Why do clients ask stupid questions.

[kathy1010]

Hi, Coffeebreakers. I just had another client ask, :"what's your favorite movie?" Why do they ask these questions???? What purpose does it serve. It really drives me crazy. How do you guys answer?

[purplepony]

Virginia, when anyone asks me any question I prefer to not answer for whatever reason(s) I simply nicely ask "Why do you ask?" and shut up (the next person that talks loses so to speak.)  In doing so most people generally catch that I'm basically politely telling them that it's none of their business... 

[kathy1010]

I agree, but it seems like a good way not to get a contract.

[sivavranagaro]

Maybe they came here for fun, to play with people who apply for jobs.

Maybe it's difficult to choose among candidates so they add in a filter.

Maybe it's related to job in a bizarre way.

[mthornton-cpc]

Think about all the people who cry on these very boards, "I need more Connects, all mine are gone in 3 days!". Then think about the general quality of the proposals submitted by such people. Then put yourself in the position of the client. If someone doesn't answer that question there's a good chance they didn't read the job posting. They can be immediately dismissed - it cuts down your review pool in a matter of moments. 

Also, sometimes clients like to see a bit of the freelancer's personality and asking opinion questions like that is an easy way to do that. Some clients value compatible personalities, so that may help them differentiate between 2 or more candidates who are all equally qualified. 

[petra_r]

I agree with Melissa. I much prefer questions such as "What is your favourite film and why?" to "Write 'purple cow' at the top of your application to let me know you read the job posting" or nonsense such as "Which part of the job do you think will take the most time" and so on.

I like working with clients who try to see the person behind the profile.

[pandoraharper · Accepted solution]

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@Petra R wrote:

I agree with Melissa. I much prefer questions such as "What is your favourite film and why?" to "Write 'purple cow' at the top of your application to let me know you read the job posting" or nonsense such as "Which part of the job do you think will take the most time" and so on.

I like working with clients who try to see the person behind the profile.

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 What she said. 🙂

[kathy1010]

You guys win. I'll take a deep breath and give polite answers. Thanks.

[cupidmedia]

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@Virginia F wrote:

You guys win. I'll take a deep breath and give polite answers. Thanks.

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 Also bear in mind that if you *do* apply to a job with any form of "screening question", your answers to those questions appear first in your proposal to the client. So making at least a small amount of effort is a good idea.

@Eve L wrote:

I don't get the thing with Casablanca. If you want to watch a really good old movie you have to watch Gone with the Wind, or Dr. Zhivago. Those movies are great! A bit long, but way better than Casablanca.

Also, I never get questions like these. Most of my clients are Scandinavian. We never ask personal questions. Even starting out a message or a conversation with "how are you?" is a bit weird... 

 What annoys me more than that insincere "how are you?" is the people who ask but don't pause for an answer and just continue talking. I always interrupt to say "I'm great, thanks for asking!" to prove a point 

@Luce N wrote:

How can someone be expected to have ONE favourite movie? That's what makes this question weird, if you ask me.

 The correct answer is always "The Princess Bride". This is an easy question.

[mthornton-cpc]

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Jennifer D wrote: 

@Luce N wrote:

How can someone be expected to have ONE favourite movie? That's what makes this question weird, if you ask me.

 The correct answer is always "The Princess Bride". This is an easy question.

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It's inconceivable that any other answer could be acceptable! 

But, honestly, my favorite movie of all time is Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. The 1971 classic with Gene Wilder. Hands down, favorite favorite favorite. TPB makes the top 10 for sure, though.   

[abbeybrown]

To be fair, you can actually tell a lot about a person by HOW they answer a question more than what the answer is. "My favorite movie is Casablanca because Humphrey Bogart was really hot" is a very different answer from, "my favorite movie is Casablanca because the dialogue is a great example on how to subtly reveal a character's motives and emotions." But, in some job categories, you'd likely find out more by being direct. 

[petra_r]

Q: "What's your favourite movie and why?"

A "A Few Good Men"

............. because it has this scene:

[tlsanders]

I think that's some clients' way of including the stupid "say Brown Mastadons in the first line" test without actually asking you to just write a stupid phrase with no context.

In some cases, though, I think maybe the client thinks it tells him something about fit. I had one once that asked what was Joss Whedon's best film. That's a bit specific, and seemed to me like it might actually be some unusual sort of weed-out (I apparently got it wrong).

[kathy1010]

LOL. I'd have no idea how to answer that one. But Casablanca is a good movie; should have thought of that. Since the client wanted an ebook for women, I gave the girlie "I've Got Mail," which is actually one of my favorite comedies.

[yitwail]

I keep promoting LA Confidential, flaws and all. Here's a memorable scene that didn't have Kevin Spacey in it.

[e_luneborg]

I don't get the thing with Casablanca. If you want to watch a really good old movie you have to watch Gone with the Wind, or Dr. Zhivago. Those movies are great! A bit long, but way better than Casablanca.

Also, I never get questions like these. Most of my clients are Scandinavian. We never ask personal questions. Even starting out a message or a conversation with "how are you?" is a bit weird... 

[sivavranagaro]

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@Eve L wrote:

Even starting out a message or a conversation with "how are you?" is a bit weird... 

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This is great. I never understood point of such questions.

[sivavranagaro]

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@Tiffany S wrote:

That's a bit specific, and seemed to me like it might actually be some unusual sort of weed-out (I apparently got it wrong).

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 What it was actually?

[tlsanders]

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@Vesna M wrote:

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@Tiffany S wrote:

That's a bit specific, and seemed to me like it might actually be some unusual sort of weed-out (I apparently got it wrong).

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 What it was actually?

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 I don't know. I never heard back from the client. 

I said that it was obviously a trick question, as Dollhouse was Joss Whedon's best work, and it wasn't a movie.

[hfspeegle]

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Tiffany S wrote: 

I said that it was obviously a trick question, as Dollhouse was Joss Whedon's best work, and it wasn't a movie.

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 Tiffany, you misspelled "Firefly."  

[renata101]

In answer to your question: I don't know, Virginia, I just don't know. However, I think there might be an important difference between instances where clients ask  open-ended (pointed) stupid questions  and when they ask random (pointless) stupid questions. 

In the case of an open-ended question (which I'm going to refer to as a pointed stupid question), it might be a way to see how well you write on spec. So it's kind of like a trick or skill-testing stupid question. Clients might want to see how well you develop and/or structure your answer. This might be the new way people try to skirt the issue of asking for free writing samples. In this instance, the question isn't randomly stupid but rather open ended --and the ToS does not in any way discourage clients from posing stupid questions to freelancers. UW even supplies a slew of prefabricated ones for clients who can't come up with their own. 

However, I do think a lot of people on UW do ask random questions and these can vary widely in their level of perceived stupidity. So the way to determine whether or not the client is asking a random stupid question (a question for which there isn't a reasonably good or guessable answer) may vary from industry to industry.  In addition, sometimes clients who have never hired on the board may be completely lost in terms of what to ask for.  The type of questions they come up with might be more accurately considered nervous stupid questions. These are similar to the  variety people tend to whip out at cocktail parties where they don't know anyone.

If you're considering applying for a posting with a stupid question, you might put your hand over the area of the screen containing the stupid question and ask yourself, all things considered, whether the rest of it looks like something you want to apply for. If yes, just take your best run at answering it. Which sounds pretty much like what you did. 

[richard_wein]

@Tiffany S wrote:

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I said that it was obviously a trick question, as Dollhouse was Joss Whedon's best work, and it wasn't a movie.

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I would have said: "The musical he will one day make."

(I loved the musical episode of Buffy and Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I can't understand why he hasn't made a full-length musical yet!)

[kathy1010]

You're right, Renata. There may be a point to those questions. I sometimes can ge a little short with that, but I'll change my 'tude. And thanks all for answering MY stupid questions. Merry Christmas!

[luce-neidert]

How can someone be expected to have ONE favourite movie? That's what makes this question weird, if you ask me.

[renata101]

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@Luce N wrote:

How can someone be expected to have ONE favourite movie? That's what makes this question weird, if you ask me.

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@Luce

I think that's the main reason I keep flunking this question.  I think of what an imposition it is to be limited to just one favourite and I end up watching one instead of applying as an act of rebellion.