We’re living in a society!
Supposedly we here in the United States are living in a service economy. Our primary product is service. So why is it so hard to get even decent service, in any circumstances?
I left my previous web host because the tech support, such as it was, was surly and rude. Now I choose a new host, and I’m on the phone with them for three days trying to get them to properly set up the account, which should have been done in the first place.
For example, I called them when I found out that the statistics on the new account weren’t working (just one of many setup problems I’ve had). I was told in a flat affectless voice, “Stats aren’t set up on that account yet.” Why not? “On other servers, the stats are set up automatically.” So on this one, you just assume people don’t need stats? Why should I have to call and specifically ask for you to do something basic like this?
Of course, this lack of service isn’t just in the tech industry. Restaurants, utility companies, financial institutions are all pretty dismal. But I’m amazed that it’s so hard to find a decent web host with support people who don’t treat you like a nasty interruption in their day, and can get an account set up without a ridiculous amount of hand-holding.
(I have to take this opportunity, though, to plug HostingMatters, the fantastic hosting company Xkot works for. They set up both an account for a client and a small account for me so I can fool around with PHP and Movable Type, and they’ve been wonderful. If I didn’t need something they don’t offer (Cold Fusion), I’d move everything over to them in a heartbeat.)
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences with the CF hosts. Thanks for the plug, too. We aren’t perfect, but we do our best, which sadly is more than a lot of hosts out there.
HM rocks. I’ve yet to have a support experience with them that made me feel less than wildly enthusiastic about them.
Hmmm… I was just thinking about relocating.[wandering off to check out HM…]
I would recommend He.net or Cornerhost.com if you didn’t need CF. Time to learn PHP and migrate. Then you can hack your .htaccess file and still use .cfm extension or redirect it.