When Sam Porter, fictional owner of Clear as Mud Services in Corvallis, signed a deal with a budget IT provider, it felt like a win. Low monthly cost, basic support, a few cybersecurity tools included … check, check, and check.
Fourteen months later, Sam was staring at a half-corrupted backup and an insurance rejection letter that made his stomach drop. What he thought was just a "lean" IT contract turned out to be a patchwork of shortcuts, hidden fees, and gaping holes in coverage. This supposed bargain overlooked and ignored critical managed IT services, such as proactive monitoring and AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, that could have prevented problems before they even began.
He was charged extra every time he asked for help, billed for every support request, every workstation change request, and every 15 minutes on the phone with a technician. Additionally, he was hit with inflated fees on every computer or laptop purchase (check out the 10D Tech ClearBuy Program). Then, when malware finally slipped through and took down a workstation, his provider just shrugged and pointed to the fine print buried deep in the contract.
This wasn’t just bad luck. It was the result of:
- Weak Cybersecurity: Antivirus isn't enough. Sam had no 2FA, no endpoint protection, and no phishing training for staff.
- Incomplete Backups: His Microsoft 365 data was never included. Nobody told him that wasn’t automatic.
- Surprise Fees: Support calls? Extra. Change request? Extra. Monthly cost? Suddenly not so low.
- No Vendor Help: Printer issues? Internet outages? "Not our problem." Plus a charge for asking!
- Zero Strategy: No roadmap, no check-ins, no one managing the big picture.
"I thought I was saving money," Sam said. "But I was just slowly bleeding it."
The fix: Sam replaced his low-cost provider with a full-service IT partner who didn’t just respond to problems but helped prevent them. 10D Tech introduced proactive monitoring, fixed-fee support, and a dedicated team to establish a comprehensive IT roadmap.
Don’t be like Sam. Schedule a FREE IT Contract Review today and make sure your IT isn’t secretly costing you money. Call 10D Tech or visit our website to get started.
💬 Book a free 15-minute consultation: www.10dtech.com/15min-assessment
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Got questions? Call us:
📞 Portland/Salem – (971) 915-9103
📞 Corvallis/Albany/Bend/Eugene – (541) 243-4103
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