How I Was Mugged by Hover (and Loved It)
Fri, Apr 12, 2013
If you know me, then you know that from time to time I like to acquire new domain names (don’t judge!). Last year I discovered Hover, a great domain registration service that keeps prices reasonable and the buying process simple. I bought a few domains from them, the experience was great, and I was happy.
Then I heard Hover was sponsoring shows on the 5by5 podcast network, the home of many of my favorite podcasts. So to support 5by5, and because my previous experience with them had been so good, I decided to move my domains over to Hover. But since I have many domains (don’t judge!), I decided to turn it into a monthly project starting on January 1, 2013, with my goal being to move nearly all of my domain business over to Hover by the end of the year. And with my New Year’s resolution all set up, I was happy.
But during one of my domain transfers, I ran into a potential problem. I sent a message to Hover support, which is very easy to do, and since they are famous for their quick response time, I wasn’t worried. But when I woke up the next morning, I discovered there was no reply from Hover. So I waited until the end of the day, and there was still no reply. Then the next day passed. And the next. A full week went by with no answer! I was not happy.
I finally received a reply from someone at Hover named Blair Mueller. First, he apologized for the delay. He explained that Hover customer service was over-run with support requests due to the flood of business that Hover was receiving. He told me that he understood that the delay was not acceptable, that he was unhappy with the situation, and that Hover was taking steps to remedy the problem. He also answered my original question very professionally. In my reply, I told him that I understood, and I thanked him for his candor.
And then … I was surprised.
A few days later I got a box in the mail from Hover. I opened the box and pulled out a nice green coffee mug with a hand-written note which read:
Hi JD,
Just wanted to say again that we’re sorry for the time of reply before.
We do appreciate your business and we are happy you aren’t going to let this one bad experience ruin our relationship. =)
Blair
I was so, so happy again.
Thank you to Blair Mueller and to everyone else out there who goes above and beyond to take care of their customers. We appreciate it!
