Most of us have had this experience. Our kids convince us to buy a puppy based upon their assurance that they will be responsible for its daily care and feeding. After multiple stops at pet stores or breeders, you find the perfect fit – a little package of innocence and energy, looking at you through bright eyes and with an expectant curiosity about the days ahead. Everyone laughs at your puppy's playful clumsiness caused by its feet being as large as its head, and you happily conclude that you've made a positive addition to your family.
Unfortunately, this bliss doesn't last long. What was once kibble being eaten from your hand becomes 50# bags of dog food being purchased from the local feed store on a weekly basis. And the small accident on the kitchen rug becomes large mounds of toxic waste to be removed from your back yard before you can mow. The kids have long forgotten their pledge to take care of the dog, and you are constantly called upon to account for the barking, destruction, and general bad behavior caused by "your dog."
I've seen this same scenario play out in our business. Many prospects have come to GSI with stories of large service providers disappointing them with broken promises and unfulfilled expectations. What started out as a relationship in which they had confidence and comfort, soon turned into one in which was more problematic and costly than they ever expected. While large providers are great marketers and experts at closing the deal, once the deal is done, the client becomes just another customer to be queued up with the needs of all other customers -- just another service ticket to be resolved. The client begins to buy those 50# bags of dog food that were not included in the original proposal with an unsatisfying frequency, and the "poop removal" of service shortfalls seems to occur almost on a daily basis. Along with the wedding anniversary and the kids' birthdays, the expiration date of the service provider's contract is circled on the refrigerator calendar.
Mid-sized service providers like GSI offer an attractive alternative to the "bigs." While our marketing may not be as slick or our sales pitch as polished as a large provider, our commitment to our client and fulfillment of our promise is second-to-none. Unlike the "don't ask, don't tell" approaches of many large hosters, GSI distinguishes itself in our complete and customized solutions that set firm expectations with our clients as to service delivery and cost. Our clients are significant to our book of business, and our teams of ServerHeroes treat them like they are, delivering high-touch, fully engaged support on a consistent basis. We are proud of our ability to deliver services on task, on budget and on time, and the flexibility gained by utilizing a mid-sized provider like GSI allows clients to scale their IT environments up and down to match the dynamics of their own businesses.
So, if you are past the puppy stage of your hosting relationship, and have grown weary of buying bags of service fees or picking up the poop in the back office, call GSI and discover what we can do to make your managed IT solution the positive addition that you originally intended it to be. We have teams of ServerHeroes ready, willing and able to serve as your dedicated Dog Whisperer.