Do you use any Instand Messengers for support?
As far as Instand Messengers go I use AIM, msn and if you feel like chatting to me, and hearing my voice I offer Skype, along side my osTicket and email support.

Also is it worth it to provide a 1-800 number if you have <25 clients. At the moment only 2 people have asked me for my 1-800 number and I had to say I didn't have one. My question is if you can barely cover the costs is it worth the money?

I don't feel that IMs are an appropriate medium for support. It is largely an unsupported opinion that I formed because of experiences in the past with people being quite bothersome. You would ignore them if they weren't customers, but they are, so you don't really have the option.

As far as a 1-800 number, only if there is someone to answer the phone 24/7, and that person isn't your g/f

-- HW

Yes an 800-866-877 is VERY cheap, actually cheaper than any billing software I use a few companies and it is like 5/month for the number and 7cents per minute which is VERY cheap for a priceless feature

I will determine a business if they have a Toll Free number... I can't stand so called businesses that give a Local number which means the end user pays the bill which in all reality the business should. Those are my two cents

Agree and disagree, if someone answers the phone professionaly it doesn't matter who it is. And in this case my wife does answer the phone

I apparently made the mistaken assumption that the wife was not interested in your business

-- HW

I only use my ticket system at the moment. Suits our company fine! We once used a number, but we had many "prank" calls we found it wasnt worth it.

If you can get your customers convinced that your live chat is actually available 24x7, then there really is no reason for MSN support (although it does give the appearance of even more personal support).

The problem with "personal support" is that assumptions can be made about the dedication to the business/care if you don't answer their IMs the majority of the time (when the fact is you are just busy).

Roj

We do selective support with IM. The real issue is that folks will tend to use this as alterative to our support system. And our support system is actually faster with responses most of the time.

What we tend to do is use IM support to folks during the “on boarding” phase when they sign up, to make sure the transition is smooth if coming from another host or that there first experience is not that overwhelming if it is there first time with a hosting plan.

I love Messenger questions and to BS on makes me feel specail and gets to the point as well. But would rather much like the phone...

For CaTS Hosting, ticket is the quickest, simplest and most responsive way. Our clients also find it the easiest.

I personally like using AIM or MSN. Tickets are nice, but there too old fashion in my oponion. I like the fact that using an instant messaging program, we get too know eachother a little bit better, and it makes for a better customer/business relationship.

and customers like it too. Customers like the personal feeling. only problem is that 2 support reps can't be signed in at the same time.

in AIM it can be done

really? I think i'm going to have to try this out... be back in 5 gotta login to other comp.

lol tell me how it works out