My most dreadful nightmares wouldn't have ghosts or goblins or serial killers on the loose. Instead, what it would look like is having more than 5 missed calls on my phone screen from either of my parents. 

A legit nightmare that was turned into a reality for a lot of people who use the cab aggregator company - Ola. 

© Ola

Now, we all know that in this day and age of social media, there are more than a hundred ways to market your product/service right. Infact, marketing gimmicks are ever-evolving, preying on the behavioural patterns of the consumer. 

However, when Ola tried to make use of such gimmicks to up their sales, they might have gone a bit too far.

We are saying this after several users have slammed Ola on social media for sending out “8 Missed calls from Mom” notification to its users as a way to promote their service. 

Little did they know, it would do the exact opposite.

The company’s idea was to send out notifications to the Ola app users that started with showing how there are 8 missed calls from one’s mother, only to continue to write (in a rather small font) that it was to inform them how there is a 40% discount going on services. 

I'll beat you, Ola . Some of us l feel instantly anxious at the thought of so many missed calls. You could probably use better copy. pic.twitter.com/dCoKtly11F

— booksandsarees (@idlybiryani) March 9, 2022

8 missed calls from your mom

Why is @Olacabs traumatizing me like this? pic.twitter.com/YrL0pTAllw

— Anangsha Alammyan (@anangsha_) March 9, 2022 

Sharing screenshots on social media, people called out the company for infusing customers with panic and anxiety, for no one can be expected to take something like this lightly. 

Where a single missed call from one’s mother can wreak havoc on people, showing they had missed 8 was but a way to completely take people by shock, not even by surprise. 

@Olacabs are you trying to give me a heart attack???!!

8 missed calls from mom??!!! pic.twitter.com/R2hV5GLYmX

— M. (@ManishaDot) March 9, 2022

"8 missed calls from mom"
There's a way to do marketing. Do not cross your limits by sending such notifications and making users panicked. Couldn't block the notifications coz bookings notifications will also get blocked. #disappointed#olacabs @Olacabs

— AK Tweets (@Ankitk645) March 11, 2022 

“Olacabs why are you trying to give me a heart attack???!! 8 missed calls from mom??!!!", wrote one user as several others related to it. Another Twitter user called it a “terrible clickbait”. 

In fact, a user even went ahead to criticize the marketing stunt in great detail, as he wrote, “A banner notification with 5-20 missed calls from MOM would flash on the mobile - setting a panic - followed by a silly 40% off on their services. Imagine the impact of such an advert on people like me who recently lost their mothers/ or people who live away from their ailing mothers …. The advert is a clickbait tactic - but strikes a poor chord and leaves a very bitter aftertaste." 

'8 missed calls from mom', followed by a 40% off promo!
This is a terrible clickbait by Ola.
Pic via @kartik679 on LinkedIn. pic.twitter.com/QBzIF86510

— Karthik (@beastoftraal) March 10, 2022

At the same time, a few people wondered how it would have been horrible for people who would receive this notification and not have a mom.  

A user wrote, “Imagine sending this notification to someone whose mom recently died or went missing. Terrible company." 

Guess, Ola didn’t think this through at all! 

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