MSN Support to be discontinued from 13th May 2007 - UK Web Hosting | Dedicated Server Windows and Linux VPS Forum

**eUKhost.com** · #1 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 20:57

Our senior staff members are loosing their important time on MSN and customers on MSN continue conversation for long time.

Our technical support will remain focussed on Helpdesk, Livechat and Phones only. There wont be any MSN or AIM support henceforth.

**flesso** · #2 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 20:59

I thought the senior staff members only worked through helpdesk, and that it was only normal support people on MSN?

Oh well, I'll miss MSN support.

**esnail** · #3 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 21:34

that's a real shame - when support tickets are slow to respond - or the forum for that matter - MSN provided a link with support staff so that at least you didn't feel alone. I'll miss it.

**247h** · #4 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by eukhost.com

...Our technical support will remain focussed on Helpdesk, Livechat and Phones only. There wont be any MSN or AIM support henceforth.

This is very poor and I wonder what the real motives are for this? As already pointed out, we've been told in the past that senior staff members don't operate there and I have never knowingly been communicating with one — that is in itself somewhat of a joke because there's been no way that we customers have known who we've been talking to and your team never openly volunteers their identities unless pushed hard to do so!

But from a customer's point-of-view there is one very distinct advantage of using MSN or AIM that is not provided in telecons or on Livechat — we have a log of the conversations, or looked at another way, means to corroborate what's been said to us in sessions for when you contest something (as you sometimes do) or we need to remind ourselves of what you've said you'd do and haven't etc.

So apart from emailing Support you'd rather we make all our grievances and problems public in this forum then Mark? That will at least treble your daily workload and demonstrate that hosting life is not always as rosy as this forum suggests it is with eUK ...

**Hallief3** · #5 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by flesso

I thought the senior staff members only worked through helpdesk, and that it was only normal support people on MSN?

Fair point lol

Live Chat will still be there, and even though you may be losing out on a couple of support options, it allows it to be focused more on the helpdesk and livechat which in the long term should be faster problem resolutions.

Only time will tell how effective this change is

**eUKhost.com** · #6 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 22:28

its difficult for us to track what goes on MSN as we cannot assign someone to read all MSN transcripts. We have to centralize our support and keep a track of things.

We are running short of people on helpdesk and we cannot afford to loose quality of support from helpdesk. someone working on MSN takes close to 30 minutes to resolve any small technical problem while it takes 1 - 2 minutes max to sort that problem in form of a ticket.

Volume of tickets has increased recently and we cannot afford to make our response time like other hosting companies. We have to take this decision to improve quality of support with growing customer base.

We are hiring people as per our growth but you cannot expect every new staff member to come and start doing 50 tickets a day.

**DPS Computing** · #7 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 23:37

Just as a note, you can save a log of a LiveChat session, when you click "End Chat" it gives you the option to copy the transcript to an e-mail address, so there should be no problems from that point of view.

Personally I have never used the MSN or AIM chat, I have always used LiveChat or tickets so I won't really know what I am missing out on!! Therefore I cannot really comment whether this change is for the better or worse.

But if it makes support faster and response to problems faster surly it can only be better?

**eUKhost.com** · #8 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 00:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPS Computing

But if it makes support faster and response to problems faster surely it can only be better?

This change is to improve support so few customers will need to get out of MSN comfort. Its time for customers to understand that we need to provide support to many customers and it is difficult for our people to answer everyone on MSN. AIM can be opened on multiple machines but 1 MSN account can be handled by 1 person only.

If we think of making separate MSN account each support staff then there wont be anyone to answer tickets.

**Jack** · #9 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 06:19

This is a good decision taken by Mark. This will reduce the time spend on chats and will allow support staff to concentrate more on Helpdesk, Livechat and Phones. This will definitely increase the quality of service and support which is the main concern.

**flesso** · #10 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by eukhost.com

This change is to improve support so few customers will need to get out of MSN comfort. Its time for customers to understand that we need to provide support to many customers and it is difficult for our people to answer everyone on MSN. AIM can be opened on multiple machines but 1 MSN account can be handled by 1 person only.

If we think of making separate MSN account each support staff then there wont be anyone to answer tickets.

There are a few libraries out there which can alter the MSN port and allow you to have one MSN account open on multiple machines, and which let the chats be spread out accross operators, as long as all machines work via some proxy. Do you think that this could be a sustainable idea to keep MSN support going?

**borninblood** · #11 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 10:40

I never liked the MSN support anyway.

**DPS Computing** · #12 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 13:56

Everyone has access to LiveChat via the main eUKhost website anyway, so I don't see there being much of a problem. If the support is concentrated in one area rather than spread thinly surly this means improvements in support which can only be good for us all!

**DavidAllen** · #13 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 15:58

I must say i usually find MSN chats with support quite frustrating - they more often than not they end up with a request to raise a ticket anyway.
However it was useful for fairly simple things.

**DPS Computing** · #14 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidAllen

I must say i usually find MSN chats with support quite frustrating - they more often than not they end up with a request to raise a ticket anyway.
However it was useful for fairly simple things.

Very true about the having to raise a ticket ultimately issue. There really isn't a need to provide MSN, AIM and LiveChat support is there? Not when everyone has access to LiveChat without having to have an MSN / AIM account or download and install any special software.

**eUKhost.com** · #15 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidAllen

I must say i usually find MSN chats with support quite frustrating - they more often than not they end up with a request to raise a ticket anyway.
However it was useful for fairly simple things.

No one likes to answer n number of customers through MSN. It makes life difficult as someone will message for some problem now and then he will return again in 30 minutes. Most of the times shift changes when customers return and they get frustrated as they are requested to explain the problem once again.

Many customers message me as well on MSN and I get frustrated when they take my hours to get their problem sorted. I know that their problem could have been sorted in 1 minute if they had opened a ticket for me but some customers expect everything to be sorted on MSN and they threaten to cancel their account if proper assistance is not offered.

Last time someone mentioned that they refer customers to eUKhost as they tell their friends that eUKhost has got 24x7 MSN support and that statement made me rethink about my decision to discontinue MSN but now our people are not able to handle MSN and 1 shift of 8 hours becomes huge frustration on MSN.

I would like to reassure you that this change is for improving quality of our support and you have my word on that.

**Hallief3** · #16 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by eukhost.com

Most of the times shift changes when customers return and they get frustrated as they are requested to explain the problem once again.

Yeh, that happened a lot

Quote:

Originally Posted by eukhost.com

Many customers message me as well on MSN and I get frustrated when they take my hours to get their problem sorted. I know that their problem could have been sorted in 1 minute if they had opened a ticket for me but some customers expect everything to be sorted on MSN and they threaten to cancel their account if proper assistance is not offered.

I think they just know with your msn Mark its always you and that adds a personal touch. You may say you get that with live chat but its more uniform.

**eUKhost.com** · #17 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hallief3

I think they just know with your msn Mark its always you and that adds a personal touch. You may say you get that with live chat but its more uniform.

I have no problem in helping if I am asked to get an update for them for some ticket but when I am expected to sort any technical problem customers are reluctant to open a ticket then I feel uncomfortable.

My job is to look into Sales and Marketing and that makes me more comfortable. I have expertise on Linux Servers and I can solve any technical problem on Linux servers but that job doesn't pay as much as Sales & Marketing

**DPS Computing** · #18 (**permalink**) 13-05-2007, 16:19

LiveChat can be quite personal as well as MSN. Although I understand your point, after using LiveChat a few times you get to know the people working on LiveChat - and they are very helpful and friendly in dealing with your problems!

**Morledge** · #19 (**permalink**) 13-05-2007, 20:35

I used MSN alot, as I found it the quickest way for my solutions to be solved. I did initially try to use Live Chat but had no end of problems where, I would login start a conversation then something would happen as I would just stop getting resposnes. I know you have upgraded your live chat and have not used that yet so do not know if it has similar issue's.

I do not blame eUKHost for removing it as I can see that it would take up alot of resource, but lets just hope the support quality does not fall.

On a side note, I have tried to get into live chat, 3 times this evening and each time it has not worked, I hope this is not a sign of things to come. All I get is "Internet Explorer cannot display page"

**DPS Computing** · #20 (**permalink**) 13-05-2007, 21:06

I have successfully managed to use LiveChat today so it could be a local problem at your end - or maybe it was just a bit busy when you tried?

If anything the quality of support should go up, Morledge, as they can now concentrate their support through the tickets and LiveChat rather than being spread more thinly over tickets, LiveChat and MSN.