Can anyone recommend a hosting service friendly to developers?

I develop websites. For the last 13 years or so I've been putting clients who need hosting on the servers at AMS Computer Services. The service has gone down-hill this last year. Many clients want to move away from this company. What I recommend to the client depends on their needs. Some of the bigger ones have gone with Rackspace or Firehost. I don't have any problem with these folks. But I have smaller customers too, who only have a dozen domain names or so, and I thought Hostgator might be OK with them. I moved my site from AMS to Hostgator a few months ago, and everything went well. And a few clients that don't have a high demand have also moved over. But then... there are clients who have a dozen or so websites, that find this task over-whelming. Today I offered to help one of them with the move.....

Here is the chat transcript I had with Sean F from Hostgator:

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Live Chat Powered By Live chat powered by GatorChat Rate And Exit Rate / Exit
Your Chat ID is: 5125678. Your initial question is:: Client setting up her website
Welcome to GatorChat!

You are being connected to a representative in our Sales department right now.
For immediate answers to your questions, check out our knowledge base and video tutorials at HostGator.com Support Portal.

(11:33:11am)SystemCustomer has entered chat and is waiting for an agent.

(11:34:28am)Sean F.Welcome to HostGator Live Chat! My name is Sean.

(11:35:07am)Sean F.How may I help you setup a website?

(11:35:25am)Steve MacLellanHey Sean. My name is Steve MacLellan. My client XXXXX XXXXXX just registered for a baby account on your servers The reference number is XXXXXXXXXXXX.

(11:35:35am)Steve MacLellan: I will be looking after this for her

(11:36:42am)Sean F.What is the primary email address on the HostGator account?

(11:37:19am)Steve MacLellan: The domain name is xxxxxxxxx.com. It is presently on a Cpanel account with AMS Computer Services. We would like you guys to use your transfer tool to transfer the site as well as the add-on domains, email accounts MySQL and htaccess files o8uve to this new account

(11:37:49am)Sean F.Oh, okay. You may use the form at http://hostgator.com/sharedtransfer to start the transfer of the content.

(11:38:04am)Steve MacLellanThe email on the account is xxxxxxxx@xxx.com

(11:39:00am)Steve MacLellan: If I give you the username and password for the old account you guys will be able to do the transfer right.

(11:39:28am)Steve MacLellanhttp://xxxxxxxxx.com/cpanel username: xxxxxxpass xxxxxxxxx

(11:39:52am)Sean F.You can submit the form the for transfer to take place.

(11:40:46am)Steve MacLellan: I just gave you all of the info you need.

(11:41:37am)Steve MacLellan: Email me the new nameservers so I can update 000domains.com

(11:41:59am)Steve MacLellan I'm at steve@homebusiness-websites.com

(11:42:36am)Sean F.I understand you have provided me this information but I cannot submit the form on your behalf, Steve.

(11:42:53am)Sean F.I understand you would like to transfer content from one account to a new account, is that correct?

(11:43:35am)Steve MacLellan: Ya' did this four times in the last month for other clients. If you don't understand what's going on please get me someone who does.

(11:44:37am)Sean F. Steve, are you able to submit the link I sent you?

(11:44:44am)Sean F. Do you see the link I sent you?

(11:46:25am)Sean F. Are you still with me?

(11:46:30am)Steve MacLellan: Sean, I just gave you the info. Do I have to go through this setp-by-step?

(11:46:57am)Steve MacLellan: All-right. On the form... Do you want me to put my email address or the clients....

(11:46:57am)Sean F: I can assist you with submitting the form but I cannot submit it for you, Steve.

(11:47:08am)Sean F: The email address that's on the hostgator account.

(11:48:47am)Steve MacLellan: Okay Sean for the hostname, it's AMS Computer Services. Is this what I put there or do you want the domain name we want added to the site... you know... the one we just registered....

(11:49:49am)Sean F: Hostname is synonymous with domain name so you can use xxxxxxxxx.com as you wrote above.

(11:54:54am)Sean F.Are you still with me?

(11:55:03am)Steve MacLellan: Sean, it says Missing required field : The username to that site: I said it was "xxxxxxxx" without the double quotes. It's apparently rejecting this

(11:55:23am)Steve MacLellan: My this is so much faster....

(11:56:11am)Sean F: Oh, I see what the issue is.

(11:56:27am)Sean F: Do you have access to the email account xxxxxx@.com ?

(11:58:15am)Steve MacLellan: No

(11:58:46am)Steve MacLellan: I could get it if you really wanted it but that would just hold this up even more. Why can't you do what I asked you to?

(11:58:57am)Sean F: Okay, please ask the person who has access to this account to check the email.

(11:59:32am)Steve MacLellan: I just told you I would be looking after this. Not her. She doesn't do geek speak. Send the message to me....

(12:01:22pm)Steve MacLellan: Hello Client Name, Thank you for your order with HostGator.com!

You can log into your billing account at http://gbclient.hostgator.com/login, using the email address we sent this email to, and the password xxxxxxxx

Shared Plan: Baby Your Control Panel: https://gatorxxxx.hostgator.com:20xx
Username: xxxx
Domain: xxxxxxxxx.com
Password:xxxxxxxxxx
1st Nameserver: ns3693.hostgator.com
2nd Nameserver: ns3694.hostgator.com
Server IP: xxx.xxx.xxx.xx

(12:01:31pm)Sean F: Steve, that is not the email I am referencing.

(12:01:49pm)Sean F: For security purposes, I will need to ask you a question to verify your identity. May I have the last four digits and type of the credit card on file or the most recent PayPal transaction ID please? I apologize about the inconvenience this may cause.

(12:02:26pm)Steve MacLellan: What PayPal transaction?

(12:02:41pm)Steve MacLellan: Would you just set up the account please.....

(12:02:56pm)Steve MacLellan: Do the transfer...

(12:04:06pm)Steve MacLellan: reference number is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(12:05:13pm)Sean F: I am sorry, Steve, but I really need to address these issues with the account holder.

(12:05:42pm)Sean F: What you're doing is great and very helpful but the account holder has an email waiting for a response from our verifications group.

(12:07:15pm)Steve MacLellan: I already told you she doesn't do geek speak. I've been working for her for 5+ years. What do you want Sean to make this happen. C'mon...

(12:08:03pm)Sean F: Steve, the email content is not any geek speak so it will be understandable for your client.

(12:09:00pm)Sean F: If you cannot verify this account, I wouldn't be able to tell you what the email is in regards to. I sincerely appreciate your efforts to get everything in motion but the client of this account needs to check their email to move forward with this.

(12:10:12pm)Steve MacLellan: You know Sean, it they thought they would understand it, they wouldn't have asked me to look after it for them. I get paid $xx per hour. Let's not waste the clients time here. I gave you the old server, the old username the old password, and she has paid for an account on your server.

(12:10:35pm)Steve MacLellan: Let's get it done....

(12:10:53pm)Sean F: I am not able to proceed until this account is active, Steve.

(12:11:19pm)Sean F: Your time would be better spent with the client asking her to check her email than proving me this account information.

(12:11:45pm)Steve MacLellan: Firehost doesn't treat developers like this....

(12:12:34pm)Steve MacLellan:

Thank you for your order with HostGator.com!

You can log into your billing account at http://gbclient.hostgator.com/login, using the email address we sent this email to, and the password xxxxxxxx

Shared Plan: Baby
Your Control Panel: https://gatorxxxx.hostgator.com:xxxx
Username: xxxxxxxx
Domain: xxxxxxxxxx.com
Password: xxxxxxxxxx
1st Nameserver: ns3693.hostgator.com
2nd Nameserver: ns3694.hostgator.com
Server IP: xxx.xxx.xxx.xx

(12:13:15pm)Steve MacLellan: Is this what you need?

(12:13:18pm)Sean F: Steve, I have seen this information many times now but this is not the email I am requesting you to discuss with the client.

(12:13:48pm)Steve MacLellan: What do you want me to discuss with the client? I can answer the questions right now!

(12:14:21pm)Steve MacLellan: Tell me what you want Sean, Jeez!

(12:14:23pm)Sean F: Steve, you need to ask the client to check her email and respond to the email as soon as she can.

(12:14:42pm)Sean F: Since you cannot verify this account, I cannot discuss the contents of the email.

(12:14:58pm)Steve MacLellan: What??!!!!!!

(12:15:02pm)Sean F: However, the client has the email and hostgator is now waiting for a response

(12:17:55pm)Sean F: Are you still with me?

(12:18:32pm)Steve MacLellan: I sent her an email. I guess we'll just have to wait if you're going to be this impossible Sean. You know I've worked with the folks at AMS for 13+ years. I send them an email and they do whatever I ask them to, on whatever account I ask them about....

(12:19:24pm)Steve MacLellan: I have one client on your servers that has over 200 websites.

(12:20:37pm)Steve MacLellan: I asked the client for the info... Here is what her assistant sent me:

(12:20:38pm)Steve MacLellan----- Forwarded Message ----- From: sales@hostgator.com To: xxxxxxxx@xxx.com Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 5:30:13 PM Subject: HostGator.com :: Your Account Info Hello xxxxxx xxxxxxx, Thank you for your order with HostGator.com!

You can log into your billing account at http://gbclient.hostgator.com/login, using the email address we sent this email to, and the password xxxxxxxx
Shared Plan: Baby
Your Control Panel: https://gatorxxxx.hostgator.com:xxxx
Username: xxxxxx
Domain: xxxxxxxx.com
Password: xxxxxxxx
1st Nameserver: ns3693.hostgator.com
2nd Nameserver: ns3694.hostgator.com
Server IP: xxx.xxx.xxx.xx

(12:22:07pm)Sean F: Thank you for the email but this is not the information I need at this time.
(12:22:21pm)Sean F: Since we are unable to proceed, would there be anything more I may assist you with?

(12:23:46pm)Steve MacLellan: Sean, if you can waste my time like this, I guess I can waste yours. You stay right there until we find the info... which you already have, but want me to copy and paste again into this chat window

(12:24:53pm)Sean F: I don't know what copying and pasting will resolve, Steve.

(12:25:09pm)Sean F: I am not wasting your time, I have advised you the best course of action to resolve this issue.

(12:25:32pm)Steve MacLellan: Her assistant said she has already verified the link you sent.

(12:25:51pm)Sean F: Verified what link?

(12:27:10pm)Steve MacLellan: She has access to the client's email. She is her assistant. She has clicked on whatever link and verified. I can't give you any more information then that Sean, because you won't tell me what was in the email.

(12:27:58pm)Sean F: Is there anyway her assist can tell you the last four digits on the credit card so you can tell me and then the account will be verified?

(12:27:58pm)Steve MacLellan: Sean... I hope you're not gonig to send me an email after this and ask me to rate my user experience....

(12:29:27pm)Steve MacLellan: Sean.... I gave you the user name, I gave you everything you asked for..... Ya' I can get the credit card number. Hang on for another hour....

(12:29:39pm)Sean F: Thank you.

(12:34:18pm)Sean F: Are you still with me?

(12:34:26pm)Steve MacLellan: yes

(12:34:56pm)Sean F: Are you able to provide the last four digits on the credit card to verify this account?

(12:35:23pm)Steve MacLellan: They are going to call me right back with the last four numbers on the credit card they used to set up the account Sean

(12:36:21pm)Steve MacLellan: While I have them on the phone.... are there any more stupid questions you would like answers to that you already have the answers to?

(12:37:41pm)Sean F: No, once the account is verified, I will paste the entire email contents to you so you can work with the account holder to resolve this issue.

(12:38:34pm)Steve MacLellan: The last four digits on the credit card number are: xxxx

(12:38:52pm)Sean F: Yes, correct!

(12:39:03pm)Steve MacLellan: Retard

(12:39:04pm)Sean F: Email to the email account on file states Hello Client Name, Thank You for your recent purchase with us. In order for us to continue with the account setup, please respond to this ticket with a scanned copy of a Photo ID such as a passport, or drivers license. In addition to a photo ID, please include a scanned copy of the credit card that was used in your account purchase (assuming you purchased a hosting account with a credit card). For security purposes you can mask off all the digits of the card number except for the last 4 digits. If you used Paypal to pay, then we will need you to send the ID of the Paypal account owner. We sincerely appreciate your cooperation, and look forward to working with you.

(12:39:51pm)Sean F: Client Name or her associate will need to reply to this email for the account to be activated.

(12:40:10pm)Sean F: Right now , this account is not activated so you won't be able to login to this account.

(12:41:40pm)Sean F: Are you still with me?

(12:41:48pm)Steve MacLellan: yes

(12:42:16pm)Sean F: Okay so how can I help you get this account activated knowing what your client needs to do now?

(Like I'm going to have a scanned copy of her passport, photo ID, etc...)

(12:43:33pm)Steve MacLellan: Photo ID? Drivers licenese? Passport? Look at my site on your servers... homebusiness-websites.com and see if you have any of this stuff on file. Why are you being so difficult to work with. I'm thinking I won't be putting any other client on your servers.

(12:44:22pm)Sean F: This account was not opened your name and therefore we will need the account holder to comply with this request, not you.

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I'm thinking it would have saved a lot of time, if they were just honest and said "We don't have any intention of helping you set up a site for your client".

So I'm looking for a good hosting company that I can build a relationship with. They need to have email support, and they have to respond to developers. Needs to be Cpanel hosting, as all of my clients who will eventually leave AMS have Cpanel now.

I'm not interested in registering clients domain names in my name, just as I'm not interested in putting them on an account on my dedicated server. I don't believe in sleazy developer tactics and don't hold none of my clients hostage. Domain names and hosting accounts are registered in their name so if at some point they get tired of me or their hosting, they are never obligated to me. I've run into developers who do this when I was trying to transfer their customers domain names and website content. I find this practice appalling. Don't even suggest it.

So for clients that are a bit technically challenged, where is a good Linux host running Apache server software with Cpanel, and who is developer friendly?

Thanks,
Steve