Right now it's still mainly phone and email, however in mid-May we implemented helpdesk/knowledge base system and that has started to kick in.

We also use Crafty Syntax for live support, but that is mainly sales related.

John

Our customer base is mostly local - and they ALL call us

Recently we have targetted the internet market - and these customers seem to be happy with the helpdesk....

Hehe Andrew that is the main downside to having local clients, they use the phone a lot more than internet clients.
They normally require a lot more support also, including with setting up their pages and not just the normal support hosting companies would provide

You are absolutely correct on the Robert, but I do get several more referrals from the local crowd than I get with non-local customers. So I guess the added support is balanced with the new clientel...


....sometimes

Hehe Alex.
Do you charge the same prices for local clients as online clients?
A lot of people have seperate sites and prices for local and internet customers, quite a lot of people charge extra for local customers because they offer more support, sometimes upfront person-to-person and business-to-business support.

I never even thought about charging local customers more.

I'll have to consider how to do that, like Alex, most of my referrals come from locals, so I always figured it evened out - for the same reason that website design companies get a hell of a rate from me.

John

Yes I do charge a bit more but that's because I offer them a complete package (i.e.: hosting, design & maintenance contract) as opposed to simple shared accounts.

Most of the local crowd I deal with don't want to learn how to use cPanel, setup emails, modify their site content, etc; hence why I charge a premium for it (which I think is fair as I spend more time on them).

..I should add that I haven't come across a local that just needed a shared account. I would charge him the regular price as it would not be fair to the rest of my clientel (and I rather keep all my clients happy rather than one). However, if I determine that his excessive support deems a charge, I would not hesitate in informing him that and charge accordingly.