Tiered versus All inclusive contracts with your MSP partner
Tiered managed service providers offer a variety of services that can be tailored to your specific needs. This means that you can select the services that you feel you need and for them on a pay-as-you-go basis or a monthly set fee for that platform. This can be beneficial for businesses that have limited budgets, smaller scale needs or have specific requirements that may not be covered under an all-inclusive plan.
On the other hand, all-inclusive managed service providers provide all of the services you need in one package. This can be much more cost-effective for businesses that can benefit from the comprehensive service.
While selecting a provider and choosing between the two platforms, speak to your sales representative, understand the difference between the two, look at the contract or agreement and make sure there are no hidden fees- especially if your provider is only providing remote maintenance versus on-site. On-site hourly work rates can be very costly and can result in spending more money than if they chose an all-inclusive program.
When it comes to customer support, it’s important to consider how both types of providers handle customer issues. Tiered providers typically offer customer support on a pay-as-you-go basis with limited time per month and calling into a general help desk center. This means you will be charged for the services you use, which again can become very costly to the business. Additionally, be aware in tiered services of availability for customer support. Do they have limited hours and response times?
All-inclusive providers offer more comprehensive customer support, as they typically have dedicated teams that are available beyond normal working hours. This can be beneficial for businesses that need constant customer support, such as those that operate in global markets or run three shifts that may require technical assistance. Additionally, all-inclusive providers have a team of technicians that know your business infrastructure and will not have to repeat your issues to multiple technicians to get the problem resolved.
Finally, it is important to consider the cost of both types of managed service providers. Tiered providers generally appear more cost-effective, as you can select your service needs with lower monthly reoccurring costs- but additional billing and more time auditing. All-inclusive can offer more comprehensive coverage and generally will be more expensive on a monthly basis- but with complete coverage and budget simplicity. Ultimately, the true costs of a provider should be carefully considered as well as reputation, both client and staff tenure, and business stability/longevity; you want to make sure your company is safe and secure at all times.
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