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Thread: phone support?

  1. #1

    phone support?

    Is phone support nessesary for someone that is just starting out with a reseller account? If so, where can I get a 1-800 #? If not, then what forms of support should I use? Chat support ? I am pretty new at this so any help and suggestions would be very much appriciated!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by hopesfall View Post
    Is phone support nessesary for someone that is just starting out with a reseller account? If so, where can I get a 1-800 #? If not, then what forms of support should I use? Chat support ? I am pretty new at this so any help and suggestions would be very much appriciated!
    Phone support and even live support will be a bit of an overkill. The money used for phone/live support mediums can be better invested elsewhere. Just be prompt with your ticket/email support.

  3. #3
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    When starting out, it's kind of easy to get lost in the budget thing. Here's a few tips:

    You'll need a billing client. WHMCS is excellent for that. Don't get suckered into thinking you can 'wing it', because when you grow, you'll regret that decision. You can pick up WHMCS licenses for dirt cheap ($12,$13/month for leased from a few providers), so it's definitely worth it for everything it does.

    You'll need a "support" desk . You can use WHMCS' built in desk, or go with a kayako leased (or owned) license. This will cover the support desk AND live chat.

    You can also use IM methods (AIM/MSN/ICQ) for live chat and stick with WHMCS' helpdesk, which, again, will cover the live chat and helpdesk stuff, and keep expenses down.

    For toll free, you probably don't want to go there right away. I have been in biz for going on 6 years, and I don't get but a few calls a month. Toll free is kind of fading out any more.
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  4. #4
    Some other choices are:

    Billing: Clientexec
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    Toll free: kall8.com
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  5. #5
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    We don't offer phone support (except for dedicated server customers), but we offer extremely responsive online support. I think as long as customers can reach you when they need to, you'll be fine.

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  6. #6
    thanks a lot for the replies guys, much appreciated.
    Now I had another question, about how many tickets or emails should i be expecting as i start off? Just a ballpark number somewhere would be awesome.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by AH-Tina View Post
    I think as long as customers can reach you when they need to, you'll be fine.
    Very well said
    Last edited by P-nut; 05-18-2008 at 09:47 AM. Reason: fixed quote tag
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by hopesfall View Post
    thanks a lot for the replies guys, much appreciated.
    Now I had another question, about how many tickets or emails should i be expecting as i start off? Just a ballpark number somewhere would be awesome.
    It would depend entirely on the customers, as different people will need different support. To start off with you shouldn't expect too many tickets, unless your clients are clueless as to what they're doing.

  9. #9
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    In terms of phone support, you will get very few calls from majority of your client base.. You will also get a huge number of calls from a segment of you client list. Some just call for EVERYTHING. Those are the ones who will "abuse" the phone support. You will have to establish the client expectation. What you will support via phone and what you won't.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by aingaran View Post
    In terms of phone support, you will get very few calls from majority of your client base.. You will also get a huge number of calls from a segment of you client list. Some just call for EVERYTHING. Those are the ones who will "abuse" the phone support. You will have to establish the client expectation. What you will support via phone and what you won't.
    I agree with this to some extent. I originally thought phone support would not be very effective. But ever since we started offering phone support, the call volumes have been increasing every month. For us, it has actually proved to be very effective as we can now speak to the customer and resolve issues straight on the phone. Adds a nice personal touch.

    Some calls may last a few minutes, but other calls to sales usually last at least 35mins to an hour. So far, it's proving pretty valuable.

  11. #11
    I believe there is some merit to offering phone support. The fact that people know they can pick up a phone and talk to someone, even if it's not used, helps customers feel secure.

    As others have said email will be the primary avenue for support, and most customer's preference.
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  12. #12
    Ok, so if I wanted to get phone support, whats the price range I would be looking at?

  13. #13
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    As a customer it's something I look for and as a provider it's something I proudly offer for that reason

  14. #14
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    I was running a web hosting business for about 10 years.... phone support is the last thing you want to do if you are doing shared hosting.

    If you do dedicated or colocation, then it is a must. Shared hosting can only go with TICKET or EMAIL support. PERIOD.

    If you start by oferring phone suppport or live chat support, when you downgrade to ticket only, your customers will be angry.

    Ticket support is MUCH MORE efficient in troubleshooting and helping customer.

    You can only open Live Chat for SALES only, don't offer it for support. Be spescific that your live chat will only accept sales inquiries. All support must go through ticketing.

    This even applies to HUGE web hosts, if you offer plans that are below $25/Month, you simply can not afford to cover phone/live chat support.

    Or you can add an additional phone or live chat support for $10/Month per customer and even limit the number of calls or live chat they can have.

    Do it right from the start or you may experience nightmare later on when reaching thousands of customers.
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  15. #15
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    For live support i Suggest Crafty Syntax. Its free. Just google it

  16. #16
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    I recommend ProvideSupport if you want to run a live chat support service. Very inexpensive and it has a great interface and easy set up, even for beginners.

  17. #17
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    my hosting clients (apart from ecommerce ones) generally seem to prefer email. you cant force them to even support tickets.

    even ecommerce ones prefer at most instant messenger.

    people dont like phoning. email, instant messengers are fire and forget. you can do other stuff while they are being replied.

    this is probably the reason i think.

  18. #18
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    If your just starting out try to use TICKET or EMAIL support only.
    You might want to purchased a net 10 phone at a local Walmart and used the number on line.It comes with FREE answering service. I would only get about one call per week. So the pay as you go phone did the job to start. Just until you build your business.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by AH-Tina View Post
    . I think as long as customers can reach you when they need to, you'll be fine.

    --Tina
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by unity100 View Post
    my hosting clients (apart from ecommerce ones) generally seem to prefer email. you cant force them to even support tickets.
    Setup a helpdesk and pipe those emails through the helpdesk and you have tickets. They can still use email, but you have the efficiency of a helpdesk to manage issues. Win - win.
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  21. #21
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    I believe Live Support for about 12-16 hours on the website is a lot more important than a toll free number... However, very few people will prefer to talk over the phone, in which case for the time being you can provide your telephone number, provided you're the only person to answer it without any noise around...

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by theultimate1 View Post
    I believe Live Support for about 12-16 hours on the website is a lot more important than a toll free number... However, very few people will prefer to talk over the phone, in which case for the time being you can provide your telephone number, provided you're the only person to answer it without any noise around...
    wouldnt providing my own phone number be costly on whoevers calling me?

  23. #23
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    I always give any company a call before i order anything just me, if they dont have a phone number i dont buy
    Jon Black

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by hopesfall View Post
    wouldnt providing my own phone number be costly on whoevers calling me?
    I believe that's the point (though domestic long-distance charges are rapidly becoming a distant memory).

    We offer a non-800# on our site, forums, and a Campfire chat room that part of our team sits in during the workday. (and we're a helpdesk company!)

    Most people seem to prefer the chat room for quick questions; and having it be a public multi-person chat room instead of a 1-on-1 chat tends to dissuade individual people from monopolizing your time.

    Forums tend to get the longer thoughts and public venting.

    E-mail tends to handle anything that's really individualized, private or contains sensitive information.

    It's in your best interest to be easy to get ahold of, but you also want to find inherent ways to curb abuses of your time (like the public chat room or non-800#).

    As has been said above, it'll really depend on who you're catering to as well.
    Jeff Standen, Software Architect, Cerb
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  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by hopesfall View Post
    Is phone support nessesary for someone that is just starting out with a reseller account? If so, where can I get a 1-800 #? If not, then what forms of support should I use? Chat support ? I am pretty new at this so any help and suggestions would be very much appriciated!
    I do not think that phone support is nessesary if you are just starting out but it is a good feature to have once your company expands.
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