Register.com’s Client Service Lie
J.D. Power ought to reconsider Register.com’s call center award.
Domain name registrar Register.com likes to tout its J.D. Power and Associates call center certification. Perhaps their call center representatives are friendly, but the firm’s policies make it difficult to get trivial things done.
If you’ve ever had a domain at register.com, you know they require you to call their call center to get transfer authorization codes to move your domains to other registrars. Almost all registrars allow you to do this online rather than making a time consuming phone call.
Today I wanted to transfer two domains that I won at SnapNames auctions from Register.com to Moniker. I decided to try getting the authorization codes through Register.com’s online chat support rather than call center. Here’s a transcript of my chat:
Stan M. (register.com): Thank you for visiting Register.com’s Live Support. How can I help you?
Me: I need to get transfer out codes for two of my domains
Stan M.: Hello Andrew.
Stan M.: May I have the domain name you are contacting us regarding today?
Me: [redacted].com and [redacted].com
Stan M.: Thank you for the domain names. Would you please wait for a few minutes while I check our records?
Me: yes
Stan M.: Thank you for waiting.
Stan M.: May I know why you wish to transfer the domain names?
Me: I have one registrar where I consolidate the domains. I won these at auction.
Stan M.: Okay.
Stan M.: In order to obtain the transfer authorization code you have requested, please contact Register.com’s Business Center between the hours of 8am – 6pm EST/EDT Monday – Friday.
Did you notice how the very first thing I wrote was that I needed to get transfer codes for the domains? Why couldn’t the representative have told me I couldn’t do that via chat ahead of asking me for the domains and asking me why I wanted to transfer them out? My guess is he wanted to sell me on keeping them at Register.com.
By this point I’m frustrated that I had to go through all of that to confirm I needed to call in. But I had no choice, so I called Register.com’s toll free number at 1:29 pm CST.
Register.com operator: [answers call] Thanks for calling register.com, would you like to hear more regarding our custom web development?
Me: No thanks, I just need to get transfer authorization codes for two of my domains.
Register.com operator: OK, let me transfer you. Your wait time will be regarding 15 minutes.
Me: 15 minutes?
Register.com Operator: stated nothing, I was by now transferred and in queue.
That’s not client service.
A representative answered at 1:51. The phone conversation took regarding 3 minutes to answer a myriad of questions and get the authorization codes. I spent roughly 20 minutes getting authorization codes when it would have taken 20 seconds at another domain registrar.
In case you’re wondering, registrars only have to provide a “reasonable” way to get authorization codes. In fact, they are allowed to wait 5 days ahead of providing a code to you. But being allowed to do something — like force a client to jump through hoops to transfer out a domain — doesn’t mean it’s client friendly.
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