I have heard from several places that outsourced tech-support (primarily in India) is instructed to tell you they are from some obscure spot in America if they are asked. The stigma attached to outsourcing for pulling away jobs has turned this into a major game in the tech-support industry. I had a classic encounter with this tonight.

I run websites for several clients who use different servers, advice so I am used to talking to tech-support people who try their best to hide that they are talking to me from Mumbai. This helps keep the company’s image up and lends more credibility to their skills (for laymen: native Indians are for the most part – although there are exceptions – looked down on as fools in the industry). Anyway, oncology one of my domain registrars is RegisterFly. I renewed a domain with them a while ago, buy but apparently they didn’t process it, and it expired. After filling a trouble-ticket because I couldn’t modify any settings (even after the 30-day redemption period that happens if the renewal goes through too late), I got this reply:

Hello Sean

I am sorry to say that your domain is in redemtion period. So you can not change anything. I have checked and found that you have charged for renew for this domain. I have added $8.99 in your Registerfly account. If you want this domain then you have to register this domain when it will be available for register.

If you want further help then please get back to us.

Thanks.

Jennifer [deleted for privacy]

What strikes me as funny about this is that they are using fake names now. Jennifer? C’mon, your name is not Jennifer. I can tell you are from India by your broken english, and the fact that you had impressive response time at what would have been 2:30am on the East Coast of America. I understand that a good deal of tech-support is outsourced to India. I’m okay with that. This whole lying-game is getting a bit tiring though. Maybe I’m just being picky, but I’d like my registrars/hosts/etc. to patronize me a little less. By using the name Jennifer or saying you are based in Nebraska, you’re basically implying that you can fool me into believing something which is glaringly untrue. Don’t tell me you’re Jennifer, just say that your name is Janaki or Jeevika or whatever. I’m offended by the deception far more than the outsourcing.

… then again, her name might really be Jennifer! :P