This is the most common source of confusion in client relationships, so it is worth stating plainly. Support fixes things that are broken. New work builds or changes things that were never there.
Support
Support covers a delivered feature that has stopped working the way it was specified and accepted. Examples:
- The contact form was delivering enquiries and now it is not.
- A page that displayed correctly now shows a layout fault after a browser or plugin update.
- The site is down, slow to the point of being unusable, or throwing server errors.
- SSL, DNS or email delivery on a service we host has stopped functioning.
New work
New work is anything that changes scope. Examples:
- Adding a page, section, form field, language or integration that was not in the original build.
- Redesigning a page that works correctly but that you want to look different.
- Adding a payment gateway, booking system or membership area to a site built without one.
- Bulk content changes, new product catalogues or migrations of data from another system.
The grey area
Some requests sit between the two. A feature that technically works but was misunderstood during the build is usually handled as a fix. A feature that works exactly as specified but no longer suits your business is a change request. We will tell you which category we place a request in and why, before any billable work starts.
How new work is handled
Raise it in the portal like any other request. We assess it, and either draw it from your maintenance plan hours if you hold one, or send a quotation for approval. Nothing chargeable begins without your written go ahead.
If you are unsure which side a request falls on, describe it and ask. Reply to your email thread or contact [email protected].
