The Trust Trap
Business owners want to trust their IT service providers.
And why wouldn't they? Providers promise mature processes, speak fluent ITIL, and showcase enterprise tools like sophisticated ITSM platforms, CRM systems, or cloud management solutions. They present glossy pitch decks, talk confidently about SLAs, uptime, and response times, and assure you everything's under control.
But here's the uncomfortable reality:
Many IT providers look professional on the surface - yet operate chaotically behind the scenes.
If they're not effectively managing their own business, how can you trust them with yours? More importantly, how would you even know?
Trust, But Verify
A common - and costly - mistake business leaders make is assuming IT providers inherently know what they're doing simply because they're in the technology business.
Red Flags to Watch For
- They can't clearly explain their own internal processes
- Their documentation is inconsistent or outdated
- They struggle to provide concrete examples of similar work
- Their team seems disorganized or communication is chaotic
- They focus more on tools than on understanding your business
Questions That Matter
- How do they handle incidents and escalations?
- What's their approach to documentation and knowledge transfer?
- How do they measure and improve their own performance?
- What's their process for staying current with technology?
- How do they handle security and compliance?
Beyond the Sales Pitch
The best providers aren't always the ones with the slickest presentations. Look for:
- Transparency about their limitations
- Clear, documented processes
- Evidence of continuous improvement
- Strong focus on knowledge transfer
- Willingness to challenge assumptions
Making the Right Choice
Don't navigate this critical decision alone. At UnoArch, we've navigated both sides of provider relationships - as technology leaders inside service providers and as advisors to businesses making these crucial choices.
Partner with UnoArch to cut through the marketing noise and find providers who truly deliver. Because when it comes to IT services, what you don't know to ask can hurt your business.