In 2003, we started our MSP, but it wasn’t until a startling wake-up call a few years back that I truly understood the core of our business. This moment of clarity was precipitated by an unexpected phone call: a valued client of over ten years, who contributed significantly with $14K in MRR, announced their decision to leave. It was quite the shocker, especially since everything seemed peachy during a casual lunch with the owners not too long ago, where they couldn’t stop raving about our team.
Our track record was great – no downtime, no security hiccups, and a pile of positive feedback from over 100 surveys in the past year alone. Everything, including the thumbs-up from our main point of contact, signaled smooth sailing. So, when the news dropped, I dug deep, talked to our vCIO and account manager, only to hear that they too thought we were doing great.
The curveball came when I reached out to the owner, who hinted at some frustrations brewing in a remote office – a piece of their puzzle we’d overlooked. This office had been part of their operation for six years, but somehow, their issues had flown under our radar, not even making it to our main point of contact’s ears.
That was my lightbulb moment. Here I was, thinking we were in the business of keeping the lights on and the bad guys out, all the while ensuring a seamless service experience. But this scenario showed me we were missing a crucial piece – the relationship with every single user.
So, we went back to the drawing board, rethinking the entire user journey. We transformed our user onboarding and interaction from the ground up. We wanted to make sure our first impression was a warm welcome, not a user call during a crisis. We introduced a more personal approach, ensuring everyone knew they had someone to turn to for anything IT-related, not just for support. We mastered the art of maintaining consistent communication with all our users, ensuring we were the first to hear any criticisms or concerns. This proactive approach allowed us to address issues swiftly.
Gone are the days of reactive service; we’re all about reaching out, staying connected, and making sure we’re hearing from everyone – because sometimes, no news isn’t good news. We’ve started treating every user as if they were our only client, and let me tell you, we are a totally different MSP today. We’re now contributing to a happier, smoother-running workplace for our clients.
I wish we didn’t have to lose a great client to have such a valuable shift in perspective. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What business are you in?
Simon is the President of S3 Technologies, a leading Canadian MSP he co-founded in 2003. He built and scaled the vCIO team which eventually lead to him co-founding Propel Your MSP in 2018 to help MSPs with their vCIO services.
