To compare IT support quotes fairly, give each provider the same brief and ask them to separate recurring support, software licences and one-off work. Then check the exclusions against what your team needs. A monthly total tells you very little until you know which people, devices and working hours it covers.
Start with the work rather than a target price. Write down what happens when someone joins, a laptop fails or the office loses internet. Ask each provider who handles it and whether you would receive another invoice. You are looking for a usable agreement, not the longest feature list.
Give every provider the same starting point
Send a short description of your business: staff numbers, devices, locations, working hours and essential applications. Include shared computers, remote workers and anything that must keep running outside office hours. Ask providers to flag assumptions rather than quietly filling in gaps themselves.
BMT’s existing pricing guide explains how users, devices and the complexity of your setup affect support costs.[1] This comparison goes a step further: use those details to request matching quotes, then record what each price includes. Keep the brief with the proposals so you can check whether a later revision changes the scope.
Separate support from licences and projects
Ask for distinct totals for the support service, recurring licences and initial work. That makes it easier to spot whether one proposal includes a migration or security tidy-up while another assumes everything is ready. Ask which setup work is required before support starts, rather than treating every project as optional.
For Microsoft 365, request the exact plan, quantity, commitment period and payment frequency. Microsoft’s business plans page distinguishes subscription commitments from payment arrangements and marks its displayed prices as excluding VAT.[2] Do not assume a monthly invoice means you can cancel every month. Have the supplier confirm the terms that apply to your quote, including any separate support contract.
Ask what happens during an ordinary support request
Take a familiar problem, such as a colleague being unable to open an essential application. Ask how they report it, who owns the ticket and what happens if the software supplier needs to get involved. Request a worked explanation rather than accepting a tick beside “helpdesk”.
Read the response targets carefully. Does the provider mean an acknowledgement, an engineer starting work or a fix? Ask how urgent incidents are classified, when the clock runs and how you escalate a problem. If your team works on Saturdays, get the Saturday arrangements in writing, including any additional charges.
Make exclusions easy to find
Use one comparison sheet with an “included”, “extra” or “needs clarification” entry beside each requirement. Leave unanswered items marked as questions. A blank cell should never become an assumed yes just because the proposal sounds comprehensive.
- New starter setup, leaver access removal and replacement devices.
- On-site visits, travel charges and work outside agreed hours.
- Backup monitoring, restore requests and recovery testing.
- Security alerts, investigation and incident recovery work.
- Liaison with broadband, phone and specialist software suppliers.
For anything billed separately, ask for the charging basis and who can authorise the work. Agree whether the provider must obtain approval before running up a bill. You do not need every possible future project priced now, but you do need a clear route for approving expenditure when something unexpected happens.
Compare the first year and the way out
Build a first-year view that includes the quoted recurring charges, compulsory setup work and planned projects. Keep optional improvements separate. Use the same VAT treatment throughout, and show any introductory discount alongside the price after it ends. This is a comparison of written proposals, not an invitation to guess future savings.
Read the renewal and exit terms before signing. Ask about notice, price changes, reducing user numbers and transferring licences or documentation. Confirm that your business retains control of its domain names and administrative access. An attractive support fee is not a reason to leave the handover arrangements until you need them.
Turn the comparison into a decision
Before choosing, send each provider the unanswered questions from your sheet and request a revised proposal. Judge the written answers against the work you need covered. A useful final check is whether your office manager could tell what to do during a fault without calling the person who negotiated the contract.
If you are starting with a rough budget, use our IT support cost calculator, then gather the scope details above. You can send BMT your requirements for a conversation about support. Keep the comparison sheet: it is also a practical reference when you review the service later.