‘Bred Crumbs

So my hosting company, Dreamhost, made a major computing screwup today, accidentally charging me and most other customers for the entire year of 2008 as if it were past due. And if you had automatic charging or debit set up, the Dreamhost folks took the money you didn’t owe them. It’s a big deal, and has drawn attention.

But. They caught the mistake quickly, and explained it to customers in detail. They updated their status blog to let everyone know what was happening and that it would be fixed. Charges were canceled; money taken was refunded. In most cases within a day. And they have apologized profusely, in blog and email. Yes, the tone, while seriously apologetic, is, like every communication from Dreamhost, light, silly. That’s them. So is admitting the mistake, fixing it quickly, and, in the end, making up for it with great rates and service.

The aggrieved are talking of bailing, saying the company’s business goose is cooked. Those people haven’t been paying attention. Quick, name a company that admitted, and fixed, a major mistake quickly, and apologized honestly and repeatedly, in their own words, free of corporate ass-covery. Come up with anyone? Didn’t think so.

Am I fleeing? No way. Even when it f*cks up hard, Dreamhost rocks.