Deceptive Sales Tactics

Imagine yourself at an automotive service center, bringing your car in for a routine oil change. As you discuss the necessary maintenance, your friendly technician insists on additional work: new tires, windshield wipers, and a transmission flush, despite their lack of actual necessity. The less informed you are, the more additional work they may recommend.

Long gone are the days of your trustworthy neighborhood mechanic as these tactics have become widespread in the automotive industry. Most people are aware and on guard at the mechanic’s shop, but many customers do not realize how commonplace these tactics have become within the managed services industry. 

Stickiness Means Getting Stuck 

In the Managed Services Provider industry, there is widespread encouragement for employing contrived tactics aimed at making it difficult for customers to leave a service provider. These tactics, often referred to as ‘stickiness,’ focus on increasing customer retention through methods that create considerable discomfort when attempting to switch providers. As an example, MSPs frequently employ proprietary or MSP-focused IT management software, anti-virus, and other critical systems. Their deliberate strategy involves creating a reliance on the service provider, which will go away if service is cancelled. Additionally, some providers directly own critical components of the customer’s IT infrastructure, offering them as a service.

By intentionally creating dependencies and owning critical aspects of a customer’s IT infrastructure, providers are actively limiting customers’ ability to switch to better alternatives. For those customers who become aware of these tactics, the lack of flexibility can lead to frustration, increased costs, and a feeling of being trapped. Customers should be cautious when encountering such practices and carefully evaluate the long-term implications before committing to a service provider.

Hidden Incentives for Technicians

It’s not uncommon for MSPs to covertly promote products or services that maximize commissions, steering clients towards solutions that may not be the most suitable or cost-effective for their needs. While many recognize that most salespeople work on commission, they are often taken aback to discover that technicians operate under a similar model. Surprisingly, many IT service providers incentivize their technicians to prioritize recommending software or hardware that offers high commissions or manufacturer incentives, even if those options are not the most practical for the client’s specific requirements.

Manufacturers also actively incentivize MSPs with rewards and rebates to sell their products, with greater rewards for products that are end-of-life or untested, leaving customers vulnerable when issues inevitably arise. These practices promote a culture of prioritizing financial gains over the genuine interests of the client, which can cast a doubt on the industry’s overall integrity and trustworthiness.

Why Transparency in IT Matters 

Understanding the motivations behind service recommendations empowers clients to make informed decisions confidently, however, clients are often presented with a vague understanding of the products they are sold. Commissioned product recommendations made by technical staff are “anti-customer,” prioritizing the sale of specific products rather than addressing the needs of the customer. These practices pursue short-term gains, cultivating a culture centered around exploiting the customer rather than employing mutual respect and shared success. 

MSP The Right Way

At the heart of a genuine trusted IT provider lies integrity and transparency, with an unyielding commitment to prioritize clients above short-term gains. Virtuas operates free of sales quotas and commissions, fostering a culture where client needs take priority.

Our mission is to build enduring client relationships based on the quality of our work rather than resorting to predatory means, aiming to empower clients to thrive without manufactured dependency on our services. As a Certified B Corp, our dedication lies in elevating the customer experience, with the understanding that profit naturally follows exceptional service, rather than it being our primary objective.

Employee Sustainability

The success of any business depends largely on its employees. They are the ones who design, produce, and deliver products and services that meet the needs and expectations of customers. Therefore, businesses have a responsibility and an incentive to invest in their employees’ well-being, development, and engagement. Employee sustainability involves providing employees with fair compensation, safe and healthy work environments, health and wellness programs, learning and growth opportunities, and a culture of respect and inclusion. By doing so, businesses can benefit from having a talented, productive, and innovative workforce, as well as reducing the costs and risks associated with turnover, absenteeism, and low morale. Moreover, businesses can enhance their reputation and brand image by demonstrating their commitment to social responsibility and ethical practices.

Stakeholder Sustainability

The business does not operate in isolation but rather in relation to various groups or individuals who have a stake or influence in its activities. They include the suppliers, partners, investors, regulators, communities, media, and others who interact with the business. Stakeholder sustainability means establishing and maintaining trust and collaboration with them, listening to their needs and expectations, and responding to their concerns and issues. By doing so, businesses can benefit from reducing risks and costs associated with conflicts, disputes, or non-compliance, increasing efficiency and quality by optimizing their processes and resources, accessing new markets and opportunities by expanding their networks and reach, and creating positive social impact by contributing to the well-being of society and the environment.

Customer Sustainability

Customers are the lifeblood of any business. They are the ones who pay for the products and services that the business offers. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to satisfy their needs and wants, as well as anticipate their future demands and preferences. Customer sustainability means delivering value and excellence to them, engaging them in meaningful ways, listening to their feedback and suggestions, and exceeding their expectations. By doing so, businesses can increase customer loyalty and retention, generate word-of-mouth referrals and recommendations, enhance their competitive advantage and differentiation, and grow their revenue and profitability.

Environmental Sustainability

The environment is the foundation of any business. It is the source of the natural resources and ecosystem services that the business depends on and impacts. Therefore, it is imperative for businesses to protect and conserve it, as well as mitigate and adapt to its changes. Environmental sustainability means reducing the environmental footprint of the business operations, products, and services; using resources efficiently and responsibly; minimizing waste and emissions; promoting circular economy principles; and supporting environmental initiatives and causes. By doing so, businesses can avoid regulatory fines and penalties; save costs and increase savings; improve their operational performance; attract environmentally conscious customers; and contribute to global goals such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Conclusion

Sustainability is not only a moral duty or a social responsibility. It is also a strategic imperative and a competitive edge for businesses in the modern world. By considering employee, stakeholder, customer, and environmental sustainability for long term success; businesses can create value for themselves as well as for society at large. As a B Lab-certified company, sustainability is one of our core values at Virtuas. Learn more about our values here.

We Do Not Profit from Nonprofits.

Offering discounted rates to nonprofits is a way of recognizing and honoring their impact on our community. We choose not to be profitable with our nonprofit clients instead, we charge our for-profit clients a fair rate, allowing us to maintain profitability. This model will enable us to help nonprofits do what they do best. Funding that would have been spent on managed service and IT consulting can instead be used to help solve issues and do impactful work. We hope that providing discounted rates to our nonprofit partners will allow them to devote more resources to their core mission.  

We Want to Provide the Best Service to Nonprofits.

Our current business model of being profitable to all clients except nonprofits allows us to provide the best service for all. When a nonprofit is looking for an IT service provider, they are either met with nonprofit organizations that cannot retain internal talent or for-profit organizations that do not care about the budgetary restrictions and nuances that come with operating a nonprofit organization. There are currently few nonprofit IT service providers and the ones that exist have downsides. Due to their restrictive budget, nonprofit IT service providers have trouble paying competitive wages and retaining talent.

For-profit IT service providers often will not view their nonprofit clients as different from their for-profit clients. The for-profit organizations that specifically work with nonprofits cannot pay competitive wages, have difficulty keeping talent, and often overcharge for their services. We can retain talent and provide the best services to all our clients because we are profitable from our for-profit clients.

We are Working Towards an Equitable Society. 

Contributing to the betterment of our community is one of our core values. We work with and donate to local organizations putting time and effort into our community. The nonprofits we support often work with marginalized communities or address systemic issues that affect vulnerable populations. Working with nonprofit partners can help make the world more equitable and bolster our community. 

As a Benefit Corporation, we share goals with many of the nonprofit organizations we work with. We are redefining what it means to be an IT service provider and our ongoing commitment to nonprofits is one way of achieving that.

We Want to Build Relationships. 

We want to help create strong working relationships with the nonprofits doing impactful work. Developing relationships with nonprofits actively working to better our community allows us to demonstrate and live out our values. By offering discounts, we are working towards building stronger partnerships and relationships with nonprofits.

At Virtuas, we believe supporting nonprofit organizations can help create a better world for all. We are proud to work with organizations that are continuing to make a difference and look forward to continuing to support these organizations in the years to come.

Is your organization a nonprofit with managed service or IT consulting needs? Contact us at Virtuas for a 50% discount on all our services.

Please join us in highlighting our Business Operations Specialist, Lorraine Gervasi, who has been with Virtuas since 2021    

Share a bit about yourself and your role at Virtuas

I am Lorraine and I am the Business Operations Specialist here at Virtuas. I do a little bit of a lot, having my hands in a few different pools. This includes billing, sales and marketing, and HR such as interviewing and recruiting. 

Throughout your career what challenges have you faced being a woman and how have you overcome them?  

One of the bigger challenges that I have faced being a woman is not being taken seriously enough. In my previous role, I was expected to wear high heels, a nice dress or suit, and makeup to work every day. I find it strange that women are expected to put more effort into their appearance in order to be taken seriously. Unlike my male peers who could simply show up to work, I had to look the part as much as I had to play the part.

What I have done to overcome the challenge is finding a company that is the right fit for me. This means finding a workplace that respects me and my work. I also had to learn the importance of never letting anyone make me feel inferior. I have learned that you must believe in yourself and push through the imposter syndrome that so many young people, and especially young women, face. Just because you have not figured something out yet, does not mean that you can’t do it.  

For other young women, what advice do you have for them as they are starting off their careers? 

Do not be afraid to ask questions or to feel stupid. A lot of times women want to avoid coming across as if they do not know what they are doing and are worried about how they will come across. Something I have learned from working with male peers is a lot of times they act before they ask. Trust that you can figure things out on your own, but if not, do not be afraid to ask for help.   

Another piece of advice I have is do not change who you are to fit in. Women should be able to carve out a space for themselves and not compromise on who they are as people to fit in. I continue to be inspired by women being in positions of leadership who are changing the way things are, not just molding to the status quo.   

Who are some women who have inspired you?  

I really admire the everyday woman who is in a position of authority within her company. I find it inspiring to see how hard they work and that they can run a tight ship effectively. I appreciate seeing more women leading, especially in a male dominated space, like IT. Not only are these women working hard to become successful their jobs, but they are also doing more of the unspoken labor at home. The everyday woman who can get it all done in a corporate setting is who inspiring me this Women’s History Month.  

We want to thank Lorraine for giving us her time for this Women’s History Month interview and all the important work she does at Virtuas!   

Learn more about our values  

If you would like to learn more about our values at Virtuas, check out our About Us page.

The Time is Always Right to Do What is Right

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With the outpouring of grief and the demonstrations calling for justice, I’ve wondered what we can do to make a positive impact for our communities.

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When I founded Virtuas, l spent a considerable amount of time trying to address the unethical and antiquated norms in IT services. Even as a small startup with limited influence, I wanted us to do better and be better. One area I failed was accepting the “typical” business holiday calendar without giving it second thought.

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Starting 2021, Virtuas will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday, as a company holiday. We’ll encourage our team members to consider it “a day on, not a day off,” as MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, which encourages all Americans to volunteer to improve our communities.

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In the words of Dr. King, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”.

[/vrt_highlighted_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”3/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” top_margin=”2%” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Ritesh Kapadia” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|line_height:2″ google_fonts=”font_family:Homemade%20Apple%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”President, Virtuas” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left|line_height:2″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bg_color=”#f7f7f7″ scene_position=”center” top_padding=”6%” bottom_padding=”4%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” zindex=”100″ id=”beliefs” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” enable_shape_divider=”true” shape_divider_position=”top” shape_divider_height=”200″ bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=”speech”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/6″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” top_margin=”4%” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”2/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

A “Day On” for Our Communities

[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Small Line” line_alignment=”center” line_thickness=”2″ divider_color=”extra-color-gradient-1″ animate=”yes” custom_height=”50″ custom_line_width=”80″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”90px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” top_padding=”5%” bottom_padding=”5%” left_padding_desktop=”5%” constrain_group_2=”yes” right_padding_desktop=”5%” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”padding-2-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/qg2aQh_Ln0Y”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”padding-2-percent” column_padding_tablet=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_phone=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”left” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]The MLK Day of Service inspires hundreds of thousands of Americans to come together to serve their community. Citizens in all 50 states deliver meals, refurbish schools and community centers, and collect food and clothing. Volunteers also recruit mentors, support job-seekers, build homes and provide other services for veterans and military families, and help citizens improve their financial literacy skills. Our nation’s leaders including congressional members, governors, and mayors honor Dr. King’s legacy through service projects while addressing pressing community needs.

After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 to mark the birthday of Dr. King as a federal holiday. Americans first observed the holiday in 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service — a “day on, not a day off.” This day of service helps to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, address social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”[/vc_column_text][vrt_btn size=”large” button_style=”see-through” button_color_2=”extra-color-gradient-1″ icon_family=”none” nofollow=”true” url=”http://mlkday.gov” text=”More At MLKDAY.GOV”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/6″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][/vc_column][/vc_row]