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Why We Don’t Offer “Unlimited Support” At Unrealistic Prices (And Why You Should Be Wary of Those Who Do)

Why We Don’t Offer “Unlimited Support” At Unrealistic Prices (And Why You Should Be Wary of Those Who Do)

For many SMEs in Singapore, “unlimited IT support” at a rock-bottom monthly fee sounds like a dream come true. Simple pricing, no limits, “all-you-can-eat” helpdesk — what’s not to like?

In reality, those offers often come with tradeoffs that you only discover after a serious outage, data loss incident, or months of slow response times.

This article explains what ultra-cheap “unlimited support” plans usually look like in the managed IT services (MSP) industry, the hidden risks behind them, and why at Techease Solutions we’ve chosen a different, transparent, fee-only model designed for long-term reliability and trust.

Summary (For Busy Owners and Managers)

  • “Unlimited support” at very low prices usually means the provider must cut corners somewhere — often in staffing, service quality, security, or scope.
  • Common issues: overloaded helpdesks, long wait times, junior staff handling complex issues, surprise add-on fees, and underinvestment in proactive security.
  • At Techease Solutions, we do not sell unrealistic “all-you-can-eat” plans. Instead, we offer:
    • Realistic staffing and response targets
    • Proactive services (security, training, executive IT reviews)
    • Transparent, fee-only, vendor-agnostic pricing with no reseller commissions
    • Tiered service packages that scale with your user count and risk profile
  • The result: sustainable service quality, better uptime, and a partner you can trust for the long term.

1. What “Unlimited Support” at Low Prices Usually Means in Practice

Think of it like an “all-you-can-eat” buffet advertised at a suspiciously low price. On paper, it sounds fantastic. But you walk in and discover:

  • Long queues
  • Limited selection
  • Cheaper ingredients
  • Rushed service

In the MSP world, ultra-cheap “unlimited support” tends to follow the same pattern.

1.1 How These Plans Are Typically Sold

For Singapore SMEs, the pitch often sounds like this:

  • “Unlimited remote support for a flat fee per month”
  • “Unlimited helpdesk tickets — no limits, no worries!”
  • “One price for everything, no matter how much you use us”

On the surface, it’s simple and attractive. The problem is economics. If the price is far below market norms, and there is “no limit” on how often your users can call, email, or open tickets, the provider must:

  • Overload each technician with too many clients
  • Push most work to the cheapest, most junior staff
  • Do the bare minimum on proactive and security work (because it’s time-consuming and less visible)
  • Find other ways to recover margin (reseller commissions, upselling, scope exclusions, etc.)

That’s where the risks begin to show.

2. The Hidden Tradeoffs Behind Unsustainably Cheap “All-You-Can-Eat” Support

2.1 Overloaded Helpdesks and Slow Response Times

If a provider promises “unlimited” support at a very low rate, but does not charge enough to hire and retain sufficient engineers, the result is predictable:

  • Long wait times to get someone on the line
  • Tickets that sit in the queue for hours or days
  • Frequent “We’re still looking into it” updates without real progress

In a small business, those delays translate into:

  • Staff unable to work while waiting for password resets, system access, or basic fixes
  • Sales teams stuck because CRM or email issues aren’t resolved quickly
  • Managers losing confidence in IT as a reliable business function

Ultimately, “unlimited support” is meaningless if it isn’t timely and effective.

2.2 Junior or Overstretched Staff Handling Most Tickets

To survive on low prices, many providers rely heavily on:

  • Less experienced, junior technicians
  • Shared resources across too many clients
  • Minimal supervision or escalation capacity

These staff may be fine for simple tasks, but when it comes to:

  • Complex network issues
  • Cloud security configurations
  • Compliance or audit-related questions
  • Business continuity and disaster recovery planning

…you need experience and depth. If your main contact is always someone junior, you may get quick replies, but not always the right answers — or the safest ones for your business.

2.3 Scope Limitations, Surprise Fees, and Aggressive Upselling

Another common pattern: the “unlimited” label applies to a very narrow definition of support.

For example, the plan may exclude:

  • On-site visits
  • After-hours or weekend support
  • Project work (e.g., migrations, new office setups, cloud deployments)
  • Advanced cybersecurity tools and monitoring
  • Compliance-related documentation and advisory

You might only find this out when:

  • You get a quote for something you assumed was included
  • You’re charged extra for “out of scope” tickets
  • You feel pushed to buy hardware, licenses, or add-ons that were never discussed at the start

In other words, the cheap monthly fee is used to “get in the door”, and the provider recovers margins through add-ons, commissions, and upsells, often influenced by vendor incentives rather than your best interests.

By contrast, Techease Solutions operates on a true fee-only, vendor-agnostic model — we do not rely on vendor commissions or push-based hardware/software sales, which allows us to provide objective advice aligned purely with your business needs.

2.4 Underinvestment in Security, Compliance, and Proactive Maintenance

Security and proactive maintenance are time-consuming and require ongoing investment in:

  • Skilled staff
  • Monitoring tools
  • Training and certifications
  • Processes and documentation

When pricing is unrealistically low, these are the first areas to suffer. Your “unlimited support” plan may quietly:

  • Skip regular security reviews
  • Delay patching and updates
  • Ignore security awareness training for users
  • Overlook backup testing and disaster recovery drills

The risk isn’t just inconvenience. For SMEs this can mean:

  • Higher likelihood of ransomware or phishing breaches
  • Data loss and extended downtime
  • Regulatory or contractual issues (especially if you handle customer data, financial info, or work with regulated industries)

3. A Tale of Two SMEs: Cheap “Unlimited” vs. Transparent, Value-Based IT

To make this more concrete, consider two fictional Singapore SMEs.

3.1 Scenario 1: The Cheap “Unlimited Plan”

A 40-person logistics firm signs up with an MSP offering “unlimited support” at a very low per-user rate.

For the first month, things seem fine. Staff are excited — they feel they can call the helpdesk any time. But soon:

  • Response times stretch from minutes to hours, sometimes days.
  • Critical tickets (like warehouse system outages) get stuck in the same queue as basic email queries.
  • Every project — a new branch office, a system upgrade, even a VPN setup — is quoted as “out of scope”.
  • The provider keeps proposing specific brand-name hardware and software with little explanation. Later, the SME learns these come with hefty reseller commissions.

Six months in, the company suffers a ransomware incident. Backups were configured, but never properly tested. Recovery is slow, painful, and incomplete. The MSP technically provided “unlimited support” during the crisis — lots of calls, many tickets — but the damage is done.

Leadership realises they didn’t just need “unlimited helpdesk time”. They needed mature processes, strong security, and a partner with a long-term view.

3.2 Scenario 2: The Transparent, Proactive Partnership

Another SME — a 50-person professional services firm — chooses a provider that doesn’t offer rock-bottom “unlimited” plans, but instead provides:

  • Clearly defined service tiers with realistic response targets
  • Proactive security management, regular user training, and executive IT reviews
  • Transparent, fee-only pricing with no dependence on vendor commissions

They select a package similar in nature to a Professional or Premium IT Department plan, which includes:

  • Strategic guidance (vCIO-style advisory)
  • Compliance and cybersecurity reviews
  • Business continuity and disaster recovery planning
  • Robust monitoring, patching, and regular maintenance

Over time, they see:

  • Fewer incidents, because issues are prevented or caught early
  • Faster resolution when something does go wrong
  • Better alignment between IT and business goals (e.g., supporting remote work, secure client access, and audit requirements)
  • Predictable, transparent bills with no surprise fees

They’re not paying for “unlimited everything”. They’re paying for the right level of expertise, proactive work, and reliability.

4. How Our Model Differs — And Why We’ve Chosen It

At Techease Solutions, we made a deliberate choice not to market unrealistic “unlimited support at bargain prices”. Instead, we focus on being a transparent, client-first IT partner for Singapore SMEs.

4.1 High-Quality, Timely Support with Realistic Staffing

Our pricing is designed to:

  • Support proper staffing levels so engineers aren’t overloaded
  • Enable us to hire and retain experienced professionals
  • Meet realistic response and resolution targets

That means:

  • You know who you’re dealing with — not an endless rotation of anonymous staff
  • Your tickets are triaged intelligently, with appropriate escalation
  • We have capacity to handle both day-to-day support and more complex issues

We’d rather be honest about what it costs to do IT support properly than promise “unlimited everything” and then struggle to deliver.

4.2 Proactive Services, Not Just Reactive Ticket Handling

We see IT as more than “fixing things when they break”. Our approach includes proactive elements such as:

  • Continuous patching and monitoring
  • Regular security reviews and improvements
  • User security awareness training
  • Periodic executive-level IT and risk reviews

This is the equivalent of a balanced, tailored meal plan rather than an “all-you-can-eat buffet”. It may sound less exciting than “unlimited”, but it keeps your business healthier and more resilient over the long term.

4.3 Transparent, Fee-Only, Vendor-Agnostic Pricing

We operate as a true fee-only managed service provider, which means:

  • We do not rely on vendor commissions, rebates, or push-based hardware/software margins
  • We remain vendor-agnostic, recommending solutions based on what fits your business, not what pays us the most
  • Our packages and add-ons are clearly defined, with no hidden or surprise fees

This eliminates the conflict of interest that can arise when an MSP’s profits depend more on what they can sell you than on how well they can serve you.

4.4 Tiered Service Packages That Scale With Your Needs

Instead of one vague “unlimited” plan, we offer tiered service packages tailored to different sizes and risk profiles of SMEs, such as:

  • Core managed IT services (monitoring, remote support, patching, basic cybersecurity)
  • Higher tiers functioning as a Professional or Premium IT Department, which can include:
    • Virtual CIO (vCIO) / executive IT advisory
    • Compliance and regulatory advisory
    • Cybersecurity audits and continuous improvement plans
    • Business continuity and disaster recovery consulting

You can start with what you need today and scale up as your business grows, without locking yourself into a “one-size-fits-all” unlimited plan that doesn’t match your reality.

5. Why Realistic Pricing Is Actually in Your Best Interest

It’s natural to want to keep costs down. But with IT, there is a floor below which quality, security, and sustainability inevitably suffer.

Realistic, transparent pricing:

  • Funds proper staffing
    So your provider can hire and retain capable engineers and provide timely, competent support.
  • Enables continuous training and security improvements
    Cyber threats evolve constantly. Your MSP must invest in training, tools, and certifications to protect you.
  • Supports mature processes and documentation
    Good IT support is systematic — with documented procedures, tested backups, and repeatable incident handling.
  • Builds long-term partnerships
    When pricing is sustainable for both sides, your provider doesn’t need to rely on hidden margins or short-term tactics. Instead, they can focus on your success over years, not months.

Unrealistic “unlimited” offers can feel like a short-term win, but often end up being more expensive — in downtime, lost trust, security incidents, and the cost of switching providers later.

6. What to Watch Out for When Evaluating “Unlimited” Offers

When you’re comparing MSPs, especially those advertising “unlimited support”, consider asking:

  1. How many engineers support how many clients?
    Get a sense of their capacity and staffing model.
  2. What exactly is included — and excluded — from “unlimited”?
    Ask about on-site work, after-hours support, projects, security services, and compliance help.
  3. How do you make your money?
    Are they fee-only, or do they rely heavily on vendor commissions and reselling?
  4. What proactive work is included?
    Do they perform regular security reviews, backup testing, training, and executive-level reporting?
  5. Can you see sample reports or service-level metrics?
    This shows whether they actually track and manage quality.

If the answers are vague, overly sales-driven, or rely heavily on “don’t worry, it’s all covered”, it may be a red flag.

7. Choosing the Right Level of IT Support for Your SME

You don’t need to become an IT expert to make a good decision. You just need a partner who:

  • Explains things in clear, business-friendly language
  • Is transparent about pricing and scope
  • Has a sustainable model that ensures consistent service quality
  • Prioritises your long-term interests over short-term sales

That’s the philosophy behind our fee-only, vendor-agnostic model and tiered managed IT service packages for Singapore SMEs.

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

We don’t offer “unlimited support” at unrealistic prices because we’ve seen the consequences — for both SMEs and providers. Instead, we choose to:

  • Price our services honestly and sustainably
  • Invest in people, processes, and security
  • Stay vendor-agnostic and fee-only, so our advice is truly objective
  • Offer clear, scalable service tiers that match your size, complexity, and risk profile

If you’re currently evaluating IT support options for your SME in Singapore, we invite you to:

  • Review our service tiers and inclusions to see what’s covered at each level, from core managed IT services up to full “IT department” style support.
  • Schedule a consultation so we can understand your business, risk profile, and growth plans — and recommend the right level of support, not simply the cheapest or the loudest “unlimited” offer.

A reliable, secure, and well-managed IT environment is too important to leave to unrealistic promises. Choose a partner whose pricing, recommendations, and service model are aligned with your long-term success.

Published by:

Bryan C