In the past two weeks, I experienced server downtimes of three webservices I’ve been frequenting: Twitter, 37signals (specifically Basecamp) and Tumblr. Since these are all startup companies, I feel I can easily forgive any hiccups in service. On top of their young age, what’s funny is that because these services are all free, I don’t necessarily feel entitled to some sort of compensation for the delay in service; the phrase “you get what you pay for” can’t help but pop into my head.

Had this been my cell phone service or cable provider, I would probably be on the phone right now, asking for compensation for the downtime in the form of free text messages or a complimentary premium channel upgrade.

What impressed me the most was the way the three websites handled the downtime to their customers not only after everything was back to normal, and more impressively, during it all (even if their customer-base is financially invested or not). I feel like this transparency is what every company should strive for to be successful, be they tiny web 2.0 startups in Silicon Valley or huge Fortune 500 companies. Since I already feel involved with each of the startups (i.e.: each one of the services works the more and more I use it), letting me in on step-by-step details of the downtime was only natural and felt completely genuine. Apologies that surfaced hours later didn’t come off as damage control PR—they felt real.

Even though I’m not a paying customer now, I still feel cared for and valued. If non-paying people like me are treated with a high level of respect, I can’t help but imagine the level of service I’d receive if I was financially involved in the company.

By being proactive, allowing me in and having me along for the ride, you’re less likely to have an angry phone call from me days later. And who knows, I might be signing up for that Pro account I’ve been lusting over sometime in the near future.