View Full Version : Hmm...
What do you mean by good support? Any idea? I have done my best to be good to all my customers. They said thanks about a zillion times but i really don't know whether it's true. Any idea on how to gain more confidence from them?
seahorse
19-06-2003, 21:01
maybe good support also means fast support.
imagine i need to use mysql excitedlt, then realise phpmyadmin denies me. then i email you about the problem....you response fast but with, "i will get back to you. looking into this problem." then wait for a few days still havent solve.... guess it is demoralising.
Fast support is Good...
but what if it's the server that is causing the problem. I can't be blamed for hardware failure what.. It's like an unforseen event.
Heng Chai
19-06-2003, 22:08
Hardware failure is your fault in the users' eyes, because its downtime. It is your fault for not taking preventive measures.
Originally posted by SG.GS
Hardware failure is your fault in the users' eyes, because its downtime. It is your fault for not taking preventive measures.
Not even that... even their computer problems, connection problems or their ISP problems will become your problem as to some customers they simply do not know the real cause of each problem and they will blame their host(s) instead of ISP etc... :p
Hmm.. how can we deal with this problem?
Heng Chai
20-06-2003, 03:17
Equipment
Fully redundant multi-homed network (local and international)
1+1 mirrored redundant servers (yes, servers, not just harddisk) with automated failover and/or load-balancing
Central backup system with hourly backups of up to 1 month
Staff
24/7 online monitoring personnel to notify helpdesk (client fault) or administrator (server fault)
24/7 professional helpdesk support to determine problem (client or server end)
24/7 system administrators to handle server problems instantly
khimhong
20-06-2003, 07:30
Hardware failure is your fault in the users' eyes, because its downtime. It is your fault for not taking preventive measures.
To the clients, they don't care. As long as they can't see their site, they will consider it a downtime. There was once when a client had a connection problem and I was blamed because he can't view the site.
they simply do not know the real cause of each problem and they will blame their host(s) instead of ISP etc...
Their mentality is only: I've paid you and you better get my site up and working, no matter what happen, it must appear.
Equipment
Fully redundant multi-homed network (local and international)
1+1 mirrored redundant servers (yes, servers, not just harddisk) with automated failover and/or load-balancing
Central backup system with hourly backups of up to 1 month
Staff
24/7 online monitoring personnel to notify helpdesk (client fault) or administrator (server fault)
24/7 professional helpdesk support to determine problem (client or server end)
24/7 system administrators to handle server problems instantly
This is perhaps the ideal way of preventing any further conflicts between yourself and clients and also gain the confidence of many future clients. But come to think of it, it's extremely costly.
1 - Staff: So long as you require staff to go 24/7, it's better to get staff from different timezone. According to what I've heard, in order to employ a good technical staff to go about 8 hours a day for you, it cost approx US$1200. Consider the number of staff you have to employ.
2 - Equipment: With such equipment, there is 100% no way you can offer web hosting at an economical price. Rates will go high, but of course, it will gain the confidence of clients.
michaelfoo
20-06-2003, 17:49
I think Khim Hong answered almost everything.
One very important thing. Always try to be polite when communicating with your clients even you see a lot of sensored words in his mail. ;)
Heng Chai
20-06-2003, 22:30
Raise your prices and make it worth your while.
michaelfoo
21-06-2003, 15:42
You need not have to kick that customer away. You may just raise his prices and he will move away if he wants. That is the best way to maintain your reputation.
well, 300mb for $3 is ridiculous.. Anyway, i agree with what michaelfoo have said. Raise the price and see what they got to say about that.
michaelfoo
22-06-2003, 08:18
No, don't raise the price for good customers. Raise only the price for fussy customers :D ;)
khimhong
22-06-2003, 10:20
The only problem is, what about the current customer? Please advice & elaborate on the issue.
Apply the "Price Freeze" ruling.
Raise only the price for fussy customers
It would not show your professionalism.
michaelfoo
22-06-2003, 11:04
It would not show your professionalism.
But if Putra kicks him away like he said earlier, it would not show his professionalism and also brings down his reputation.
khimhong
22-06-2003, 12:57
haha...kicking him off definitely is not a good way to exhibit your professionalism. In life, there is no such thing as a smooth straight road. There're bound to be curves. Accept them as part of life and it should be ok. Nothing goes well for all.
khimhong
23-06-2003, 08:00
Yeah, sometimes we should make it clear to clients, but of course, in a polite manner. Some clients are very unreasonable, they expect you to teach them everything that they don't know. Nothing is so good in this world, esp for a small amount of fee.
heh.. i agree. HIGHER FEES CAMPAIGN!!! I'm for it !
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