Businesses today rely on technology more than ever. Growing expectations, tighter budgets, evolving security risks and constant change are all competing for attention, often with limited internal capacity to manage it all. 

When support works well, teams can stay focused on their work without interruption. Behind the scenes, that depends on someone who understands your business, plans ahead and keeps the service on track. That’s the role of your account manager. 

This blog explores why we have account management at Arc, what it means for our customers and what you can expect from your account manager. 

The reality of support without account management 

Without dedicated account management, organisations often find that: 

  • There is no single point of contact 
  • Support is reactive rather than planned 
  • Renewals, changes and projects and handled in isolation 
  • Issues escalate due to nobody owning the relationship 
  • There is little visibility of performance, spend or risk 

Individually, these problems seem small. Together, they lead to wasted time, unexpected costs and a service that feels transactional rather than supportive. 

The challenge isn’t just resolving issues quickly. It’s having someone who understands your business well enough to prevent them.  

Why we have account managers 

Customers benefit most when their account manager works alongside them as an advocate and trusted advisor. At Arc, that means making sure we understand your priorities and that you always know where things stand, which turns good support into a genuine partnership. 

Many of our customers tell us they are looking for a strategic partnership rather than just another supplier. That is exactly how we approach account management. Your account manager isn’t there to sell you more, they are there to help find the best route forward for your business. That can mean investing in something new, doing more with what you already have or removing what you no longer need.  What matters is that the outcome is right for you, which is why we judge success by results rather than activity. 

 When it’s working well, you should see: 

  • Fewer repeat issues and support tickets 
  • Faster resolution when something needs escalating 
  • More accurate budget forecasting, with no surprise costs 
  • Clear reporting and greater confidence in your service 
  • Projects and changes delivered with minimal disruption 

What to expect from your account manager 

A named point of contact
Your account manager takes the time to get to know your business, your people and your history, giving you continuity and a consistent point of contact. When you need specialist input, they bring in the right expertise from across Arc, from our support desk to our cloud and cybersecurity teams. 

Service reviews
Your account manager reviews performance against agreed service levels, ticket trends and recurring issues, and agrees actions with you. This is backed by real data, so improvements are measurable. 

Proactive planning
Good planning starts well before something becomes urgent. Your account manager will regularly review what is coming up, including renewals, ageing hardware, cloud migration, security priorities and growth plans, so decisions are made with time and information on your side. 

Advice that fits your business
Arc supports managed IT, cloud, cybersecurity, data protection, networking and infrastructure, and your account manager helps you see how it all fits together. They recommend only what is relevant to your goals. 

Accountability
If something isn’t right, there is a clear route to get it resolved, and a named person accountable for making sure it is. 

Continuous improvement
We use service data to reduce repeat issues, improve reliability and help your technology keep pace with the way your business works. 

In their words 

We spoke to a few of our team about what the role means to them. Here’s what they said:  

Juliet Brooks, head of sales – key and growth accounts: 

“Arc’s account managers team don’t just react to issues; they help customers stay ahead of them. By understanding each customer’s business, challenges and objectives, we can provide proactive guidance, introduce the right expertise when needed and ensure your technology continues to support you” 

Lewis Wand, client director: 

“Trust and integrity are at the heart of how I work. I’m always open and straightforward with my customers, and we work through things together. For me, that’s how you go from being an account manager to a trusted partner; my customers know they’ll always get an honest view from me, and that’s what builds real trust.” 

Martin Chambers, client director – strategic accounts: 

“Everything we do starts with the customer. In my view, being a good account manager means understanding your business as well as your technology, so we can work together to make sure the service continues to evolve as your business does.” 

Jack Sharman, account manager: 

“For most customers, it comes down to trust. They want to know that someone understands their business, is looking ahead on their behalf and will be honest with them, even when the news isn’t what they’d hoped for. Being their consistent point of contact means I can build that relationship over time, and it’s what allows us to move from simply fixing problems to helping them plan for the future.” 

What partnership looks like for our customers 

The best measure of account management is the difference customers notice. Here’s what some of them have said: 

Matt Widows, chief operating officer at East Berkshire Primary Care (EBPC) said: 

“The strength of our relationship has enabled us to innovate confidently, knowing we have a partner who understands our operational pressures and can move quickly to deliver robust, resilient solutions.” 

That confidence comes from an account manager who knows your business well, plans with you and brings in the right people from across Arc when it matters. 

Moira Clifton, chief operating officer at Orpheus said: 

“It’s very reassuring that 99% of issues are resolved right away, but also that we have a clear escalation process in place for any more complex issues.” 

Your account manager is your route for escalation, so when an issue needs more than a quick fix, you know exactly who is picking it up and how it will be resolved. 

Whether it’s the confidence to innovate or the reassurance of a clear escalation route, it comes down to having an account manager who knows your business and is accountable for getting things right. 

Account management in action 

Ahead of a Microsoft licence renewal, one of our account managers carried out a review of a customer’s usage and overall needs as part of a regular service review. It showed that a number of licences were assigned to people who no longer needed them, and that the customer’s plan no longer reflected how their teams worked day to day. 

Rather than allowing the renewal to roll over, the account manager worked with the customer to understand their current and future needs. Together with our technical team, they identified which licences could be removed safely, made sure nothing users relied on was affected and agreed a plan with appropriate licensing that matched the business as it is today. 

The customer avoided paying for licences they didn’t need, renewed with a clearer view of their costs, gained a new set of capabilities from a new license set and now has a review scheduled ahead of each renewal so the same issue doesn’t arise again. 

Why this matters for our customers 

For business leaders and IT decision makers, the question is no longer whether technology support is needed, but whether it is helping the business move forward. Our account managers work alongside customers to make sure it does, supported by the wider Arc team whenever it’s needed. 

This matters because the impact of technology decisions often only becomes clear later on. When someone understands where the business is heading, investment is better planned, risks are spotted earlier and technology is ready for whatever comes next. 

If you’re reviewing your current support arrangements or simply want more confidence and visibility, our team would be happy to talk you through how account management works at Arc.