Is it a good idea to have forums to help your customers?
Or is it all just the same as email or phone support?

Thoughts?
Trevor

I think forums are good for several reasons:

- Allows you to provide faster and more efficient support in that having forums builds a knowledge base. When your customers have a problem, they can search your forums.

- Allows your clients the ability to help other clients of yours if they have the know how.

- Builds a community structure which never hurt a hosting company.

Side Effects:

- Customers will use your forums to initiate complaints against your company making it public. But, that will also allow you to address issues in front of other clients.

Anyway, that is my take on the issue.

Patrick

Just make sure you have enough clients to fill a forum. I think it may look bad if someone goes to your forum board to check out your company, and you only have a handful of members and a few posts. It gives the impression you are very small, or just starting out. That may scare some potential clients away. (Not that you should ever lie to make yourself look bigger than you are.)
Just my 2 cents.

I agree, if you don't have allot of people that use your forum, it could make your company look bad.

Originally posted by RunOfTheMill
Is it a good idea to have forums to help your customers?
Or is it all just the same as email or phone support?
Thoughts?
Trevor
Yes. I vote forums. Big or small.

The positives seem to have been covered for the most part. It can be a good thing and it can be a nightmare. Moderating forums takes much more time that I ever thought it would. I don't think it wold be as bad with a company forum, but there are times when this forum will keep one or more moderators busy contantly for 2 or more hours due to attacks, spam, etc.

As was said, it opens things up to the public. Both for your customers and potential customers. They will note the problems and how long it takes for a reply. If you already have a support system, this will add another thing to check and respond to. It is open 24/7 and people will use it 24/7 and it might be difficult to keep on top of.

I have mixed views on it, from a host's perspective.