Most reference calls are a formality. You ask "have you been happy with them?" and the reference says yes, because they were selected by the MSP to say yes. Here's how to get real information instead.
Who to Ask For References
Don't accept the references the MSP offers without qualification. Ask for references that meet these criteria:
- In your specific industry (not just any client — a healthcare client talking about HIPAA experience is more useful than a retail client talking about general IT)
- Similar company size to yours (an MSP that manages 500-person companies well may be terrible for a 20-person company)
- With the MSP for at least 18 months (past the honeymoon period)
- Not immediately after a contract renewal (suggests things are going well enough to re-sign)
If the MSP can't produce references in your industry or your size range, ask why. "We have clients in adjacent industries" or "our smallest client is twice your size" are important signals about whether you'd be a good fit.
Questions That Get Real Answers
Replace the generic "have you been happy with them?" with these specific questions:
About incidents and failure modes
- "Describe the last time something went seriously wrong. What was the issue, and how did they respond?"
- "Have you ever had a security incident? What happened, and what did your MSP do?"
- "What was the most frustrating situation you've had with them in the last year?"
About performance vs. promises
- "In your experience, what's the actual average response time for a P1 issue vs. what they promised in the contract?"
- "Have they ever missed their SLA? What happened when they did?"
- "What's changed about their service quality over the time you've been with them — better, worse, or consistent?"
About the people and process
- "Have you seen significant staff turnover on your account? Has that affected service quality?"
- "When you call with a question, do you reach someone who knows your environment, or someone who has to look everything up?"
- "How often does your account manager proactively contact you vs. you having to reach out to them?"
About value and fit
- "What would you change about the engagement if you were starting over?"
- "If a company exactly like yours — same size, same industry — was evaluating this MSP today, what would you tell them?"
- "Are you planning to renew when your current term ends?"
What Good and Bad Answers Sound Like
Good sign: The reference can describe a specific incident — "last year our server went down on a Friday afternoon, they had someone on-site within 90 minutes, we were back up by 7 PM." Specific details about incidents and responses indicate real experience and honest recollection.
Bad sign: "They've always been great, I've never had any problems." No one in business goes years without a single IT issue. Either the reference is exaggerating, the relationship is too new, or they're not recalling accurately. Push for specifics: "Can you describe any specific situation where you needed them urgently?"
Good sign: The reference mentions something they'd improve: "I wish their ticketing system was easier to use" or "I'd like more proactive communication about upcoming renewals." Honest answers with constructive feedback indicate the reference is actually engaged, not just saying what they're supposed to say.
Bad sign: Deflection to the MSP's sales team: "You should really talk to their account manager about specifics." A reference being redirected to the MSP's own staff is a scripted non-reference.
After the Reference Calls
After 3 reference calls, you should have a clear picture of: how the MSP performs when things go wrong, whether their response times in practice match their contract, and whether clients who've been with them for 2+ years would sign again. If all three references are positive but vague, consider asking for a fourth reference with a specific requirement: "I need to talk to someone who's had a security incident that they managed."