Is service important?

A

apthost

New member
When looking for a host and you see some really cheap deals, do you consider how much service you will be buying for such a small monthly fee? Do you consider the cost to provide the level of service you expect to receive?
 
I think people who buy on cost alone can't really expect quality service. Most seem to think that you can run a 24*7 telephone helpdesk for a few pence per customer per month.

We don't target the bottom end of the market though. We get more spam on our helpdesk than support issues (and that's after the spam filter's done it's best) and our helpdesk covers all aspects of the business, not just hosting.
 
Some get lucky and get with a small host for cheap prices and get the best support in the world. But as that small host grows it then feels the strain of only charging next to nothing per month. I have seen many go under and many upset people when this happens.
 
I think anybody has to remember the golden rule of web hosting - you get what you pay for. The less you pay the worse service you get IMO.
 
I think that can be true in some respects Inkerman. I also tend to find that those who buy a cheaper plan tend to need more support then those who go for the expensive plans.
 
Matthew said:
I think that can be true in some respects Inkerman. I also tend to find that those who buy a cheaper plan tend to need more support then those who go for the expensive plans.
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Still there are so many instances when cheap hosting will be suitable. For a personal site you don't need 99,99% uptime.
 
There are definitely instances when people don't need support being able to manage all the staff on their own, in this case the pre-sales and sales support matters really.
 
urka said:
Surely get what you pay for. :laugh:
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This is true. People want everything for nothing and like other hosts we don't want those types of customers. Decisions should be made on support, service then the product and since all everyone one is pretty much offering the same product these days (bar marketing gimmicks) a smart decision wont be based on price.
 
Really good question

From my experiences I believe that everybody at some level agree to say that service is important. However I've encountered many occasions on which clients and even hosts mix things up altogether.

For example some clients believe that the host should provide basic assistance in using technologies like PHP, PERL, MySQL, etc... At some point it can be more like teaching than support or service ;).

On the other end, some hosts expect all clients to have the required knowledge to operate their account on their own.

And of course there is the billing /registering service, which is quite different.

My advice would be (on the service issue) for a client to look for what he needs based on his knowledge. The most he is at ease with technology, the most I would recommend looking for hosts who provide written guides and documents about their services that can help him solve problems on his own. If he wants more direct interaction, just write an email to them before registering and ask some information about them or their services or some technical stuff. If they take the time to answer and he finds the reply fast, proper and useful, chances are they will act just the same once he has registered. ( it is however never a guarantee )
 
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apthost said:
When looking for a host and you see some really cheap deals, do you consider how much service you will be buying for such a small monthly fee? Do you consider the cost to provide the level of service you expect to receive?
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At Webdesigntalk.net there was the thread with a beard "Can cheap hosting be quality hosting?". I guess it may be interesting to find it using search function at the forum.

I guess that if you are on a tight budget and can handle some support stuff, then cheap hosting is ok.
Before you decide to go with a host, check if he offers any trial periods or discounts to start with, make sure also ne provides moneyback guarantee, so that you can always leave him, in case the level of services leaves much to be desired.
And one more, always make sure you have BACKUP and never rely on your host in this situation.
I'm using a budget shared plan from ************ at the moment, so far their service meets my needs.
If you ask me about more cheap budget options, I'd say siteground.com and **************.com might be the case.
 
I guess that if you are on a tight budget and can handle some support stuff, then cheap hosting is ok.
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The trouble is that wannabe webmasters will want to pay small amounts while they're still learning ("Hey, I'm just learning the ropes, I don't need high uptime, and don't want to break the bank either. After all, this is no more than a hobby right now."), and will at he same time expect the host to be their teacher. The two just can't go together. Support is one of the most expensive parts of running a hosting business. Highly trained employees don't come cheap.
 
Almost hostrars gives better service , 24*7 Tel support, online chatting. Now hosting field is much competitive. So almost hosting is very cheap. Any how going for well known companies are good
 
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