When your business depends on technology — email, Microsoft 365, your website, payment systems, customer data — the wrong IT support provider isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a hidden financial risk.

Many Toronto SMBs call MapleOps AFTER something has already gone wrong:
• a ransomware scare
• repeated outages
• slow support
• lost files
• surprise fees
• or a provider that simply “disappears”

This guide helps you spot the red flags before they cost you money, time, and customer trust.

1. Slow or inconsistent response times

If your IT provider takes hours (or days) to reply, that’s a major warning sign.

A good MSP provides:
✔ clear SLAs
✔ ticket tracking
✔ guaranteed response windows
✔ 24/7 availability for critical issues

Question to ask:
“What is your guaranteed response time for high-priority issues?”

2. No monitoring or automation

A bad IT provider waits for things to break.
A great one prevents issues before they impact the business.

Without 24/7 monitoring and automation, your systems run blind.

MapleOps uses:
• automated patching
• proactive alerts
• server, network & M365 monitoring
• backup health checks
• security event monitoring

If your provider isn’t doing this, you’re not getting modern IT support.

3. Surprise bills and unclear pricing

One of the most common complaints we hear:

“Our IT guy kept charging us extra every month — and we never knew why.”

Transparent, flat-rate pricing is the industry standard now.
If your provider hides fees or charges “extra” for basic support, run.

4. Weak cybersecurity stack

Your provider should give minimum:

• MFA everywhere
• Managed antivirus/EDR
• Firewall management
• Secure backups
• Email phishing protection
• Access controls & audits

If they are not offering this → they’re putting your business at risk.

5. No documentation or handover

If only one person “knows the system,” your business is vulnerable.

A proper MSP provides:
✔ network maps
✔ password management
✔ asset inventory
✔ onboarding/offboarding workflows
✔ IT policies & procedures

Documentation is non-negotiable.

6. No roadmap or IT strategy

If your provider doesn’t sit with you at least quarterly to plan:

• budgeting
• upgrades
• licensing
• cybersecurity
• cloud roadmap

…then they’re not helping your business grow.

7. Not local — or no onsite option

Toronto businesses often need same-day onsite support for:

• network issues
• hardware failures
• Wi-Fi problems
• device setup

Big-box national MSPs often cannot provide this reliably.

Local matters.

Conclusion: You can avoid costly mistakes by asking better questions

Choosing an MSP is not about logos or websites — it’s about trust, processes, and preparedness.

If you want to compare your current IT provider to MapleOps, we’ll review your setup and show you exactly where you stand.

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