Although this isn't the mainfactor for you to recognize a reliable shared website hosting supplier from a bad one and a reseller from an actual supplier, the option to call and communicate with a live person is a sign that you aren't using the services of a one-person service provider and that you'll be able to get in touch with someone if you're in need of support. The telephone support for website hosting services may vary from general to experienced, so the problems which can be resolved with a phone call differ depending on the provider. In the general case, these matters are more basic and include billing or 1st level technical issues since more complex issues often require a support ticket where both you and the sysadmins can track what is going on with a specific situation. Nonetheless, having the option to call your service provider will save you considerable time and efforts for the multitude of tiny problems which will eventually show up when you manage your hosting account.