What to ask any IT provider before you sign
Plenty of good IT companies serve small businesses. These questions help you find the right one, whether that’s us or someone else. Under each one is our answer.
What exactly does the monthly price include, and what doesn’t it?
Most surprise bills come from things that were never in scope.
Our answer: Everything is listed on our pricing page, including a list of what’s not included. Servers and network gear are add-ons, quoted per device.
Is there a long-term contract, and how do I leave?
Contract terms vary, so ask what it takes to leave.
Our answer: No long-term contract. Cancel with 30 days’ notice.
Are there one-time fees?
Setup fees are normal. Hidden ones aren’t.
Our answer: Yes, a one-time onboarding fee per user, shown right next to the monthly price on our pricing page.
What are your support hours, and what happens after hours?
“24/7” can mean different things, so ask exactly what is covered and when.
Our answer: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific. We don’t offer a round-the-clock help desk. If something urgent comes up after hours, email us and mark it urgent, and we’ll pick it up as soon as we can. We can’t guarantee an after-hours response.
How do I reach you, and what happens when something is urgent?
Ask how to reach them, who answers, and what counts as urgent.
Our answer: Email help@itplzhelp.com. We put urgent issues first. Outside business hours, mark it urgent and we’ll pick it up as soon as we can. We don’t publish a guaranteed response time, and we’ll tell you what to expect on your first call.
Who will actually work on our account?
Ask who will actually be working on your account day to day.
Our answer: A small team of engineers and support technicians, with our senior engineers backing up every technician. You won’t get bounced through a large help desk. You also won’t get a large bench of specialists.
Do you test backups? How would I know?
A backup nobody has restored is a guess.
Our answer: We set up backups during onboarding and test restores. Ask any provider when they last tested yours.
Who owns our accounts and documentation if we leave?
Leaving a provider shouldn’t mean losing control of your own systems.
Our answer: You do. When you leave, we give your owner a global admin account for your Microsoft 365 tenant, and we remove our monitoring and security tools from your computers remotely. We can also provide any documentation you ask for.
How long does onboarding take, and what do you need from us?
Onboarding stalls when nobody on your side has time for it.
Our answer: Onboarding is complete within 30 days of signing, depending on your availability and your team’s. We’ll need admin access to your systems and someone who can answer questions along the way.
Who isn’t a good fit for you?
Good providers know who they serve best, so ask who they’re a fit for.
Our answer: Businesses that prefer hourly, as-needed support. There are good providers who specialize in that, and we’ll say so on the first call. Our service is built on ongoing monitoring and security tools on your computers.
Do you handle servers, networks, and Wi-Fi?
Infrastructure is often where all-inclusive plans stop.
Our answer: Servers and network gear are add-ons, quoted per device. Network setup and Wi-Fi projects are quoted separately.
Comparing providers?
Bring their answers to your call with us. We’ll go through them with you honestly, including where another provider might be the better fit.
Book a free 20-minute fit checkNot sure you need a provider at all? Read doing it yourself, hiring, or managed IT.