Partnership
What does holding a vendor accountable actually involve?
Putting the question in writing, copying the client, and asking for the answer in writing too. Most vendors are reasonable once the conversation is on the record.
Answered by Ryan Sanders, Partnership Director
Most vendor problems are nobody's problem
The software vendor says it is the network. The internet carrier says it is the firewall. The phone company says it is the software. Each one is technically right about their own piece and the business owner is left in the middle with something that does not work. That is the gap an account manager closes.
In writing, with the client copied
We put the question to the vendor in an email, with you copied, stating what is wrong, what we have already checked, and what we need from them by when. Then we ask for the answer in writing. A surprising number of problems get fixed at that point, because nobody wants to write down that they are not going to help.
Being on the call
When a vendor needs to work with your systems, one of our technicians is on the call. We know your setup, we speak their language, and the vendor cannot blame the environment without an engineer in the room who can check.
Renewals and contracts
Accountability also means reading the renewal before it renews. Licence counts that are too high, features nobody uses, a support tier you are paying for and never call. Those get questioned at the review, not after the invoice.
Where we did this
Order the internet circuit the week the lease is signed. Carriers take six to twelve weeks. Nothing else on a move fails as often.
The relocation checklist Did you knowA backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan. Ask for the date of the last tested restore.
What to actually testPeople also ask
How do you decide what hardware and software to recommend?
By what fits the problem and the budget, not by what we happen to know best. We have changed vendors more often than most firms do, always for a stated technical reason, and we will show you the reasoning.
The full answerWhat happens when you get something wrong?
We tell you, quickly and plainly, and then we run an after-action: what happened, how it happened, and what changes so it does not repeat. Hiding a small problem is how it becomes a large one.
The full answerWhat does a technology roadmap actually contain?
What changes, in what order, over what years, and what each year costs. It is reviewed with the owner and adjusted as the business changes.
The full answer
"Mike C. was spot on. Needed assistance setting up a software license with a third-party vendor. Mike was on time for the pre-arranged meeting and completed the install with no issues. After the install the vendor commented on how easy it went. Mike knew where everything needed to go and facilitated his end without flaw."
Jarad, HVAC contractorMeet Mike- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Another great job by Midwest IT. Our company just loves your fast response to our issues."
Client, 2024 surveyTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.