4 weeks ago I was browsing a few different stock photo sites looking for a few particular images for a client. One of them was Johnér Bildbyrå. I found a few images that I wanted to suggest to the client and I went on with signing up with an account on Johner.com so that I could get an idea of how much these images would cost. They require quite a lot of information to register, which is not uncommon for stock photo sites, but I had never understood why. Until recently.
3 days after I signed up I got a call from Sweden. It was from Johnér Bildbyrå. A lady with a pleasant tone introduced herself and told me she was aware that I was looking at a few images recently and wanted to know if I found what I was looking for, and if not she would be glad to help me find it. I kindly declined her help and told her I was merely gathering information for a client and that I was not looking to purchase anything personally. She repeated her offer to help me, I repeated my declination and I hung up.
Today I received 2 items in my mailbox. No, not my electronic mail but the physical one where your grand parents and your bank send you stuff. One folded envelope, and a plastic wrapped pink notebook from Johnér. Inside the envelope there’s a hand-written letter saying “Welcome as a new customer. Your friends at Johnér”. It also included a USB-stick with some sample stock photos and videos.
I’m a little bit astounded. When they called me a few days after I signed up I was quite annoyed. I don’t like people pushing their services, and especially not over the phone. But after getting all this stuff in the mail I’m not sure what to think. I’ll give them credit for trying so extremely hard, but I can’t help thinking that this is just way too pushy, and comes off as desperate.
Dear Johnér. I’m now scared to visit your website just because I might risk getting another phone call and even more stuff I don’t need and never asked for in the mail.