The Hidden Cost of Skipping the Chain: Why Business Owners Must Respect the IT Support Model
In the world of IT support, efficiency is everything. Businesses rely on their IT support teams to ensure operations run smoothly, minimize downtime, and provide quick resolutions to technical issues. Yet, despite the carefully designed support structures put in place, many business owners still choose to bypass these channels—going straight to the IT manager or MSP owner for assistance.
At first glance, this may seem like a harmless or even logical approach. After all, the IT manager or MSP owner has built the company, has deep technical expertise, and is ultimately responsible for the service being provided. But what many fail to realize is that this habit undermines the entire support ecosystem, leading to inefficiencies, staff dissatisfaction, and an unsustainable service model.
Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Support: Understanding the Model
IT support teams structure their workflows in a tiered support model, designed to ensure that issues are handled efficiently, escalated when necessary, and resolved in a systematic way. This model follows a bottom-up approach, where frontline support teams—often Tier 1 or Tier 2 technicians—handle the bulk of inquiries before escalating more complex problems to senior engineers or management.
The reasoning behind this structure is simple:
- Workload Distribution – Basic technical issues can be resolved quickly by frontline staff, freeing up senior engineers for high-priority problems.
- Knowledge Retention & Growth – Newer technicians gain experience by handling support requests, developing expertise over time.
- Escalation When Necessary – The most complex issues are escalated up the chain, ensuring efficiency without overwhelming higher-level support.
This system works well when respected. However, a top-down approach—where business owners constantly skip the chain and go directly to the IT manager or MSP owner—disrupts this process entirely.
The Disruptive Impact of Direct Contact with IT Managers or MSP Owners
1. Undermining the Support Team
When business owners insist on bypassing the established support structure, they send an implicit message to the team:
“I don’t trust the people you’ve trained.”
This demotivates frontline technicians, making them feel undervalued and overlooked.
The result? Low morale, high turnover rates, and an unsustainable support model.
2. Creating a Single Point of Failure
When an IT manager or MSP owner is constantly called upon to solve issues, they become the bottleneck of the entire support system. What happens when that person is unavailable—whether they are in a meeting, on leave, or dealing with another critical issue? The workflow grinds to a halt, causing unnecessary delays that could have been avoided if the established support channels were used.
3. Loss of Knowledge Transfer
A fundamental goal of any IT support system is to document knowledge and train newer staff so that expertise is shared across the company. When business owners go straight to the IT manager or MSP owner, this process is bypassed, preventing support teams from learning and growing. Instead of solutions being documented for future reference, they remain locked in the head of the IT manager or MSP owner, leading to recurring inefficiencies.
4. Service Agreements Exist for a Reason
IT support providers establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with their customers to define how support will be provided, expected response times, and escalation procedures. Direct calls to the IT manager or MSP owner ignore these agreements, creating an unfair system where some customers believe they are entitled to special treatment while others follow the agreed-upon processes.
5. The “Golden Ticket” Mentality
One of the biggest frustrations for IT support providers is how some business owners treat the IT manager or MSP owner’s direct mobile number as a “Golden Ticket”—a way to circumvent normal procedures and get priority service. This number is often shared internally among staff, leading to random, unscheduled calls at all hours for problems that could have been resolved through the standard support process.
The Right to Disconnect & Respecting Boundaries
With the Right to Disconnect laws now in effect in Australia for businesses with 15 or more employees (and extending to smaller businesses in 2025), IT support providers are reinforcing structured support models. Direct calls to IT managers or MSP owners are no longer acceptable or responded to.
This is not about being difficult—it’s about ensuring that support is structured, professional, and effective. Customers must respect the chain of support, just as they expect structure within their own businesses.
How Business Owners Can Lead by Example
For businesses that rely on IT support, the key to a successful relationship is respecting the chain of support. Here’s how business owners can lead by example:
✔️ Use Official Support Channels – Always submit support requests via the official helpdesk, phone, or portal, ensuring the right team member handles your issue. ✔️ Trust the Process – Allow your support teams to do their job; escalation procedures exist for a reason. ✔️ Avoid Handing Out the IT Manager or MSP Owner’s Number – Treat it as a business leadership contact, not a support hotline. ✔️ Encourage Your Staff to Follow the IT Support Provider’s Process – Ensure everyone in your business respects the established support model.
A Sustainable Support Model Benefits Everyone
By respecting the bottom-up support structure, businesses benefit from faster response times, improved service efficiency, and a more knowledgeable support team. IT support providers, in turn, can continue to provide high-quality service without being overwhelmed by unnecessary direct calls.
At Approved Systems, we are committed to delivering structured, professional IT support through our dedicated teams. From today onward, direct calls to IT managers or MSP owners will no longer be answered.
For any IT support inquiries, please use our official channels to ensure the best possible service experience.