Stop trying to make me feel bad

The BBQ Pit
1

Dear people I have to call at work:

Yes, I am a telemarketer. Please don’t personally insult me. You have every right to be peeved, or annoyed, or whatever. I mean, I called you. I hate this job, but that’s what I’m stuck doing, and I’m sorry. Hang up, get mad at the company, swear at Citibank, whatever. That’s fine.

You don’t need to personally insult me. Doing this to someone who knocked on your door to sell you something would not be acceptable. Doing this to someone who annoyed you at the store would not be acceptable. Doing this to a store clerk who is stuck following store policy would not be acceptable. Why do you think it’s acceptable for you to tell me to “drop dead?” Why do you think it’s acceptable for you to tell me that I’m a lazy, stupid, low IQ loser? Why is it acceptable for you to unleash a string of profanity at me? I’m not doing the same to you…I mean, get mad that I called, waste my time, hang up on me, whatever…say you want to be put on the do not call list; I’ll put you on there.

I don’t want this job. I don’t want to annoy people. I hate having to sell things. But it’s the only place that’ll pay more than minimum wage and’ll hire me for two months. Please don’t make it any worse than it has to be. I’m sorry I called, ok? I’m trying to be nice, and I won’t endlessly rebutt…I’m not trying to scam you; I actually think this is a pretty cool offer. So please stop telling me I’m worthless.

Dear Ex-Boyfriend:

I’m glad we’re talking again. But I still don’t want to hear about how you’re trying to date this girl. I mean, what the hell do you see in her? She’s a druggie; she shoplifts; she’s not even that nice and YOU ADMIT IT. Why do you want her? Why do you have to tell me you want her?

It just reminds me of the fact that I am unattatched and have no idea of how to get attatched…or even of how I can get a date. Your romantic life isn’t the best way to restart a close friendship with an ex. Give me a few weeks, ok?

Dear Former Friend:

I’m sorry about what I did to your friend last year. I still feel guilty about it. I wish I hadn’t done it, and I wouldn’t do it again. He, however, has brought himself to converse politely with me when necessary, and to leave me alone when he doesn’t need to talk.

Why, then, do you feel this need to make me feel guilty? We were friends for a long time, so you know I can do guilt trips with the best of them. You know I don’t need any help to do it. Why can’t you just leave me the heck alone?

Dear World:

I’m sorry for everything I am and everything I’ve done. Just lay the hell off of me for a while. I don’t need this skata, and I don’t think I’ve deserved it. Go bother someone else, make peace with yourself, get some common sense, whatever. Just stop dumping on me. Cause I’m sorry. I’m sorry I telemarket, I’m sorry I dated you, I’m sorry I wronged your friend. Let it go. Leave me alone.

…Thanks…

2

Well I for one forgive you.

-foxy

3

You know I love you Rachel. No need to apologize. Cheer up, m’kay?

Keep your chin up for the next few months and deal with the job as best you can. As for the ex and the former friend - you know I’m always here for you. Call me, e-mail me, IM me - do what you gotta do. I’m here.

I can’t forgive you, nor can I accept an apology, because you have done nothing wrong. I can send you a cyber-hug, though, and wait for the real thing some day.

((((((((((Angel of the Lord))))))))))

-Dirty

4

I don’t mind telemarketers as long as they heed my call that I’m not interested.
My polite indications that I don’t want your product/seminar/voucher book should be enough.
Don’t try and use another line on me. I’m simply not interested and you should take that as the truth.
Further weedling on your part gets on my goat and I’ll start to be rude (remember, you didn’t heed my call that I didn’t want anything).
A fourth cajoling will result in me becoming nasty and a 5th try to flog me your crap will result in a abuse and hanging up.
If you heed my earlier indications I won’t call you worthless.

5

well, Angel, remember these times later when you’ve graduated and in a position of management and power. It sucks now and you’ve got my sympathy, but trite as it sounds you will be a better person for all of this…

6

I always try to be nice to telemarketers. I know it’s their job and they aren’t purposely trying to annoy me.

I hope things get better, Angel.

7

Sorry, but I have no sympathy for telemarketers. I work nights so any time a telemarketer calls I am being woken up (how would you like it if I called you at 4am trying to sell you something?). I can’t just turn the ringer off as there may be an emergency call (do you turn your ringer off when you go to bed at night?). I wish telemarketers were required to list their phone numbers in a directory somewhere and all of us night-shifters could call them at all hours of the night to show them just what it is like.

However, my condolences for the other issues.

8

<hijack>

drewcosten, that’s hardly fair. Most people do not work third shift, and aren’t disturbed by a telephone call at 4 in the afternoon. The world cannot revolve graveyard shift workers; most business is conducted during daylight hours. Telemarketers are simply doing their jobs, not carrying out some personal agenda to disturb your sleep – why would you wish to carry out an agenda against them?

If it’s a problem, there are productive ways to combat it, like a TeleZapper, or a block on calls from unidentified numbers. (That will filter the vast majority of sales calls.) If your uninterrupted sleep is important to you, it should be worth that minimal cash outlay.

My Mama always taught me this: “Never look down on anyone doing an honest day’s work, because you never know when that person will be you.” She spoke from experience, you never know what “annoying” or undesirable job you may be forced to take one day when things are suddenly not going your way. Remember the “annoyances” on the other end of the ringing phone are people, just like you.

</hijack>

9

Just another hang in there from someone else who spent a summer working as a telemarketer.

{{{{Angel of the Lord}}}}
CJ

10

Well I for one will not forgive you.

As a telemarketer not only do you deny every person you call of their right to privacy (as one noted Supreme Court justice noted was the right to be left alone) you hawk needless crap that they don’t want or need. The idea that you work for a credit card bank makes it only worse. The only poeple that might be intrigued by your “free” cash are the people least likely to be able to repay it. So you heap upon them more debt. And don’t give me the old “gotta pay the bills” crap. Are you telling me no one is hiring in your town except these folks? I highly doubt it. It’s not much more than economics. They have disgusting, dirty work to do, you have the ability and time to do it. Where those lines cross is called your salary.
As an ex-girlfriend maybe you should take this oppurtunity to find out the various ways that you lack. Your boyfriend left you for a reason and you should thank him every time he calls you for letting you know in what areas you need to improve. The fact that that he’d rather spend his time with a mean, shoplifting druggie should tell you something.

As a former friend you must be the worst. You obviously did something that you shouldn’t have. So why are you still feeling so bad about it? If you had harmed someone, but did so without knowing then there isn’t much blame that you can accept. But I don’t sense that that’s the case here. Seems to me you knew what you were doing and you knew it was wrong.

As for the rest of the world, No we won’t forgive you, we won’t leave you alone, and we won’t get over it. Tough titty but that’s the way the world works. You seem to want the rest of the world to apologize for what you have done, as if it has somehow wronged you. You want, as those before have, everyone to say “Woe is you”, like you’re the only person in a shitty job who’s been dumped.

Well, boo f-ing hoo.

11

Wow, what an insensitive clod.

{{{{Angel of the Lord}}}}

Hang in there, it does get better. And ignore that bullshit posted above me. :rolleyes: Yeesh. Some people.

12

I work graveyard. I have to take the phone into the living room when I’m ready for bed, so I get uninterupted sleep. (I cannot turn off the ringer on this model) There is little that is more annoying than people interupting your sleep. It’s even worse when it’s for no good reason (like calls from salespeople). So there are times when NO ONE can get a hold of me.

During waking hours, I just hang up on telemarketers. Not rudely, just a quick “No thanks” and a click. I understand that they have a job to do. But I cannot imagine who would buy something as a result of an unsolicited call.

13

tlw, it seems more than fair to me. There is a need for us 3rd shift workers, and there is no reason to treat us unfairly (we’re already getting a bum deal in the sleep department, you try sleeping during the day 5 days a week). I realize that they are “just doing their job,” but it’s a job that should not exist in the first place. I couldn’t feel sorry for telemarketers even if I was working days as I consider them to be needlessly invading people’s privacy, the fact that they disturb my sleep makes it all the worse.

And the phone still rings with the telezapper.

14

See the irony in your post? You ask to be left alone while making your living by bothering other people by teleharassing them.

You are a thief. You steal time, you steal property use (I never invited you to use the phone I paid for to harrass me. How is that be different from you waltzing into my garage, taking my lawnmower, and mowing your lawn, other than scale?) and the disgusting moral equivocating (Your argument boils down to you saying: ‘It’s ok for me to bother people, invade their privacy and steal the use of their property, since it’ll get me more than minimum wage! I’m getting mine, so fuck the rest of you!’) is nauseating.

I am on every “don’t call” list that exists (which I resent having to expend the time to sign up for), I have a caller-id (which I resent having to pay for) just to avoid tele-scum. AND I STILL get 5-6 calls per week from your ilk.

I pay for phone service to get calls from people I invite to call me and so that I can make outbound calls. You’re no more welcome to use my phone for your convienience and personal profit than you are to barge into my house uninvited and watch my TV.

Here’s a question: if whatever shit you’re using to scam old people (the primary victims of your industry) is so fucking wonderful, why do the vermin in your industry resist every fucking attempt to make laws that would only permit you to call people who sign up to recieve telespam? Could it be because no-one wants you to call and you’d and they would have to find honest work?

And if someone banged on my door at odd hours, and/or if they pulled the “Hi Fenris! How’s it going?” bullshit to worm their way into my house by pretending to be my friend, then yeah. I would certainly be as hostile to them as I am to televermin.

Regarding your plea to be nice to the poor ol’ televermin? No way. Your ilk stole my time and money (I do not accept the arguement that it’s only a tiny amount of time and money-theft is theft), and anything I can do to make your working conditions worse, I’ll do. If I didn’t suspect it would be illegal, I’d invest in an airhorn and blast it straight into the phone when telescum call. Perhap that’d convince you to get a job that doesn’t involve harassment and theft. If enough of you morally deficit people (“Gosh, I need the money, so it’s ok to steal and harass people!”) quit, the telescammers won’t be able to stay in business. Every little bit I can do to undermine you and your ilk, I will.
Look Angel I like you personally. We’ve interacted on the Board before and I certainly enjoy your posts. But I’ll be damned if I ignore what you’re doing for a living when you come right out and post about it.

I’m sorry for your problems with your ex-friend and your ex-boyfriend and I hope things get better soon on both counts: you have my sympathy, but regarding your problem with your job? You’re getting far less than you deserve.

Fenris

15

JamesCarroll,

I had a whole rant written to you, but it’s obvious you only posted to get people to react to your idiocy. Nice try.

Angel, I hope things look up for you soon. I, for one, apologize on behalf of the large portion of the population that feels the need to be mean to people they don’t know because they are inconvenienced. I’m sorry people are so nasty. It’s hard to remember sometimes but this, too, shall pass.

I live in an area where a job is a job, whether it’s telemarketing or flipping burgers- even THOSE jobs are scarce right now. When it comes down to paying the rent or doing an unpleasant/unpopular job, I’m all for the job. Hang in there.

To the folks that hate telemarketers: Get caller ID and don’t answer it if it says “unknown caller”. That’s what I do and I literally have not taken an unsolicited call in ages.

Zette

16

Zette
A) I hate the fact that I have to pay to not have the use of my property stolen.

B) I have relatives who often call from hotels, out of the country, cell-phones, etc. ALL those show up as “unknown caller” or “out of area”

Fenris

17

Ahh…I didn’t realize about the out of country or cell phone calls. I didn’t mean it as a do-all problem solver, just what works for me.

I don’t like the practice either, belive me, but I feel bad for people who literally don’t have a choice but to do that particular job and get abused for it. As I said, sometimes people don’t have a choice- around here, people are damned lucky to get into our local telemarketing company- they pay well, have benefits, etc. Other places are closing and laying off and you can’t even find a retail job. Very sad.

(I know people will say “but you DO have a choice”, and I’ll say “not everyone does”. I’m not shitting you when I say that there are NO JOBS here. When I interviewed for my current job, there were 15 other people interviewing for it. It’s a part time job with NO BENEFITS. It’s bad here. Really bad.)
My bottom line is that even if someone annoys the ever loving shit out of you, you don’t have to call them names and be abusive. Just a “take me off your call list” would suffice, I think. I hate telemarketing, too, but not telemarketers. Some are assholes, sure, and some are just doing a job, albiet a lousy one.

Zette

18

It’d tell me that I was glad he was my ex, if he’s that screwed up or we’re obviously that incompatible.

19

Of course your phone bill would be exactly the same whether a telemarketer calls you or not. You are paying for the service whether you make and receive 0 calls per month or 300. So, in reality, they are not stealing by calling you. Really. They’re not.

However, I will agree about the annoyance of having to sign up for the “Don’t Call” list. I wish it was default and you had to give permission to be on a “Okay to Call” list.

But in the grand scheme of things, I don’t understand the vitriol against telemarketers. So what if they call. Most of the time I don’t answer my phone, even when its someone I know via Caller ID, if it will inconvenience me or I’m watching TV and actually interested in it. If I happen to answer a telemarketer’s call I politely say “No, thanks” and hang up, whether they continue their speil or not. The amount of effort it takes is so insignificant that getting upset about it would be more of a waste of my time than taking the call was.

Perhaps you should try the decaf, Fenris.

20

Good God, JamesCarroll, are you this much of a bastard in real life?

My own recent experience with a self-righteous jackass is chronicled in my livejournal, in the comments under the entry titled “Just another day.”