Getting to know... Christopher Potts

In the latest instalment of Bdaily's Getting to know feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Christopher Potts, founder and director of Hebburn-based ITC Service, talks about his passion for solving problems, the value of true customer service and the draw of the North East...

We know you as the founder and director of ITC Service, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

I have a plaque at home which reads, ‘If Chris can’t fix it, no one can’ – that sums me up quite well. 

I love a problem, and I don’t discriminate.

It doesn’t matter what the problem is, I love the ‘a-ha’ moment when you figure out the solution.

I remember 12-year-old Chris fixing video recorders recovered from the local tip; I remember 14-year-old Chris melting a Briggs and Stratton engine trying to run it on hydrogen; and I remember getting a wooden go-kart to run on a windscreen wiper motor.

If there’s a problem, I want to solve it. 

Did you always want to work in the technology managed services sector? 

You get into this work because you want the challenge that comes with technology, and you’re driven to give good service.

I started my career in an accountancy practice – financial statements, tax returns, reports to HMRC – but they were a side-effect of my true passion: helping the client see where they are and working to improve their position.

This is reflected in IT and managed services.

It’s the same focus; you want a good outcome for the customer. 

It is why we talk about customer satisfaction scores and why we take customer feedback seriously. 

When you call a company, you can instantly tell what they are focused on. Often, you ring and the first option is, ‘press one for sales’, for example. 

When you ring ITC Service, it’s ‘press one for service’.  

We’re here to help. 

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

I like happy people and happy clients.

Most people ring when things have gone wrong, not when things are fine, which, naturally, appeals to my desire to find and solve problems. 

Something I do grapple with is that ITC Service is all consuming; it is on my mind when awake, asleep and every day too.  

That said, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I can’t imagine doing anything else, this role is woven into the fabric of who I am.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

There are no other managed service providers out there that are our size and our shape, with our people, our disciplines and our focus. 

We’re in a small percentile of managed service providers to make it to this space. 

Where we are as a team is an achievement.

From the early days of working out of our van – and I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve slept in that van in different spots around the UK – to where we are today, as the company grows, you feel both a responsibility and a quiet sense of achievement. 

It’s across our whole team. The actions of every single person within the team have an impact. 

How do you relax outside of work? 

I don’t relax, and there is no ‘outside’ of work. 

This isn’t work; it is a thing that I do.

ITC Service is my life, and this is what it looks like for me. 

What makes the North East such a great place to live and work?

I am a North East lad, I’ve lived in a couple of places across the UK for work, and I choose to be here. 

The North East boasts such a diverse range of friendly clients, people and team members.

And diverse people create diverse businesses. 

What I love about the North East is how easy it is to get around, the welcoming atmosphere and the proximity to the stunning coastline. 

There’s a genuine sense of community here. It truly feels like home.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

If you ever get into my car, you’ll never know what I’m going to be listening to, if I’m listening to anything at all. 

I could be listening to the news on Radio 4, the latest in rap, classical symphonies or even a little bit of country. It just depends on the day.

You could be with me in the car for a nine-hour journey to Cornwall, with absolutely nothing at all on the radio – utter silence the entire time. 

There’s enough to think about on the way. 

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