Are Common MSP Problems Forcing Companies to Switch IT Providers?

From unreturned calls to recurring OneDrive issues, today’s Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can sometimes miss the mark. Each shortfall erodes trust, leading you to ask questions like:

• “Why doesn’t anyone at my MSP follow up properly?”
• “Isn’t this my tenth support ticket about the same network snafu?”
• “We pay a flat rate—so what’s with all the surprise charges?”
• “I’ve added staff but don’t see any volume discount; why?”
• “Ever since they merged with that copier company in Tennessee, I can’t reach anyone in leadership.”

If you’ve asked yourself these questions, your doubts are valid. After nearly two decades working with small and medium-sized businesses, I’ve seen these pain points turn into showstoppers—causing clients to seek a new MSP. While Managed IT Services is still a relatively new model, the push for perfection remains a mix of art and science—especially when it comes to **finding the right provider–client match**.

At Business IT Service Corps, our first goal is to help you identify core issues. That way, you can explore solutions with clarity—free from the endless LinkedIn InMail pitches and surprise phone calls. Below are four persistent problems that commonly erode MSP relationships and drive businesses to look for a better fit.

1. Major IT System Failures

According to Veritis, 45% of companies reported downtime due to hardware failures. Disruptions range from servers and workstations to firewalls and backup appliances—every node in your digital ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Dynamic Technologies highlights five common culprits for unplanned downtime:

• Power losses (35%)
• Software failures (34%)
• Data corruption (24%)
• External security breaches (23%)
• Accidental user errors (20%)

Add to this the fact that 60% of backups are incomplete. It’s unsurprising that many SMBs don’t switch MSPs until they experience a disaster. If “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” sounds like your motto, you might want to rethink that stance. One major failure can cost more than you’re prepared to lose.

2. Slow Response Times

When a deadline looms, even a 15-minute wait can feel endless. If your tech support is sluggish, you lose productivity—and patience. Slow response times often intersect with other MSP issues, like outdated hardware or an unclear Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Ask yourself:

• Are employee workstations standardized with valid warranties?
• Does everyone submit tickets, or is one “IT champion” the sole contact?
• Are we running both an on-site server and a separate cloud file share?
• Do remote staff use personal computers? Are they protected?
• Which Microsoft 365 licenses do we actually need, and are they correct?
• Do we enable regular software updates, or do employees skip them?
• Is multi-factor authentication in place?

For businesses looking to upgrade hardware or unify their cloud strategy, Business IT Service Corps can help standardize your environment and streamline support.

3. Regulation & Compliance Gaps

If your MSP recommends an upgrade for HIPAA or PCI-DSS compliance but you resist investing in necessary tools, friction follows. Over time, you might seek out a provider with “lower standards”—which is risky. No matter how strict your security measures, human error causes 95% of data breaches. Coupled with the fact that two-thirds of breaches trace back to third-party vendors, ensuring your MSP’s compliance is as important as your own.

Explore our Managed Security Service Provider solutions to learn how we help businesses harden their systems and meet industry guidelines, without unnecessary overhauls or hidden costs.

4. Missing an IT Strategy

Are you sharing your one-, three-, or five-year plans with your MSP? If they’re only reacting to day-to-day issues, you’ll always be one step behind. A proactive MSP acts like a strategic partner—planning hardware refreshes, compliance milestones, and expansions well in advance.

Lack of documentation compounds the problem. If your MSP hasn’t documented your network, key credentials, or how your cloud environment is configured, they can’t propose future-forward ideas like Azure migrations or AWS hosting. Without an overarching plan, short-term fixes become the norm, and real innovation stalls.

Where Do You Go from Here?

Determining whether to stick with your MSP or move on requires clarity and time. Reflect on:

• How much of the SLA do you genuinely understand?
• Are you aware of their ticketing process and escalation paths?
• Do you expect a small local IT shop to have the same capacity as a larger MSP—and is that an issue for you?
• Are you prepared to pay for growth? More users often mean more IT overhead.

If these questions spark concern, Business IT Service Corps can help you evaluate your current setup. We’ll suggest improvements that align with your goals—no “one-size-fits-all” talk.

Have questions? Reach out for a chat. Our mission is to ensure you have an MSP partnership you can truly count on.