Educating Your Managed Services Customers to Reduce the “Noise”
When we onboard new managed services customers, they often bring a list of performance issues and other concerns they want resolved immediately. These issues are usually presented with a sense of urgency—even alarm. Our team responds by conducting a thorough analysis to identify underlying causes, reviewing any existing security or business rules, confirming necessary exceptions, and then presenting a clear set of recommendations for remediation.
Some customers welcome this list, relieved to finally see a path toward stability. Others look at the recommendations as an overwhelming mountain to climb. In many organizations—especially healthcare and other highly regulated industries—the change‑control process can be long, involving extensive reviews, documentation, and multiple approvals. This is understandable, but it comes with consequences.
Two critical questions must be considered:
- What happens if the issue is not addressed promptly?
Delayed fixes can lead to degraded performance, business disruption, or unmitigated security exposure. - Does a lengthy review cycle make the original recommendation obsolete by the time approval arrives?
Often the environment has shifted, new issues have emerged, or the initial problem has worsened—forcing the process to begin all over again.
The Impact of Overage Fees
Over the last couple of years, we’ve noticed a useful trend: overage‑hour fees help reinforce the cost of not solving problems. These fees highlight the reality that delaying necessary maintenance or remediation doesn’t just risk system failure or security incidents—it creates avoidable financial impact.
Even in cloud environments, performance tuning, storage management, and timely issue resolution remain essential. By addressing these problems proactively, we’ve helped customers save tens of thousands to tens of millions of dollars, in addition to reducing their overage fees.
Measurable Results
One of the most positive outcomes we’ve seen is a 70% reduction in emergency overnight and weekend calls. This reduction decreases stress on both our team and the customer’s staff, while freeing up budget and time for meaningful business‑driven projects rather than firefighting.
In the end, when customers take corrective action quickly, everyone benefits. Their systems run smoothly, their teams feel less pressure, and they avoid unnecessary expenses. We’re happier—and our customers are happier.
