantly chasing tickets or explaining the same problem for the fourth time, it is not working.
Making the switch
If you already have a provider and you are thinking about switching, the biggest concern is usually the transition. A good new provider will manage the handover process, including getting documentation from your current provider, taking over management of your systems, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Ask your prospective new provider how they handle migrations from other MSPs. If they have done it before, they will have a clear process.