Benefits
This article is intended to give you a brief overview of the benefits of our Customer Support Portal - powered by WHMCS. If you are interested, you can read more about WHMCS by visiting their website at www.whmcs.com.
Support
From the client area, you can:
Keep Us Informed Of Changes
View and update your contact details. This is important to us and you as it ensures our communication runs smoothly.
Raise Support Tickets - Must Read
Right now, you raise your support queries by sending us an email(existing customers). Whilst this is very easy to do, it is also very easy to loose track of for both us and you. You'll be pleased to know that you can continue to raise support issues this way if you whis but you now also have the choice to raise more detailed support requests via an on-line support form. We would ask you to use the support form in preference to using the mail in method if at all possible as it ensures the support requests gets to the right support person very quickly.For those quick but important issues you can send an email to us which will automatically raise a support ticket in the system for you. Responses from us will be sent directly to your registered email account, but you will however need to login to the Client Area to see the complete email chain in one place.
Send support requests emails to support@silicondesigns.co.uk rather than to any one individuals email account.
Support Tickets History
You will now be able to see all of your support tickets in one place including the history behind each issue including the necessary resolution to those pesky how do I's. (no more searching through tons of unrelated emails)Email Exchange History
View the complete history of email exchanges with us in one place (again, no more searching through lots of unrelated emails just to find one key piece of information)Knowledge Base
Browse or search our knowledge base for help and support on all aspects of your website solution with us (note this area is still only populated)Downloads
Browse our download section for useful downloads (note this is area is still only partially populated)
Announcements - Must Read
Probably the most important section of the customer portal from a support perspective. In this section, you will be able to see urgent and important announcements that might affect your website services with us. Please also look at the Server Status feature below in conjunction with this item.
Notes on usage:
Depending on the severity of the incident, you may be alerted to the issue by use of a text to your mobile phone. If you do not want us to alert you this way, please let us know otherwise we will assume you are happy to receive these messages.- The SiliconDESIGNS Customer Portal is hosted on a separate server to that of our own website and customers websites allowing us to continue to support you if our dedicated customer server is unavailable.
- Will only be used for major incidents affecting all of our customers. Examples of this might be data centre connectivity issues, server issues, global Email issues e.t.c.
- It will be used exclusively to keep customers updated as to the status of major incidents. We will no longer be phoning customers individually as as we have done in the past.
- Each incident will contain an initial advice followed by updates at significant points of interest, followed eventually by a closure statement with an explanation if known at that time. Individual explanations to customers will not be sent.
- If you experience a loss of website visibility or experience email issues for more than a few minutes, you should check this page to see if an incident has been raised. If it hasn't and you have checked to make sure that are able to see other websites other than your own, go ahead and raise a support ticket with us in the first instance.On the very rare times when we experience wide spread server or email problems, our main priority is to:
- advise you as quickly as possible that there is a problem so that you can take appropriate actions if needed
- work with our service providers to ensure a swift resolution to that problem minimising the impact to you
- keep you updated as significant points in the life of the incidentWe believe that careful and considered use of the announcements feature will allow us to do just that. We hope you agree and we ask that you follow the guidelines above where possible.
Server Status
If the lights are green, you know both servers are all working ok so if you are experiencing website visibility/connectivity issues, it may well be a local issue to you.Billing
Existing customers with hosting & support agreements in place prior to 1/7/07 will only have the hosting & support element of their billing migrated to the new system. Therefore, historic invoicing will not be available for viewing.
New customers with in-flight projects as at 1/7/07 will also only have the hosting & support element of their billing migrated to the new system. Therefore, historic invoicing will not be available for viewing.New customers who have joined us after 1/7/07 and who have signed up with us via the Customer Portal will have both development and hosting and support billing available from the system. If in doubt, please ring us.
Order New Products
You can order new products and services from us from the client area without having to speak to us (but we still want you to call us though)
View & Pay Unpaid Invoices
This is our favourite!. In the past, invoice generation and management has been a manual process but the move to WHMCS almost entirely automates the process for us and you. Note: invoices raised prior to 1.7.07 will not be available.
View Your Invoice History
View paid, unpaid & cancelled invoices at any time. Note: invoices raised prior to 1.7.07 may not be available
Download PDF Invoices
Download a copy of your invoices anytime. Note: invoices raised prior to 1.7.07 may not be available
View Active Services
A complete list of the services you have with us for which you are being billed. Note: invoices raised prior to 1.7.07 may not be available
Request Cancellations
We don't want you to - but if you must, you can cancel any of your services at any time.Thanks for taking the time to read this article and feel free to call us if you have any questions or concerns over its use.
Neil Lewis
SiliconDESIGNS