What unquestionably sets HostGator apart from other web hosts is, and will always be, our Customer Service. Customer Service is a dynamic term, and arguably a dying art form; I thought it might be interesting to discuss what it means in it’s various forms. Being a fundamentally abstract concept, it’s defined and interpreted in multiple (and sometimes even conflicting) ways, even redefined at a moments notice. In other words, Customer Service can mean different things to different people… at different times. What does Customer Service mean to you?
I suppose the most well worn phrase pertaining to this topic would simply be: “The Customer Is Always Right.”
For this blog post, I’m going theorize that HostGator has the level of Customer Service that we do simply because the Customer isn’t necessarily always right; that fact being key to what keeps us so closely engaged with our Customers. If our Customers knew everything all of the time, then what use would they have for us? In a way, our jobs depend on the Customer being wrong, at least some of the time. Fortunately, we Gators are a helpful kind and truly enjoy working with you.
I feel like I should quantify the statement “the Customer isn’t necessarily always right” with at least one quick, specific example: WordPress plugins. Plugins are fun and easy to install, but they come with a price. It’s not an uncommon occurrence for an overly-plugin’d WordPress install on our Shared environment to be consuming an inordinate amount of system resources, particularly when coupled with a large surge in traffic. Many plugins are doing significantly more behind the scenes that one may realize, with regard to system resources. This circumstance can, in extreme cases, even result in an account becoming automatically suspended on the server for exceeding the maximum allowed resources for the given cPanel, completely due to excessive plugins. When this happens, the Customer can become understandably upset regarding the suspension, though once we explain the cause and assist with scaling back the installed plugins, then all is well. It’s more or less a case of us fundamentally correcting an improper course of action taken by our Customer. While we’re on this subject, remember: the less plugins, the better.
I cannot stress enough the fact that we enjoy assisting our Customers. The vast majority of our staff eagerly awaits troublesome issues, because those issues are an opportunity for us to learn, ourselves. We don’t always immediately know everything, all the time; no one does. But our ingrained Customer Service values will result in us never letting you see us sweat, even if we’re pouring through Google and querying any gurus throughout the office on a quest to answer your question, or fix your problem as quickly as humanly possible.
We pride ourselves on this aspect of our business and it truly sets the tone for our daily operations. For us, Customer Service isn’t necessarily the Customer always being “right,” but it is an ever-expanding process of serving our Customers in such a way as to always exceed their expectations, in every way possible.
Our Customer Service Department sets the proverbial bar in this industry, constantly going above and beyond to better serve you. When we next speak on this topic, I’ll discuss some of the things those folks do and some more points on exactly how our entire company is built upon a foundation of Customer Service.
In the meantime, we’d like to hear from you. Leave us a comment letting us know what Customer Service means to you.
