When we first set up our Twitter account (@HeartInternet), we made a conscious decision not to use it as a support channel. Instead, we decided to focus on discussions, links, contests and announcements that provide value for all our followers.

Other companies have decided to take another approach and offer customer support via Twitter, all to varying degrees. Some make a token effort and promise to chase a ticket whilst others have a dedicated team and fully integrate it into their processes.To help clarify our approach to using Twitter we’d like to explain why we have no plans to use it as a customer support mechanism.

Why don’t you offer support via Twitter?

There are plenty of reasons why we don’t offer Twitter support, including:

The 140 character limit

Security and data protection

It’s not Twitter’s purpose

Details are sparse

What are the benefits of raising a support ticket?

When you raise a ticket, your question or issue can be passed on to the person best positioned to help you. You can refer back to any instructions or advice you’ve previously been given, and our support team can see what’s already been said – all from an easily accessible place.

Our support team is the biggest in the company, and we prefer to have plenty of people on hand to assist you rather than one or two support staff trying to cram answers into tweets to multiple customers, with company announcements and blog links thrown into the mix as well.

But surely Twitter is the fastest way to get in touch?

We know that social media, particularly Twitter, is commonly considered a way to get in touch with companies fast. But as we specifically don’t cut corners when it comes to existing customers, our support team is a faster and more efficient way to get technical answers.

Put it this way – you can reach us on Twitter between 9am and 5:30pm Monday to Friday, or you can reach our support team at any time of day or night every day of the year. Your question won’t be left hanging for days; it will be replied to within minutes.

Who’s behind your Twitter account if it’s not the support team then?

The Heart Internet twitter account is handled by ‘us marketing people’, who are also responsible for Heart Internet on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, most of these blog entries and various other lovely marketing things.Whilst we’re from reasonably techy backgrounds, we don’t have the extensive knowledge and experience that our tech support and system admins have, so we aren’t in the best position to answer your specific technical queries.

On the other hand, we’re happy to discuss the latest things happening in the web industry, run contests and special promotions, tell you about what’s new, take a look at a website or design you’re proud of and even talk about biscuits and zombies. Pretty much anything goes, so feel free to suggest a topic for the blog or tell us about a great tool you’ve found.

Can’t you just try to answer my question on Twitter?

Many of the people who follow us on Twitter are interested in hearing about the latest Heart Internet updates, new features, what’s new on the blog, contests, industry news and so on. We respect that, so we don’t want to force them into reading a stream of back-and-forth support messages involving other people. We’d prefer to get involved in discussions, post links to interesting things and tell you our latest news instead. And we really don’t want to spam your timeline.

On the very rare occasion that you may have a problem logging into your account to raise a ticket, then by all means send us a tweet and we’ll get someone to help you out.

So, how do I raise a support ticket?

Simply fill out the form here and one of our support staff will get back to you straight away.

But what if I’m not sure whether my question needs a support ticket or not?

If you’re not sure about the best way to get in touch with us or if you have a general question, don’t be afraid to ask us on Twitter; we don’t bite and we’ll point you in the right direction. If you have a sales question, you can contact our sales team. Or, just raise a support ticket anyway!