Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Query about Customer Support

Options
  • 05-11-2008 11:51pm
    #1
    the-macho-man
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭


    Hi guys, 1st post!

    I have been making a few small sites over the past year part-time and am wondering about providing customer support/site maintence for those websites and how to clearly define it...

    Before I make a site for someone, I usually give them a quote that includes maintenance/support for 1 year. I don't really specify what it is but to me it's providing minor upgrades (logo changes, minor feature additions/changes, ....) but not changing content (The CMS is for that).

    What confuses me however is: once you develop and deliver a site and DONT provide a maintenance package, is the business relationship between you and your customer over? This is bothering me now because my first site is nearing the end of its "maintenance" year and I'm wondering what to do.

    I would be very interested in hearing what other developers provide for their customers after the job is done.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Solarpitch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 98 ✭✭Solarpitch


    Hi,

    I generally draft up a small contract for the client for when it goes live. It specifies the type of maintenance and support that will be provided on a yearly basis. This can differ from site to site depending on the scale and functionality.

    Things like graphic changes, addition of new pages, functionality modifications would all be in the contract as things that would be charged on a per hour basis. So if the client wanted 2 of these changes made over a month and it took 6 hours... id bill the customer €120 at the end of the month.

    I provide support on a 9 - 6 basis where I can be contacted via phone... outside of these time I may be contacted via email and this is clearly layed out in the contract. I dont really need to provide support tho... the only time a problem will go wrong that is urgently important is a problem with the hosting company.

    I also charge around €300 a year which will cover any dealing with the hosting company, on site call outs for training or demonstrations, hosting, domain registration etc etc.

    Thats just a quick overview of how I handle it. Like I said... it's fairly dynamic in this game because a contract for one site might not work for another... depending on the purpose, functionality and scale of the site itself


  • Options
    #3
    Bob the Builder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭Bob the Builder


    Just let the client know that the year of free/complimentary support, is over, but for a reduced cost you'd be happy to carry on work into the future...


  • Options
    #4
    pauldiv
    Registered Users Posts: 197 ✭✭pauldiv


    I agree with most what was said above.

    You supported the client in the year after the site was published and that arrangement meant peace of mind for the client and extra income for yourself. On busy years the client gets most from the deal and on quiet years you get more pay for less work.

    If you have yearly agreements, where both parties are clearly aware that there is no obligation to automatically renew the contract, then this arrangement will help ensure that there is a get out for anyone who feels like it after the year is up. It ensures that no party takes anything for granted.

    Adopting some standard practices that are fair to you and your clients might help keep things transparent.

    What is a maintenance contract? Maintanance covers the public availability of the web site and any technical probems that arise on the server. It is an insurance policy for the client whereby you are agreeing to fix any technical issues related to the server or latent problems with site design.

    By design I mean issues that were missed during testing and not changes to the site per se. Layout changes, graphics, extra copy, new pages etc would all be billable separately on an hourly rate. If you set your stall out and make it clear what is in the maintencance contract then you know when to bill by the hour.

    It would be interesting if someone could add more on the subject of maintenance contracts and what they cover.


  • Options
    #5
    the-macho-man
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭the-macho-man


    Thanks guys - you're helping me understand the whole thing.

    So, usually after a site is complete, developers offer a basic maintenance plan (fixed annual price).
    • Hosting
    • Domain
    • Ensuring the site remains live
    • On site call-outs/training
    But anything else like feature requests/updates are charged at an hourly rate.

    Would you think this should be a monthly charge or annual?


Advertisement