Web hosts live and die by the support response time sword. This one thing alone can make or break any web host. While providing the best support is often a weight carried mostly on the back of your web host, there are things you can do (as a hosting client) to speed up the time it takes to get your web hosting problems fixed.
Let me share with you my tips on how you can faster web hosting support, with any web host out there on the planet.
There are three central points you need to make when you contact your web host when you notice a problem with your web site.
- Verification
- Details About the Problem
- What You Have Done to Troubleshoot the Problem
I can guarantee you that if you include these three things in your e-mail or help desk ticket to support, you will get a faster resolution to your problem.
Verification
The reason verification is important is because every web host wants to make sure they are talking with the account owner or somebody that has the authorization to give the thumbs up to them mucking around with the website to fix the problem. Always include your primary domain name on the account, your first and last name, and whatever the web host uses most often for verification. This can sometimes be the last four digits of the credit card you have on record, the first and last digits of your password or some security question like, “What is your mother’s maiden name?”. If you are unsure, it might be a good time now to check with your web host to see how they handle account verification when support issues come up.
Details
Next, you want to include the details about the problem. Do not just write, “I can’t see my website, fix it!”. Give exact details about the problem. Include details like:
- Exact Error Message You Got
- What Time Did the Error Happen
- What Changes Did You Make Prior to the Problem
- What Scripts and Services are You Running
Think of it as reporting a crime to the police. You do not just tell police, “Hey, a guy stole my wallet”. You tell them where your wallet was stolen, what your wallet looks like, what the thief was wearing, and more. The more details police have about the situation, the faster they can find the guy who robbed you. The same could be said for giving information to a web hosting support team, so they can fix your problem.
Troubleshooting
Now, this last nugget of information is one that is often overlooked by many when discussing problems with a web hosting support team. What have you done on your own to troubleshoot a problem. You want to make a list of things you have tried to fix the problem, so the web host does not turn around and suggest things for you to try that you have already tried. Make it clear that you have already tried to do this, that and the other, so they can be eliminated as solutions to the problem. This helps the web hosting support team to narrow down the issue causing the problem and the troubleshooting steps needed to be taken to find the problem. Rather than tell you to do A, B and C – you have already done A and B, so they only have to suggest C now.
They key thing to remember when contacting any support team is that information is the most important thing you can provide. Remember to always verify you are the account owner, give details about the problem, and tell them what you have done to fix the problem. This will make for shorter back and forth conversation with a web hosting support team and will lead to your problem being fixed faster.
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