How to Deal with “Everything Works, What Do We Pay You For?”

It’s a common scenario that every Managed Service Provider dreads hearing from clients – “We pay you a lot of money each month, and we don’t have any problems.” On the surface, it should sound like a compliment, but it may show your MSP client

As an MSP, addressing this issue head-on is important by having an open dialogue and clearly communicating your value proposition.

They may want reassurance or have an incomplete picture of your services. Staying calm yet curious is the key.

Ask Follow-up Questions

Ask follow-up questions to understand their perspective better. You could say something like:

• “Can you help me understand what you mean by that? What are you hoping to get out of our relationship?”
• “Other than fixing issues, what else would you like to see from us on a regular basis?”
• “What kind of reporting would help provide visibility into how we’re supporting your environment behind the scenes?”

Getting direct answers from the client will give you valuable insights into how to communicate your value.

They may believe that most of their monthly payments go into labour but aren’t seeing you “actually work”. They may need to understand that much of your fee goes into licensing costs like Microsoft 365 or Azure, which they would have to pay for anyway.

Providing a Quarterly Update

Another approach is, during a Quarterly Business Review, to provide an update on all the behind-the-scenes work you do to keep their systems running smoothly. In the report, you can break down things like uptime percentages, the security threats you blocked, validated backups, and enforced policies. Seeing the data helps paint the complete picture of how you maintain everything in their environment.

Keep this as a general overview though, noone wants 30 pages of network reports.

It shows them the true time and costs that go into making sure that “everything works” that they may not notice on a daily basis. When they understand everything involved, they’ll better recognize the value they’re getting in return for their investment.

Addressing Expectations

If clients still can’t pinpoint what’s missing after further discussion, it may not be a “you” problem. Sometimes, perceived lack of value comes down to budget constraints or unrealistic expectations on their part. You can further explain the benefits that you provide but understand that some of them will be a lost cause.

With proactive communication of your value through reports, meetings and clear expectations, you can transform that dreaded statement into clients’ recognition of what you do behind the scenes every day.

It’s an ongoing process but well worth the effort for long-term, value-based client relationships.