# Telemarketer haters should suck it up **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334 "2005-12-13T00:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/181 "2005-12-13T23:33:55Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > You would not be getting paid to “harass” me. You would be doing it out of sheer glee. Actually, I just want to sell you my sofa. I really want to get rid of the thing. And I promise I won’t harass you. I’ll just call you up, over and over again, between the hours of 9.00a and 9.00p until you agree to buy it. I’m sorry…would that be annoying to you? It would annoy the living piss out of me. But then, I’m not the one advocating that there’s nothing wrong with an unknown person calling you repeatedly to persuade the subject to purchase an unwanted item. Again, put your money where you mouth is. Or admit you’re a hypocrite. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/182 "2005-12-13T23:42:48Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > “We don’t pay mooks.”[sup]1[/sup] > > Stranger > > [sup]\*[/sup]Let’s see if anybody gets that movie quote. The classic Mean Street by Scorcese? > [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > “I’d buy that for a dollar!” This one is from Robocop? Jim ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/183 "2005-12-13T23:44:11Z")
> [@Renob](#): > > You are the one who wants to avoid the annoyance so you should have to pay for it. That’s the way life works. When something bothers you, you pay to avoid it. I’m annoyed by roaches in my apartment. I pay for roach traps and Raid to take care of the problem. Comparing roaches to telemarketers? Don’t. You. Dare. Insult. Roaches. I refuse to pay extra, just so telemarketers can find a way to hack or phreak or whatever it is, a way around it. If a telemarketer calls me, I tell them “no thank you”. If they don’t get my drift, I hang up on them. If they call back, I tear into them without mercy. If they wanted to avoid the annoyance, they could stop calling. Got it? ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/184 "2005-12-14T01:06:26Z")
> [@Lightnin'](#): > > So because telemarketers are being paid to do it, it’s all good? How about if I pay everyone who calls you one penny for each call, wherein they try to get you to buy some of my old crap? Willing to post your number now? I’m sure all the other dopers have old crap they’d like to dump on you as well. I would be willing to chip in to see how well this little experiment would go. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/185 "2005-12-14T01:56:45Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > . It’s one of the weaknesses of the phone system Ah, so telemarketers exploit the weakness of a system? That sounds familiar. Where have I seen that same concept used? I’m drawing a blank. > [@davenportavenger](#): > > Thanks anti-telemarketers! Before, I thought we just had a difference of opinion, but now I know you’re really all ranting psychopaths just this side of a coronary who like to get their rocks off by terrorizing defenseless minimum-wage workers! But we’ve been told by your ilk in the past about what great money there is in telemarketing. :rolleyes: What part of this assreaming is not cluing you in? Saying the phone line is “open” is the stupidest fucking defense so far. Yes, my phone line is open to people that call my number. It’s open to people I want to call me, it’s open to people that dial the number wrong when trying to call Hobby Town (man, _that’s_ getting annoying too!) and other various types. The fact my line is “open” (what fucking number is closed, by the way?) doesn’t justify you intentionally calling me when I don’t want you to. And the fact that you take “Don’t call me again, you ass-feltcher” to mean “Call him back in a month” just cements the fact that you’re all just shitty, worthless people with no other joy in life than to make everyone else miserable. Also, quit trying to feed us the horseshit sandwich of “We’re righteous and noble in our professional persuit to cost effectively sell these invaluable services and products.” If we want them, we’ll go get them. Here’s a question. What exactly is a telemarketer offering me that I can’t find on my own? On the upper left corner of the front page of every issue of the _Herald_ is a phone number under the line “To Subscribe”. If I want to subscribe I’ll try to stop shitting myself long enough to call the number. I don’t need some asshole in Denver interrupting me in the middle of a Nooner to bug me about subscribing. Hell, let’s go again to the vinyl siding analogy. I want to meet the guy that answers the phone, listens to the spiel, then notices his north wall is missing. If a guy needs new siding, he’ll know about it well before you. And when he wants to have it installed, he’ll call a contractor and set it up. He can do all of this without your smug ass calling him at random times in the day. And what the fuck is this comparing the phone to your front door? I can lock my front door. If someone breaks that lock and comes in, I can grab the shotgun and have my way. I can’t shoot the person on the other end. (Man, wouldn’t that be cool, though?) You’re wrong, your industry is wrong, and the fact that poll takers don’t even bother asking about telemarketers when finding the most distrusted, hated industry workers should tell you something. It should, but it won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/186 "2005-12-14T05:00:38Z")
They’[re not all nice, either. Once, after 9 p.n. a marketer called, asking for a donation to some childrens charity. Havign lost my job right before that, I told her I had no income. “Don’t you care about poor children then?” she said. I was surprised by that and had no cute comeback ready, sucha s “No, I only have them for dessert” or something. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/187 "2005-12-14T05:39:52Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I can’t shoot the person on the other end. (Man, wouldn’t that be cool, though?) You’re wrong, your industry is wrong, and the fact that poll takers don’t even bother asking about telemarketers when finding the most distrusted, hated industry workers should tell you something. > > It should, but it won’t. Ever see that cartoon thing where the guy reaches into the phone and strangles the guy on the other end? That would be way cool. I’d do it. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/188 "2005-12-14T06:20:44Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > There’s a whole range of things you can do that do not include terrorizing the wage slave on the other side of the phone. Yeah, those of you who cuss out telemarketers are terrorists! Why do you hate America? Can’t you see your verbal lashings are causing these poor misunderstood souls to stay up nights sobbing and shaking in the corners of their bedrooms? How do you expect them to get better jobs when your abuse is making them so mentally unstable? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334/189 "2005-12-14T06:38:12Z")
I am a telemarketer and I love my job. The company I work for is decent and does not exploit its workers…99.9% of the people I call are decent too, and do not engage in gratuitious insults just for the fun of it. Everybody happy now? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketer-haters-should-suck-it-up/335334.md?page=9)