I have never really been a fan of Godaddy. I don’t really enjoy anything about their site and they always seem to try and sell me things I don’t need. That has been my past feelings about the hosting and domain website. Recently, my focus has shifted slightly.
My company has been designing a new web site for a local Indianapolis company. They have had some trouble with some IT companies in the past and just hired a new company called KSM Business Technology here in Indianapolis. Needless to say it has been a little hectic trying to find the information for the hosting of their site.
Here is how my conversation went with the new company.
Briiinnnngggg.. Briiiiiinnnnnnnnggg.. Briiiinnnnnnggggg. click.
Him: “Hullo?”
Me: “Is this —–?”
Him: “Yah.”
Me: “ummm..Can you help me with ______ account?”
Him: “I don’t know.. I think _____ handles that one.”
Me: “……. I’m trying to upload a new site for one of your clients and I can’t get a hold of anyone to give me hosting information.”
Him: “Hold on………………………………………………”
Him. “We don’t control the hosting on that account. That is done by ______. Did you call him”
Me: “Yes. 4 times”
Him: “Well. Did you leave a message?”
Me: “Yes. 4 Times”
Him: “Well… Try again. After we were bought out he is the only one that controls hosting on some of our account.”
Me. “….Great”
I was furious. Not only did “him” sound like he had just taken a bucket of grease and swallowed it but he didn’t give a crap about what I needed and apparently neither did the company that owned the hosting, Digitech. Do you think I will ever use that company? For anything? No. Guess who is going to hear about it? Everyone in INDIANAPOLIS.
I called Godaddy and was picked up in the first 2 mins of the call. The girl on the other end spent 20 mins helping me try and find out where the site was hosted. She actually tried to find where the IP was routed. GoDaddy wasn’t getting the business from me but genuinely wanted to help me.
I still have not received a call from the guy that controls hosting for this website.
When you (the local company) can not give the quality of customer service that a massive global company can master….. you are screwed.
And when you go out of business…
You can blame it on the economy. You can blame it on bad employees. You can even blame it on a server crash.
But guess what? A multi-billion dollar company just worked their butt off to gain my business and you didn’t… THAT is the problem.
Hazel Walker
Word or Mouth Marketing is ALWAYS Working. For one it was negative and the other it was positive. As consumers we need to be more vocal about how we are treated.
I love the way you have called them out. I never hesitate to call a bad company out. When we as consumers refuse to name who treats us poorly then we leave other innocent bystanders vulnerable to being victimized by the same company.
GREAT POST Kyle.
Justin Bryant
Kyle, the BIGGEST problem in society today is service. It’s like we have become accustomed to just dealing with it. I believe that most business issues revolve around this simple concept. It takes a long time to earn a customer that believes and trusts you but only seconds to lose that same customer. Human nature after being disrespected, is to spread that humility in the most basic form of word-of-mouth advertising.
When someone actually provides service it seems that they are so confused by what’s occurred that they actually don’t process it for a while!!
Oddly enough, every company will say their biggest point of difference is service. My question is- Is that good or bad service?
Josep T. Dager
Kyle, relax! It is Christmas! Remember that ever and never are strong words.
You are right, though. If we turn are lights on in the morning, we are expected to bring the best we have to give. Jeers and Cheers, appropriately.
Brandon Coon
WHAT? Wait you’re telling me that customer service’s job is to take care of the customer? What a novel idea. And I think it’s everyone in the company’s job to take care of the customer.
In the age of globalization, small businesses have few competitive advantages and service is the biggest. You’re exactly right in saying that if a small business cant serve their customers as well as an internet giant, they’re screwed.
Grayce
The customer service you describe for GoDaddy is typical for them. I have used them for more than 10 years now, and have always received friendly, prompt, knowledgeable service from them. I’ve worked with some of my client’s hosting services in the past, and I haven’t yet found anyone that compares in the customer service department.
Adam Helweh
Excellent post Kyle. Keep us informed if anyone actually takes the time to respond to this.