10 Most Ridiculous Questions Clients ask the Social Media Agency

Remember Paresh Rawal as the annoying landlord from Judaai? Well, when 100 such died, the client was born.

Questions from clients are not a rare thing, but when those questions cross all boundaries of mind atrocity, they make it to the list of the 10 most ridiculous questions clients end up asking the social media agency.

1. “What’s your quote?”
“Bhaiyya, Batata kitne ka diya?”
“Dus Rupya madam”
“Dene ka bhaav bolo”
“aat mein le lo”
When the clients treat the service of social media as a selling business, these questions are bound to be raised.

2. “Why are there 1 lakh fans on Facebook, and only 200 on twitter?”
When quantity is the ball game, the client deserves the bravery award for asking the agency this ridiculous one liner.

3. “I want to do a Kolaveri Di. How?”
A metaphorical question which actually means “I know people love my brand. Even though how cheesy or tacky it may be. I have never done social media and neither do I think I’ll continue this for long (maybe till my budget for this quarter is exhausted). So, hey agency, why should we waste time in coming up with an idea that works in my favour. Instead let’s spend all our energy in thinking of something which really won’t do any good to me, but will atleast satisfiy my egoistic butt.”

Yes, dear client. Every idea that is good for you has to reach a million eyes?

4. “What number can you guarantee?”
If you want a guarantee, get a refrigerator or a washing machine no? I understand ROI, but expecting a guaranteed number is as stupid as walking inside a moving train thinking you’ll reach the destination faster. Numbers should be the result of your activity and not vice-versa.

5. Why don’t you pick up my calls?
Answer: As superhuman as we may sound in the pitch presentation, we too are human! And please accept that.
I had a client asking me this question at 3 am. True Story.

6. “My Page is not showing up in the Facebook Search results. WHY?”
This one always cracks me up. Not only do I find this demand highly uncalled for but to justify its non-presence even ridicules the previous statement. Some also ask you the whereabouts of the previous third party page creations of their brand, assuming you created it along with your college buddies as a way to get back to the brand manager.

7. “Why are we still not on Pinterest/Instagram/Other portals?”
Dear client, did it ever cross your Einstein mind, that it doesn’t make sense to do that right now? Think about it and get back.
True Story alert: I once had a financial brand who asked us to put up daily posts on Myspace and Orkut. Not only that, they expected conversations. It was so ridiculous, two days later, my cat died.

8. “Why is there no increase in fans and followers?”
How many times the client has judged you on the basis of community number stagnancy? Clients need to realize the agencies work with them and not for them. If you did not provide for media budgets, you have no right to abuse the word ‘organic’.

9. “It’s simple! Update hi toh daalna hai, usmein kya?”
Technically a rhetorical question but a tricky one nonetheless. My only reply would be, next time you go to a doctor, please tell him what should be the taste of your medicine, where should he insert the injection and that you’ll show no co-operation when he is trying to cure you. Agencies should and will only do what is best for the brand and no matter how small the quantity looks, it’s the quality that matters. If the client and agency go hand in hand, a good ROI is inevitable.

10. “Why is my internet so slow?” OR “Why is my Facebook/Twitter/Youtube video not loading?”
Ok Mr. Client, you have just crossed all boundaries of atrocity and not even the lolz cat can help you. However, I am still going to answer this one for you:
a. It’s because I really don’t give a rat’s ass about which Internet service provider you are using.
b. Just because social media is on the internet, I have got nothing to do with your broadband connection.
c. You clicked on Internet Explorer. You are doomed.

Remember I am also a human like all of you people, but having been through the above I have little energy left to make a change. Let us all come together and pay tribute to all the amazing ideas that died a quiet death because of the ridiculous questions which were prioritized. Show your condolences below in the comments!

Have you faced such ridiculous questions while at work? Do share your feedback!

Mubashir Usmani
Mubashir Usmani is a digital professional by the day and a zombie by night. Yes, a flesh eating one. Apart from being really lazy, gaming addict and a movie enthusiast, Mubashir is also the Founder of Social Seety, a digital advertising agency based out of Bombay. He is also the author of the crappiest comic blog ever known, Just Like Crap. Follow him @justlikecrap and irritate the hell out of him.
  • http://www.facebook.com/kunal.sagare Kunal Sagare

    Nice Mubashir

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      Thanks Kunal :)

  • http://twitter.com/shaakunsethi Shakun Sethi

    Got a call at 2:00 am…How can you be sleeping when a certain user is posting negative comments on the page!

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      Awesome! You should have replied “Sir, F**k your dreams!” and then reply “Sir, how could you not punch me in the face while I say this to you right now?”.

      He’ll get the point.

  • Chinmaya

    A certain “financial brand”, with 10 fans on the Facebook page expected a rise of 1000 fans a day, organically.
    Reason: We get 50k visits on our website. Just transfer them to Facebook.
    Quoting him ‘That’s all i’m asking from your team. Creating content and posting can be done by ‘English’ speaking peon too!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      LOL. Certainly a ‘doable’ demand

  • http://www.facebook.com/idshahid Mohd Shahid

    No 2 and No 6 really cracked me up. Add deleting negative comments and banning users to the list :-0

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      LOL. Banning users gives the client a satisfaction similar to what we feel when we say ‘maaf karo’ to roadside beggars.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chinmayx Chinmay Shah

    Well written. Clients are pretty creative with their questions..
    Looks like you covered it all though. Or, did you?

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      More or less. Though my greatest fear is that one day the client is going to ask me ‘How can I delete Facebook?’

  • http://www.facebook.com/angad.manchanda Angad Manchanda

    Are bhai, this facebook is too blue, please change the colour to something more brighter, say orange? True Story.

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      Haha, really? that should totally be in that list then

  • http://twitter.com/PureWaste Purvesh

    As a outsider to the social media industry, I wish you guys the best of luck !! Everyone fights a battle !!

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      Thanks!

  • Raghunath Thakur

    I loved the last point, why the video is not loading….

  • http://www.facebook.com/ankur.spirit11 Ankur Vohra

    I agree with most of the things written above and yes it does become frustrating some times but I also agree,that we need to give clients a certain lee way as well, after all, not all clients know, what is social media all about, we need to fight the twin battle of making them understand this medium and also suggesting them, how it needs to be handled. Anyways, well written, I enjoyed it, brought a smile on my face!:-)

    • http://www.facebook.com/usmanimubashir Mubashir Usmani

      Thanks! Glad you enjoyed that and you feel the same way :)

  • Ravi

    Mubashir,

    I think you’ve got a long way to go as an agency professional. Let me tell you why.

    Whenever you refer to something as “ridiculous”, “stupid”, “idiotic”,
    you can be sure that what follows next is just an opinion and not a
    fact.

    Actually, leaving point # 10, the rest are pretty decent questions.
    The problem with posts like these (and questions like these) is that
    it’s a mypopic, one-sided view of the agency-client relationship,
    focussed on the idea that the client should readily dole out whatever
    amount of money the agency asks for, without expecting anything in
    return. No wonder you see all agency folks agreeing with the post. Tried
    showing it to the client and asking his reaction to these? Exactly.

    Here are my reactions to each of these ten (perfectly valid) questions.

    1.) “What’s your quote?”
    REALLY? You think this is a “ridiculous” question? In a business? Like, REALLY?

    2. “Why are there 1 lakh fans on Facebook, and only 200 on twitter?”
    Yes,
    why? Is it because you convinced him to spend money on ads on Facebook,
    quickly building up the fan base, but because the numbers on Twitter
    depend solely on the quality of content, and as an agency you suck at it
    (assume, just an example), you could not “help” the client here?

    3. “I want to do a Kolaveri Di. How?”
    The last time a client
    asked me ‘what do I need to do a Kolaveri Di’, I replied: ‘Rajanikanth’s
    daughter and son-in-law and Kamal Hassan’s daughter’. Okay, then. Let’s
    tell the bloody client what is good for his brand, then.

    Well, fine. Let’s not do a Kolaveri Di. Then tell me an alternate
    strategy? What? The idea that you suggest cannot reach a million eyes?
    Umm, okay. What? You want this “ridiculous” amount of money for reaching
    – say – 100 people? well, thanks, but no thanks.

    4. “What number can you guarantee?”
    Your reaction: “If you want a guarantee, get a refrigerator or a washing machine”
    Okay. There is the door.

    5. “Why don’t you pick up my calls?”
    Your reaction: “As superhuman as we may sound in the pitch presentation, we too are human! And please accept that”

    Then don’t project yourself as superhuman. Couldn’t pick up a call? Well, call back later. Basic courtesy.

    6. “My Page is not showing up in the Facebook Search results. WHY?”
    Ridiculous
    question? Really? The client knows his business well. You are supposed
    to know yours well. Just tell him the reason. He WILL understand.

    7. “Why are we still not on Pinterest/Instagram/Other portals?”
    Your
    reply to this one is so derogatory, even if this is not something that
    you’ve actually said (you wouldn’t dare to, would you?). The client
    asked you a question, do you have a valid response? Tell him. If not,
    then how do you call yourself an “expert” ?

    8. “Why is there no increase in fans and followers?”
    Valid
    question, again. If there is no “growth”, why should he keep paying an
    agency? If he stops paying you, the fan/followers base will still stay
    the same, right?

    9. “It’s simple! Update hi toh daalna hai, usmein kya?”
    While not
    a totally ridiculous question, I understand your frustration here. So,
    make a case, show him what value you bring to the table. I am sure you
    can do that.

    10. “Why is my internet so slow?” OR “Why is my Facebook/Twitter/Youtube video not loading?”
    Let’s just laugh this one off.

    PS: I work in a a digital agency. One of the country’s biggest.