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View Full Version : How much should support cost?


mas3000
05-29-2002, 01:37 PM
How much is support worth to people? How much would people pay to have their support questions answered in 6 hours or less?

If I focused greatly on support - like answering emails in 3 hours or less, how much would should prices go up?

Rotifer
05-29-2002, 02:08 PM
Considering the competition, I would set standard prices and provide superior support. In the long run, the number of clients you attract will offset support costs.

Incognito
05-29-2002, 02:08 PM
Answering Emails within 3 hours would not be considered anything exceptional in my opinion...in fact, it would not meet my minimum acceptable support standards.

As to charging for support, I think there are certain, although undefined, standards which are expected and are minimally acceptable. Anything worse will cost you business. Anything better will gain you business over the long run. However, I see no indication that you can charge directly for support. Rather, a reputation for good support will simply allow you to charge more overall for your services.

Also, psychologically, the impact of charging extra for a certain level of support tends to make your regular program look bad and, in my opinion, would have a detrimental effect overall. Some companies have set up separate businesses tailored to different clientele, with different pricing structures, and providing different levels of support. That model does appear to work.