If you've just begun thinking about publishing a web site or finding a web host you may have heard about free web hosting opportunities. Finding the best free web hosting plans can be difficult and many of the plans are not really free at all. They can be quite cumbersome and may actually end up costing more in the long run, especially if used for business purposes. This article will help you to separate good customer service from meaningless hype.

Early Indications of Customer Support Reliability

Often, you cannot gain a true picture of a provider's level of support simply by looking at a list of support benefits. You can typically determine the level of customer service that a web host provider has before you choose to do business with them. First, look through any FAQ (frequently asked questions) involving customer or technical support. Peruse forums, chats, or any other areas of customer conversation that may indicate whether or not the provider's customer support is truly reliable. Some providers even display customer service survey examples and customer testimonials that include these customers' email. Take some time to contact them and you may gain information that the provider would not necessarily give or want you to know. Next, test the provider's response time and quality by emailing or calling them with specific questions. Compare and contrast what you've found among providers to determine the one that appears to best meet your needs.

General Areas of Customer Support

Web host providers offer an array of customer service options. These areas typically include the following:

• Basic support options:

  A provider's basic support options often include fundamental means of support such as FAQ (frequently asked questions) and tutorials. These options typically contain theoretical information and are as expansive as possible to meet most of your common or more general needs. Tutorials often contain manuals that answer relevant questions that you may have. A basic support option is basically the "first stop" in seeking information. Failure to find what you need will typically require use of the more advanced features that a web host provider offers its customers.

• Advanced Support Options

  • Email Support: Email is the most common support option and is made available by nearly every web hosting provider in the market. Typically, each of the provider's departments has its own email address (e.g., billing@provider.net or support@provider.net) to ensure that your questions reach necessary staff in the least amount of time possible. As expected, response times and quality of responses range between different providers and staff members.
  • Trouble Tickets: You may have the option of submitting trouble tickets to indicate the problems that you have experienced or the questions that you may have for the provider.
  • Interactive Support: Interactive options such as live chat and toll free numbers offer quicker responses to your most pressing questions. Although these services are often not available 24/7, live communication with the provider's support staff member(s) may provide you with the best opportunity to have your questions fully and swiftly answered.

Other Tips in Gaining Top-Notch Customer Support

• Demand as much 24/7 assistance as possible. Some providers may only offer chat, forum, or email as 24/7 options. Many companies currently offer 24/7 phone service. You may want to randomly call a web host provider at various times to see if they answer the phone. Do the same with chat and email to test their reliability as well.
• Follow the easy route with help and FAQ sections when possible. Ideally, these support vehicles are easy to use, comprehensive, and easy to understand. Information on time- and money-saving tips is nice, but it is often highly convenient when you can answer most questions using these options.
• Ask about money-back guarantees. Make sure that the web hosting provider offers at least a 30-day-guarantee. In no way should you be prevented from changing your mind if services do not initially meet your expectations.
• Investigate who answers your telephone calls. Many companies outsource customer service and find it necessary to ship services overseas. These practices lead to questionable quality control as they stray from the corporate domain. Ensure that you are provided with a local customer service rep that helps in building trusted relationships and consistent customer care.
• Accept no less than the best. Your web hosting provider should make you feel as though you are the most important customer within their company. The provider should explain things to you in terms that you can understand rather than a lot of technical jargon. You should also be able to feel secure in that your questions and problems will be handled by real human beings (e.g., via telephone calls or live chat) that are employees of the provider.

Many customer services articles offer a variety of customer service tips to assist you in making informed decisions. You must ask yourself, "What is customer service that best serves my web site?" In the end, you must rely on your own judgment in determining which web hosting provider best meets your unique needs by offering you the most comfort and reliable assistance possible. If you do so, you will enjoy completing any customer service survey that comes your way.

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