# How do you handle telemarketers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331 "2003-01-23T01:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![elfoldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@elfoldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfoldo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/101 "2003-01-25T16:26:00Z")
What a coincidence. Check out Saturday’s “Blondie” comic strip. Dagwood is shown listening to a telemarketer’s pitch and says he’s going to get his credit card. The next sceen has him sitting at the dining table leaving the telemarketer hanging on the phone. So I guess you can count Dagwood as another one of those unreasonably rude homeowners. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/102 "2003-01-25T16:46:04Z")
Wow. I envy all of you. No, I really do. I get at least three calls a day, and sometimes as many as six. And there is never anyone on the line. No one I can ask not to call me again, no one I can be polite to or play head games with if I choose. They ALWAYS call when I’m taking a nap, and wake me. They usually call when I’m watching something on TV that I’m enjoying. I don’t answer any more, of course, and make everyone talk to the machine first, but the constant ringing is loud and irritating and disrupts my life, and since whoever is calling me never, ever picks up, they have no chance of selling anything to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/103 "2003-01-25T16:50:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\*Did you think this through before you typed it in? Uploading a destructive trojan and making a simple phone call aren’t in the same BALLPARK. \*\* Who said the trojan was destructive? Let’s say that all the trojan does is allow me to use your processor for my own computations- or, as I understand a lot of trojans do, it allows me to use your computer for a DOS on someone else. In other words, I’m using _your_ property for _my_ use without your permission, and without compenation. Sounds a hell of a lot like telemarketers using _my_property to advertise to me, without compensating me for my time and usage. Defend it all you want, **Snooooopy** , but the fact remains that you telemarketers do something nobody seems to want you to do to them- in other words, you’re being a jerk. And now you’re defending your jerkhood… ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/104 "2003-01-26T00:45:13Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > (responding to Already in Use) > It’s immoral to call your published phone number and interrupt you for a sum total of 30 seconds – if you choose to answer the call, which is something wholly within your own control? > > Immoral? > > I really think you have a strongly overinflated notion of the seriousness of receiving a phone call. Well I personally wouldn’t call it immoral. But it certainly annoys me. And you imply we could choose not to answer the phone - good grief, your solution is to not answer the phone in case it’s a telemarketer?! I really think you have a strongly overinflated notion of the usefulness of your ‘solution’. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by glee_ > Is your number publically available? > What would you do if we set a computer to repeatedly auto-dial it? > (Perhaps then you would understand what telemarketing feels like…) > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > Again, that’s a ridiculous overstatement, but the answer to dealing with what you feel is excessive telemarketing calls is very simple: you control the problem on your end with the means available to you. Of course I was using this to answering the absurd argument from Snoooopy that we deserve telemarketers because we publish our phone numbers. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > 1.) Tell the company not to call you again. Keep a notepad by the phone and get the operator to give you the exact company name and address, if possible, who they’re selling for, the operator’s own name and operator number. If you’re in the U.S., you can tell the operator that you have recorded the information and that if you receie any further sales contact by their company you will invoke your right to monetary damages against the company pursuant to US law. (Do a Google search on collecting damages from telemarketers to see examples of people who have done just that.) If they call again, don’t let them get away with it. This is useful advice for US citizens - thank you. Alas I happen to be in the UK, and also feel depressed that we have to do so much work to stop **each and every** single company that disturbs us. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > 2.) If there are times at which you simply do not wish to be bothered by a ringing phone, shut the phone off or do not answer it. You can always make those decisions, and then you absolutely will not be bothered and it will be on your own terms. How about when we are expecting an urgent call (e.g. a family relative in poor health), and telemarketers are ringing? How does your advice work then? The point is that the times when I don’t want **a telemarketer to ring** are Mon-Sun. I want to receive urgent calls at all times, thank you. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > 3.) Get Caller ID and other privacy-ensuring devices as offered by your telecom provider and use their functionality. If a call comes up as “Out of Area” or “Unavailable” then don’t answer it! No legitimate business call will appear with those designations. (Though certain businesses have “Private Number” designations for various and understandable reasons.) As previously posted, these services cost money. Why do we have to pay to avoid nuisance calls? > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > 4.) Join your state’s Do Not Call list, which will automatically and immediately cause all telemarketing that reaches you to be illegal and punishable with a fine payable to you. 27 states currently have such a list – you can find more information about the list and see if your state has one here. If your state (or country) doesn’t have one yet, contact your state attorney general (or whatever legal authority is in your area) to inquire as to how to protect yourself and to request a do not call list be initiated in your area. Again, excellent advice for US citizens. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > 5.) Have your number unpublished and be vigilant about what companies have your phone number and what their privacy policies are. If you give away your phone number without being sure that you’ve opted out of having your personal information shared or that the company policy is not to share information, you will likely end up on telemarketing lists. Your information is yours, you bear some responsibility for controlling its dissemination and (mis)use. Unfortunately I work from home. My business involves getting calls. Also, don’t some telemarketers just dial random numbers (including unlisted ones)? > [@](#): > > _originally posted by glee_ > Also if you, as a member of the public do harass me by repeatedly phoning me, I can call the police. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > Harassment by phone is a defined, illegal act. > > The word harassment does not attach until the party in question is calling someone repeatedly without a legitimate purpose and without regard to the recepient’s wishes, (often, when speaking of statutory definitons, explicitly stated wishes) that the calls end. > > If you were to call the police and make a complaint of phone harassment, the police are going to be quite useless to you if they find out that you’re complaining about one call from a company each day, or even two, which are made with a legitimate purpose, and a sales call is legitimate whether you like it or not. In this country, they’re going to be even less useful to you because all legitimate telemarketing activity can and will be stopped with a simple demand and in the majority of states, you can opt out of all telemarketing with a single toll-free phone call or by filling out a simple web form. > > It’s simply not harassment, not a criminal act, as much as the rabid (and rapidly spirally into illogical raving) anti-telemarketers would like to pretend that it is. I did say **member of the public** , not a telemarketing company. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tlw_ > Given the number of remedies to the problem, I’m beginning to believe that some people simply enjoy having something to complain about and a group of people they’re free to take their frustrations out upon by treating them badly on the phone. Firstly what you define as us ‘treating them badly’ simply involves us wasting their time. (No law against that!) Yet when they initiate the unwanted intrusions, you don’t call it that. Why not? Incidentally you didn’t answer my questions about whether your law firm would: a) use telemarketing techniques to drum up business b) instruct the ‘cold callers’ that if someone hung up on them, they were to ring again repeatedly. As a professional, how effective would you say the above strategies were? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/105 "2003-01-26T00:56:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > In order to sell, what skills do you need to apply? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > Persuasion, quick thinking, fast talking. The same skills you need to sell cars or appliances. Maybe you don’t think those are “real” sales jobs either? The big difference is that I walk into a car dealership ready to talk about buying. I don’t want anything that is so cr\*p it has to be sold by telemarketers. I’m also nervous about ‘fast-talking’ as a skill. Doesn’t that smack of selling me something I don’t want? Anway how does a telemarketer use these skills? They only have a voice to go on. They’re paid to make endless quick calls all shift, and need to use the same script over and over again. They’re only selling one product. All of these differ from a car salesman. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > Telemarketing is more than reading off a script. At the place where I worked, you could easily tell who was a great telemarketer and who was shitty by looking at their statistics. There were guys who would get 10 rejections for every sale they made, and other guys who would only get 2. Presumably the competent ones move on to a better job quickly. :rolleyes: Only the incompetent stay in telemarketing… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > It’s not luck - it’s about building rapport, projecting confidence, being familiar with what you’re selling and with customer responses and questions, and picking up on the customer’s state of mind. It’s not lucky when they phone me, it’s an irritation. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/106 "2003-01-26T01:10:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > So you (Snooooopy) admitted that telemarketing is an inconvenience, and that you really enjoy harassing people. > And you wonder why we are rude to you? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > Yeah, I do wonder why, given that so many people are able to say a simple “no” to me without being rude. I explained that earlier. > > Typical anti-telemarketer – can’t read. Oh, I can read - that’s one of the reasons I have a decent satisfying job (unlike you). Of course I read about your simple ‘just say no’ solution and posted this much earlier: > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by glee_ > I used to state politely that “I don’t want anything, thank you, take me off your list” and hang up. > I have had 16 telemarketing calls in one hour (I was waiting for an important call). > I have had one firm ring me four times in an hour. (Apparently they were doing a marketing promotion, and there was a ‘problem’ with overlap.) > I have had new people from an old firm ring me and say “Sorry, no-one here told me you didn’t want to be called.” > I have had telemarketers flatly deny that they wanted to sell me anything (they were under instructions to complete their spiel first). > > Since I started leaving them hanging on (by saying politely “can you just hang on?”), the calls have diminished enormously. > Sad, but true. Did you not read it? And of course you continue to be unable to explain what sales skills telemarketing requires (compared to my experienced friend who recently retired from a sales job, which earnt him $250,000 annually. Perhaps he knows something you don’t.) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/107 "2003-01-26T01:39:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > **The big difference is that I walk into a car dealership ready to talk about buying.** Maybe you do. Or maybe you walk into the dealership just wanting to look at cars and shop around, and you end up driving home with a new car. Congratulations, you’ve been sold. > [@](#): > > **I’m also nervous about ‘fast-talking’ as a skill. Doesn’t that smack of selling me something I don’t want?** Nobody can sell you something you don’t want. Being a salesman is about _making_ you want it. > [@](#): > > **Anway how does a telemarketer use these skills?** By, you know, talking to people on the phone. He says “we’re putting on a benefit concert for fire safety programs”, you say “I give at the office”, now what does he do? If he’s a bad salesman, he flusters or gives up. If he’s a good salesman, he has an answer that _convinces_ you that giving at the office isn’t enough. > [@](#): > > **Presumably the competent ones move on to a better job quickly. :rolleyes: > Only the incompetent stay in telemarketing…** The ones who leave are the incompetent ones - the ones who don’t make sales, and who let customer rejections get them down. > [@](#): > > \*\*It’s not lucky when they phone me, it’s an irritation. \*\* Great. I think the same thing about waiting for trains to cross an intersection, but I accept it as a simple consequence of driving on roads that cross railroad tracks. I don’t swear at the engineer, or rant on a message board about how irritating train crossings are. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/108 "2003-01-26T02:12:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tlw \* > \*\*It’s immoral to call your published phone number and interrupt you for a sum total of 30 seconds – if you choose to answer the call, which is something wholly within your own control? > > Immoral? :eek: > > I really think you have a strongly overinflated notion of the seriousness of _receiving a phone call_.\*\* OK, I admit, “immoral” is sort of a strong word. I don’t mean immoral as in stomping on kittens and such. But it’s a rude interruption, and my point is that telemarketers shouldn’t expect certain behavior from me when they rudely interrupt me. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/109 "2003-01-26T03:29:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andymurph64 \* > \*\*People who rage against telemarketers are raging against the wrong people. > > [hangs head] > > In my previous job, which did research for newspapers, I would recommend to clients that they should call every household in their area every three months. I notice that one of the local papers to which I made this recommendation calls me every 3 months like clockwork! > > It was me in my previous job (not now, please! 😉 ) that you should be pissed at. People like that are the ones doing this. > > I should point out that newspapers that do call everyone every three months have higher % circulations than ones that don’t and the % difference is NOT trivial. > > [/hangs head] \*\* I’m with you - I’ve done the same thing for newspapers across the country. Only difference is that I personally provided the newspaper with which households to call - and to be fair, I did a significant amount of demographic analysis based on the newspaper’s existing subscriber base vs. the overall demographic of the area to arrive at which households would receive the offers. So basically, I tried to weed out the households that didn’t match the type of household that would usually subscribe. But I still know that I have probably inconvenienced thousands - without ever even using the phone. ---
**Author:** ![yakboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a3d4f5/32.png) [@yakboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yakboy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/110 "2003-01-26T05:56:37Z")
I am a real big fan of the “No Call” law here in Colorado. I signed up soon after it went into effect here, and my telemarketing calls dropped to nil. If your state has it, sign up. If not, write your legislator and ask why not. A list of states that have “no call”: [http://www.coloradonocall.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Links](http://www.coloradonocall.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Links) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/111 "2003-01-26T06:37:06Z")
I tried to post this yesterday but the board was being shitfully slow (hey, what’s new eh??) **Glee** , you really are a sanctimonious sod ya know, and you seem to have lost the distinction between telemarket_ing_ and telemarket_ers_. By all means rail against the existence of telemarketing as a sales tool, but once you start casting personal aspersions against people who are doing what is still a legal job, you have crossed the boundaries mate. People do telemarketing for all sorts of reasons. For most of them it is a ‘job between jobs’, one that pays the bills and keeps the wolves from the door. In my own case, having kids and being a full-time student as well, it is the ONLY job that allows me the flexibility I need. If one of my kids is sick, I can take time off and make it up later. During exams I can take whole weeks off as needed, and still have a job to go back to afterwards. There is no other work I can do with my current qualifications, time available and resources. Without this work, I would be solely dependent upon welfare payments, and thereby MORE of a scum-bag according to many of the members of this board. Sure, I understand you don’t like telemarketing. Whatever. But get off your arrogant high-horse and realise that not everybody has choices in this world. Some of us are limited…by education and experience, by location and by time. Hanging shit on telemarketers is NOT going to make telemarketing go away. Lobby your local parliamentarian, write letters to the newspapers, tell telemarketers to take your name of their list…but stop telling us we are worthless pieces of crap when we are just earning a living. Oh, and fuck off. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/112 "2003-01-26T10:41:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > …maybe you walk into the dealership just wanting to look at cars and shop around, and you end up driving home with a new car. Congratulations, you’ve been sold. > > Nobody can sell you something you don’t want. Being a salesman is about _making_ you want it. Well I think an important part of a salesman’s job is identifying who might want the product, and letting them know about it, then keeping in touch for future upgrades. Also car salesmen work in a place where cars are sold. When you go in, you’re ready to talk to them. (And I expect car dealerships do some market research on location before opening a new franchise etc). Telemarketers just phone **everyone** , including: - those who are waiting for an urgent call - those who only want to be disturbed by an urgent call - those who have already been phoned by that company - those who have already been phoned by other companies. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > By, you know, talking to people on the phone. He says “we’re putting on a benefit concert for fire safety programs”, you say “I give at the office”, now what does he do? If he’s a bad salesman, he flusters or gives up. If he’s a good salesman, he has an answer that _convinces_ you that giving at the office isn’t enough. Or, **as a cold-caller** , he says “Would you like cheaper gas?”. But we use only electricity. Or, **as a cold-caller** , he says “Would you like cheaper car insurance?”. But we don’t have a car (I realise this is unlikely in the US!). Or, **as a cold-caller** , he says “Would your wife like one of these?”. But she just died (sob). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > The ones who leave are the incompetent ones - the ones who don’t make sales, and who let customer rejections get them down. Surely, if he’s a good salesman, he leaves to work in a decent, satisfying sales job that identifies potential customers, not that simply alienates masses of people. Also, doesn’t a good salesman analyse why he got rejected, then do something about it. Since telemarketing automatically includes rude rejections, don’t the competent ones leave for a better job? Why would anyone **stay** in telemarketing? Presumably only because there is no alternative (but isn’t it worthwhile getting qualifications or moving areas - whatever solves the problem.) Don’t you agree that telemarketing is has a massive turnover; and the competent quickly leave to get a better job? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > I think the same thing about waiting for trains to cross an intersection, but I accept it as a simple consequence of driving on roads that cross railroad tracks. I don’t swear at the engineer, or rant on a message board about how irritating train crossings are. Don’t you think railroads have a useful function? Also the trains have not irritated you personally, and at home! (How would you feel if the train driver deliberatedly stopped on the crossing, got out, walked over and tried to have a conversation with you? Angry, perhaps?!) I also wouldn’t compare ranting about telemarketers with road rage. (I’m sure both of us condemn that - but it shows how irritated people react much worse than what we’re discussing here.) I got a phone to have interesting conversations, not get cold-called regularly. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/113 "2003-01-26T10:57:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kambuckta \* > **Glee** , you really are a sanctimonious sod ya know,… Hmmm. No sympathy for my plight, and a mild insult. Are you a telemarketer? > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by kambuckta \* > …and you seem to have lost the distinction between telemarket_ing\* and telemarket_ers_. By all means rail against the existence of telemarketing as a sales tool, but once you start casting personal aspersions against people who are doing what is still a legal job, you have crossed the boundaries mate. Defending the irritating practice by saying ‘it’s legal’ - you **are almost certainly** a telemarketer! I note that although telemarketing is legal, there are legal remedies to prevent you doing it. **What sort of industry is that - even the Government recognise it’s an intrusive unpleasant thing that decent citizens need legal protection form?!** Still that is a fair point about targeting the industry for my complaints. Can you suggest how I protest directly to them? N.B. If a decent industry got masses of continual complaints to its staff, they would hold an emergency Board meeting, and change. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kambuckta \* > People do telemarketing for all sorts of reasons. For most of them it is a ‘job between jobs’, one that pays the bills and keeps the wolves from the door. In my own case, having kids and being a full-time student as well, it is the ONLY job that allows me the flexibility I need. If one of my kids is sick, I can take time off and make it up later. During exams I can take whole weeks off as needed, and still have a job to go back to afterwards. There is no other work I can do with my current qualifications, time available and resources. Without this work, I would be solely dependent upon welfare payments, and thereby MORE of a scum-bag according to many of the members of this board. No, there is only **one** reason to do telemarketing. You need the money, \*\* and there isn’t a better job available\*\*. I fully agree that any job (even telemarketing :eek: ) is better than no job. (I already posted some of the cr\*p ones I have done to avoid being a drain on society). If offered an alternative, wouldn’t you take it? Aren’t you looking for anything better? (perhaps that should read just ‘anything’, since it’s bound to be an improvement). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kambuckta \* > Oh, and fuck off. Ah, abuse - you **are** a telemarketer. Good luck in finding a decent job. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/114 "2003-01-26T11:08:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lightnin’ \* > \*\*In other words, I’m using _your_ property for _my_ use without your permission, and without compenation. Sounds a hell of a lot like telemarketers using _my_property to advertise to me, without compensating me for my time and usage. > \*\* Look, man, if you own a phone, you take your chances that sometimes the person on the other end isn’t someone you necessarily want to talk to. DEAL WITH IT. Or should every person who ever calls you – telemarketer or not – know in advance if you’ll want to talk to them? Should they be prepared to send you money if it turns out you didn’t want to talk to them? Is there an extra fine if a phone call causes you to jump out of the shower? How much would you charge people who dial you, but it’s a wrong number? If you’ve ever called someone who didn’t want to talk to YOU – and God forbid that could have EVER happened, since you’re so charming – how big of a check did you send them? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/115 "2003-01-26T11:46:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\*Look, man, if you own a phone, you take your chances that sometimes the person on the other end isn’t someone you necessarily want to talk to. DEAL WITH IT. Or should every person who ever calls you – telemarketer or not – know in advance if you’ll want to talk to them? Should they be prepared to send you money if it turns out you didn’t want to talk to them? Is there an extra fine if a phone call causes you to jump out of the shower? How much would you charge people who dial you, but it’s a wrong number? > > If you’ve ever called someone who didn’t want to talk to YOU – and God forbid that could have EVER happened, since you’re so charming – how big of a check did you send them? \*\* The problem being, though, that telemarketing is a profession wherein every employee is PAID to be one of those people I don’t want to hear from. If someone’s being paid money to inconvenience me, I want to be paid money to be receive that inconvenience- or the ability to opt out, entirely. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the sort of choice the telemarketing lobbyists are working 24/7 to prevent the public from having. Back to brass tacks, though- you’ve ignored a lot of my arguments (no big surprise, there, I suppose). What are your feelings on email spam as a legitimate form of advertisement? Every one of the arguments you’ve used to support telemarketing can be used for spam. Can we assume that you think spam is a Good Idea? ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/116 "2003-01-26T11:54:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > \*\*Telemarketers just phone **everyone** , including: > > - those who are waiting for an urgent call > - those who only want to be disturbed by an urgent call\*\* Really? My mother sometimes phones me when I’m waiting for an urgent call, but I politely explain the situation. I guess you’d have me swear at her and make threats? > [@](#): > > **Or, as a cold-caller, he says “Would you like cheaper gas?”. But we use only electricity.** So say “I heat with electricity. Goodbye.” What’s so hard about that? > [@](#): > > **Surely, if he’s a good salesman, he leaves to work in a decent, satisfying sales job that identifies potential customers, not that simply alienates masses of people.** Identifies potential customers? Sure, they could get their hit rate up a little bit by culling out the people who heat with electricity, don’t own a car, or whatever… but perhaps that would cost more than making a few wasted calls. Phone time is cheap. A telemarketer talks to a lot more potential customers every day than a car or appliance salesman. There’s no waiting around for someone to enter the store, and very little wasted time with customers who obviously don’t want to buy anything. Does telemarketing alienate people? Sure, a lot of people have made up their minds never to buy anything over the phone. But you’d be surprised how many of those very same people will change their minds, once the right person calls them. > [@](#): > > **Also, doesn’t a good salesman analyse why he got rejected, then do something about it. Since telemarketing automatically includes rude rejections, don’t the competent ones leave for a better job?** You keep repeating that question, as if asking it over and over will change the answer. The competent ones stay because they do well. The ones who can’t keep up go away. > [@](#): > > **Don’t you agree that telemarketing is has a massive turnover; and the competent quickly leave to get a better job?** Massive turnover, sure. At the place I worked, we hired a few new people every week, and most of the time they couldn’t cut it, and were gone by the end of the week. But the ones who did well stayed. Why would the incompetent ones stay? The managers don’t want to pay them if they aren’t making sales. > [@](#): > > **Don’t you think railroads have a useful function?** Sure. And obviously some people think telemarketers have a useful function–after all, people keep buying stuff from them. > [@](#): > > **I got a phone to have interesting conversations, not get cold-called regularly.** Do you go on an inane rant whenever a conversation turns out to be uninteresting? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/117 "2003-01-26T12:14:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lightnin’ \* > \*\*Back to brass tacks, though- you’ve ignored a lot of my arguments (no big surprise, there, I suppose). What are your feelings on email spam as a legitimate form of advertisement? Every one of the arguments you’ve used to support telemarketing can be used for spam. Can we assume that you think spam is a Good Idea? \*\* “No big surprise”? I guess that’s a cleverly subtle insult or something. Yay for you. Whatever. I’m not a big fan of spam. I end up having to erase quite a lot of it. Sometimes I use the “Report Spam” feature, although that’s essentially a symbolic gesture since it’s not likely I’ll ever get spam from the same e-mail address twice anyway. I just don’t act outraged when my inbox contains messages I didn’t really want to get. In theory, if a spam message involved a product that I actually wanted to buy, and it weren’t something that would be easier to buy at the corner grocery store, then I might go ahead and buy it. But it’s all porn and weight-loss stuff and work-and-home scams that I wouldn’t touch. Telemarketers at least are hawking things like newspapers (which I read, even though I don’t want to subscribe through a telemarketer). ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/118 "2003-01-26T18:19:10Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\* > Here’s another bit of advice: If you pretend that you’re interested, walk away and leave the phone off the hook, you have also GUARANTEED THAT YOU’RE GOING TO GET ANOTHER CALL!!! I mean, come on, **TVGuy** , how clever do you honestly think you are? You do that to me, I’m going to give up in a minute or so and press the button that sends you back into the pile of numbers to be called. And I’m going to be very happy at the thought of having inconvenienced you yet again._\* Yes, but in cases where the person on the other end of the phone (the telemarketer) is being paid by the phone call, the longer I can keep the SOB on the phone without buying anything is a few less calls he or she will have on his or her tally by the end of the shift. Enough of us do it often enough and we can make a small dent in the livelyhoods of a very annoying groupl of people. You’re happy to inconvenience me and “GUESS WHAT??” - I’m more than happy to screw with you. It seems to me that anyone who’s actually happy to inconvenience people needs to maybe rethink one’s priorities a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/119 "2003-01-26T18:26:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TVGuy \* > \*\*You’re happy to inconvenience me and “GUESS WHAT??” - I’m more than happy to screw with you. > > It seems to me that anyone who’s actually happy to inconvenience people needs to maybe rethink one’s priorities a bit. \*\* When you are finished rethinking your priorities, let me know! ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331/120 "2003-01-26T19:09:25Z")
Once, when I was cold and hungry, I was a telemarketer. \<\\> But it was a learning experience!!! Best answer ever to give a telemarketer? When they ask for someone by name, just pause and say “Where you a close friend?” Believe me, they will hang up immediately!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-handle-telemarketers/150331.md?page=7)