Hungry Like Kevin http://hungrylikekevin.posterous.com Most recent posts at Hungry Like Kevin posterous.com Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:50:00 -0700 Well, Okay, Then http://hungrylikekevin.posterous.com/well-okay-then http://hungrylikekevin.posterous.com/well-okay-then

I just received this email, obviously in response to the phone call I got this morning:

Dear Kevin Stone,

 

Thank you for contacting Network Solutions Customer Service Department. We are committed to creating the best Customer experience possible. One of the first ways we can demonstrate our commitment to this goal is to quickly and efficiently handle your recent request.

 

Based on your request, we are removing your name from the Network Solutions E-Mail and Call Lists.

Of course, I never really "contacted the Network Solutions Customer Service Department". I just told their sales guy to never call my house again. But still, kudos to them for taking the hint, even though they never should have had me on that list the first place. I guess they're not total creeps. Still, though, I wish companies would get something through their heads: when customers don't buy extra services from you, it's not because they didn't know about them, or because you weren't being pushy enough with your sales pitch. It's because that's exactly what they intended to do. I don't need hosting; I don't need hungrylikekevins dot-biz through dot-xxx. I purchased exactly the domain that I needed, and nothing more. Just like when somebody goes into a 7-11 and buys a Heath bar, you don't try to sell them a 24-pack of Hamm's on top of it.

Okay?

You need to understand this, American companies.

Anyway, thanks for taking me off your call list, Network Solutions. I promise not to say anything else bad about you (unless you screw up again).

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/983943/TemplePic.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he614WNGNdpNw Kevin Stone hungrylikekevin Kevin Stone
Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:25:00 -0700 Really, Network Solutions? http://hungrylikekevin.posterous.com/really-network-solutions http://hungrylikekevin.posterous.com/really-network-solutions

So, I registered a domain with Network Solutions the other day, as you know, and that may have been a mistake, because they just called me this morning, not five minutes ago. "Hello, Kevin," the guy said, "I'm calling regarding your domain, hungrylikekevin.com? I noticed you didn't purchase the hosting, and I wondered why, was it a price consideration, or--"

"I have hosting somewhere else," I responded, already getting pissed that these people called me at home, which is a betrayal of the Unspoken Internet Commerce Agreement, which is that all business will be performed via the INTERNET. I unclicked the thing that said, "Please send me special offers" when I completed my order because I didn't want a ton of spam from Network Solutions. I didn't see a box that said, "Please call me at home and try to sell me extra things," because I would have unclicked that, too.

Then the guy goes, "Well, can I interest you in some other domains at all, like--"

I cut him off, said, "I have everything I need to purchase from you guys. Please don't call me at home again. Bye-bye," and I hung up on him.

WHAT THE HUH?

Let's say I had ordered a pair of shoes from Amazon, and a sales rep called me at home and said, "Hey, Kevin, I'm calling about your pair of shoes. I noticed you didn't buy socks. Is there a reason for that? And would you like 5 more pairs of shoes to go with it?" That would be ridiculous, right? This was the same thing.

I have done a ton of business with the Internet over the years, from iTunes to Amazon to the truly sleaziest porn sites you can imagine, and none of them have had the audacity to call me at home in the morning to make a clumsy sales pitch.

Outrageous.

DON'T CALL ME AT HOME, INTERNET.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/983943/TemplePic.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he614WNGNdpNw Kevin Stone hungrylikekevin Kevin Stone