Telemarketers!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I am one, thank you. Hold the abuse for a moment, and listen quietly, please.

I work for P.I.C. (said “pick!”) we only call for selected non profit orgs such as the World Wildlife Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Amnesty International, PETA etc. I’m actually quite fond of my job. I only talk to people who have given money before, and are hopefully good enough to give again. While I do work on a comission basis, the orgs pay PIC a lump sum before we do any calling, so the kind souls who donate money through me are not paying my check, they are paying my charity.

My true reason for posting this is I talked to a guy last week that I wanted to ask if he was on the boards. We chatted a bit about who I am ( a college student in Pittsburgh) and the cool charity I was calling for (Comic Relief, great charity, subsidized by HBO, so a big part of your money goes straight to the people you are trying to help. ) and he did a big donation on a credit card (bonus!) Before he gave me his credit card he wanted verification that I was who I said I was and he quizzed me about Pittsburgh. The whole convorsation had the amount of humor and intellegence I have come to equate with this place, but I couldn’t really ask him about it, I think my supervisor would frown on it.

So thats my job, and I love it. I get to talk to a lot of good people, and some of them are even nice. And if you get a sweet, whispery, happy girl voice saying “Hello, this is Kathryn Everett from PIC calling on behalf of [insert org here]” take a moment to say hi. (and toss me a couple of bucks, I need food. You’re giving to 2 good causes.)

2

Hon, you didn’t tell me you called for PETA… I think I’m going to have to re-evaluate our friendship. :smiley:

3

I’ll think of you next time a “good” telemarketer calls. We usually only get the “wanna change your phone company” calls. They suck.

4

mrblue, I haven’t personally called for PETA. PIC gets money for all sorts of interesting things. And several less than facinating ones. For instance, I don’t really want to call for the Met. Opera. I feel funny about asking someone who gave $5,000 last year to give $10,000 this year. I can feel justified in getting pissed that Suzie May “wants to help but can’t” on a $35 ask. (If I can find the spare cash, you can lady.) But on more money than I will make at this job? I know I don’t have a spare 10k.

Bunnygirl, I understand the hatred of phone people and credit card people. As a service to humanity, I hope that everyone on these boards is even polite to those poor saps. That is far more thankless than my position where a good night means I made $3,000 for homeless people. (Last saturday night was awesome.)

5

Kathryn, you can call me by my name here, dear. Well, as long as you use the correct one…

Unless you prefer we remain under cover. In that case:

The mauve walrus flies at midnight under the Colby Jack moon.

End transmission.

6

Medea,

  You know I love you, and you only target people who have supported the cause before, but I HATE THE COLD CALLERS WHO INTERRUPT MY DINNER!! If I've done business with you before, and I GAVE you my number, ok. if you bought it, don't use it. Bit touchy on this one.
7

I suppose you would be against taking a sick dog to a vet?

Some would consider this “ethical treatment.”

And if you don’t have a problem with this, it’s a shame that you would treat an animal better than your own children…

Yer pal,
Satan

*I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
Six months, three weeks, three days, 18 hours, 47 minutes and 5 seconds.
8311 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,038.91.
Extra life with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 20 hours, 35 minutes.

David B used me as a cite!*

8

Steve grin I also try to keep using people’s usernames so that the other readers have a clue who I’m talking about. I don’t know everyone’s real name and even as open as I am about mine I’m sure it hasn’t come to the notice of everyone. I hate to confuse people by mentioning stuff they weren’t around to hear about yet.

lurker, I understand. It sucks. I call people back if they tell me I’m interuppting something. I doubt I’ll get a sale from someone who is annoyed. Please, though, either don’t answer the phone or find some amount of politeness. Rude people make the day rougher than it should be. Also, tell people not to sell your name. As deaf as we are to “I’m sorry I can’t” we do follow clear spoken instructions such as “do not sell or trade my name” and “my credit card number is…” (the “or trade” is important. Non profits don’t sell names, they trade them. I find it splitting hairs and don’t like either one.)

Though I do love the people I can hear cursing in the background and then get on the phone with sweet happy voices.
“Goddamn *#$&ing tele… hello! how are you!”

I love what I hear in the backgrounds. Music I know, kids, all the little slices of life.

9

I know, I know. Just havin’ a little fun with ya.

Where did this come from? I know Medea’s Child is a Christian Scientist, but I thought this thread was about Telemarketers, not a GD…

10

I have not changed my sig file to say “Medea’s Child is wrong.” I have not gone out of my way to discuss this matter with people in threads where it is not an issue.

She brought up how she is into “ethical treatment” of animals, and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to point this out, especially when she is acting all, “Aren’t I neat the way I look out for animals?”

I find her position to be at best disingenuous and at worst hypocritical in this case. I do not feel the need to make a special thread about it, and the last time in Great Debates she simply stopped talking about it. It’s not worth a Pit thread either.

Needless to say, she didn’t answer me. To me, if someone comes up with a question which concerns my worldview, I can answer it. If I can’t, I’m perfectly willing to take a hard look at what I think and if necessary alter my view so I can in good conscience answer it.

I’m funny that way…

Yer pal,
Satan

*I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
Six months, three weeks, three days, 20 hours, 13 minutes and 33 seconds.
8313 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,039.21.
Extra life with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 20 hours, 45 minutes.

David B used me as a cite!*

11

Hail Satan. sigh.

You haven’t gone out of your way to bring this up in threads where it isn’t an issue? What is this thread?

Where did I mention how I treat animals in this thread? As far as I can see I mentioned a few of the orgs my employer calls for, WWF and PETA, along with a few others that I thought people might be familiar with. I haven’t personally made a call for anything other than Comic Relief, yet.

I’m sorry I was unaware that announcing the religion I was brought up in removes my right right to post about my current job, in your opinion. I’ll keep a mental note for future posts.

This is and will be my response to you, satan. My world view is my own, and its one of the few things I get to keep regardless of exterior control. I allow you yours, and I will take mine without your permission.

12

Medea,

 To be honest, I do have a message on my machine and I do screen calls. I tend to be rather unwilling to listen, but try to at least be civil. That much everyone deserves unless they diud something personal, which telemarketing isn't.

The people who curse telemarketers then act politely you hear probably dislike being disturbed, hate the idea of telemarketers, but realize you didn’t invent the job, and if you didn’t do it someone else would. Sort of a don’t kill the messenger, or even Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner approach.

Anyway, if your voice is as sweet as your picture, I doubt too many men are rude to you.

13

**
A thread where your views do not add up to me. Of course, you can feel free to be a hypocrite, or have views which do not logically add up with each other (another way to say you’re a hypocrite), but I don’t think asking for clarification is that horrible.

**

You made it seem as if you are pleased to be working with companies who you endorse, or at least do not oppose. When someone slapped you on the back for PITA in particular, you did not correct this person. This tells me that you are agree with animals being ethically treated. Maybe you don’t?

**

If you show that companies you endorse and work for, however indirectly, seem to have a different agenda than the religion you hold, then I don’t think it is bad form to ask about this.

If a devout Christian here posted how they worked for a company which ran legal brothels and casinos in Vegas after they showed that their religious views made this seem like a contradiction, I wouldn’t have a problem investigating the seeming inconsistancy with a question or two.

Did I ever say you were’nt allowed to have your views, no matter how nutty I personally find them? I don’t think I ever did.

I just asked how you reconcile your views towards how you would treat your kids with how you are ready to treat animals, something which was brought up in this very thread.

And you have done everything but answer that question.

Which simply tells me that you cannot answer the question.

Which tells me that you don’t know WHAT you believe…

Yer pal,
Satan

*I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
Six months, three weeks, three days, 21 hours, 15 minutes and 28 seconds.
8315 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,039.43.
Extra life with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 20 hours, 55 minutes.

David B used me as a cite!*

14

lurker, no guys are usually pretty cool. The wives are fun though. I can hear the jealous rage through the phone.

Me: <happy sweet> Hi, could I speak to Mr. Joe Wander?
Wifey: <sour bitch> Hes not here, whats your message?
Me: Oh, no message ma’am. I’ll just call back later.
Wifey: Who is this?

I am getting an overwhelming urge to say drop my voice a fifth and get really breathy and say something along the lines of “This is Candi, and I was just calling about our little problem…”

Of course, if I ever am a mistress, I know how to get around getting his wife on the phone. “I’m just calling on behalf of one of his charities, we’ll try back at a better time.”

15

Satan: Let’s take a look at your first post here:

A reasonable assumption, given that she admits to being raised a Christian Scientist.

True, but if she believes in CS, she would likely not consider it ethical. She did not state a position either way here. And still hasn’t.

This just seems inflammatory to me. It’s as if you presume to know her position and attack when she hasn’t even stated one. Is it so hard to give her the benefit of the doubt and say, “You’re into CS and PETA? Don’t you feel those two conflict because PETA supports veterinary medicine?”

That was a slap on the back? I guess it could be interpreted that way, but I meant it in a negative context and I’m pretty sure she knew it. (What I think is ethical treatment of animals and what PETA thinks is ethical treatment are two different things…)

Re-read the thread. You brought this up as a personal issue; she did not. She said she was proud of raising money for homeless people, and that she had NOT raised money for PETA.

I can see where you’re coming from (that working for an organization that raises money for PETA could imply you support them), but I think you are making an assumption that she would be happy to raise money for PETA when she never said so.

Or maybe she does not feel the need to answer questions raised in a immediately hostile tone about her belief systems. I know I’d be reluctant–why would I want to waste my words when someone already seemed to have made their mind about me? I’ve read your posts quite often, and I hope I know you better than that, that you are open minded and willing to take a look at someone else’s point of view. So if you’d just back off a second and ask nicely maybe she’d explain her position. (Or maybe not. She doesn’t seem to be in a debating mood lately.)

16

Oops… I meant to separate the first three quotes, which were from Satan’s first post here, from the last three, which obviously were from the most recent post. But I’m sure you’ll figure that out…