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Ying-Yang
08-08-2005, 11:59 PM
I have a website which has been in operation for about three years. During that time I have been on three different hosts. I had the same problem with the first two – changing servers. On both occasions I accept that I was informed about the changes, but I was not aware of the implications. In both cases I lost a fair bit of revenue and a lot of goodwill because my email forms stopped working. I would have thought that it was a host’s responsibility to ensure each customer had acknowledged receipt of any changes and was fully aware of what they had to do before changes drastic changes are made. A simple email is not enough – when you buy into a service you are choosing it because it will support your efforts, not contribute to their demise.

WebEdit
08-09-2005, 12:51 AM
It seems like they are all like that too... I think IT staff in general have very little in the way of customer service skills. They just make their changes and leave you holding the bag.

In some sense it's a matter of you get what you pay for though. Hosts that are charging you an arm and a leg know they are going to lose the money you are pouring into their company if they screw your site up so it's worth their while to be more careful and friendly. If a company loses a $3 a month hosting customer they just aren't going to care.

Naeem|THB
08-09-2005, 08:51 AM
If a company loses a $3 a month hosting customer they just aren't going to care.
Its true a lot of companies are like that, Not all though. A host should ensure that all the files are fully operational and in the right place, The customer shouldn't be left hanging on regardless of what they pay per month, That's they duty you take on when you start a company.
Regards

WebEdit
08-10-2005, 01:14 AM
You are right. Not all of the companies are like that so I shouldn't generalize but it seems like a majority of the reseller and smaller start up hosting firms that offer super low cost plans have pretty bad customer service. Although even among these I imagine there are some that give good service.

Martie
08-10-2005, 01:21 AM
Well there seem to be a good amount of hosts that simply dont offer decent support OR customer service.
Even though it does sound as though there was contact about a move, NORMALLY you would then contact the host if problems arise, so this would fall under "support"

WebEdit2
08-10-2005, 01:23 AM
I think Ying-Yang's point is valid though:

"I would have thought that it was a host’s responsibility to ensure each customer had acknowledged receipt of any changes and was fully aware of what they had to do before changes drastic changes are made."

It doesn't matter how much people are paying for a service, the question is should hosts go ahead with changes if they aren't absolutely clear that each customer knows what is going on?

WE2

NS-Icon
08-13-2005, 03:11 PM
As far as I am concerned communication should be the most important factor with any hosting provider, current clients should always be aware of the latest changes going on with their host.

Unfortunately though, you do get what you pay for, if you decided to host with a provider which charges you only $1.00 to host with them, then obviously you shouldn’t be expecting super support as it just isn’t feasible for such a host.

Don’t get me wrong, if you managed to locate a host which offers such packages and keeps in touch with its clients through regular e-mails / newsletters then that’s excellent.

Although it seems that some hosts are starting to neglect sending notices to clients most of the time, if you signup with a realistically priced host with a good reputation, you should be ok, researching into a host before signup does pay off in the end.

I hope you have better luck with another provider  :)

Ying-Yang
08-14-2005, 11:27 PM
I don't think what you pay should be an issue here. If you go to a doctor you expect a minimum, that being the doctor makes you better, not worse. Likewise with hosts - they should not be party in any fashion to people's web sites being incapacitated. That should be an industry standard.

Just a quick question - is there a professional body governing web hosting companies?

WebEdit
08-15-2005, 04:16 AM
There is no governing body that I know of because it wouldn't have any power internationally. So many hosts are not in the US so there wouldn't be much point.

I agree with you that even the free hosts should provide a certain level of service but to ask a web host to go through your website and your code to make sure a change they've got to make won't interfere with anything is quite a tall order. If they've got even a dozen sites it simply isn't going to be possible no matter what you pay.

What I think would be professional is to detail what the changes will mean in terms of configuration and try to let you know what kinds of things will generally be affected by the change and how to resolve them but it is just too much to humanly do to figure out how a change like that. Then as Martie suggests it becomes a matter of support.

Ying-Yang
08-15-2005, 10:57 PM
ISO 9000 doesn't have any power interntationally but remains a governing body in the quality world. It gives high quality organisations the right to use their logo and takes that right away from slackers. The point I tried to make here is that an email is not enough to announce major changes. A registered letter where customers sign off acknowledgement would suffice. Yes, it's expensive, but an expense that could help customers avoid untold troubles.

YY

WebEdit2
08-15-2005, 11:02 PM
OK - Ying-Yang might be onto something here...

If there were an ISO 9000-type body governing the hosting business, what should be the minimum quality requiremnts? List them here!

WebEdit2

1PlanHost
08-20-2005, 01:48 PM
to ask a web host to go through your website and your code to make sure a change they've got to make won't interfere with anything is quite a tall order. If they've got even a dozen sites it simply isn't going to be possible no matter what you pay.

Well said WebEdit. I agree that it is impossible for a host to know every detail of code on every web site on a server. That indeed is a very tall order and an unrealistic expectation. When a web site must be moved, email is the normal method of notification. The issue here is lack of sufficient communication. The host could for example notified the customer of a pending move via email yet in that same message ask the customer to be sure to check their site fully to ensure all is working after the move. If there is an issue then please contact support for assistance.

It is far past time for hosting companies to stop overpromising in order to gain a customer knowing full well they cannot deliver on that promise! That type of overpromising on customer service expectations has contributed to a great mistrust between host and customers. It has also created a seriously unrealistic set of expectations on the customers behalf that is impossible to deliver on.

While the bar on customer service needs to be raised and certainly there is much room for improvement for many hosts, the best policy we have found is to set realistic expectations for customers and then exceed their expecations. In other words, don't promote your company as being able to do something that you know you cannot deliver on. Serve the customer honestly and exceed their expectations.

Best Wishes for a .Net Success!

1PlanHost
08-20-2005, 02:07 PM
One of the most respected code of ethics for hosting companies can be found at http://www.hostingassured.findmyhosting.com

All information and claims presented to the customer will be 100% accurate.
All web hosting services will be supplied as agreed.
The customer will be treated with fairness and honesty.
All planned service outages will be well communicated in advance.
All communication with the customer will be timely and responsive.
Every effort will be made to resolve all valid complaints in a professional and timely fashion.

Of course if customers would resist the temptation of chosing an unknown, unproven host that claims to offer the world for a dollar/month many of them will go out of business as quickly as they splashed in. But until that happens, customers will continue to be oversold and their expectations not met.

Best Wishes for a .Net Success!

WebEdit2
08-22-2005, 12:31 AM
"Of course if customers would resist the temptation of chosing an unknown, unproven host that claims to offer the world for a dollar/month many of them will go out of business as quickly as they splashed in. But until that happens, customers will continue to be oversold and their expectations not met."

Personally, I think that some type of code of practice which companies voluntarily adhered to and put up an icon or banner to advertise that fact would rid the industry of the type of businesses you are talking about. There need not be a professional body governing – it would be self-policing through forums such as these…. “XYZ Hosting says they adhere to the code but they did (ABC)” etc.

WebEdit2

1PlanHost
08-22-2005, 12:57 PM
Other sites that have similar programs are:

http://www.webhostingstuff.com/hostingethics.html

and

http://www.findmyhost.com/how_we_test.asp

Of course, reviews at http://www.hostsearch.com and other hosting directories also assist consumers in making the right choices. The only problem is that many directories do not have systems in place to check the validity of where the review is coming from and even if the domain is hosted at the company they are reviewing. There has been in the past many false reviews (both negative and positive) on these but the issue has indeed improved considerably over the last year.

Best Wishes for a .Net Success!