Are You Wasting the Help of Your MSP?

Managed service providers (MSPs) work to deliver proactive support, but we can’t fix what’s not on our radar. That means your team needs to fire up the Batsignal when problems rear their heads.

Sometimes there’s a sense of disconnect about when it’s okay for clients to call for help. Unfortunately, that mentality can cost your business considerable amounts of time and money.

The cost of self-service IT support.

Okay, so you don’t always call your managed services provider. Is that really a big deal? Can’t the folks in your office who are tech savvy just help the others?

Yes, but at considerable cost.

Think about it. All that time adds up, as do the delays that inevitably result from untrained “tech support” personnel who end up contributing to problems rather than solving them. Going without a managed services provider can be appealing purely because of the cost savings. We get that.

But if you spend more fixing problems later, is that really a good plan?

“What’s the secret to enabling IT to work more strategically? The answer is managed IT services, a cost-effective way to extend SMB IT talent and free-up skilled resources to accomplish business goals.” – Forbes

But let’s assume you can cover all the tech support for your business yourself. Even if you can handle all the “little fixes” on your own, you’re still wasting precious time.

Which matters more? Adjusting monitors and updating email settings or overseeing projects and reviewing budgets? Every time you sigh and say, “I’ll just fix my computer myself,” you divert your attention from your high-level duties. That costs even more than the wasted time of your average employee.

Taking advantage of strategic help from your managed services provider saves time and money. Reaching out to your MSP sure seems like a no-brainer.

Managed services providers can help with the little stuff.

When I talk to other managed services providers, a large concern I hear is getting client users to speak up and let us know when something needs our attention.

The big-ticket items are easy calls to make. Disaster recovery, Office 365 implementation, and on-site new device installation all obviously merit a call to your MSP. The pain point is high, so no one feels guilty about making those calls. However, it’s the little things that our clients tend to put off.

We’re talking about the kinds of issues that users think of as annoyances or wants—not needs. Requests like these:

• “Outlook is sending messages to junk when I don’t want them in the junk folder.”
• “My secondary monitor is flickering a little bit. It’s really annoying and distracting.”
• “I want a longer cable so I can move my desk away from the printer.”

We tend to hear about issues like these when we’re on site fixing other problems, but otherwise everyone keeps them under wraps. The thought process is, “I don’t want to bother your technicians with an issue this small.”

But that’s all part of why you hired us! We’re here to fix all kinds of technical issues—the large ones and the small ones.

51% of SMB owners say time is the single biggest obstacle to adopting new technology solutions. – Business Insider

We’re glad to take a look at small issues when we’re on site addressing something bigger. In fact, we don’t mind at all. But if you notify us in advance, we can come prepared with the right tools so we can take care of everything all at once. Sometimes, we can even fix the problem remotely with a much shorter turnaround time.

It’s as simple as reporting your small problem with the online tool on your managed services provider’s website. Be sure to describe it fully and mark it with the proper priority. You’ll be surprised at how quickly most things can be fixed.

All you have to do is ask.

Good managed services providers want to deliver on their promises. They made a commitment to your management to keep end users productive and happy.

We’ll automatically know about most large issues, which makes it possible for us to fix them quickly. But sometimes the smallest annoyance can become the biggest complaint.

Just tell us and we’ll fix. After all, you’re paying for that computer support. Use it!

And if you want to start benefiting from the great outcomes that KME provides 24/7, give us a call to start your partnership with the best IT support team in Orange County.

We’re ready to serve you because we give a damn about your business.