Is your Atlanta IT support company helping you reach your goals? We all know running a small business is tough. You have to be a Jack of All Trades (but still a Master of Some) because you have a lot of people counting on you. On a daily basis, you juggle customers, employees, budgets, planning and more all on your own.

That’s why you need the technology you use to be reliable. Having issues with your IT can bring your productivity to a halt.

Hiring a quality managed service provider (MSP) to handle your company’s IT support in Atlanta is an investment that will lessen downtime, increase efficiency and take some of the pressure off yourself. But how do you know that your MSP or Atlanta IT support company is doing good work if you don’t have a background in IT?

Here are a few of the signs that it might be time to change providers:

You have too much downtime.

If your tech is not working, then neither is your staff. Downtime reduces productivity which will cost you time and money. It can be hard to measure the true cost of IT. You can’t really put a dollar amount on the benefits it brings. However, there are ways to estimate the cost of downtime. IT downtime costs businesses $1.55 million every year on average, according to a report from an Ireland based IT solutions company.

You have outgrown your provider.

Unfortunately, a successful company can become too big for their MSP to handle even if they have been doing good work. If your MSP has a small staff, they may not have the bandwidth to assist you if you continue to get new staff members and locations.

You are receiving poor communication and service.

This one is simple. If they do not communicate well or are difficult to work with then it is time to move on. You shouldn’t have to waste your budget on poor service. Your IT company should care about your success because it means they are successful too. They are there to support your business and help it move forward.

You never see the same people twice.

Related to the last item, if your provider seems to have a high turnover rate for employees, that could be a sign of a management issue. It could also lead to poor service from new staff members that are unfamiliar with your company.

Your technology is outdated, and your MSP doesn’t have a strategy to replace it.

For better or worse, businesses in 2018 are very reliant on technology and customers expect a certain degree of functionality. Having outdated technology can drive away business, according to Microsoft. A MSP shouldn’t just be maintaining your IT infrastructure, but actively be managing it and helping you create strategies for growth.

You are not sure you are getting what you agreed to pay for in the beginning. 

Chances are they walked you through a proposal with a long list of services you may not have fully understood before you signed a contract. At the time this proposal seemed thorough, but now the details are a little fuzzy. Your IT support shouldn’t be a set it and forget it cost that you only review at the end of the year. Your provider should be transparent about the services they are providing month to month, so you can see how they are adding value to your company.

You had a loss of data or ransomware attack they weren’t prepared to handle.

No company can guarantee that your data is 100% secure, but there is a big difference between a company that monitors your network and one that manages it. Your MSP should be prepared to handle any disaster that strikes. If they seem to crack under the pressure, that is a massive red flag.

The needs of your company will change over time, and you need to make sure your IT changes with you. If you are experiencing any of the following situations with your current IT support provider, you may need to consider looking for a new company.

At 360 Smart Networks, we pride ourselves on building strong long-term relationships with our clients and providing them with the necessary IT infrastructure and services they need to grow their businesses. We are dedicated to maintaining open communication and providing quality customer service. Contact us at sales@360smartnet.com or 770-518-7087 to learn more about our IT solutions for small and medium businesses.