No, I don’t “act rude” to telemarketers. I have never uttered obscenity, or raised my voice, or harangued them about what I was doing when they call. It’s not rude to tell a salesperson that I’m not interested. I don’t wait for the end of there pitch because pitches these days are designed to keep you hanging on the phone as long as possible, maybe worming a few personal details out of you in the process.
I have “already answered the phone” because I am not psychic and don’t care to screen my calls all the time. The phone is for me and for my friends and family. It is also for me to do business at the time of my choosing.
Here’s the hard facts telemarkers: You are human junkmail. I don’t burn my junk mail and stomp on its grave, but I don’t treat it like real mail either. Yes I know you are people that have feelings. As such, you surely understand how annoying you are.
When I remember it, I do tell people to take me off the list. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. No, I won’t pursue it, if they don’t. I only get about one call a day and I prefer to spend the couple of seconds it takes to do the “I’m not interested.” Click.
It’s a fact of life that advertisers stay up nights thinking of new ways to force us to pay attention. The latest technology for telemarketing dials many people at once and hangs up on people if it gets more responses than it needs at the time. So, in my opinion, by even speaking to telemarketers, I’m ahead of them in the politeness game.
I am neither senile nor am I old, but thanks for the suggestion. I was getting tired of telling the people at Sprint that I did not have a phone.
Mr2001, I get the impression that I have never talked to you, or at least didn’t have a problem with you. It’s your peers (or their bosses) who don’t understand that if I’m not interested then we have no need to continue the conversation who bother me.
Johnny L.A., you described what I consider to be a criminal, and a fiend versus a telemarketer. Damn shame that it happened.
Now, for the record, *I AM NOT A TELEMARKETER. I do recruit my business partners over the phone, but only because it’s more efficient than going from door to door. I do not hawk magazine subscriptions, nor do I use the line, “Congratulations, Mr. X, you have won a free vacation to Cozumel, isn’t that great?”
I simply call on businesses to ask them to sell my product. It’s an efficient way to determine who the right person to talk to is without driving all the way to god knows where to see them face to face. If we’re going to DO business, I’ll make the trip.
And, I’m a good one. People enjoy talking to me. Right up front, I say who I am, the name of the company I’m with, and what we do. I then say why I’m calling. If they say no, I tell them thanks for their time, and move on.
Even with this in mind, the number of rejections and hangups I receive in the average day would make a lesser man wilt into his chair like a daisy that hadn’t been watered.
I defend telemarketers because they do a thankless job. In fact, a frequently villified one. I don’t think that the characterization of telemarketers as villains and thieves is fair. Certainly, your father was taken advantage of. However, there are bad cops, as I’m sure you’re aware of, especially with the Rampart CRASH problem. This does not justify a hatred of all police, does it?
I know that being a telemarketer is a thankless job and an unpleasant one. I know several unwatered daisies who found it way too much for them. (I also had a nefarious former student who found it a perfect match. She sold magazines and took great delight in pretending to be whatever she sensed her potential customers wanted her to be. For example, if she was hawking parenting magazines, she pretended to have children; if they were interested in a subscription to Modern Bride, she would chatter on about her recent (fictional) engagement. Hangups and obscenitiies were water off a duck’s back to her.)
However, I do wonder that this treatment surprises people who choose to become telemarketers. I am unfailingly polite and friendly to, say, the person who takes my order at a fast food place–surely another thankless job. But, if a local restauranteur decided that he could boost his sales by having his employees call me at dinner time and try to take my order over the phone, then they could expect a much cooler welcome.
Clearly telemarketing brings in revenue in an economical way for those who use it. This doesn’t mean I have to like it or oblige them with my attention.
Mr. Cynical, I consider your type of calls to be a different animal. People in business can expect to have to deal with cold calls. It’s too bad that some of them don’t do it in a civil manner, but you are in no way invading their privacy or wasting their time.
It is estimated that consumers lose $40 billion a year through telemarketing fraud. A recent Louis-Harris Survey conducted for the National Consumers League found that 92% of adults in the U.S. reported receiving fraudulent telemarketing offers. The FBI estimates that there are 14,000 illegal telephone sales operations deceiving consumers every day.
According to the National Fraud Information Center, there are a number of themes that are common telemarketing fraud scams. The ten most prevalent scams include: (1) prizes/sweepstakes; (2) advance fee loans; (3) work-at-home schemes: (4) per-per-call services; (5) slamming: (6) magazine sales; (7) credit card offers; (8) lotteries; (9) business opportunities/franchises; (10) travel/vacations. "
When I DO answer the phone and it’s a telemarketer, guess what they’re pitching? Magazines, prizes, credit cards, loans, or vacations. Why take the chance that someone is trying to scam you when you can end the possibility right from the start? Why should I listen to your pitch? I don’t care enough to try to filter out the scammers. It’s the Universal blood and body fluid precauctions they take in the hospital. No, everyone does not have a deadly virus, but everyone is treated as though they do. They don’t pick and choose who they are careful with, and neither do I. I assume if you are calling to pitch me something, it could be a scam. Therefore, I treat it as such and don’t answer or ask to be taken off the list without listening to the pitch. Simple enough. I don’t think that is unreasonable.
But WHY DOES IT TAKE THREE of either??? If I tell you I’m not interested, then I’m not interested. Why do you keep talking??? Do you really think I’ll change my mind if you keep annoying me? Why do I have to repeat myself three times???
Then WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME???!!!?!?!?! I tell you “I’m not interested, please take me off your calling list.” Two days later, YOU CALL BACK!!! I tell you “I’m STILL not interested, take me off your list”. You call back again the following week. The call does NOT end and you DO call back.
You tell me. You shouldn’t, but you do.
Yes, but only people I WANT to call me!!! You, as a TM, are uninvited and unwelcome. My phone is unlisted for a reason!
Because if telemarketers don’t stick to the script, they will probably lose their jobs.
Case in point.
A friend of mine did some telemarketing for a large private university to help pay his tuition. He was given thousands of names, many of whom were people who had received treatment at the university hospital. Here is a sample conversation.
Friend: “Hi, I’m calling from Whassamattah U regarding our capital improvements project. We’re trying to update our hospital equipment in order to serve you better. Won’t you donate $75?”
He wasn’t allowed to take no for an answer. A poor woman would reply:
Woman: “I can’t afford to give you $75. In fact, I can’t afford to give you anything. When my child was brought in for pneumonia last year, I couldn’t afford to pay you then. I still don’t have health insurance.”
But my friend could not just apologize and hang up. Every call he made was being recorded. He had to make the pitch three times.
“Ok, so can you give $50?”
“If I give you $50, my child won’t be able to eat for several days.”
“But surely you can give us $25?”
“Then I won’t be able to turn on the heat this month.”
Sure, the woman could have been lying maliciously. But that doesn’t change the fact that my friend had to make three solicitations, regardless of the person’s response. Only a hangup could cut the “interview” short.
Go here and kwitcherbitchin. It took me .084 seconds to find this information, according to the good folks at google. The only thing worse than a person who does not know his rights is a person who does not know ABOUT his rights. Be informed. Be proactive. Don’t be a whining, puling amoeba.
If you were as interested in getting educated as much as you appear to be interested in self-piteous waddling in a puddle of urine, you would see that this is a way for you to make a pretty good amount of money. Cry me a fucking river, pal. BUT NOT TOO SALTY! Boo hoo hoo!
Because you are calling for the “Firefighters Dance” or what have you, that’s why.
I hated you the first time you called. When you called back, you suck even worse.
Until someone does, stop calling.
Because there are many illegal means of aquiring numbers. If you got it through one of those methods, I want to know.
Because I don’t want any. I would NEVER buy anything from any one of you sons of bitches. In fact, I wish that you, personally, would die. Telemarketers are the WORST human beings, other than murderers, racists, and rapists on earth. It is THE worst legal occupation, and should be punishable by death.
Because you’re a fuck. You suck, and you won’t hang up the first time I said no. I don’t want to waste time with you.
I can say no. Why can’t you hang up after I say no? Oh, that’s right. You’re a fuck, and should die.
I do NOT want it, if it was sold by telemarketers. I would NEVER support such a practice.
Oh, fuck off.
Perhaps in their country, they didn’t have assholes who tried to sell them shit over their own personal telephone, when they had expressed ZERO prior interest in said product. If you want to reach your market, hire multilingual telemarketers.
And they didn’t ask for you to call. As I have said before, fuck off and die.
Perhaps you’ve just never HEARD of it? Perhaps we should call you, unsolicited, to inform you of it? People DO make prank calls like this, and, worse yet, fradulent calls like this. Take your head out of your ass. I’ll be calling you every night for the next year. Don’t like it? I didn’t force you to buy a phone.
Actually, it is. If you didn’t want to hear it, then maybe you shouldn’t have a phone. After all, by using a phone you’re asking for such a response.
There is NO excuse for telemarketing. You are satan incarnate, and should die. Thank you.
Oh look! He disagrees with me, I go fuck myself.
Somebody complains to him, AFTER he called them, about his marketing practices, it’s just his job. How fucking convenient.
And god forbid he starts a Pit thread, and someone has the audacity to tell him to fuck off. :rolleyes:
I did telemarketing for a few weeks just after I’d moved to a new city and was fresh out of high school with no skills. I realize that it’s a job, and it isn’t the person’s fault. However, if I don’t want to hear your pitch, that should be the end of that.
I remember once I was on the phone with my dad, long distance, in the middle of the day. Some sales call came through on call waiting, and I answered. I said “sorry, I’m not interested and i’m on the other line long distance”… the woman said “ok, but what I’m calling to offer is…” and started her pitch again. I said “Did you not hear me? I’m ON THE LINE LONG DISTANCE!” I couldn’t believe the nerve.
As for why I answer the phone during meals, during long distance calls, etc… well, it’s because it might be important. My husband often gets calls related to work. It might be family. It might be a client. It might be something very quick, like my mom calling to find out my son’s SS# for a form somewhere, or who knows what? I know that if it’s a friend or family member I can either deal with it quickly, or tell them when to call back.
I absolutely do not have to listen to your whole pitch. If I haven’t done business with your company before, I’m NOT buying something from you over the phone. I don’t care WHAT it is.
I whole heartedly agree. For the few weeks I did phone sales, I was miserable. I was called names and derided by people… more than once I broke down in tears because of how mean people were. (Keep in mind I was 18 at the time and bipolar, but not yet on medication.)
THere is no reason to be rude to a telemarketer unless they start it. I’ve gotten stern with them before, but never rude.
NghtCrwlr and I both work 4 pm to midnight, which means we’re sleeping most of the daytime hours. Until we got voice mail and caller ID, we’d be awakened at least three to four hours per day. Finally, I changed our voice mail message to "We are shift workers. If this is a solicitation call of any kind, including religious, put this number on your ‘Do Not Call’ list. Everyone else, leave a message.: It worked. We don’t get many of those calls anymore. Now, I just hang up on the ones I do get.
Having been burned by a few unscrupulous individuals means I no longer do any kind of business over the phone, unless there is some kind of follow-up in writing. This saves a lot of time and money in the long run, and it keeps both parties honest and legal.
Mr2001: I would feel a LOT less guilty hanging up on a machine!
Ya know, I’ve seen a few of these telemarketer threads, and I am hard-pressed to find anyone who supports this practice, other than current or former telemarketers themselves. I’m aghast at the the views, expressed in the OP and most aggressively by Mr. Cynical, that we are somehow obligated to listen to their spiels, and waste our time (usually repeatedly) to get our names taken off of lists that we never agreed to be on in the first place. What kind of nonsense is this?
As for the apologists’ cries that “we’re just people doing our jobs”, give me a break. More often than not, in my experience, this supposedly noble job involves misrepresentions, badgering and outright lies. Why should I show any respect to shysters and con artists?
– I’ve had my long-distance service slammed by a representative of a major telephone company that has repeatedly been in litigation over similar federal violations.
– I’ve gotten repeated, harrassing calls from telemarketers for a local newspaper, even after saying Mr. Cynical’s supposed magic 8 words.
– I’ve gotten calls from people who announce that I’m about to get five “free” subscriptions to magazines of my choice, all for a “handling fee” of $16.50 per month. Well, it’s not bloody free then, is it?
– I receive calls in which the person on the other end, announce that they work for a credit card issuer, ask whether I’m still at my current address, then ask me to confirm my credit card number with them. Yeah, right.
I receive calls all the time in which someone I’ve never spoken to before says, “is this Mr. or Mrs. (mispronounced name)?” Well, no, and BTW, I’m not married. I hang up without a further word. Why shouldn’t I?
Mr. Cynical, whom of the above am I supposed to treat with deference?
I’ve never purchased a service or product through a cold call and I never will. Furthermore, I couldn’t care less what reason telemarketers may have for taking such a universally reviled means of employment. Frankly, I hope the marketeers do go to all-automated services. Better yet, I hope that public outrage rises to the point that we get this odious practice banned once and for all.
Who’s with me?
: : picks up banner and runs madly towards barricades : :
