Telemarketers... Is it worse to

I ask for *their* number, and if I can call them right back.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Aug 16 2007, 07:43 PM) [snapback]497430[/snapback]</div>

I do that with those looking for charity donations.

 

well i can say that i did work cold calling for a couple different things when i was in college. ( had no morals back then... or money!!) but the only way you made money is by talking to as many people as possible.

i did this YEARS before the donotcall list was even thought of so i had a large number of hang ups, yelling people, etc. that was all part of the job. if you want to help them, just hang up. they will get the message. people working the phones dont recycle numbers, its the managers of the boiler room that do it.

 

There was a Seinfeld episode, I think it was, where one of the characters received a cold call during dinner.

She asked the caller, "hey, how about if I wait until you're off work, call you at home when you're sitting down to dinner, and then we can discuss this further...?"

I agree, though, it's not the messenger's fault. Unfortunately for them, though, they're the ones on the other end of the line.

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Speaking of cold calls (at work), I can't believe how often I'll get: "Hey, it's Tony over here at copier supply maintenance. How you doin' today? Greeaaaatttt!!!! Say, how's the copier runnin'? Tell me again the model number, you know, of the big one. I can never remember it..."

As soon as you give them that model number, you'll be charged for a pallet-load of toner cartridges and other expendables, which you don't want and never ordered.

I think it's scams like this --along with telemarketers' propensity for calling during personal hours-- that might incite us to react perhaps a bit too confrontationally when the phone rings.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Aug 16 2007, 07:50 PM) [snapback]497508[/snapback]</div>

You've got to be kidding! Why would I "want to help them"??? They are the enemy!
I am going to keep them on the line as long as possible, make telemarketing life rough for them, and hopefully save another innocent person from being victimized during that time frame.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Aug 17 2007, 12:37 PM) [snapback]497984[/snapback]</div>

It IS the messenger's fault! They are the mouthpiece of the company they are being paid to represent. That, and calling under the guise of the unanimity of "no, you can't have my phone number or call me back" - Ohhh Noooo, they are NOT exempt from my wrath. <_<

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 17 2007, 03:38 PM) [snapback]498014[/snapback]</div>

I guess I sorta agree.

The folks who do those dishonest 'copier service calls' clearly know that they're doing something wrong; as soon as I'll say, "you're not trying to sell me toner I don't need, are you?" they'll hang up even before I finish my sentence.

These people deserve whatever wrath falls upon them.

As far as other telemarketers, I'm not so sure. I'm a receptionist and lots of time have to do or say things which are simply the company line. And folks can be really rude an condescending to me...when, actually, I have nothing to do with the decision making process (or even have been provided with the correct information, sometimes).

Usually, they're just a bit upset about something that has nothing to do with what we're discussing, but of course I'm there, and I'm at their service (but NOT at their mercy) and so they just vent.

And, yes, there is also an empowerment thing going on: I'm paying for XYZ, and I'm the wife of ABC, and you're not...and so, I've decided that you're here to serve me...

That's kind of distasteful, and something which I *don't* do to telemarketers.

I'd think that being a telemarketer isn't necessarily the most fun job in the world; not sure it's necessary to make their lives any less pleasant.

Customer service usually doesn't pay that well and can be very demanding to begin with.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Aug 17 2007, 04:28 PM) [snapback]498036[/snapback]</div>

Yes it is. The more they're likely not to be a telemarketer, the less likely it is they'll continue to be one. The less people who are telemarketers, the better this world is.

Personally, I'd rather see them go on financial assistance than ruin my dinner with a phone call. Either that, or they can get a job that's more respectable, such as selling crack to school kids.

 

Telemarketing is a huge invasion of privacy and, legally, should be just as illegal as trespassing. Why does this industry still even exist?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AuntBee @ Aug 17 2007, 11:46 PM) [snapback]498203[/snapback]</div>

Why do we still have spam e-mail? Spam faxes?

Why should I have to register for a National "do not call" list?

Why does our government support this with "opt out" laws? Spineless weasels on the take from corporations, that's why. I'll opt in if I want something. Otherwise leave me alone. Just because I bought your product doesn't mean I want a weekly newsletter and daily updates.

Why is my business public domain? Just because I got a home equity loan doesn't mean I want insurance from every company in the universe....over and over. I didn't ask for it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Aug 17 2007, 02:28 PM) [snapback]498036[/snapback]</div>

There are no "other telemarketers."

There is a difference between a receptionist and a telemarketer. . . a BIG difference.

If I call a company and the receptionist does not have the answer I am looking for, I don't get mad at them . . . it's not their fault their company either does not give them the authority or information needed for providing the best customer service. Nor do I get mad at the customer service representative who is required to read off of a script when I am calling to cancel an account or any other reason detrimental to the company's wishes. I just say, "there is nothing you can say to change my mind, so please stop trying to sell to me and honor my wishes."

Years ago, thankfully, when I worked in an office environment, I was always the one who was nice to the secretaries and receptionists. If I had the time, I was the one the secretaries would turn to to fix the copy machine, computer, or any other task I could do to make their lives easier. I would even take them out to lunch every once in a while . . . and NO, I wasn't hitting on them. <_<

I learned early on to grease the people below you who had the ability to make your life harder. Treat them nice, they return the favor.

 

I don't even answer telemarketer calls which you can easily identify with either an 800 (888, etc.) toll free number in the caller ID or "unavailable" or "out of area". However, I used to mess with them quite a bit when I wanted to be entertained. Yes, letting them drone on with their sales pitch and pretending to be interested is far worse than just saying no thanks because then you're wasting their time and they hate that. They prefer to only waste your time and try to pry a credit card number out of you. It's a good idea to get on the do not call list and even sign up with Private Citizen.

my old way of messing with them:

Uh, no, there's no one here by that name but I just got this number a few weeks ago. Give them a phony name and address if they're stupid enough to ask. Then pretend to be interested and let them go on and on and say sure, I'll get my credit card. Then put them on hold and never go back. MUUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Another one is to ask them lots of questions. If it's a guy I'd say 'you're a guy so maybe you can answer this one. My girlfriend is one of those tree huggers and she says that I should change all my lights to fluorescent and I'm working on getting those for the bathroom but when I went to the hardware store there was like all these different kinds and I'm like, whoa, which ones should I get? Should I get the cool white, the soft white or the other one that I can't remember now. You know, if the light is too harsh then maybe it'll mess with her putting on her make up or it'll make it seem as if she has wrinkles or something if it's not the right light. So, you're not gay, right? OK, so which one should I get?' I could go on for hours like that until HE hangs up. It's hilarious.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 18 2007, 01:26 AM) [snapback]498237[/snapback]</div>

Grease...people below you...harder...return the favor...

This all sounds *terribly* naughty!!
;-)

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I'll admit that it's kind of fun, when telemarketers say, "how are you?" to launch into a really tragic and lengthy story...I know it's not nice to waste their time, but --hey-- they asked, didn't they?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 18 2007, 12:23 AM) [snapback]498223[/snapback]</div>

Totally. It used to be, if the phone rang, it was important and I picked it up.

The answer to your question, of course, is that firms can make a bit of extra cash by selling your contact info to each other.

Let the market decide, that's what I always say.
[laughing]

 

You can often tell the automated call systems, by hearing total
silence until you say "hello" and then a couple of seconds later
background noise kicks in as the call is sent to a person who's
going to reel off the schpiel.
.
In that moment before they say a word, I often say "please connect me
to your supervisor's desk", and they're too stunned to give me any
crap about it. Then I go into do-not-call lists and the like with
someone who might actually have a clue and more of a willingness to
listen to someone who knows that any telemarketing company worth its
salt will be taking do-not-call lists seriously even if they're some
charity or whatever and not selling something, i.e. if I've expressed
a general wish not to be cold-called why the *F* are they calling me
and if they don't plow those d-n-c databases into their own that
they're working from then they're seriously doing those people a
disservice, etc etc and by the way yes of *course* I want to be
permanently removed from your list(s), why do you think we're having
this discussion in the first place.
.
I get very few of these.
.
_H*