Understanding Defensiveness in the Domain Name Industry
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Why are so many companies always in attack mode, and get defensive when criticized? It’s because they’re weak.
In all my years in the domain name industry, I’ve discovered there are two distinct types of service providers.
1. Get very defensive whenever someone critiques their product and spend much of their time criticizing their competition.
2. Welcome all feedback and focus on improving their own products rather than criticizing the competition.
Think about all of the companies and service providers you deal with in the industry: domain sales companies, parking companies, conference organizers, registrars, etc. Which ones spend more time trying to defend their company or bring down the competition as opposed to listening to their customers and improving their products?
I think it’s rather telling. Usually it shows which companies are in a position of strength and which ones are in a position of weakness.
One of the most refreshing attitudes I see is when companies say “we didn’t do well, and here are some ways we want to fix it.” For example, let’s say an auction house has a dismal auction. It can respond in one of two ways:
1. “Yes, this was a poor performance. We think we’ve identified why, and we’re taking steps to improve it. We also welcome all feedback on how we can improve our auctions.”
or
2. “It really wasn’t that bad. Keep in mind we sell more domains than anyone else. We are great.”
Which company would you prefer to work with? I suspect the first one.
Further Reading:
Companies that recognize their weaknesses and address them proactively rather than complacently resting on past accomplishments will rise to the top. The same can be said for us domainers.
Excellent post. #2 are often wrong about a number of things, but won’t admit it. As stated, “We’re the best” gets shouted from their megaphone ad infinitum.
Definitely prefer to work with the first company who care about quality, and treat their customers well.
That may be true about for-profit companies.
Unfortunately, non-profit I* Eco-Systems seem to be the complete opposite. They seem to be proud of their leaderless systems and love to play hot-potato with any fools they can find.
They laugh all the way to the bank with their million dollar salaries and YOUR money.
Registrars in Australia are required to, “in their dealings with Complainants, regard Complaints as an opportunity to improve their Products”.
Direct quite from section 14.1(c) of “.au Domain Name Suppliers’ Code of Practice (2004-04)”
Moniker
Monte Cahn is type one. He shaved me estimated 15000$ (just past 2 months), I have huge evidence, he plays dead beatle.
Just like kid caught stealing, he don’t know how to react.
search DNForum for “halvarez”, should be latest thread found.
Dub-A,
I get your drift here. However, it’s one thing for a company to publicly admit their “mistakes” and “shortcomings”, but it’s another thing for them to “fix” those problems.
I can name, right now, at least FIVE major domain companies who have “admitted” their problems, and within a year, have done nothing to fix those problems.
Those companies, in my professional experience are,
1) You wish I’d reveal…
2) I can’t say cuz…
3) I’m scared…
4) They’ll probably roll out the fix as I mention them…
5) Maybe they’ll hire me to get their **** together.
My advice: If you have a problem with a company, complain constantly to the company and publicly on a blog, and climb the ladder of contacts at the company. As soon as you hit an executive’s name and mention it in your public complaint, you’ll get a response, unless it’s mumbo jumbo sputtering like SHUW!X above.
Hope this helps!
I guess because if they agreed, it would bring down their bottom line and move away new signups
I prefer the fist option.
Stephen: I’ve exchanged tons of e-mails with Monte Cahn and Jeff Kupietzky (CEO of Oversee). I’ve talked to Jeff on the phone for about 30 minutes.
All I find out is that they want to burn bridge between affiliates & Oversee.
Also Jeff did admit on the phone that they have no single affiliate earning more then few hundred $/month – do you believe that. There are domaining blogs, forums, expired domain sites with huge traffic.
That would mean, there’s no one who bring 10,000$ worth of sales to Moniker/month (resulting in 1000$ commission that nobody did get).
Also Snapnames tracker – Essociate banned my account while I was requesting removing of affiliate sales widget that I’ve created, it’s my intelectual property and they have made 95% copy (Monte did scam me once again).
@Shuwix
If you spent 30 mins on the phone with Jeff K, and send “tons of emails” to Monte, without making your point, then your approach is all wrong. Wrap it up within 10 minutes, and just two or three emails. Of course, I can put a lot of boring data in emails, but in a ten minute phone call, you better get to the point, and have some background experience to sell your message.
I don’t endorse making statement about any of the big domain players “scamming” people. That’s not what they’re about, or they wouldn’t be in business, and respected. Both companies will go overboard to solve your problems if it’s a legit complaint. Just take it easy, they’re not all out to get you.
Only the govt is.