@Bogdan you can get all of the control you mention with a transparent relationship though. We put our clients onto VMs with Memset, usually I have the root access to those and can configure them exactly as required (we tend to be developing web apps/large CMS sites). However, the client knows who the server is hosted with and can contact them directly.

I can also suggest they contact Memset directly in case of emergency, as they have the contract with the host – not my company.

Paul - that's also a great point and I've seen that kind of thing happen too. Also web designers refusing to give their clients access to their own sites at the end of the relationship. I think there is a degree of protection for a client if they own their own hosting account. As Mike Jones says, the client is then staying with us because they like what we do and not because we have their files hostage! 🙂