#4 – Don’t Be That Guy - MSP Time Tracking - Stop Telling Techs (Ryan Alter)

In Episode #4 of Don’t Be That Guy, hosts Josh Peterson and Ryan Alter tackle a perennial MSP challenge: getting technicians to track time accurately. They argue that poor time entry isn’t a technician problem—it's a leadership and process problem. Overburdened techs juggle dispatch, follow-up, prioritization, and troubleshooting, so time entry naturally falls by the wayside. To fix this, leaders must provide structure, redefine roles, and instill the habits that drive accurate data and profitability.

Josh and Ryan emphasize the benefits of appointing a dispatcher, even in small teams, to free technicians from administrative tasks. They outline clear time-entry standards—eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, submitted by Friday at 5 p.m., approved by Monday morning—and suggest reviewing time logs multiple times per day. Charge codes should capture all activities, not just billable hours, providing insight into meetings, PTO, research, and sales support. Leadership must “inspect at the same rate they expect,” coaching technicians with kindness and consistency. With the right structures in place, accurate time entry improves gross profit, billing accuracy, and overall service quality.

To learn more about time-entry discipline and technician accountability, explore our articles Recording Your IT Support Timecard and Time Entry Policies That Drive Profitability.

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Episode Highlights

• 00:05:37 – Technicians often fail at time entry because they juggle dispatch, follow-ups, and technical tasks all at once.
• 00:06:12 – Even a team of two or three techs benefits from a dedicated dispatcher, centralizing ticket management.
• 00:13:22 – Create a distraction-free environment so techs can focus on problem-solving and time entry.
• 00:19:41 – Set clear standards: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week, submit by Friday at 5 p.m., approve by Monday at 10 a.m.
• 00:21:34 – Check time logs multiple times a day. Friendly reminders (11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m.) help form habits.
• 00:30:56 – Use detailed charge codes to track all technician time—client work, PTO, meetings, research and more.
• 00:45:46 – Leadership must inspect at the same rate they expect—coaching with kindness replaces nagging.

About the Guest

Ryan Alter is a former MSP owner from Missoula, Montana. Over two decades he grew a one‑man break‑fix shop into a 25‑person operation before selling it. Ryan shares practical insights on time entry, dispatch discipline and building processes that empower technicians and leaders alike.

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About the Host

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. Through the Don’t Be That Guy series, Josh helps MSP owners improve profitability and customer experience through data-driven decisions and operational discipline.

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