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It’s All About a Solid Infrastructure and Great Customer Service

January 11th, 2009|0 Comments

I have a little story about why I think customer service is at the top of my list.

Part of any successful business is keeping the infrastructure solid.  It’s important, critical even, to keep my website humming and my email flowing.  I shouldn’t have to think about the reliability of these things.  Well, this week I made some improvements.

Last year was frustrating because I selected a company to host my website and they let me down.  I won’t name names, but they’re the same company from whom I purchased my portfolio design.  I like their designs, but their infrastructure is giving me ulcers.

Anyway, I’m not sure what the deal is, but my email–my lifeline to customers–has been intermittent if not unusable ever since I went live with my website.  Granted, I’m a pretty understanding fellow and can forgive a lot.  However, when I can’t connect to email most of the time…when my email problems begin to cost me potential business because I can’t communicate with prospects, I tend to get a little peeved.

So, sayonara old provider.  Hello, Host Gator.  Yes, I am naming them.  I hope I don’t jinx myself for saying this.  Host Gator is rock solid.  Give them your business.  Heck, they even have a 20% off promotion until Feb 1.

Now, a brief story of how I found my new host…

I was so immensely frustrated with my email problems last week.  A wonderful bride-to-be called and we had a nice chat about her big day.  She loved my work and we ended the call with me promising to send along my standard packet of pricing and other material.

Here I go. Compose email.  Attach PDF.  Hit send.  Wait…wait…wait…and wait some more…done.

What!?  I didn’t see the message pop over in the send folder.  My email client?  Did it really send?  Ugh.

I’m a pretty smart guy.  I use IMAP for email so it saves on the server and I can check it anywhere.  I pop on over to my host provider’s admin website.  OK, it’s down.  Ugh!  Wait…wait…OK, I’m in.  Check email.  My message isn’t on the server.  #$%^&*!

Repeat email.  Repeat check.  Nothing.  Repeat again.  Nothing.

Finally, I get an email from the bride-to-be saying she received the email…3 times.  OK, now I’m both relieved and peeved.  I think it’s a bit unprofessional, but she understands.

That’s the last straw!

Later that night, I check into new host providers.  A good way to judge a host provider is by their level of technical support. I pop over to a few host providers’ live chats and start a support call.  Let me tell you.  Host Gator has a stellar team at the other end of that support line.

I’m sold.  Three days later, I’m off the other guys and onto a solid infrastructure.

Oh, and if you’re wondering, I opened a support ticket with my old host months ago.  To this day, I have not received a response.

I like to think I’m a good photographer.  But, it’s this experience and others like it that push me to be great at customer service.

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