When comparing IT support pricing models, ask for a monthly managed-service option and an option that charges for individual jobs against the same workload. BMT’s existing pricing guide distinguishes break-fix support, where you call after a problem, from monthly managed support covering agreed ongoing work.[3] Neither label tells you enough to choose on its own.
Make the decision using your own support history, the routine work you need and the interruptions your team must handle. Request a normal-year comparison and a busier-year version, using supplier-confirmed charges rather than invented hourly rates. Keep the scope identical so you can see what changes when you choose a different charging model.
Start with work, not the monthly fee
Gather the last year’s support invoices and requests. Mark each as a fault, routine administration, maintenance or project. Include work handled by a colleague rather than an external engineer. Ask that colleague what they actually did and whether they want to remain responsible for it. Record unknowns instead of treating missing invoices as proof that nothing needed attention.
Add the work you expect next year, such as new starters, replacing computers or opening another office. Keep these planned changes separate from ordinary support. Send both suppliers the same record and ask them to explain which jobs would be covered, separately charged or left with your business under their proposed arrangement.
Ask what the monthly payment buys
For a fixed monthly proposal, request a written schedule of covered people, equipment, hours and activities. Ask whether the amount changes when someone joins or leaves, and when that change takes effect. Have the supplier identify any minimum commitment and the approval process for work outside scope. Do not translate “unlimited support” into your own assumptions.
The NCSC says an MSP contract should identify inclusions and exclusions, with responsibilities assigned between supplier and customer.[1] Use that principle to test the proposal: ask who checks updates, investigates a failed backup and removes a departing employee’s access. Request a named owner for each activity, whether it sits inside the fee or elsewhere.
Test the pay-as-you-go alternative properly
For individual-job support, ask how time is charged. Request the minimum booking, billing increments, travel arrangements and any different rates outside normal hours. Ask whether diagnosis, supplier calls and follow-up checks count as chargeable work. Have the provider explain how you approve an estimate and what happens if the work takes longer than expected.
Then ask who performs maintenance between those jobs. The NCSC advises discussing patching, backup arrangements and recovery testing with your MSP, including potential additional charges.[1] If you retain those tasks internally, put them beside a person’s name and agree how completion is checked. Do not compare a repair-only quote with a managed service while leaving that work unassigned.
Compare a quiet year with a difficult one
Ask each provider to price your recorded workload under its proposed terms. Show recurring support, individual jobs, licences and planned projects separately. Use the same VAT treatment throughout. Ask for assumptions beside the total, especially where a job cannot be estimated without investigation. A clearly labelled unknown is more useful than a precise-looking guess.
Create a second version containing a disruption that matters to your business, such as several staff losing access to a shared application. Ask how the provider would handle it and which charges would apply. Keep any estimate of lost working time separate from supplier charges. Use the exercise to expose uncertainty, not to claim that one model guarantees a saving.
Agree access to help before you need it
Ask how each arrangement handles an urgent request. Does the provider commit to starting an investigation within agreed hours, or simply accept a booking when someone is available? The NCSC distinguishes response time, when investigation starts, from resolution time, when the issue is fixed or a workaround provided.[1] Check which commitment your proposal actually contains.
Request the escalation route and explain any deadlines or weekend working. Ask what happens when the problem involves your broadband company or specialist software supplier. Keep emergency arrangements explicit under either pricing model. Do not approve a cheaper option until you understand who your staff contact and what they should expect while waiting.
Choose using the work you need covered
Review the comparison with whoever manages operations and approves invoices. Choose the arrangement whose written scope fits your requirements and budget, then retain the workload record for your service review. BMT’s calculator provides an indicative estimate; final pricing depends on onboarding, contract term and exact requirements.[2] Use it for an initial budget rather than a substitute for agreed terms.
Start with our IT support cost calculator, then send BMT your support history and requirements. Our quote comparison guide covers checking competing proposals. This exercise comes first: deciding whether you want ongoing managed support or separately authorised jobs, and making sure the remaining responsibilities have an owner.
Sources
[1] NCSC: choosing a managed service provider