how to deal with telemarketers
- Thread starter dewie
- Start date
afterhours
Registered
i really don't understand the hostility towards telemarketers.....
when they call i simply "no thanks, I'm cool" and hang up. sometimes i will let them talk for a bit.....and say "no thanks".
most of the times these are just guys trying to do a job, and make a couple of bucks. you can tell alot about a person by how they treat people...especially waiters,busboys, maids and telemarketers....
when they call i simply "no thanks, I'm cool" and hang up. sometimes i will let them talk for a bit.....and say "no thanks".
most of the times these are just guys trying to do a job, and make a couple of bucks. you can tell alot about a person by how they treat people...especially waiters,busboys, maids and telemarketers....
either hang up, turn the tables on them, start asking weird unusual questions sometimes about your bike, (hehehe) get the manager on the phone and chew his ass out. Most of the time I just hang up
Projekt
Registered
I see your point. The problem is that they call at the worst time. The fact is that I wouldn't answer calls from "unknown numbers" ie. telemarketers when I lived stateside.
My answering machine had a greeting for everyone that went like this..
Hello...
Yeah, Hi.
Yes...
uh huh..
uh huh..
Tell me more...
right.. uh huh..
This is an answering machine so leave a message.. Beep
Due to that greeting, I got a few strange "I f***en hate you! You motherF**ker!" messages left on my machine.
Just start having phone sex with them.
****WARNING****
Be prepared to have a few of them like it.
Yep i always ask them what they are wearing
AJAY
Registered
This is devious and evil. I like that!Me: Hello
Telemarketer: Hi is this Projekt?
Me: Yes
Telemarketer: I am calling from XYZ corp and I would like to talk to you about a special offer....
Me: Sir/Ma'am How long have you struggled with you sexual identity?
Telemarketer: W-W-What?
Me: How long have you had difficulty concealing your homosexuality?
Telemarketer: Uhm.. No.. I don...
Me: I can hear the uncertainty in your voice. Why not talk about it?
Telemarketer: Well, I um We have a special offer....
Me: The strange homo-erotic dreams you have are simply a manifestation of your inner self.
Telemarketer: Click
I killed two birds with one stone disconnected my phone an just kept the internet.
I always ask for their home no. so I can call them at home. When they say they can't give it to me, I tell them, well lose mine.
MelodicMetalGod
Registered
You can also tell a lot about a person by how well they produce as a telemarketer…
Waiters, busboys and maids are invited to work and are there to help you with something with which you’ve requested or contracted their assistance. They are doing good, honest work that you’ve asked them to do. They may suggest items to you, but they will not, in general, make a nuisance of themselves by trying to convince you to buy something which you’ve made clear that you do not want. They are NOT showing up at your front door, kicking it in while you’re saying you don’t need their help and then trying to convince you that you don’t know what you want so that they can tell you what you want that will create profit for them. Telemarketers, on the other hand…
Besides, it's not the workers that are the issue. It's the business model. The whole point of telemarketing is to create business for a product or service by contacting folks at random without any regard for those who are called. Often these products are of little or no, or even negative, value to anyone, which is why they are being direct marketed in the first place. Consider these points:
1) They're calling at RANDOM or from a list that you probably didn't want to be on in the first place that another company that you don't want anything to do with sold to them without your permission. Bad start.
2) They call without regard to your schedule. You may be sick, sleeping, eating, spending time with family, etc.
3) They're using the telephone to force their way into your home and private life. Unlike most "they're just doing their job" type jobs, they're leveraging our need for a phone as a way to ambush us, using our lives to "create" business. Sorry, but unlike with a business which you initiate contact, say car sales, they're forcing you to engage, regardless of your interest or need.
4) Sales tactics: They're reading from a script that was written, down to every word, period and comma, specifically to overcome any objection you may have. The idea is to use the psychology of language to get you to think that you need or want what they've got, regardless of whether you really do need it, want it or can even afford it.
5) They don't take no for an answer. Many of these companies are either too incompetent to not call again after being rejected or simply have no intention of removing you from their list in the first place. They're hoping to catch you in a better mood or they're betting someone else will answer the phone next time or the time after next, maybe they'll even get a child that's unprepared for dealing with their sales tactics. Completely unprofessional.
6) Scams: More and more scams are based on presenting themselves as a "normal" telemarketing operation. Although we can't blame legal telemarketing business for crimes that exploit the telemarketing culture, we can certainly say that if telemarketing didn't exist or was outlawed, scams based on the model wouldn't have much chance of succeeding.
7) Phone charges: Many folks have a phone plan that provides limited talk time/air time. This is true for even some land line arrangements. Unwanted telemarketing can actually COST these users real money just to say "No thank you."!!!!
8) Texting telemarketing: I've gotten several of these on my cell phone over the last year or two. Not many, but I'm sure that will change. Originally, texting was free, then they made it a nominal charge for each text sent or rec'd and now the cost is actually significant. I never wanted texting in the first place, but I figured I'd just not use it. Lo and behold, the ads started coming in and I was paying 10 cents a message for the privilege of reading an offer that I didn't anything to do with. OK, fine. No problem. Had Verizon block all texting on my phone. Only now, I can't get any info from even Verizion since I have texting blocked and, as folks began sending pics, I can't get any of those from friends or family. Re-enable texting, let the wolves back in with the sheep. As far as I'm concerned, the text ads are actually stealing money right out of my hand!!!
Bottom line, telemarketing invades our home life, steals our time and, in some cases our money, and if we actually take the bait and get on the hook, we're usually disappointed, losing real money for no good reason or scammed.
If I want something, I'll seek it out. I don't need or want anybody contacting me at random to see if I want their sh1t that they haven't been able to sell to the other 10,000 people that they've bothered.
FYI: I know both sides of this coin. I've worked as a telemarketer, first time for six weeks. I hated it and did poorly b/c I knew it was not cool to bug people with "I'd like to offer you a fantastic opportunity to own a time share in Ocean City, MD!". The 2nd time was a couple years later in college b/c I just needed "something easy and flexible for a little cash". I worked one three hour "orientation" shift, kicked ass and was the top producer for the shift. I never went back, didn't even want the paycheck b/c I felt like such a sh1tbag for working the marks the way I did.
It is an awful industry that prey's on the weaknesses of the herd and relies on deception and trickery to achieve its goals with no regard for its "clientele".
Hope I've answered your question. :rolleyes2::colgate:
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afterhours
Registered
You can also tell a lot about a person by how well they produce as a telemarketer…
Waiters, busboys and maids are invited to work and are there to help you with something with which you’ve requested or contracted their assistance. They are doing good, honest work that you’ve asked them to do. They may suggest items to you, but they will not, in general, make a nuisance of themselves by trying to convince you to buy something which you’ve made clear that you do not want. They are NOT showing up at your front door, kicking it in while you’re saying you don’t need their help and then trying to convince you that you don’t know what you want so that they can tell you what you want that will create profit for them. Telemarketers, on the other hand…
Besides, it's not the workers that are the issue. It's the business model. The whole point of telemarketing is to create business for a product or service by contacting folks at random without any regard for those who are called. Often these products are of little or no, or even negative, value to anyone, which is why they are being direct marketed in the first place. Consider these points:
1) They're calling at RANDOM or from a list that you probably didn't want to be on in the first place that another company that you don't want anything to do with sold to them without your permission. Bad start.
they did not need your permission to be the list...."no thank you" still applies
2) They call without regard to your schedule. You may be sick, sleeping, eating, spending time with family, etc. they call when it is legal to call 9am to 9pm, if you are busy do not answer the phone
3) They're using the telephone to force their way into your home and private life. Unlike most "they're just doing their job" type jobs, they're leveraging our need for a phone as a way to ambush us, using our lives to "create" business. Sorry, but unlike with a business which you initiate contact, say car sales, they're forcing you to engage, regardless of your interest or need.nobody forces you to answer a phone....nobody is ambushing you. pick up or don't ppick up, that is a choice you make
4) Sales tactics: They're reading from a script that was written, down to every word, period and comma, specifically to overcome any objection you may have. The idea is to use the psychology of language to get you to think that you need or want what they've got, regardless of whether you really do need it, want it or can even afford it.most salesmen have a script, it only works on the stupid and the feeble minded
5) They don't take no for an answer. Many of these companies are either too incompetent to not call again after being rejected or simply have no intention of removing you from their list in the first place. They're hoping to catch you in a better mood or they're betting someone else will answer the phone next time or the time after next, maybe they'll even get a child that's unprepared for dealing with their sales tactics. Completely unprofessional.the goal is to sell product, they will not waste thier time on you over and over, the repeat call is from an auto dialer and usually starts with "please wait for an important message"
6) Scams: More and more scams are based on presenting themselves as a "normal" telemarketing operation. Although we can't blame legal telemarketing business for crimes that exploit the telemarketing culture, we can certainly say that if telemarketing didn't exist or was outlawed, scams based on the model wouldn't have much chance of succeeding.really, heard of bernie madoff, he bilked billions from people. scams work because people are stupid, and thi
7) Phone charges: Many folks have a phone plan that provides limited talk time/air time. This is true for even some land line arrangements. Unwanted telemarketing can actually COST these users real money just to say "No thank you."!!!!"no thank you" still works
8) Texting telemarketing: I've gotten several of these on my cell phone over the last year or two. Not many, but I'm sure that will change. Originally, texting was free, then they made it a nominal charge for each text sent or rec'd and now the cost is actually significant. I never wanted texting in the first place, but I figured I'd just not use it. Lo and behold, the ads started coming in and I was paying 10 cents a message for the privilege of reading an offer that I didn't anything to do with. OK, fine. No problem. Had Verizon block all texting on my phone. Only now, I can't get any info from even Verizion since I have texting blocked and, as folks began sending pics, I can't get any of those from friends or family. Re-enable texting, let the wolves back in with the sheep. As far as I'm concerned, the text ads are actually stealing money right out of my hand!!!
Bottom line, telemarketing invades our home life, steals our time and, in some cases our money, and if we actually take the bait and get on the hook, we're usually disappointed, losing real money for no good reason or scammed.
If I want something, I'll seek it out. I don't need or want anybody contacting me at random to see if I want their sh1t that they haven't been able to sell to the other 10,000 people that they've bothered.
FYI: I know both sides of this coin. I've worked as a telemarketer, first time for six weeks. I hated it and did poorly b/c I knew it was not cool to bug people with "I'd like to offer you a fantastic opportunity to own a time share in Ocean City, MD!". The 2nd time was a couple years later in college b/c I just needed "something easy and flexible for a little cash". I worked one three hour "orientation" shift, kicked ass and was the top producer for the shift. I never went back, didn't even want the paycheck b/c I felt like such a sh1tbag for working the marks the way I did.
It is an awful industry that prey's on the weaknesses of the herd and relies on deception and trickery to achieve its goals with no regard for its "clientele".
Hope I've answered your question. :rolleyes2::colgate:
did you answere my questions....no, you only cemented what i already beleived to be true....
most people have way to many issues that they cannot control, crappy jobs, crappy lives and this gives them a general poor attitude.problem is these people don't have any recourse, they are stuck in this cycle of crap.
so who do you vent your frustrations on....those that are beneath you. the telemarketer, the waiter, the maid....your wife or kids.
if your life is so hectic you are angered by a 30 second call....you have other issues that you should look into....
if your finances are so taxed a $.10 text is putting you over the edge....you have other issues you need to look into.
fact: the business model works, or people would not do it.
fact: they do not call at 10pm...
there are some of us that confront our problems, when my boss is an a-hole i let him know.....i do not hold it in and then take it out on the guy making $7 an hour working his way thru school...or the waiter that made me wait for a free re-fill.
I call BS on the "they don't call at 10 pm" and "They don't repeat call"
Have you dealt with any of the recent ones? I still give them the no thank and please remove me from your calling list. There is one company in particular that kept calling. It was a prerecorded please wait message, so yes an auto dialer, as soon as I was connected I would ask to be removed from the calling list. They immediately hung up. I would get a call a few hours later, same place.
I dealt with that for two weeks. Three to four calls a day from 6 pm to 11 pm. Yes 11 pm my time They called. Finally I got my phone company to block the number.
Three days later they called from another number. I told them I had been nice but I wanted to be removed from their list now. Click. They hung up on me again. Less than an hour later a third number, same company, called. I yelled and told them to leave me alone, I was tired of the crap, remove my number. The person actually laughed and said no, then hung up.
I disconnected my land line. I no longer receive these calls now, but it took me removing my home phone. How is that anything remotely close to acceptable?
I understand that there are some telemarketing companies that follow the rules, but only a very naive person believes that they are all doing it right. I would say it's close to a 50/50 split on those who do it right and those who don't, in my experience.
MelodicMetalGod
Registered
Well, it appears that we have differing perspectives on the matter. Hoever, you've made quite a few assumptions above without basis.
1) Do I control everything? No. Who does? However, most of us, including me, have plenty of choices. If I don't like where I am, I can and will make changes. I don't need to beat some one else down so that I can feel better about being where I don't want to be. Sounds like bully mentality, which I've never had. In fact, I've always been a champion for the underdogs in my life.
2) We all vent frustrations, and most of us, at one time or another, vent in the wrong direction. That said, I am absolutely NOTORIOUS for treating waiters, busboys, and others seen as "beneathe me", with tremendous respect and patience and being an exceptional tipper, even for less than perfect service. For the record, I don't consider ANYone beneath me based on their job. Although I'm gainfully employed these days, I held over 30 different jobs before getting to where I wanted to be, so I have no illusion that I'm better than someone based on money, jobs, poesseions, etc.
3) The 10 cent charge of text won't break the bank here. For heaven's sake, I own a Hayabusa! You've completely missed the point, which is the principle here. We shouldn't have to finance the telemarketing business, not even 10 cents per message.
4) Am I angered by a 30 second call. Yes. Not "get green and big" angry, but yes. Issues? Yes, the issue is telemarketing. I've looked into it, I don't like it and I'd like to see it stop.
5) Your fact - the business model works. No argument here. I know this first hand. By works, may I assume that we mean it makes money for the telemarketers, their company and they makers of their products and services? If so, yes, it absolutely works. That doesn't address in any way that lack of consideration, disruption and inethical operation of the model.
6) Your fact - they do not call after 10pm. Argument here. Well, not really an argument - this is simply not a fact. I have personally rec'd calls after 10 pm, even in the middle of the night, think 3 am, from automated systems. Nothing like waking up to a ringing phone and wondering what family member or friend might be in trouble only to find that an electronic voice wants offer you a warranty on your 11 year old car whose original warranty is just about to expire. Especially when you've declined the offer three times in recent months.
7) I'm sorry that you have problems with your boss. I am very fortunate to have a very professional "boss" and we don't have any personal or professional issues. If I did, I wouldn't hesistate to address those issues, as I have in the past with other employers/supervisors/bosses.
Oh, BTW, I have no problem saying "No thank you.". That's generally my first respose. However, it's rarely accepted. At that point, I feel the door has been opened for me to give as good as I get. Might be hang up, might be a table-turning game, might be a commitment with a fake name and such, might just be wasting a vast amount of their time or, it might just be a restatement of "No thank you". But I will not respect them AFTER they've chose to not respect me in my own home, especially since they were uninvited in the first place.
Bottom line, ones personal disposition is irrelevant when discussing the telemarketing industry. If it doesn't bother, great! There's no law saying you have to have an issue with it. However, the reality is that, for a great many across the country, telemarketing calls are at best an annoyance and at worst financially devastating through direct fraud or by opening the door to scam activity. The industry, IMHO, operates without regard for the people upon whom which it relies, both employees and clientelle and they use questionable ethics in even the most legitimate operations.
I respect your opinion and make no judgements on your character or place in life based on that opinion. I find it curious that you find reason to make judgements on those that have an opposing position on the matter, especially when presented with reasonable arguments supporting such position.
With respect.
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MelodicMetalGod
Registered
On the topic of waiters and people in those positions. Most of my waiters know my name. I treat them with respect. They are providing a service I am requesting. My bartender knows I tip well and I have rarely had any problems with a waitress not taking no the first time. It has nothing to do with them being "beneath" me. It has to do with the respect I am being, or not being given.
If you disrespect me, then prepare for it to be on
and I have rarely had any problems with a waitress not taking no the first time. It has nothing to do with them being "beneath" me. It has to do with the respect I am being, or not being given.If you disrespect me, then prepare for it to be on
Sounds like After Hours is a telemarketer.
Just start having phone sex with them.
****WARNING****
Be prepared to have a few of them like it.
Funny and saves 3.99 a minute
