How Could This Be Good? |

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How Could This Be Good?

By Jillian Wheeler | December 18, 2007

As you may know, I’m in the process of setting up the membership site for www.YourInternetCashMachine.com.

(That’s also the name of my new book with Joe Vitale, due out in January. If you haven’t yet done so, head over to the site and download the Free Sampler e-Book.)

New projects require new capabilities, so three weeks ago we began our big switch over to new servers. I had done extensive research, found recommendations, explored options, and settled on a server company. We began the process in the evening, to minimize disruption for our clients during the anticipated brief downtime.

Four days later, our sites were still down. We spent a total of eleven hours either on hold or talking to a series of seven different technical service representatives. As soon as one software problem was identified and addressed, another surfaced. The tech reps were largely clueless. When we asked (repeatedly) to speak to a supervisor, the reps would leave the phone for ten or twelve minutes, then return with new things to try, or new questions to ask. We never were connected to a supervisor.

Our offsite webmaster, who is highly experienced, attempted to upload our membership software. She was unsuccessful, and reported she couldn’t believe how poorly designed the company’s system is.

By the end of the fourth day, we gave up, despite having prepaid for a year’s service. We signed up with another company, and within hours, our sites were online. Server company #2’s technical reps were stellar. They helped us get the mess straightened out quickly and efficiently.

Our email, however, was inaccessible for nine days. That’s because we direct all our email through our servers and on to Google Apps. Some steps required by Google are buried deep within their instructional verbiage, and it took a lot of digging on the part of my husband, our technical wizard, to ferret them out and make it work.

My husband, Dempsey Wheeler, a.k.a. “Techno-guy”

This is an Internet business, so as you can imagine, that kind of downtime doesn’t make anybody – us or our customers – happy.

So how could any of this be good?

As a matter of fact, I do believe there are some positive aspects to this experience (and I admit it’s easier to identify them now that the worst is over).

First, I was helpless. Not my favorite position. But once I made peace with being helpless, I was able to relinquish my frantic need to be in control and fix things. Instead, I was able to pull back and make the appropriate tactical decisions, while letting the Universe assume control. I simply wrote down my desire (Our websites are fully functional. My email is fully functional. My business is protected.) and released my fear.

I teach this to other people all the time. This situation forced me to practice what I preach at a higher level than usual.

Second, when I publish my list of recommended resources on the new website, www.YourInternetCashMachine.com, you can bet I won’t be recommending server company #1.

If we hadn’t suffered through this experience, I would have blithely shared their name with hundreds or even thousands of readers, who potentially might have had a similar miserable result. Bad for my reputation, but even worse, profoundly discouraging for someone just starting out.

Now we have found a server company that’s been tested and found tried and true. Click here if you’re in the market for a good web host.

If you’d like to visit Dempsey’s music site, it’s at: www.DempseysMusic.com.

And if you’d like to email me, you can!

I’m back in business.

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