Introduction
This document describes the Cloud Commerce Group and Cloud Commerce Pro, for the purposes of this document, “Cloud Commerce” policy for the provision of Customer Support Services to its Clients. Cloud Commerce aims to provide a professional, timely and efficient approach to dealing with issues and requests connected with Cloud Commerce software. This policy is designed to ensure that our Clients receive the best possible service by making clear process and expectations when requesting Support Services, as defined below.
This Customer Support Service Policy (the “Policy”) describes the maintenance and support services (collectively, “Support Services”) that Cloud Commerce provides to customers or technology partners (collectively referred to as “you” or the "Client") for support of Cloud Commerce applications ("Software") and associated SaaS and/or subscription services (“Service”), where applicable (collectively, “Subscription Services”).
This Policy accompanies the support terms and conditions executed between Cloud Commerce and the Client. The terms contained herein should be read in conjunction with the governing subscription agreement (the “Agreement”) executed between the parties and the documents referenced within. This Policy applies for the duration of the defined period as detailed in the Agreement.
The Policy defines operational processes for providing Support Services.
Cloud Commerce reserves the right to make amendments to this policy without prior notice. The latest version of the Cloud Commerce Customer Support Service Policy is posted on the Cloud Commerce website.
Support Services
This section contains details of the Support Services that we offer for SaaS Services hosted by Cloud Commerce.
Support Services
Cloud Commerce’s Standard Support level is as follows:
- 8 ½ x 5 product support
- Access to new releases and software updates
- Access to online tools including in-app chat, website-based Knowledge Base (when available)
- Cloud Commerce Community Support communications (when available)
Scope of Support Services
When Client subscribes to a Cloud Commerce SaaS Service, Client is entitled to access the Cloud Commerce Support Services to assist with:
- clarification of functions and features of the Service;
- access to and clarification of the documentation; and
- issue verification, analysis and reasonable resolution efforts.
Support Services are provided for Services covered by an active Subscription Agreement.
Cloud Commerce provides Support Services for:
- Any subscription-based Service designated by Cloud Commerce as “Supported” according to the relevant Cloud Commerce Product Release Policy;
- Services covered by an active Subscription Agreement with bundled Support Services;
Exceptions
Cloud Commerce is not obliged to provide Support Services:
- If the Service is altered or modified other than as approved by Cloud Commerce, or any portion of the Service is integrated with or incorporated with or into other software not approved by Cloud Commerce;
- If the Service is used by anyone not authorised to do so under the terms of the Subscription Agreement; or
- The Service has not been used in accordance with the limitations of the Agreement.
Cloud Commerce reserves the right to withdraw Support Services where persistent and unreasonable requests are made. Such examples include inability to provide diagnostic information or participate in investigation efforts, repeated requests about previously resolved cases, or recurrent questions to which answers appear in the documentation supplied.
Engaging with Cloud Commerce Support
This section defines the methods for contacting Cloud Commerce for Support Services.
Support Entry Points
The Cloud Commerce application (https://[clientname].cloudcommercepro.com/) is the entry point to Cloud Commerce Customer Support. The Cloud Commerce in-app chat tool is available 24x7. The following resources are available through the use of the tool:
- Support case logging
- Usage advice and guidance
- Requests for documentation
- Newsletter sign up (when available)
- Access to Knowledge Base (when available)
- New feature suggestions / requests
- Providing general user feedback
Alternatively, cases may be raised using the Cloud Commerce Customer Support email account support@cloudcommercepro.com.
Named Support Contacts may also use the Cloud Commerce Customer Support telephone lines, 01524 230 252 or 0161 241 8744 to report issues or request assistance though this method may result in delays;
Named Support Contacts
Subject to the terms set out in the Client’s Subscription Agreement, Client is entitled to establish one or more individual named user accounts with Cloud Commerce Customer Support up to the contracted limit to request Support Services. A Named Support Contact can open support cases, maintain Named Support Contacts, and access self-service materials only available to customers with a valid Agreement.
The Client may at any time replace Named Support Contacts by opening a support case. Group email accounts may not be used in place of individual named user accounts. Additional email addresses, including group email accounts may be added to each case as needed.
The Client may provide a Named Support Contact by contacting your Account Manager or opening a support case. Named Support Contacts only may access Cloud Commerce Customer Support services by email.
Named Support Contacts’ Responsibilities
Named Support Contact(s) carry out the following responsibilities:
- Before contacting Cloud Commerce Customer Support, ensure that initial support from the Client’s user community has been provided;
- Responding to Client’s users with respect to inquiries concerning the performance, functionality or operation of the Service with a goal to resolving user errors;
- Responding to Client’s users with respect to problems or issues with the Service including investigating, reproducing and reporting problems and communicating/implementing a resolution;
- Opening cases using the in-app chat tool, the quickest, easiest and most efficient method;
- Alternatively opening cases using the Cloud Commerce Customer Support email account or telephone lines;
- Be the contact for the Client with Cloud Commerce for the purposes of progressing a case;
- Providing reasonable assistance to Cloud Commerce during the case investigation, including capturing and documenting all relevant information requested by Cloud Commerce;
- Developing and maintaining a good working knowledge of the Service;
- Providing reasonable remote access to Client systems in order to assist in case
- resolution;
- Co-ordinating any Client resources where resolution plan activities require it; and
- Confirming resolutions within seven (7) calendar days of receipt or advise Cloud Commerce when this may be possible.
The Client is responsible for making sure that its hardware, operating system(s), databases, virus protection, backup software and procedures, data recovery programs and the like are always adequate for the Service as specified in the relevant Cloud Commerce documentation. Cloud Commerce is not obligated to provide any Support Services concerning Client data or non-authorised third-party equipment or software.
Including the following details in any support case will allow Cloud Commerce Customer Support to assist you more quickly:
- Clear description of the issue including the expected and actual results;
- Description of the impact to the business as a result of the issue being encountered;
- Supporting information such as screen shots or log files.
When opening a case, the Named Support Contact must indicate the level of impact and urgency of the issue. This information provides an indication of the overall priority. This relationship is explained later in this document.
The measure for service level Response Time (as defined below) begins when a case is acknowledged as received in writing by Cloud Commerce Customer Support personnel. Depending on the terms set out in the Subscription Agreement, Named Support Contacts may be provided with a telephone number to contact Cloud Commerce Customer Support for urgent issues.
Cloud Commerce Support Responsibilities
Cloud Commerce Customer Support will:
- Contact the Client to acknowledge receipt of the issue, begin work on the case and request additional information if needed;
- Involve additional Cloud Commerce resources, as required;
- Provide regular updates to the Named Support Contact(s) via chat, email or phone until the issue is resolved or a workaround has been provided;
Case Handling
Response Time Targets
‘Response Time ’ is the cumulative time in business hours from confirmation that a case has been raised to the initial technical response by Cloud Commerce. This response may result in the resolution of the case logged or may form the basis for determining what additional actions are required to achieve resolution of the case. Clients must refer to their Subscription Agreement for the relevant response service levels.
Unless otherwise stated in your Subscription Agreement, the response service level (in business hours/days) is as follows:
Urgency & Response | Response Time |
---|---|
P1 – Critical | 1 hour |
P2 – High | 4 hours |
P3 – Medium | 1 day |
Priority Definitions
The initial priority of each case is determined by the service impact to the Client’s business and the urgency selected by the Named Support Contact.
- Service Impact measures the effect of the issue on the Client’s business:
- Some users / workaround in place - All users / workaround in place Some users / no workaround,
- All users / no workaround.
- Urgency reflects how quickly the issue needs to be resolved:
LOW | · The issue causes an inconvenience but functions are still available. |
---|---|
MEDIUM | · Event can be postponed or is far enough away in time to allow response without loss of productivity. · Process affected; certain functions are unavailable to users. · Failure of a minor function of the system as described in its corresponding documentation and specifications. |
HIGH | · The issue causes a malfunction that inhibits action, preventing progress. · Event scheduled to occur but enough time remains to respond without affecting event. |
CRITICAL | · Event underway and it cannot be stopped or changed. Immediate action needed to resolve the issue. |
- Priority is used by Cloud Commerce Customer Support to ensure responses are made within the appropriate timeframe. Priority levels are defined below:
P1 - CRITICAL | · Issue is extensive/widespread affecting an entire critical business process or the Client is not able to conduct core business functions. There is no acceptable workaround. · Potential loss of mission critical data. |
---|---|
P2 - HIGH | · Business is interrupted, causing work to slow or stop. Problem prevents use of tool soon to be on Client’s critical path and there is no acceptable workaround. |
P3 - MEDIUM | · Users can continue to conduct business. Problem interferes with normal completion of work or tasks are more difficult but not impossible to complete. Problem impairs work but does not prevent use of tool, and there is an acceptable workaround. |
P4 - LOW | · Problem effects productivity but is a minor inconvenience; an acceptable workaround may exist. |
The Service Impact and Urgency are combined to assign a Priority as follows:
Priority Matrix Urgency | Service Impact | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
All users / no workaround | Some users / no workaround | All users / workaround in place | Some users / workaround in place | |
Critical | P1 - CRITICAL | P1 - CRITICAL | P2 - HIGH | P2 - HIGH |
High | P2 - HIGH | P2 - HIGH | P2 - HIGH | P3- MEDIUM |
Medium | P3- MEDIUM | P3- MEDIUM | P3- MEDIUM | P4 - LOW |
Low | P3- MEDIUM | P3- MEDIUM | P4 - LOW | P4 - LOW |
Case Priority Re-classification
When Cloud Commerce has provided a workaround to a Priority 1 or 2 case (by procedural workaround, system restart, hotfix or otherwise) it shall be reclassified as a Priority 3 until the client confirms the case may be closed.
Cloud Commerce reserves the right to change the Priority of a case where Impact or Urgency appears to have been overstated.
If the Named Support Contact determines that the Priority of an existing case needs to be changed or the case escalated, the Named Support Contact may request escalation through the Escalation Process.
Case Closure
Cloud Commerce may close a case due to any of one of the following circumstances:
- The Cloud Commerce Support Engineer provides a solution to resolve the case. This may be a workaround;
- A defect or enhancement request has been logged with Cloud Commerce Product Development and Cloud Commerce Customer Support can no longer progress the issue. In this case Client will still be able to track the status of the defect or enhancement as it is progressed by Cloud Commerce Product Development;
- A hot fix has been made available to resolve the case;
- The Named Support Contact has requested the closure;
- The reported issue is determined to be out of scope of the Support Services covered in this Policy or the Agreement (for example: customisation requests, sales requests or consultative services);
- The Client no longer has an active Support Services account under the Agreement with Cloud Commerce; or
- After three consecutive attempts to contact the Named Support Contact(s) across a two-week period, Cloud Commerce received no response.
New issues or questions that may arise should be entered as separate support cases.
Product Issues
Any issue reproduced as a generic product issue will be reported to Cloud Commerce Product Development. The analysis of a reported defect may result in a software update being required to resolve the generic product issue.
When a workaround has been provided, the case will be closed by Cloud Commerce Customer Support. The defect will remain open with Cloud Commerce Product Development for investigation.
Where no workaround has been identified, there are two possible outcomes:
- P1 cases may remain open while the Cloud Commerce Support Engineer continues to work with the Named Support Contact to find a solution/workaround.
- For lower priority product issues, the case will be closed by Cloud Commerce Customer Support, while the product issue remains open with Cloud Commerce Product Development. This will be discussed with the Named Support Contact.
Product Enhancement Requests
Client’s suggestions for product improvements or requests to add functionality to a product are very important in Cloud Commerce’s planning process.
To raise an enhancement or feature request, the Named Support Contact should, in the first instance engage with Cloud Commerce Customer Support.
Please be aware that whilst the request will be reviewed and evaluated for possible inclusion in a subsequent release, Cloud Commerce provides no commitment to implement any submitted enhancement request and has sole discretion over inclusion of any suggested enhancements in future releases.
Support Services Hours and Availability
Cloud Commerce’s in-app chat tool is available 24x7 though responses will only be given during UK working hours.
Cloud Commerce Customer Support staff are available during UK business hours, defined as follows:
Region Time | Time Zone | |
---|---|---|
EMEA | 09:00 – 18:30 | Central European Time |
NASA | 08:00 – 12.30 | Eastern US Time |
Escalation Process
An escalation is an activity that obtains additional resources or management visibility when these are needed to meet service targets or Client expectations. Support-related escalations should be made to the Client’s Cloud Commerce Account Manager.