Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans?

Kim André Akerø wrote:

> dr_phill123.RemoveThis@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
>>For $10 a month hosting why do people feel they have the right to call
>>you anytime for any little question/problem they are having?
>
>
> As Jerry pointed out, they call you because they pay for using your
> service, and they expect it to work.

But we don't know what types of little questions and problems the OP is
talking about. It could be that the server/hosting is working fine, and
the customer expects the host to debug Perl scripts, or fix HTML, or
some such.

It probably works a lot like many other things. People with low budgets
tend to expect other people to take care of them. People with larger
budgets tend to be more responsible. I know it is a broad
generalization, but it tends to be true. If you are running a low budget
host, your clients will include a larger number of clueless people who
will need and expect more hand holding.
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

Scott Bryce wrote:

>
> It probably works a lot like many other things. People with low budgets
> tend to expect other people to take care of them. People with larger
> budgets tend to be more responsible. I know it is a broad
> generalization, but it tends to be true

You are right I do also find this to be true. I make it very clear to
new customers that email is the preffered way to communitcate with
us . Most respect this. My annoyance is with prospective customers who
feel they need to speak to someone on the phone to explain what they
need. I have stopped returning their phone calls because I have found
out that such people tend to be the most nuisance. The fact that they
insist on using phone gernally implies they are not technically
adept . I know I may miss some legiitimate customers this way, but at
least I avoid stress and hassle which makes me feel better. It is not
always about the money.
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

Jerry Stuckle wrote:
> Well, I'm technically competent - I've been in this industry for a
> loooong time. But I still want a phone number for my hosting company.
> If I have a critical site down, I'm not going to possibly wait for hours
> to get an email response. It's costing my customers money.
>

If a server is down, the hosting companies are almost always on top of
it. The last thing they need is countless phone callls and emails
telling them what they already know.
However if you have a critical bug specific to your account then most
hosting companies should respond immeadietly to a high priority ticket
like this. If they let it sit and wait for you to call then I would
host elsewhere.

On the otehr hand if you have to be able to speak to someone live for
a warm fuzzy hand-holding feeling, then you should pay for this extra
service. So I offer tierred service plans, where only the top 'Gold'
plans have the right to call me...
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

dr_phill123.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com wrote:
> Scott Bryce wrote:
>
>> It probably works a lot like many other things. People with low budgets
>> tend to expect other people to take care of them. People with larger
>> budgets tend to be more responsible. I know it is a broad
>> generalization, but it tends to be true
>
> You are right I do also find this to be true. I make it very clear to
> new customers that email is the preffered way to communitcate with
> us . Most respect this. My annoyance is with prospective customers who
> feel they need to speak to someone on the phone to explain what they
> need. I have stopped returning their phone calls because I have found
> out that such people tend to be the most nuisance. The fact that they
> insist on using phone gernally implies they are not technically
> adept . I know I may miss some legiitimate customers this way, but at
> least I avoid stress and hassle which makes me feel better. It is not
> always about the money.
>

Well, I'm technically competent - I've been in this industry for a
loooong time. But I still want a phone number for my hosting company.
If I have a critical site down, I'm not going to possibly wait for hours
to get an email response. It's costing my customers money.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex.TakeThisOut@attglobal.net
==================
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

Jerry Stuckle wrote:

> Well, I'm technically competent - I've been in this industry for a
> loooong time. But I still want a phone number for my hosting company.
> If I have a critical site down, I'm not going to possibly wait for hours
> to get an email response. It's costing my customers money.

Then you won't host with Dr Phill, which appears to be fine with him.
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

dr_phill123.DeleteThis@yahoo.com wrote:

> For $10 a month hosting why do people feel they have the right to call
> you anytime for any little question/problem they are having?

As Jerry pointed out, they call you because they pay for using your
service, and they expect it to work. If it wasn't working for a longer
period of time, they expect to get a refund, even if they were paying
as low as $5 a month, or even $10 a year.

And since you don't have a separate support department or provide other
staff members to call if problems arise, you're the only one they know
of.

> When your
> Windows machine acts up do people expect they can call Bill Gates to
> solve their problem? In fact I dont believe Microsoft offers any
> technical phone support for their products?

Yes, they do.
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

If you looked inside the little booklet that came with your computer
and/or copy of Windows (which you should've received if you have a
valid, non-pirated version of Windows), there's a list of numbers to
call if you have problems or questions.

If you called up Bill Gates, asking him to solve your problem with
Windows, I'm sure he'd refer you to the support department at
Microsoft. Maybe he'd even stretch as far as giving you the direct
number to someone he knew would be of assistance. Even so, it's
probably been a while since Bill Gates had direct contact with Windows
source code; that's what all the programmers employed at Microsoft are
there for.

You, on the other hand, has set up the hosting service on your own, and
even if you're managing the services through a reseller account, I'm
sure it says in the contract that you're the one responsible for
maintaining support issues to your end users (ie. you act as a middle
man between your clients and the *real* hosting provider).

--
Kim André Akerø
- kimandre.DeleteThis@NOSPAMbetadome.com
(remove NOSPAM to contact me directly)
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

dr_phill123.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com wrote:
> Jerry Stuckle wrote:
>> Well, I'm technically competent - I've been in this industry for a
>> loooong time. But I still want a phone number for my hosting company.
>> If I have a critical site down, I'm not going to possibly wait for hours
>> to get an email response. It's costing my customers money.
>>
>
> If a server is down, the hosting companies are almost always on top of
> it. The last thing they need is countless phone callls and emails
> telling them what they already know.
> However if you have a critical bug specific to your account then most
> hosting companies should respond immeadietly to a high priority ticket
> like this. If they let it sit and wait for you to call then I would
> host elsewhere.
>
> On the otehr hand if you have to be able to speak to someone live for
> a warm fuzzy hand-holding feeling, then you should pay for this extra
> service. So I offer tierred service plans, where only the top 'Gold'
> plans have the right to call me...
>

Email is fine for non-critical situations, and I use it for that. But it
doesn't replace a live conversation when time is of the essence.

And no, the host itself doesn't have to be down. It could be, for
instance, that a change by the sysadmin to the httpd.conf brings one
site down (don't laugh - I've seen it happen before).

And yes, when this is costing my customer $$$ for every minute they are
down, I need to communicate with someone real time. I can do more in 2
minutes on the phone than in 30 minutes playing email games - assuming,
of course, there is someone competent on the other end of the line.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex.TakeThisOut@attglobal.net
==================
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

Scott Bryce wrote:
: It probably works a lot like many other things. People with low
: budgets tend to expect other people to take care of them. People with
larger
: budgets tend to be more responsible. I know it is a broad
: generalization, but it tends to be true. If you are running a low
: budget host, your clients will include a larger number of clueless people
who
: will need and expect more hand holding.

Well then I am definitely an exception the rule... I prefer the 'host' to do
as little as possible with my space
and only would contact them if I couldn't fix it myself.

Heidi
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

> For $10 a month hosting why do people feel they have the right to call
> you anytime for any little question/problem they are having? When your
> Windows machine acts up do people expect they can call Bill Gates to
> solve their problem? In fact I dont believe Microsoft offers any
> technical phone support for their products?


How do you market the product? Is there an implication that someone is
getting the same quality for $10/month that they might be spending far more
for elsewhere?

Expectations can be managed. *You* are in complete control of that, through
the manner in which you market your product. Trouble is, you want to get as
many customers as you can, so there's a temptation to over-hype the product
and let the customer fill in the blanks (regarding things you don't want to
admit to, such as the fact that you don't want them calling on the phone).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

Scott Bryce wrote:

> Kim André Akerø wrote:
>
> > dr_phill123.DeleteThis@yahoo.com wrote:
> >
> >
> > > For $10 a month hosting why do people feel they have the right to
> > > call you anytime for any little question/problem they are having?
> >
> >
> > As Jerry pointed out, they call you because they pay for using your
> > service, and they expect it to work.
>
> But we don't know what types of little questions and problems the OP
> is talking about. It could be that the server/hosting is working
> fine, and the customer expects the host to debug Perl scripts, or fix
> HTML, or some such.

I provide these types of services myself, and I'm more than happy
getting notified about any server errors my customers encounter. If
it's related to script debugging (uploaded by the client, and not
related to server errors) or HTML issues, I bill them for whatever I
fix.

Dr Phill might want to specify in his hosting contract (and advertising
materials) what level of support is included in the $10 a month price,
and that anything beyond that (ie. not directly related to server
downtime) is subject to an additional service charge.

--
Kim André Akerø
- kimandre.DeleteThis@NOSPAMbetadome.com
(remove NOSPAM to contact me directly)
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

<dr_phill123.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178477431.784119.224980@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> For $10 a month hosting why do people feel they have the right to call
> you anytime for any little question/problem they are having? When your
> Windows machine acts up do people expect they can call Bill Gates to
> solve their problem? In fact I dont believe Microsoft offers any
> technical phone support for their products?
>
Most of the ads I've seen for cheap hosting tout 24/7 support. Maybe that's
why the customers are calling?
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

Wings wrote:

> Most of the ads I've seen for cheap hosting tout 24/7 support. Maybe that's
> why the customers are calling?

Yea, but it's generally email support. You dont get phone support at the
lower payment levels.
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans? 

"Scott Bryce" <sbryce.TakeThisOut@scottbryce.com> wrote in message
news:HvWdnbTdM6wAyaPbnZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Kim André Akerø wrote:
>
>> dr_phill123.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com wrote:
>>
>>
>>>For $10 a month hosting why do people feel they have the right to call
>>>you anytime for any little question/problem they are having?
>>
>>
>> As Jerry pointed out, they call you because they pay for using your
>> service, and they expect it to work.
>
> But we don't know what types of little questions and problems the OP is
> talking about. It could be that the server/hosting is working fine, and
> the customer expects the host to debug Perl scripts, or fix HTML, or some
> such.
>
> It probably works a lot like many other things. People with low budgets
> tend to expect other people to take care of them. People with larger
> budgets tend to be more responsible. I know it is a broad generalization,
> but it tends to be true. If you are running a low budget host, your
> clients will include a larger number of clueless people who will need and
> expect more hand holding.

So you tell them its not your problem. What's the problem with that?
 >> Stay informed about: Customer's expectations for cheap hosting plans?