IT provider checklist
Five questions to ask before you sign with any IT provider
A plain checklist on price, response times, support, exit terms and exclusions. Bookmark it and take it into every meeting.
By Zetta · Choosing a provider · 6 min read
Whether you run a 20-person office in Perth or manage IT for a larger enterprise or organisation, the questions that separate a good provider from a risky one are the same. Here are the five we’d ask before signing anything, including with us at Zetta.
What is the price, in writing?
Pricing works differently depending on your size. Smaller businesses are usually offered a fixed rate per user, while enterprise and mid-market agreements are scoped and quoted around your environment, so the number can vary. Either model is fine. What matters is that you can see the whole number before you commit.
What is the monthly cost?
Ask for the total projected price, per user and for the whole business, including any setup or onboarding costs. If the provider can only give you a range, ask what moves it up or down.
What specific services are included and excluded?
Get the inclusions and the exclusions in writing, and ask what triggers a further cost. A one-line "full support" description isn't a scope.
What are the rates for after-hours calls?
After-hours support and onsite visits are where surprise invoices usually come from. Ask for those rates in writing too.
How Zetta Essentials does it
For small businesses, Zetta Essentials is $95 per user / month, minimum 10 users, excludes GST, with the inclusions published.
For enterprise environments, talk to our team and we’ll scope and quote it properly.
What is the response time?
A provider that says “we’re responsive” hasn’t told you anything. You want response times defined by priority and written into a service level agreement (SLA). Note the difference between responding to an issue and resolving it, and ask which one is being promised.
Critical issues
Business down or server down. This is the number that matters most, so get it in writing.
High priority
A major impact on part of the business, or a key person who can't work.
Common user issues
The standard, single-user requests that make up most tickets. Ask how long these typically take, not just the contractual target.
How Zetta Essentials does it
As a published example, Zetta Essentials commits to respond to critical issues within 30 minutes, high-priority issues within 1 hour and standard issues within 4 hours.
For enterprise managed services, response times are set in your service agreement.
Who answers the phone, and where are they based?
Ask where the support team sits, what hours they work, and what happens after hours. A local team knows your city, your time zone and can get to your office. Ask whether you’ll have a dedicated team or a named account contact, or whether every call starts from scratch.
Zetta has been 100% WA-owned and operated since 2004, with our team based in Perth. You can meet the team before you ever pick up the phone.
What happens when you want to leave?
It’s the question nobody likes asking at the start, which is exactly why you should. The answer should be in writing from whichever provider you’re considering. Ask:
- What are the termination terms and the notice period?
- Who owns your data, and how is it handed back?
- Do you get every admin credential, licence and password at the end?
- Will they help transition you to a new provider, and at what cost?
- Is there an exit clause if service levels are breached?
If a provider is vague here, treat that as an answer.
What specifically isn't included?
Flip the inclusions question around. Ask for an itemised list of what’s billed separately: hardware, software licences, project work, internet, after-hours call-outs. A provider that’s open about extras up front is far less likely to surprise you later.
How Zetta Essentials does it
We’ll go first. Zetta Essentials pricing excludes hardware, software licensing (such as Microsoft 365) and project work. After-hours call-outs may incur additional fees, and servers are capped at one for every five users. Managed internet is an add-on. Bigger pieces of work, like an Essential Eight uplift or a migration, are scoped as projects.
Your IT provider checklist
| Question | Get in writing |
|---|---|
| Price | Monthly total per user and per business, inclusions, after-hours rates |
| Response time | Critical, high and standard response times in the SLA |
| Support team | Location, hours, after-hours cover, named contact |
| Leaving | Notice, data ownership, credentials, transition help, exit clause |
| Exclusions | An itemised list of everything billed separately |
Are you ready to sign with a Perth IT provider?
If you’ve got clear, written answers to all five, you’re in a good position. Watch for the red flags: a price that only appears after a sales call, response times that aren’t in the agreement, support that’s offshore without being disclosed, and exit terms nobody can explain.
Frequently asked questions
How long do IT provider contracts last?
It varies by provider and by scope. Whatever the term, get it in writing, along with the exit terms, before you sign.
What is a reasonable response time for an IT service?
It depends on severity. A business-down issue should have the shortest response time in the SLA, and it should be written down.
Do I still need an IT provider if I have an in-house IT person?
Often, yes. One person can’t cover every hour, every leave day and every specialty. A provider can back them up with security monitoring, after-hours cover and project capacity. Ask how a provider works alongside internal staff.
Is it better to choose a local IT service or a national one?
Both can work. A local provider can be onsite in your time zone and knows your market. If you go national, ask where the people answering your calls are based.
What is the average cost of a managed IT contract?
There’s no reliable single figure, because scope varies so much. Compare total cost against written inclusions.
Related articles
- What Perth IT providers include, and quietly leave out
- Comparing managed IT providers in Perth: What to actually look for
- What real Perth businesses say about switching IT providers
Talk to a Perth team
Ask us the five questions
Bring this checklist to your first conversation with us. Book a free consultation or call us on 1300 307 710.
Acknowledgement of Country
Zetta acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and pays respect to Elders past and present.
