Ring! Ring!

Me: I.T. Department, this is Daniel.  How can I help you, today? 

Caller: Hey, Dan!   It’s me, Terry.  I did it, again!   When can you get over here? 

Me: Refresh my memory, Terry.  What did you do, again? 

Terry: I told Jane and Margot to install the update for the robot control and it broke the job management and scheduler program. 

Me: Oh.   Yeap.  You did ‘it’ again, alright.  You DO remember how long it took us, last time to fix this issue? 

Terry: Yeah.  I remember.  I’m sorry.  But I’ve got a big job to get done.  That update is supposed to really speed up the machines.   

Me: OK.  Then it’s time to update or replace the scheduler.   

Terry: AFTER, Dan.  After I get paid for this job.  I PROMISE.  But I need you here, now, to fix this! 

Me: Terry, THAT is exactly what you told me just over a year ago, when you did this same thing. 

Terry: I know.  But I needed that money to keep my staff, you know? 

Me: OK, Terry.  I will move some other things around and get over there.  But you MUST also sign my contract with effect March 1.   I told you back in October, that I was moving to MSP only services.  You have been a good customer.  But I need the contract to stabilize my income or I need to double my hourly rate with enforced minimums.   

Terry: I can’t do that, Dan.  I cannot see signing a contract for machines that never go down.   Besides, last time you were here, it took nearly 5 hours to reinstall those two systems.  I think you will meet your minimum, today. 

Me: OK.  You are agreeing to pay for 5 hours as a minimum? 

Terry: Yeah, that’s how long it took you, last time, right? 

Me: Yeah, about that.   I will be there within the hour. 

Watch the clock speed up and I’m onsite within the hour. 

Me: Hello, Terry.  Just checking in, to let you know what time I arrived. 

Terry: OK. Thanks.  What do you need from me? 

Me: Nothing.  Do you have anything for Jane and Margot to do, while I work on their systems? 

Terry: I already re-assigned them to other projects.  Tell you what, I will pay you the full 5 hours expected.  And if you can get it done quicker, I pay an extra hour for each hour you save. 

Me: Are you certain?  You do recall last time this happened we took measures to help speed this recovery, right? 

Terry: Yeah.  I remember.  But I just need it done, before we close, today, so I can work the machines, tonight. 

Me: OK, Terry.  Let me get busy with it. 

And again … watch the clock speed up …  

Me: OK, Terry.  I’m done.  Both machines are back and are updating the differences between today and when I took the images of those two machines. 

Terry: What?   You’ve … you only needed a little more than an hour? 

Me: Yes.   

Terry: BOTH machines? 

Me: Yes. 

Terry: HOW? 

Me:  When this happened, last time, I set those machines to make image backups each week.  Your main machine as well.  Today, I just restored those images from the NAS.  Then installed the changes to the operating system, then restored the users files that have changed.   

Terry:  But … you did 5 hours work in less than 1? 

Me: No.  I PREVENTED 5 hours work by being proactive and prepared to recover from a disaster.   And THAT is the primary benefit if being on contract with me.   

Terry:  You son of a … You KNEW you could do this quickly and stuck me with huge assed bill!   

Me: Terry, I have not, yet, created the invoice.  YOU offered the bonus.  I ASKED you if you remembered I put measures in place, last time.  YOU set the bar.  Now, listen to me, carefully.   I’m only billing you the initial 5 hours because you demanded an emergency response for two machines.  I was able to work on both, in parallel.  And you ARE signing the contract to start March 1st.  Because THIS is what the contract is about.  If you choose NOT to sign the contract, for the full 3 years, then I will invoice you for the bonus, as well, and I will send you referrals for other techs to handle your support needs.  You will have to train them to work with you the way you want.  And you already know, your network has gotten more complicated than it was when we started.  You are not up to speed to handle the needs, yourself, anymore.   

Terry: Blackmail, huh? 

Me:  No.  More like making sure you get car insurance if you are going to drive on the road.  It protects you from others and from yourself. 

Terry:  OK.  I will sign.  I don’t have the time to train a new tech to meet my needs. 

Me: Good.  Now that we have that cleared up. 

Terry: But only for one year.  Not three. 

Me: I no longer offer a one year contract, Terry.  That is why I told you to get on contract, before the 1st of the year.  Now all contracts are a three year minimum. 

Terry:  No, Dan.  One year or nothing. 

Me: Then nothing it is.  Unless you are willing to pay the onboarding fees needed to offset the costs of bringing your machines up to minimum supportable levels.   

Terry:  How much is that?   

Me: Two months rate for each workstation and three months rate for each server. 

Terry:  THAT is extortion! 

Me: Really, Terry?  Extortion?  How many jobs have you told me about where the dies cost more than the initial run? 

Terry: But … but that’s not the same!  You can make a COPY of machine and it does not cost anything! 

Me: It costs TIME.  It costs preparedness. It costs knowledge and experience.  Your dies cost much the same PLUS material.  And we both know some of those dies can be made from scraps of the previous job. But you STILL have to pay for the material, right? 

Terry: You have an answer for everything, don’t you? 

Me: Most everything.  And what I don’t have an answer for, I just default to 42. 

Terry:  If I did not know you better, Dan, I would be calling you an arrogant prick, right about now. 

Me:  Terry, do you recall our conversation, last summer?  The one where you were saying you needed subscription services from your clients to help you stay afloat and stabilize your income? 

Terry: Yeah, yeah.  I know.  I get it.  Just means I don’t like it.  I like you and the work you do.  How thorough you are.  AND how quickly you respond to my needs.  I also know,  I have been getting the benefit of your managed thing for years without you holding me to it.  I will sign the contract today.  Send me an invoice for today.  Just the 5 hours, please.  I need to get Jane and Margot on this project.  Maybe I don’t have to work all night, now.   

Me: You will have the invoice for today’s emergency service call and the first month’s invoice, by close of business, today.   

Terry: Thanks, Dan.  It is good that we can be so direct with each other.  Sometimes, being an ass is the only way to get an ass to see reason.   

Me: I like you, too, Terry.  And good luck with your project, tonight.  But do you mind if I hang around a bit?  I want to make sure the robot responds correctly to both workstations.  Just to make sure nothing was missed or changed that I did not catch in the last week. 

Terry: Yeah.  Good idea.  Let’s go check it out. 

Lesson Learned

As small business owners, we do our best to help other small businesses. We want everyone to succeed. As a “one-man shop”,  Dan has learned the best way to discuss what his clients need versus what they think the need. He is able to build the kind of personal relationships with his clients that enables him to speak directly like he did with Terry. Terry realized that he has been benefiting from the managed services offerec by Dan and Indy’s IT Department and finally consented to signing up for the insurance plan that managed services is. Managed IT Services turns Indy’s IT Department into your technology services partner.

A managed services plan is like an insurance plan for your small business. You think it’s a wasted expenditure until a need presents itself. Then you’re glad you allocated for the investment. Can you and your business afford to be down for an hour? An afternoon? A day? How much is that peace of mind worth to you, to know that you have a specialist looking out for you and your business’ best interest?

– Shawna