Comments on: Up and Running http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/ A blog about our thoughts on entrepreneurship, teamwork, our services, the Web and anything we find interesting. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:26:59 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: IRIS still isn’t getting it « AccMan http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-29917 IRIS still isn’t getting it « AccMan Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:00:06 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-29917 [...] the face of a potential disaster, it is possible to satisfy customers. Look how Freshbooks handled what could have been a serious crisis. To put this in perspective: When I met CEO Mike McDerment last October, he said the registered [...] [...] the face of a potential disaster, it is possible to satisfy customers. Look how Freshbooks handled what could have been a serious crisis. To put this in perspective: When I met CEO Mike McDerment last October, he said the registered [...]

]]> By: On Writing: Managing disaster at Freshbooks, Dreamhost, Dancing Trees http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-26610 On Writing: Managing disaster at Freshbooks, Dreamhost, Dancing Trees Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:17:12 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-26610 [...] Freshbooks responds to downtime It’s easy to provide great service when things run smoothly. Handling problem situations is a much tougher — and often more important — test. Freshbooks’ Up and Running blog post is an example of how to do it right. [...] [...] Freshbooks responds to downtime It’s easy to provide great service when things run smoothly. Handling problem situations is a much tougher — and often more important — test. Freshbooks’ Up and Running blog post is an example of how to do it right. [...]

]]> By: AccMan / FreshBooks and Enterprise 2.0 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-19931 AccMan / FreshBooks and Enterprise 2.0 Sun, 22 Oct 2006 18:07:15 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-19931 [...] While at Office 2.0, I met with FreshBooks CEO, Mike McDerment. Readers might recall I really like Mike’s approach to SMB service organisations in his FreshBooks service. It goes without saying that Mike is one of the good guys, genuinely concerned to meet customer expectations and yet be open when things go pear-shaped. [...] [...] While at Office 2.0, I met with FreshBooks CEO, Mike McDerment. Readers might recall I really like Mike’s approach to SMB service organisations in his FreshBooks service. It goes without saying that Mike is one of the good guys, genuinely concerned to meet customer expectations and yet be open when things go pear-shaped. [...]

]]> By: David Braziel http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-14380 David Braziel Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:33:25 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-14380 Just want to agree with previous posters on the professional and open way you dealt with a difficult situation. Im an IT consultant so I know that 'stuff' happens and when complex IT systems fail its often very hard to work out why, or to give a good estimate of when they will be fixed. What sets a company apart is not their imunity to disaster but the way they handle themselves when the fat hits the shins. Keep up the good work Just want to agree with previous posters on the professional and open way you dealt with a difficult situation. Im an IT consultant so I know that ’stuff’ happens and when complex IT systems fail its often very hard to work out why, or to give a good estimate of when they will be fixed.

What sets a company apart is not their imunity to disaster but the way they handle themselves when the fat hits the shins.

Keep up the good work

]]> By: Reginald D http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-13521 Reginald D Sun, 03 Sep 2006 03:36:44 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-13521 Now this is what I like to see from a company! In business you have to be able to get back on your feet QUICKLY after being knocked down. The reparations you have given are suitable but one has to wonder why rackspace has been silent throughout this whole ordeal... or have I missed a blog from one of their technical representatives?? When a company such as Rackspace delivers a low blow to a company they do business with, they fully realize the negative impact goes down the chain. From my point of view, there are 3 links to the chain supporting my company. Rackspace - Freshbooks - Me. There exists a weak link in the chain. Now then, what will Freshbooks do to remedy this weak link? I have to admit that in business I am very tough. If this situation was not handled so gallantly by Freshbooks I would have taken my business elsewhere. Yet, I can not help but feel that Rackspace should step forward and provide reparations as well. Their behaviour is not acceptable, especially not for a well known company. For the past few days I have been livid but thankfully, most of my employees had been given substantial time off so drastic measures were not immediately taken on our part and we are still with Freshbooks. I await an official response from Rackspace. Now this is what I like to see from a company! In business you have to be able to get back on your feet QUICKLY after being knocked down. The reparations you have given are suitable but one has to wonder why rackspace has been silent throughout this whole ordeal… or have I missed a blog from one of their technical representatives??

When a company such as Rackspace delivers a low blow to a company they do business with, they fully realize the negative impact goes down the chain. From my point of view, there are 3 links to the chain supporting my company. Rackspace – Freshbooks – Me. There exists a weak link in the chain. Now then, what will Freshbooks do to remedy this weak link?

I have to admit that in business I am very tough. If this situation was not handled so gallantly by Freshbooks I would have taken my business elsewhere. Yet, I can not help but feel that Rackspace should step forward and provide reparations as well. Their behaviour is not acceptable, especially not for a well known company.

For the past few days I have been livid but thankfully, most of my employees had been given substantial time off so drastic measures were not immediately taken on our part and we are still with Freshbooks.

I await an official response from Rackspace.

]]> By: Jens http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-13398 Jens Sat, 02 Sep 2006 10:34:02 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-13398 I just want to ad my five cents. As a user that could have been affected, but luckily was not, I want to commend your team for openness and a very high level of information all the way. All in all, it lived up to the high standards we have all come to expect from Freshboks! All the best from Copenhagen, Jens I just want to ad my five cents. As a user that could have been affected, but luckily was not, I want to commend your team for openness and a very high level of information all the way. All in all, it lived up to the high standards we have all come to expect from Freshboks!
All the best from Copenhagen,
Jens

]]> By: Joe Vaccone http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-13287 Joe Vaccone Fri, 01 Sep 2006 18:45:59 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-13287 I think the least you can do is send us to a complementary trip to Disney World!! Thank you for your honestly.. How many web Companies say "It must of been your internet connect or they were not aware of any issues.." I think the least you can do is send us to a complementary trip to Disney World!!

Thank you for your honestly.. How many web Companies say “It must of been your internet connect or they were not aware of any issues..”

]]> By: Mike McDerment http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-13266 Mike McDerment Fri, 01 Sep 2006 16:05:22 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-13266 Steve - these are great questions. You can export your clients at any time (and import them as well for that matter). As for the rest of your data, exporting by CSV from the reports section is indeed a really good way to back things up. In particular the "Invoice Details" report would effectively give you all the details of all your invoices. That report coupled with your "Payment History" report would give you a complete snapshot on your receivables side. As for a "report [that] would create a comprehensive data [backup] that would allow a full restore", this is an interesting comment. If I may, I'd like to withhold further comment on it for the time being as we finalize our next steps. Thank you for posting. Steve – these are great questions.

You can export your clients at any time (and import them as well for that matter). As for the rest of your data, exporting by CSV from the reports section is indeed a really good way to back things up. In particular the “Invoice Details” report would effectively give you all the details of all your invoices. That report coupled with your “Payment History” report would give you a complete snapshot on your receivables side.

As for a “report [that] would create a comprehensive data [backup] that would allow a full restore”, this is an interesting comment. If I may, I’d like to withhold further comment on it for the time being as we finalize our next steps. Thank you for posting.

]]> By: Steve http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-13256 Steve Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:36:35 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-13256 Luckily it looks like I only added 1 customer that day and should be able to re-create that account with little effort. This causes me to think it would be a good idea if I could back up my own account, though I doubt I'd do it daily, I'd probably do it after adding new clients and right before and after the first of each month when all my recurring billing happens. Will the import/export functionality back up all my data, or just the clients? I see the Reports allows sending data to csv files, but which report would create a comprehensive data back that would allow a full restore? Thanks Steve Luckily it looks like I only added 1 customer that day and should be able to re-create that account with little effort.

This causes me to think it would be a good idea if I could back up my own account, though I doubt I’d do it daily, I’d probably do it after adding new clients and right before and after the first of each month when all my recurring billing happens.

Will the import/export functionality back up all my data, or just the clients? I see the Reports allows sending data to csv files, but which report would create a comprehensive data back that would allow a full restore?

Thanks
Steve

]]> By: Donna http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/update/comment-page-1/#comment-13245 Donna Fri, 01 Sep 2006 13:40:49 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/08/30/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men/#comment-13245 Thanks Daniel. I've already looked up the rest of preferences and account details and it looks good. Thanks Daniel. I’ve already looked up the rest of preferences and account details and it looks good.

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