The access to the customer and technical support that a shared web hosting company offers will tell you a lot about the services which they supply too. In the event that you are allowed to use just email messages or tickets, you have most probably discovered some reseller not the hosting provider. If this is the case, you will probably have to wait for a couple of days so as to get a problem resolved as the reseller may not be checking their communication on a regular basis or they may have to get hold of the actual web hosting company for additional assistance. When the supplier offers you various means of communication with fast response time that are available at any time, they are most likely the top provider, not just a reseller. Which means that you will reap the benefits of well-timed assistance and top quality support because they'll have direct access to the servers where your account will be created. No matter what the trouble - technical or sales, it's always better to have the option to get hold of your website hosting company directly through your preferred way of communication.