Should Hosts include Forum as their support!

[SpecHackers]

Should they include Forum as their support as an additional support/

 

[Christopher]

Yes I think so.

 

[webfreak08]

A thread that discusses this issue can be found here...
http://www.hostingdiscussion.com/showthread.php?t=1209

IMO, forums should only be used as unofficial support, since other people have access to it. Sensitive information should pass through e-mail or a trouble ticketing system.

 

[SpecHackers]

i donot think so, forum can provide more support than trouble ticket, most of the successfull hosts today have an online support forum

 

[webfreak08]

most of the successfull hosts today have an online support forum

True. There are a lot of web hosting support forums.

forum can provide more support than trouble ticket

So, you want to have sensitive information out in the open for the rest of the world to see?

 

[SpecHackers]

i accept the second part, having both is not an problem and can make the host a better service.

 

[dubs]

It can be useful if no one on live help is available and there are some people active in the forum. But, it all depends on forum size etc.

 

[mydarnhost]

Yes, of course. It adds to the support quality

 

[niyogi]

I think it should be restricted to customers and considered unofficial. Customers tend to take out their frustration on discussion forums without much merit and this just scares other customers and prospects.

Roj

 

[KPRHosting]

Its a good way to find out how the host operates. Looking at the forums you can get a great idea on there uptime and support is.

 

[Daisy]

I prefer hosting sites with forums. It's easier for the hosts to communicate with their clients in general and announce important events and downtime. Of course, personal info and such must always be discussed via emails.

 

[TJR Networks]

I prefer hosting sites with forums. It's easier for the hosts to communicate with their clients in general and announce important events and downtime. Of course, personal info and such must always be discussed via emails.

Daisy has pretty much summed up my thoughts on forum support. Forums are a great way for clients to communicate with other clients and tech support. They are especially helpful if multiple users are having the same problem. However, forums shouldn't be the only method of contact. Customers need to be able to contact the host directly if they need to discuss a matter (for example billing or login details) privately.

 

[CybexHost]

If your client base is large enough to make forums realistic, they are the perfect gateway for a company that likes to stay in touch with customers.

 

[Naeem|THB]

Personally i think forums are a GOOD idea, They are simple to use for users. However there are many downfalls, Many people may be put off by a empty forum.
Regards

 

[Zachary McClung]

Hi,

If you are using forums for official support, I do not agree with that. There is too much room for error. What if you miss a user’s post or the wrong information is given. Then you have a support issue and then it is spread across many forums. On the other hand, if it is used for user to user support that is a different story. I think it is an excellent idea.

Sales forums on the other hand are an excellent idea. I think it allows potential customers to communicate with established clients and allow your sales staff to communicate more freely.

 

[Naeem|THB]

Personally i like the ideas of forums however many clients may be put off from empty forums, But at the end of the day "You are what you are".
Forums can be a useful resource for non specific hosting related issues e.g Web design etc, It is also a good place for your clients to be able to post testimonials.

 

[qchco]

I believe a forum is great, but as many has said it needs to look busy. An empty forum does not look good.

 

[ayksolutions]

I think that forums are good and as a person who runs a hosting company, I just installed one, phpbb of course. Give it some time to pick up pace with customers and it will give your website a definite edge over the ones who do not have one. It simply looks as if people actually use your services.

 

[RaviAgarwal]

Forum for support is not good. Forums are for grievances, Comments, Announcenets, ideas sharing and discussions. Also, prospective clients evaluates your services based on forum activity and replies.

We did an experiemnt.. kept a section of forum for "Customers Only" and it proved to be a great success. If customers have any problem/concern they can easily post there and we took that issue on priority.

For support we put a separate system in place (Cerberus HelpDesk) and we encouraged our clients to use that if there is no urgency.

Support request can be of three types..

1) Urgent (Site Down, Email etc.)
2) Regular (permissions, DB restore etc.)
3) Delayed (when support take extra ordinary time in replies).

For 1st live-chat/phone is good. For 2nd Tickets/Support Helpdesk is good. For 3rd Forum is best.

So, Forum is essential, whether you use it for support or not.

Hope this will help you to design your support system

 

[peter phillips]

I think a host should include forums as an additional support. Having a forum is good for the customers to discuss and share their experiences and also helps in building a community. The only thing that the hosts need to work on would be getting traffic to the forum.