Our last post ranted about the stress in PR – we rambled on about the cause and came, albeit bloody quickly, to the conclusion that clients make us want to die. It's THAT bad. We don't want them to die. We want to die.
It got us thinking about some of the moments where a client has cocked up so dramatically, we've spent hundreds of pounds in therapy trying to "block out and move on" from the stress of it all. So, we thought we'd list our favourites … it was going to be a top five but it's now a top 10. Enjoy and pray to God you never have to deal with anything like that listed below. If you do – feel free to message @pissedoffpr and we'll rant about it for you. Happy client managing!
1) HR client tells the editor of a leading business management title (over lunch) that he “tends to hire men because they're less likely to go and get pregnant.” Plus, he has to spend more time “explaining things to women for obvious reasons” (the editor almost fell off HER chair).
2) Media client stops lunch with national reporter to take a call from his wife in the next room then proceeds to scream at her that she's a “f*****g b****“.
3) Client misses massive product launch because he's hungover. We make (damn good and believable) excuses before spotting client tweeting about getting out of the event “coz he's still pissed'“.
4) Client calling up Daily Mail, Mirror, Express and The Sun to complain about their treatment of his “family'“ before calling his wife by his mistress’s name... smart move!
5) Client launching a new piece of software – walking on stage before admitting he hasn't really had a “proper go” yet... NOT a good launch strategy for a product manager.
6) Client not reading briefing note at all – called journalist up and had a moan about journalists ... thinking he was talking to the PRO.
7) Client telling environment editor at two nationals that “green is out” and “it's all about making money faster not smarter'“ – we didn't believe this really happened ... then we read the post-briefing notes and start to cry.
8) Client gets paralytic at an awards do and falls up the stairs to collect his “Best Places to Work” award – would have been funny if he hadn't thrown up on the bar afterwards.
9) Client telling reporter that he shot a man in Iraq ... he later added that he was in the army ... not that this fact put his random boast in any context or in any better light.
10) Client pulling young reporter onto his lap while at random event in Germany muttering that his schnitzel needed nibbling – horrific! Like something from an ‘Allo ‘Allo! episode.
Hacked off Flack also writes on Twitter. Follow them here: http://twitter.com/PissedOffPR
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