May I simply add ME TOO!!!
The instant I recognize a sales pitch, I say “I’m not interested - don’t call me any more” and my daughter does the same. Life is too short to have to waste any of it listening to uninvited annoyances.
Nope. Uh-uh. Nothing you’re selling could ever interest me. I don’t buy something because some guy on the telephone decided to pester me about it. As a matter of fact, I’ll go out of my way to avoid it. I don’t care if you’re selling ‘solid gold watches for a dollar’ or offering me a time-share in Hawaii. I’m not interested. If I decide I want a solid gold watch, I’ll do the research, decide which one I want and get it. All without the help of a telephone commerical.
Fenris
TELEMARKETER: “Hello, I’m calling about an amazing new product. If you will just give me 30 seconds of your time…”
THE PERSON WHO WAS SITTING PEACEFULLY AT HOME: “I’m glad you called. Before you get started with your pitch, I wonder if you’ve ever considered the benefits of Adult Entertainment on the internet? http://www.(pornsitename).com has the hottest adult pics and video for your entertainment, and they can be viewed in the privacy of your own home. http://www.(pornsitename).com has a very low introductory rate, and you can cancel at any time! As a telemarketer, I can tell you have the lifestyle of a person who would appreciate the wonderful world of http://www.(pornsitename).com. If I could take down your information, I can sign you up right now! Just give me your name, address, telephone number, credit card number and e-mail address, and you can enjoy the finest Adult Entertainment on the internet almost immediately! http://www.(pornsitename).com will e-mail you with your password as soon as your account is set up. Hello…? Hello…?”
Of course, it helps if you have an adult site with a signup fee.
I didn’t know the URLs (which are fake, BTW) would come up as links, even though I didn’t type the “HTTP” stuff.
Its not a matter of debt, its a matter of politeness to another human being. There may be a 20 second difference between listening and saying something polite and honest and screaming “Fuck you, Spawn of Satan!!!” into the phone, but its a show of charactor. It costs you nothing to be polite.
Also, in that spare time between discovering its a telemarketer and actually listening to what its a telemarketer for you could discover that you actually are involved. The company I work for does no cold calls. We do renewals for stuff you already support. It makes no difference when the other end starts swearing before they have a clue what is going on.
My beef of telemarketees is lying. Good grief people, just tell the truth. “She says she’s not in” or “I’m dead” make you look dumb. I’m in this job, I think I can take a “no thanks” or two before it stunts my self esteem.
A few points:
The following post is not meant just at the OP, but at all telemarketers who share his/her disdain for the people they are calling.
I am unemployed and on a “DO NOT BUY” budget. Why should I listen to a sales pitch when I already know I’m not going to buy? Why waste your time? Wouldn’t you rather move on to the next person? And don’t say I might want one in a few weeks- if and when I get a job, I’ll be busy digging out of old bills. Understand that “I’m not interested, take me off your list” means just that. Believe it or not, I’m really not interested.
You never know who is calling you on the phone. As a matter of practice, I simply do not buy items over the phone, ever. I don’t make my charitible contributions over the phone, either.
I’ve pretty much solved the problem of telemarketers calling me by getting caller ID. If it is “unavailable”, it’s a telemarketer. I don’t answer, and everyone is happy. On the rare occasion that I do answer, I cut the person off (politely) and say “I’m sorry- I didn’t realize this was a phone solicitation- please take me off your list. Have a great day!” and hang up. I don’t think I owe them anything more then that.
The firemen in my area do their own phone calls for donations- so do the police. Why is this an unusual question? I’ve asked this myself because I know most of the cops and firemen around here. I’ve also asked because we had a scammer calling around saying they were from the police department.
I agree, this is stupid. Why are you answering the phone during dinner/sex/your favorite show? Let the machine pick up to avoid aggrivation.
My 74 year old mother in law asks this. She does not have an answering machine to screen her calls, as her number is unlisted and she doesn’t get many unwanted calls. When she does get one, she wants to know if her number was sold to a company or released by someone who should not have released it. Why is this an unreasonable question?
Because I’m unemployed, broke, and not very happy about it. Maybe I should hear all about your fabulous product so I can tell you I can’t afford it now or ever. Maybe I should also walk through the mall and think about how nice it is to be jobless at Christmastime. Go away. I don’t need it.
I have an idea why people do this- probably because they’re brought up too nicely to say “Take me off your list” and hang up. They feel awkward being in the position of having to hang up on someone (which they want to do) or listen to a sales pitch (which they don’t want to do). Fortunately, I don’t suffer from this.
Again, I suspect that this person doesn’t contribute to phone soliciters. They don’t want to tell you that because it implys that you may be dishonest and they don’t want a confrontation. Or maybe they’re like Scrooge counting all their gold coins- what business is that of yours? If they’re millionaires and you’re a working slob, that’s their concern. If they don’t want to contribute, they don’t have to explain themselves to you. You’ve likely discovered that most people would rather lie then get into a long discussion over the phone. That’s life. They don’t owe you honesty.
Look pal, if you’re offering discount oral sex from George Clooney, it doesn’t matter. I still can’t afford it, and I don’t want to hear about it. Why is that a problem for you?
What the hell does that mean? The parents are likely home, but they have trained the little ones not to give them the phone if they ask for “Mrs. ____” That quote from you gave me the creeps.
Doesn’t the company you work for have a policy about this? Why are you continuing to pitch to someone who clearly does not understand you?
Why not? Maybe they’re a Christian rock listener. Maybe they don’t listen to music. Maybe they think music is the work of the devil. So? Is that so hard to believe? (I had tenents once who were both 30 years old and had never heard of Neil Young, Bob Dillon, or Jimmy Hendrix. I kid you not- they were very strict Babtists and did not listen to any music that was not Christian)
Maybe they have it because they need to call 911 in case of a fire or injury. I’m certain they don’t have it to inconvenience you. If you are on the phone with someone who does not comprehend what you’re saying, why don’t YOU hang up? This whole question is unbelievably crass. Jackass.
In summary, I don’t hate telemarketers, but I think your attitude sucks. People don’t have to listen to your pitch, buy your stuff, or contribute to your charity. I also don’t believe they should harass you. I’m sure your job is frustrating, but realize that when the phone rings and you’re serving dinner, feeding the baby, letting the dogs in, or any number of tasks, the last thing you need is to have some person insisting that you listen to their pitch. Your attitude that people “haven’t been pitched right” is inane.
Zette
YUCK!
(Hmmm… maybe I could actually make an adult site and use that in the sales pitch to the telemarketer…?)
Yeaaaaay Ferris, you’re my kind of shopper. I agree
with you completely. If I don’t need something, I don’t buy anything. Just because something looks cool and I have some money doesn’t mean I need to own it.
I am not anti-telemarketer either. There are millions of people out there who feel differently. I have found I get the best results in stopping calls by saying “you cannot convince me to buy (name of product), thank you for calling”. That sentence has helped more than asking people to not call me again.
My husband is the type who says “I don’t think so”, or “not right now” and then gets mad because the salesperson won’t shut up. Very annoying.
I have a special reply for the vacuum cleaner people. I have taken them up on carpet cleaning offers when I was seriously looking for a vacuum, from those expereinces I have developed this statement…“I will never have a vaccuum cleaner salesperson in my home, for any reason, for as long as I live even if I have to rip up all my carpet and live on particle board.”
Mr2001,
What’s your attitude towards unsolicited advertising sent to your E-mail box? Do you read every such message in detail before accepting or rejecting it? How often do you respond to these offers to visit porn sites, buy a dieting product, or arrange purchase of a new car?
I never swear at telemarketers, but I have no compunctions whatever about hanging up. I personally don’t give a rat’s ass whether you are offending by my hanging up on those of your ilk or not. I flip past most of the ads in magazines, and mute the TV during commercials, as well. Do you think I worry about offending the advertisers for not paying attention? Hell, no.
When you are on the phone yanmmering to me about your useless, unwanted product, and ignoring my protestations over your wasting my time, you are no longer a person to me, just a talking billboard. If you don’t like that, suck it up and accept that you have chosen to be an annoyance to most people, or find another, more useful job.
I support a blanket ban, with heavy fines for violators, on unsolicited advertising of products and services by phone, fax and E-mail.
Ahhh, feel much better now, thanks.
Mr2001:
How am I wasting time by hanging up on you?
Mr2001:
If I hang up on you immediately, am I not helping you get to the next call?
Medea’s child, I absolutely agree. So why can’t telemarketers have the politeness not to make unsolicited phone calls?
As far as people answering the phone during dinner/sex/other important activity, and being annoyed that it’s a telemarketer, did it ever occur to you that they may be answering the phone because they are waiting for important news about someone in the hospital, or waiting for a call from a loved one (when my husband was in Oz, we had to carefully schedule our calls). It’s no wonder that such people would be a little ticked that it’s just some inane prattle trying to sell them something. Especially because you may be causing the important call to get a busy signal or go unanswered.
As for people who just hang up, or make excuses, I bet this is simply a reaction to the extreme rudeness of the caller. In my experience, telemarketers start talking the minute you pick up, and they NEVER pause long enough for you to politely get a word in. This is all part of their hard-sell tactics. Also, if you say you don’t want their product, or if you ask a question, they simply start the spiel over with slightly different wording.
There is no polite way to deal with someone like this. You have to interrupt, and talk over the person as they continue to try to talk, and when they finally shut up, you have to unequivocally say, “Put me on your Do Not Call list.” Otherwise, they will continue trying to sell you their product, or will call you back later. This is not rudeness. It is the only available reaction to the telemarketer’s rudeness.
I don’t mind getting calls from telemarketers. I even listen to their sales pitch. I also take down the name of the company they are soliciting for, and never partonize that company again. Then, companies that wan’t my business don’t advertise to me that way.
What, I’m the only civic-minded person here? Let the telemarketer say his pitch, people! Then, when he pauses for your response, say, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening, what was that?” Remember, the longer you keep the jackass on the phone with you, the less time he’ll have to bother others.
And before the telemarketers here talk about how I’m taking food out of their children’s mouths: a telemarketing call once resulted in a $70 check being written from my account WITHOUT MY SIGNATURE OR PERMISSION. Somehow, the bastards got my account number, and took it upon themselves to pick my pocket for a “service” I never wanted or received. I therefore hate all fucking wastes of skin who shill by phone. You think you’re doing a service by informing the public about your great deals, get a sandwich board and pound the pavement, where we can see your sorry ass coming and steer clear.
And THIS is how you stick the telemarketers. I do it, and granted, I am only one person, but if enough of us do it, maybe we can put a small dent in their operations.
When they call, listen to their spiel (if you are not too busy at the moment), be polite, ask questions, LOTS of them. Sound genuinely interested and that you just might buy their product. Basically, keep them on the phone for as long as you can get away with (asking them to repeat themselves frequently helps). Only when their patience runs out do you tell them that you have absolutely NO interest in their product. All that time they WASTED on the phone with you is time they cannot spend pestering other customers. It also tends to piss telemarketers off to invest the time with no results (and this, my friends, is a GOOD thing).
Of course, I also take all the credit card offers I get, tear off all my personal info included in them, and mail them back in the pre-paid envelope. It ends up costing the companies money and time, and will hopefully one day clog up their machines. It also helps generate money into the postal system (since they get paid when the envelopes are sent I believe).
I’ll be brief, and I’ll be right. Whether or not you can recognize that, well, it’s just up to you, isn’t it? Those of you who vehemently hate telemarketers may at this time tell me they are not interested by moving on to the next post.
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If you are not interested in the telemarketer’s product or service, say so. Do it quickly. The telemarketer does not care about you personally. The telemarketer is doing a job that most do not like to do. It is not fun, it is not easy. The telemarketer would like to hang up on you as soon as possible. If he hangs up on you after a sale, all the better. If you’re not going to buy, let him or her know so that they may move on.
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Treating the telemarketer poorly does not affect the company he or she is hired to call for. It hurts the person doing the job. You are not so special that the telemarketer looked you up specifically. Your name was on a list. If you would like to hurt the company, ask to be removed from the call list. That way, the company makes no profit, but the person doing the calling can continue to earn a living.
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The telemarketer is a person. A real, live human being. They typically do these jobs bewcause they need money to provide food, shelter, and warmth. If you cannot respect the job, respect the person for stepping up, and doing what it takes to make a living.
There have been times on the telephone where I spoke to individuals who treated me like scum. I assure you, if I were to meet one of those people, I would be glad to put their telephone in a place where they could not hear it ringing unless they had their pants off.
It’s a job, people. More importantly, it’s a PEOPLE, people. Keep bitching about it, and you’re going to start getting more pre-recorded calls from automated systems. Perhaps you deserve it.
In another thread, we are told to just hang up and spare the TM the trouble of the spiel. Here, we’re supposed to listen politely.
There, they said there is no “do not call” list and that the calls will continue. Here, we’re to politely ask to be removed.
Oops, I’ve spent 30 seconds being confused. Damn!!
A lot of the things telemarketers are saying here are simply disingenuous. You simply must know that people don’t get short tempered with telemarketers because they are naturally rude. They do it because of the sheer number of these calls. People often get half a dozen a day, if they don’t take some action against it. Making someone stop what they are doing, answer the phone, listen to your (interminable) spiel and then try to extricate themselves from the unwelcome interruption is far, far more invasive than any other sort of advertising.
I will never, never, buy or donate ANYTHING over the phone. When I say I’m not interested–even if it’s 2 seconds into your sales pitch–I mean it. Period.
Then simply say: “Put me on your do not call list.” 8 syllables. The call will end, and the company will not call you again for a long time.
So…you act rudely to the telemarketer. What kind of action is that? Not a very smart one, I assure you. In fact, I would characterize this as one of the most incredibly stupid actions possible. You’ve already answered the phone, jackass. How does being rude affect the company calling you? NONE. :rolleyes:
If you want to Take A Stand, find out how to opt out. It’s easy. It will drastically reduce your number of inbound calls. I did it, and the volume dropped to near nothing. That’s the action you want to take. Preventative action, not knee-jerk reaction.
Perhaps some of the statements made by telemarketers in this thread were disingenuous. I don’t think that they, unlike that last statement of yours, were so blatantly dense as to draw all signs of intelligence into an inescapable singularity of ignorance.
And all too often, telemarketers can be vicious predators.
My father sustained a head injury in a car wreck and lost a good deal of his judgement. It was almost if telemarketing companies subscribe to Head Injury Weekly. They began calling him practically every day to sell him something. It was quite obvious when you talked to him that his judgement was impared. A human being would understand and go away. But telemarketers would think, “Ah. Easy prey,” and sell him stuff. “You don’t have a computer? Well for only $99 a month, we can give you internet access! No, we don’t provide a computer.” “Buy these Canadian lottery tickets. There’s no way you can lose! We’ll deliver the money personally!” “Buy this book!” “Buy our thing!” “Brain damage? Hey, that means we can take him for A LOT!”
To the tune of $15,000.
The credit card company was very understanding, and most of this fraud was cancelled. But it left a hatred for telemarketers in general.
A “real live human being”? Maybe some are. But anyone who can sell crap (and they do know it’s crap, otherwise they wouldn’t have to call people to sell it) to an old man with a head injury and impared judgement, and then be happy about making a buck, is a soulless rat fink who deserves to be thrown into a boiling lake of diarrhea for all eternity.