Preferred protocol for contacting support?

Peter

Just curious about Smugmug's preferred protocol for contacting support.

I have seen some posts in this forum where the response to a question includes "send support an email . . .". While I can see that at times it's necessary to do that based on the problems encountered, is there a preference for the Smugmug team? I understand that it's likely best not to post questions in the support forum while at the very same time sending the same questions via email. That would just double the work for the same issue . . .

So would it be safe to assume that urgent and complex problems be sent to support via email and "not such a panic" questions be posted on the Support Forum?

It's early and my fuzzy brain just needed to know

Peter

Kirk Watts

Email
From my experience so far, email is probably the best if an individual specifically wants help from Smugmug staff, as I suspect it's easier for the Smugmug team to keep track of the individuals problem and there's probably more resource thrown at the email side of things. Email is individual, guaranteed, dedicated, Smugmug support as I see it.

On the forum, everyone can chip in, but it's easier for things to get lost in the tornado of posts that might come.

Saying that, I think the Smugmug team really put all the effort they can in to assisting their customers, wherever the cry for help might come from.

Andy

GREAT and Timely Topic

1. Email to Our Support Heroes is fastest, always. It's also trackable, loggable, searchable. It's for any sort of help at all, really. But if you write there asking for advanced customizing help, or help with certain 3rd party apps (like the Lightroom Uploader Plugin, for example, we may direct you back here to Dgrin.

If there's personal info, or if it's a unique sort of case, we'll direct you to our heroes at the help desk.

2. Dgrin here is great for stuff that many can benefit from: "How do I add keywords" or "Help me understand the arrange tool" and the like. It's also the place, in the Customizing Forum, for ALL THINGS customization. Why? We have an army of helpers, both from SmugMug and our community here. The forum is best for this stuff, because you aren't the only person needing help for 'how do I hide the breadcrumb' or 'Can you help me make my box backgrounds chartruese?'

We also use Dgrin to stimulate and foster discussion about potential or planned features, and about new features. Also Bug Reporting and Feature Requests (both of which you're welcome to email us with as well - either way!).

We also monitor Get Satisfaction!, Twitter and Facebook, Linked In, and even Myspace! We want to be whereevery our customers are

The challenge, of course, is that with so many routes, it can be confusing, we're actually working on a page for our website that will lay all this out. In fact, I was discussing it with Help Mistress Anne this morning. Expect her here shortly, and she'll want your help!

Peter

Andy wrote:

GREAT and Timely Topic

1. Email to Our Support Heroes is fastest, always. It's also trackable, loggable, searchable. It's for any sort of help at all, really. But if you write there asking for advanced customizing help, or help with certain 3rd party apps (like the Lightroom Uploader Plugin, for example, we may direct you back here to Dgrin.

If there's personal info, or if it's a unique sort of case, we'll direct you to our heroes at the help desk.

2. Dgrin here is great for stuff that many can benefit from: "How do I add keywords" or "Help me understand the arrange tool" and the like. It's also the place, in the Customizing Forum, for ALL THINGS customization. Why? We have an army of helpers, both from SmugMug and our community here. The forum is best for this stuff, because you aren't the only person needing help for 'how do I hide the breadcrumb' or 'Can you help me make my box backgrounds chartruese?'

We also use Dgrin to stimulate and foster discussion about potential or planned features, and about new features. Also Bug Reporting and Feature Requests (both of which you're welcome to email us with as well - either way!).

We also monitor Get Satisfaction!, Twitter and Facebook, Linked In, and even Myspace! We want to be whereevery our customers are

The challenge, of course, is that with so many routes, it can be confusing, we're actually working on a page for our website that will lay all this out. In fact, I was discussing it with Help Mistress Anne this morning. Expect her here shortly, and she'll want your help!

Very interesting read Andy. Never realized the support team also monitored other sites for feedback or assessing users' thoughts about Smugmug.

Support is obviously a huge focus for Smugmug. That is a great thing of course but with so many avenues for information it can be confusing for first timers. It would be handy to see a mini flow chart showing the best ways to get support and under what circumstances would be the preferred approach. So I think your idea of specific webpage, like a Smugmug Support Map, would be super!

One thing that would also help is a paragraph or two on how to use Dgrin for seeking answers. Specifically, how to do a proper search across the forums with tips on use of proper wording and pharses.

I've been with Smugmug since 2004 and now that I am getting serious with my album and looking into selling photos, it really helps to undestand the support structure within Smugmug. And in that understanding I will be not be wasting too much of my time, nor that of the support team, when looking for answers

Thanks,

Peter

Andy

Peter wrote:

Very interesting read Andy. Never realized the support team also monitored other sites for feedback or assessing users' thoughts about Smugmug.

Support is obviously a huge focus for Smugmug. That is a great thing of course but with so many avenues for information it can be confusing for first timers. It would be handy to see a mini flow chart showing the best ways to get support and under what circumstances would be the preferred approach. So I think your idea of specific webpage, like a Smugmug Support Map, would be super!

One thing that would also help is a paragraph or two on how to use Dgrin for seeking answers. Specifically, how to do a proper search across the forums with tips on use of proper wording and pharses.

I've been with Smugmug since 2004 and now that I am getting serious with my album and looking into selling photos, it really helps to undestand the support structure within Smugmug. And in that understanding I will be not be wasting too much of my time, nor that of the support team, when looking for answers

Thanks,

Peter

not much to say, try both the google custom search and the dgrin search... what are your thoughts?

Peter

Andy wrote:

not much to say, try both the google custom search and the dgrin search... what are your thoughts?

I was referring to terminology more than anything else. In a sense, understanding more accurately what someone is looking for, would give better search results. Anyone new to all the features of SmugMug may not be familiar with all the terminologies that are used for such features as customization. There are people that are so new to computing and hosting their pictures that even uploading vs downloading can cause misunderstanding.

If there was a short reference list of terminologies, it may help with narrowing down searches when proper wording is used in a search.

I know that throughout Smugmug there are references to the following: CSS, HTML, Themes, Categories, Subcategories, Stretchy, Web Hosting, etc. But it would handy to have a brief description on one single page. Something that quickly says, “what is CSS, what is Stretchy, and so on . . . Don’t know if I’m making sense , but it’s been a very busy day!

I really need to get out and take some pictures. . . . lol

Peter