With my business partner we run a hosting company, as most regular readers know.
We offer a range of internet related services including hosting, domain registration and the like.
(This is not an advert – it’s more of an explanation)
Over the past few years we have taken (and made) a lot of phonecalls – 9 out of our 10 fulltime staff spend a good part of their day on the phone.
While some of the conversations may amuse hardcore geeks, others are simply bizarre.
About two years ago I got a phonecall in the afternoon. It was a gentleman’s voice with a rather strong regional accent. After doing the obligatory “Good afternoon Blacknight” I couldn’t have possibly been prepared for his question:
“Where can I get a combine harvester?”
Naturally I presumed that he’d got a wrong number, so I tried to explain who we were…
Bad idea!
“You’re an internet company?”
“Yes”
“So where can I get a combine harvester online?”
“I don’t know. Have you tried looking at the Golden Pages?”
“I already did. That’s how I got your number”
At this point I wasn’t sure if it was someone pulling my leg or a seriously confused gentleman, so I gently suggested that he try to search on Google and assured him that we couldn’t be of any further assistance.
A few weeks ago one of our staff got an even odder phonecall:
“Good morning, Blacknight. How can I help you?”
“Do you sell bras?”
“Sorry?”
“Do you sell bras? You know… ladies underwear..”
“Em … No. We’re a hosting company”
“But do you sell bras?”
She somehow managed to gently extricate herself from the call ….
People ask the oddest questions ……







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