We are launching our hosting company within the next month. We are starting by reselling, due to financial constraints stopping us from going straight to dedicated (although we have plans to do so asap, with SL).

Anyway, the current package we have is amazing, the only snag is no end-user support (even so, we'd rather support our own users anyway). However, we are 2 in UK and one in Canada. The time differences give us a small advantage but what happens when we go away perhaps (as strangely enough, we all had separate holidays during exactly the same weeks this year). Also me and the guy in Canada are in full time education, while the other guy is in part time education but also holding a part time job.

How do we support our customers? Email on phone perhaps (can be damn expensive in UK)?

Obviously we hope not to have too many support issues, but you never know :)

Any tips, help or whatever would be great,

thanks,

-Nick :D

We are launching our hosting company within the next month. We are starting by reselling, due to financial constraints stopping us from going straight to dedicated (although we have plans to do so asap, with SL).

Anyway, the current package we have is amazing, the only snag is no end-user support (even so, we'd rather support our own users anyway). However, we are 2 in UK and one in Canada. The time differences give us a small advantage but what happens when we go away perhaps (as strangely enough, we all had separate holidays during exactly the same weeks this year). Also me and the guy in Canada are in full time education, while the other guy is in part time education but also holding a part time job.

How do we support our customers? Email on phone perhaps (can be damn expensive in UK)?

Obviously we hope not to have too many support issues, but you never know :)

Any tips, help or whatever would be great,

thanks,

-Nick :D

You could look into outsourcing.

urrghh, I don't like outsourcing, they just don't have the same feel as the real deal, we want to provide a very friendly attitude while remaining professional about things, something I don't think outsourcing can do. That and it's expensive for just a few tickets.

I gave a reseller (someone I know personally) her account for free in exchange for keeping an eye on tickets when I'm unable to (so she can respond to easy ones, and call me on hard ones, although I get copies of the tickets on my phone as well). If it were ever to get to the volume that she'd have to do significant work, I'd start paying her, but right now it's very rare she has to handle any tickets at all, and I've been known to do direct support for her customers as well.

But at some point you'll probably have to start paying people either through hiring or outsourcing as mentioned.

Hmm, thats a good idea, I like it, now I need to go find someone ;)

I gave a reseller (someone I know personally) her account for free in exchange for keeping an eye on tickets

This is a great way to get some help with your level 1 ticket issues and other minor things you can get done without having to give any real server access.

The time differences give us a small advantage but what happens when we go away perhaps (as strangely enough, we all had separate holidays during exactly the same weeks this year).

This is typically where one of you compromises so the other can take a vacation. As for holidays I have worked every holiday since 2002 and it is just part of the business unless you can afford to have people under you who can manage all operations without you. In other words you are not going to be able to leave the guy answering a ticket every few days for a free reseller account in charge of all of your servers.

You could always contact other hosting compaines and see if they could help you out, perhaps offer them a few free accounts on your servers for them to use....?

Or you could always pay someone to do it, i have seen people charge $2 a ticket, which is very cheap espacialy if you only get a small number of tickets. Have a look on this forum and make a request :)

You're starting a hosting business and you are asking about going away? Going on Holiday? No offense, but I would just consider doing something else... Kiss that idea goodbye...

Not trying to discourage you are be a jerk, but the reality is, this business takes a large time commitment and a lot of work. There will be weekends, sleepless nights, missed birthdays, parties and other events..

Eventually you will get to the point where you can hire people, and that will certainly help. You may also consider hiring an outside support firm as well... There are several out there.

Good luck! Stick with it.. It's worth the sleepless nights...

Oh I know it's going to be a lot of slog, however, education can't be escaped (well, can, but not in this case). I guess thats my main issue. Holiday is fine as I'm happy to do tickets/server admin while away, it doesn't bother me much. Only annoying thing is when I end up in places with no net access or phone access (like Yosemite).

Get a phone that supports IM.. That will help.. Hell I still carry a pager. They are the most reliable forms of emergency communication and cheap!

I always know what is going on, even if I am asleep!

Well my phone is crap, so I have to IM and email via net, which is damn expensive. It can do email but I can't work it out, but I guess I will have to...

Thanks for all the input WHT :lovewht:

Well, the advantage to starting now is, just about everywhere you go there is a hotspot or some type of wireless access. That said, get an iBook when you go on holiday! I've had mine on the beach!

Well I would recommend hiring someone here at the Wht Employment forums (there is alot of them ) and that should cover it outsourcing might be an idea but you have to do your research on the company and make sure that they are as good as they say.

I have a MacBook ^^ so I think I'll be fine. Most of the world has net access now so it's all fine :D

In fact, death valley and the yosemite are the only two areas I know of without (except obvious places).

Hi

I was following your thread about supporting your hosting business.

I live in the US and run a similar hosting business using my support team in India. I can give you some of the tips that I learnt when I started my business.

The key might be in doing it yourself first and then slowly getting the confidence of your customers by the high quality of your work and the dedication and care you show towards their sites. Once they get that confidence, you can afford to delegate some of your work.

I have now managed to set up a 24 by 7 support team, which manages my client tickets, but my customers always know that they can contact me any time they want in case of any emergencies.

Good luck with your efforts.

Regards,
Dingloo

Out sourceing is a very good solution maybe not in early stages but in the long run :)

When my support desk gets a ticket, it sends me a SMS message saying so. I'm generally at the computer all day, and at night the phone ring sounds worse than a nuke going off. I bring my laptop pretty much everywhere I go, aside from when I know I'll back back within an hour. I'm heading to the cottage for a week tomorrow and clients will be none the wiser... the way I like it.

Why not try VOIP that seems to be a good way these days have a voicemail on your mobile ect very cheap. I am thinking about setting it up on a site i work on.