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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    West Michigan, USA
    Posts
    9,687

    Three most annoying pre-sales questions

    I'm not sure which forum this belongs in, but this one seemed most appropriate.

    The three most annoying pre-sales questions, in my opinion are:


    1. Do you overload your servers?

    2. Are your servers secure?

    3. Why are you so much more expensive than (insert kiddie host here)?


    I guess I just can't imagine why someone would bother asking 1 & 2...and 3 just makes me want to say "sign up with them for a couple of months and you'll have your answer".

    --Tina
    ||| 99.999% Uptime SLA!!!
    Plenty of space and bandwidth to fit your needs!
    www.AEIandYou.com - - (WP Friendly - Premium Reseller Hosting and Cheap Dedicated Servers)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Karachi, Pakistan
    Posts
    748
    For us... its usually:

    1. Is there a discount on this (already discounted) price?
    2. Will you move my site from provider X? No? Why not? So-and-So will do it - why not yourselves.
    3. Is there a discount on this (already discounted) price?

    Annoying!!!
    "I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it. ".
    Rodney Dangerfield (from "I Get No Respect!").

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    West Michigan, USA
    Posts
    9,687
    The question that kills me is, "Can I use the non profit, the promotional code, the prepay and the monthly discounts all at once?" I'm so tempted to say "You mean you'd like us to pay you to host with us? Sure, why not!"

    --Tina
    ||| 99.999% Uptime SLA!!!
    Plenty of space and bandwidth to fit your needs!
    www.AEIandYou.com - - (WP Friendly - Premium Reseller Hosting and Cheap Dedicated Servers)

  4. #4
    I actually got someone once that wanted me to walk him through how to build a site and then how to put it up on the server. All for the same price that he paid in the beginning. He did not know even what index.html or .php where. It was that bad.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Goleta, CA
    Posts
    5,566
    I've never really considered any of that annoying nor any of the questions asked to myself.
    Patron: I'd like my free lunch please.
    Cafe Manager: Free lunch? Did you read the fine print stating it was an April Fool's joke.
    Patron: I read the same way I listen, I ignore the parts I don't agree with. I'm suing you for false advertising.
    Cafe Owner: Is our lawyer still working pro bono?

  6. #6
    It is not that the question itself was so annoying, it was the way the questions where constantly and persistently asked.

  7. #7
    You have got to love these questions. For those asking why our prices are expensive compared to others, generally the first impression is . then we always suggest going to them first. Afterall, it will be a good learning experience.
    FrogJumper.com, Superb Cpanel Web Hosting.
    Excellent, High Paying Affiliate Program.

  8. #8
    The way I see it, answering questions - regardless of their substance - equals opportunity, and opportunity excites me.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    West Michigan, USA
    Posts
    9,687
    There are some customers, not many, that I just don't want.

    --Tina
    ||| 99.999% Uptime SLA!!!
    Plenty of space and bandwidth to fit your needs!
    www.AEIandYou.com - - (WP Friendly - Premium Reseller Hosting and Cheap Dedicated Servers)

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by AH-Tina
    There are some customers, not many, that I just don't want.

    --Tina
    Agreed. Sometimes its just not worth the trouble.
    FrogJumper.com, Superb Cpanel Web Hosting.
    Excellent, High Paying Affiliate Program.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    904
    My favorite question is "Can I have a FREE paid package"?

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,525
    Or on a 2000GB dedicated server package when they ask if they can get a discount for only using 1800GB.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Fleet Street
    Posts
    3,244
    Jeff: Can I get a discount for only using 1800gb? *smirks*

  14. #14
    Greetings:

    "1. Do you overload your servers?

    2. Are your servers secure?"

    These are very good questions in the age of overselling, and utilizing $30 template-based server hardening or not at all.

    The most annoying pre-sales questions we get:

    * How much is your Internet? Do you charge less than AOL? (note: we don't provide any Internet connectivity services)

    * Why is your toll free number listed on the support page of the orange juicer machine? (several calls from the same guy).

    * How much is your pet food (we somethings get confused with Dynamic Pet's)?

    Thank you.
    ---
    Peter M. Abraham
    LinkedIn Profile

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    West Michigan, USA
    Posts
    9,687
    Quote Originally Posted by dynamicnet
    Greetings:

    "1. Do you overload your servers?

    2. Are your servers secure?"

    These are very good questions in the age of overselling, and utilizing $30 template-based server hardening or not at all.

    No, those are really stupid questions...heh. Think about it, do they *really* think that someone is going to say "Uhhh...yeah, we overload our servers and we're not really that good at security.". I feel its the type of question that most people would realize the answer is going to be 100% biased or an outright lie.

    Its kinda like going into a restaurant and asking the chef "So, is the food here any good?"

    --Tina
    ||| 99.999% Uptime SLA!!!
    Plenty of space and bandwidth to fit your needs!
    www.AEIandYou.com - - (WP Friendly - Premium Reseller Hosting and Cheap Dedicated Servers)

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    3,857
    I find it annoying when a customer insists something is our fault, and after serveral tickets & cancellation threats finds out it wasn't indeed our fault but a simple fault on the clients behalf. No apology or anything either...

    Guess its all part of the business...

  17. #17
    Greetings Tina:

    If you ask about security and overselling, especially face to face or over the phone, then one can get a sense of the person's character. Then either by 3rd party review, testing, or personal experience, if the statements are proven false, then one can quickly exit.

    Thank you.
    ---
    Peter M. Abraham
    LinkedIn Profile

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    West Michigan, USA
    Posts
    9,687
    Quote Originally Posted by dynamicnet
    Greetings Tina:

    If you ask about security and overselling, especially face to face or over the phone, then one can get a sense of the person's character.
    We're talking about pre-sales emails and those being the only (or one of very few) question being asked. In other words, someone asking a question they think means something...which doesn't.

    Like "How many accounts do you put on a server?". I would never lie to a potential customer, but I can see how these people can be basically swayed to believe anything...and it irks me.

    --Tina
    ||| 99.999% Uptime SLA!!!
    Plenty of space and bandwidth to fit your needs!
    www.AEIandYou.com - - (WP Friendly - Premium Reseller Hosting and Cheap Dedicated Servers)

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    1,031
    My number #1 is "Do you support web hosting?"

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    147
    "Can you show me how to sell online?"
    "How do I make money on the Internet?"

    What the hell???!!!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Posts
    1,446
    1. Should I cancel my dialup service after signing up with you?
    2. Why are your plans more expensive than X?
    3. Will you price match?

    - John C.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Albany, NY
    Posts
    3,956
    Yeah, deifnitely Why are you more expensive and "Price Match" are the two biggest ones we get.
    AYKsolutions.com - High Bandwidth Specialists - 10Gbps/20Gbps+ Unmetered & DDOS Protected
    Over 20+ Global Locations - Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo), Mexico, Brazil, India, Australia, US, CA, EU - Bare Metal and Virtual Cloud. All Managed.
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  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    24,027
    Quote Originally Posted by AH-Tina
    There are some customers, not many, that I just don't want.
    Ya preaching to the converted!
    WLVPN.com NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider
    Increase your hosting profits by adding VPN to your product line up

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    24,027
    Quote Originally Posted by JohnCrowley
    1. Should I cancel my dialup service after signing up with you?
    That reminds me of a story.

    In 2000 I placed an ad in the local Yellow Pages, for my humble web design business. Cost a few grand for the ad. It was in the "internet" section of the Yellow Pages. I lost count of the number of calls I'd get with folks having problems with their ISP, or their Hotmail/Yahoo email address. Somehow I was the unofficial support hotline for such.

    Fortunately HTTPme really kicked in and took off in the first half of 2001, so I disconnected the phone number advertised in the Yellow Pages, for that web design biz.
    WLVPN.com NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider
    Increase your hosting profits by adding VPN to your product line up

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Your Screen
    Posts
    3,999
    Quote Originally Posted by Aussie Bob
    In 2000 I placed an ad in the local Yellow Pages, for my humble web design business. Cost a few grand for the ad. It was in the "internet" section of the Yellow Pages. I lost count of the number of calls I'd get with folks having problems with their ISP, or their Hotmail/Yahoo email address. Somehow I was the unofficial support hotline for such.
    1998-2001.... I would also get tons of inquiries exactly like you mentioned, Bob, but through the "Contact Us" form on my hosting site. From random strangers. I'm happy to help people, but sheez....

    Finally had a saved e-mail template that said "We only provide technical support to our current customers" etc etc, and over time those e-mails have indeed stopped. Haven't received one in probably 3 years now!

    Bailey
    Let's Connect on Twitter! @thatsmsgeek2u || Fighting mediocrity one thread at a time.

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