The Evil Known as Telemarketers.

[protege]

I thought I'd throw this little tidbit out there...

When I'm at work, I have very little tolerance for telemarketers. I have work to do, and don't have time to deal with them. Even so, I'm usually nice to them--a quick "not interested, thanks" and they don't call back.

The ones that piss me off, are the scammers. You know, the idiots trying to get the serial number of my copier...so they can send me vastly overpriced cartridges and then bill me for them. These idiots aren't even trying very hard--as soon as they say "I need the serial number on your Canon copier so I can..." I hang up. No point in trying to see what company they work for--as soon as I ask, they hang up.

I actually had one of those fools insult me. And yes, I went off on him. This company (still have no idea which one!) had been told not to call, so I wasn't exactly polite--I asked "what are you trying to sell me this time?" and he replied with "well, if you'd shut the hell up, I'd tell you." At that point, I lost it. I couldn't resist saying something like "Let me get this straight, you call me, waste my time, and now you get snotty with me? Do you really think I'm going to buy your shit? Fuck off, asshole."

Never did call back

[Boozy]

If it's a known scam, I say curse away if it makes you feel better. No one should be expected to be courteous to criminals who are targeting them.

Fifth day in a row you get woken up by one of these jackasses because you don't dare turn your phone off because there are people that may need to contact you and if they do, it is an emergency situation? Yeah, you'd be annoyed to. Maybe even pissed off, especially when it's the same jackass for the fifth time and I am already on the DNC.

In the case of legitimate telemarketing, like charities or whatever, I still prefer a quick hang-up, because I truly don't believe that cursing and being nasty gets me anywhere. But here is a situation where hanging up is also not getting her anywhere.

I've been thinking about this, and I figure that if getting nasty actually makes the phone calls stop, whereas politely saying "I'm not interested" makes them continue, then that's a pretty valid argument for getting nasty. Yelling for a minute is a lot less leg work than going through the song-and-dance routine of reporting them, so I can see why people would prefer it if that got them results.

If it doesn't get results, I wouldn't continue. Anger is usually more damaging for the one feeling it than the one to whom it's directed. So I choose my battles wisely.

[kamn]

Erm, as a surveyer, Im in a similar position as are most telemarketers. And from personal experience, I can say that there are indeed some assholes to the business, but more of us are simply trying to make a living and will NOT annoy you if we can help it.

The thing is, cursing/screaming/swearing will acomplish nothing. And I mean nothing. You would acomplish more in less time around here by simply saying "No (thanks)". One of the things that gets my blood boiling is if I hear my coworkers trying to force someone into doing a survey, after it was made clear they said no (or lying about the time needed). If you get that, ask them their name, company name, etc. A simple letter of complaint might not seem much, but we had 2 workers fired becouse of those.

I will not say that you MUST be nice to me if Im calling you. I am aware that Im the customer here, and that its late in the day. However, as a human being, I hope I dont get screamed at, even though Im used to it. Screaming at me will not ensure that I(we) dont call you back (Im one from about 30 in my centre, and the phone numbers are given to us by a comp, we have NO idea what were calling), it just increases your blood pressure.

[Slytovhand]

You're right! I mean, if someone's job is hired assassin, why, that person deserves as much respect as anybody else.

Same for people who have job titles like "Mob Boss", "Enforcer", etc.

Sure, that's not what they put down on resumes and on tax forms, but there are people out there who do just that for a living. And they are just as deserving of respect as everybody else, right?

Hey Pedersen.. you forgot the /sarcasm again!!

You were being sarcastic, weren't you??

Oh man....!!!!!!


Anyway... yes, you're right... cos then the actions of what the assassin and mob boss does figures into what they do to determine what level of respect you give them (and, since they are likely to make you disappear, tends to be a lot )


Aaahhhh - what a world we live in, where simply annoying someone is enough to deserve the anger, hate and hostility of others... Can't wait for 2012 to swing around...

[kibbles]

2012?? What's so exciting about that year?

[Slytovhand]

2012?? What's so exciting about that year?

Just another thread going... End of the World - all that sort of stuff....

[kibbles]

Ohhhh, LOL!!! Yeah I've read about that too

[blas87]

I don't understand how people are still being plagued by telemarketers. My parents got rid of their landline phone and they've only gotten one or two calls a year from telemarketers. I haven't gotten one in ages.

I'm not saying you HAVE to get rid of your landline phone, but just get on the DNC list. Do not answer any "unknown" or 1-800 type #s. It's not that difficult....

My personal opinion is that it's more difficult for them to "find" you on a cell phone. Maybe it's because I live in Deliverance land, but I never get soliciting phone calls anymore.....and if I don't know the #, I don't answer. Simple.

Throwing a tantrum doesn't do squat. Lots of people call me when they KNOW I'm sleeping. I can't make them stop. I just hit "ignore". I hit the ignore button so it rings once or twice then to voicemail, so that they know I hit "ignore".

[The Shadow]

A couple of things I wanted to point out...

1. Those of you who can't understand why someone would get rude and nasty with telemarketers instead of saying "I'm not interested" and/or hanging up, let me ask you this...have you ever experienced one telemarketer after another, and another, then another, and another ...all calling in the course of a single evening? If you haven't, then its understandable why you feel the way you do. However imagine if you had to say this over and over again to each and every telemarketer that called...eventually I reckon your patience would soon be exhausted too, and that even if you refrained from being rude and nasty, you'd certainly be pretty tempted to do so. I know one couple who used to get endless calls from telemarketers and for them the straw that broke the camels back was when they got FIFTY CALLS IN ONE DAY (I'm not making this up, it HAS happened!). After that, they switched phone companies that offered better and more effective services to stop these calls. The U.S national DNC list didn't yet exist at the time.

2. Some people (like myself) actually work from home, and therefore their home number is also their business number. Some of these people spend a lot of their working hours on the phone conducting business. So every time a telemarketer calls and starts into a monologue sales pitch, they're interrupting that person from earning their living, which can result in lost revenue.

Just a few things I thought I'd bring up. Personally, telemarketers haven't bothered me in a while. I was one of the last people among my circle of friends to get a cell phone. Now a cell phone is all I have. I don't have a land line anymore and I'm no longer listed in the phone book. Now the only sales type calls I get are from my phone company or bank to let me know about new services. And these are minimally intrusive and very infrequent so I don't really mind them.

[Rapscallion]

The U.S national DNC list didn't yet exist at the time.

It does now. Sounds like an old grievance.

2. Some people (like myself) actually work from home, and therefore their home number is also their business number.

Perfect use for the DNC/TPS! Marvellous - problem solved!

Rapscallion

[Rapscallion]

You'd be surprised. I'd go so far as to say amazed. I also had nowhere near the stress and didn't have to sacrifice my moral and ethical standards.

The problem here is that these are your standards, and not someone else's. Bit difficult to apply your own morals to another and expect them to like it.

Fifth day in a row you get woken up by one of these jackasses because you don't dare turn your phone off because there are people that may need to contact you and if they do, it is an emergency situation? Yeah, you'd be annoyed to. Maybe even pissed off, especially when it's the same jackass for the fifth time and I am already on the DNC.

Then that's between you and your political bodies to work out to stop them. Over here, our politicians are aware of the general dislike of phone calls selling things. The advertising companies are also aware (dma.org.uk if you want their URL), and the TPS over here was brought in by the DMA voluntarily to stop the politicians cracking down.

Your politicians work for you - make them very aware of what's going on. Make sure they know that the efforts of the companies ignoring the DMC are affecting your quality of life. Get petitions arranged - that sort of thing should be cross-party as far as politics is concerned.

Yelling at people on low wages, people who are easily replaced once they burn out, is not going to stop it.

Rapscallion

[Slytovhand]

There's also a difference between getting a telemarketing call, and getting harrassed.

Getting 50 calls in one day by the same company is harrassment, especially if it's the same product.

In that case, stay reasonably polite to the operator (who is a person, regardless of whether they've annoyed you or not - unless they ignore your request personally), and then demand to speak to the manager - then go off Trust me - if you go off at the manager (whose responsibility it is), and you get names, contact numbers, and tell them you are filing a complaint of harrassment with the police - you're not likely to get another call (ever ever again ).

Please also remember, that from time to time, you'll do something like fill out some innocuous form somewhere, and it will have a little tick box asking if you want to be harrassed. Or, it will tell you that you will cop all those calls unless you specifically write in and tell them otherwise. Who then should you blame if you keep getting those calls???


Slyt

[Boozy]

Getting 50 calls in one day by the same company is harrassment, especially if it's the same product.

I don't think The Shadow meant 50 calls from the same company.

Nevertheless, 50 calls in one day would drive anyone batshit insane. I pay for my phone, and I wouldn't appreciate it being commandeered that like.

[Zyanya]

The problem here is that these are your standards, and not someone else's. Bit difficult to apply your own morals to another and expect them to like it.

All the more reason why people shouldn't expect me to be nice to those who telemarket to me. See how nice applying the standards uniformly can be?

Yelling at people on low wages, people who are easily replaced once they burn out, is not going to stop it.

I do believe I already pointed out that it took yelling at people to get it to stop.

Or, it will tell you that you will cop all those calls unless you specifically write in and tell them otherwise. Who then should you blame if you keep getting those calls???

Them, in that case. They should assume you DO NOT want the calls unless you specify otherwise.

Perfect use for the DNC/TPS! Marvellous - problem solved!

DNC oft does not apply to business lines.

I'm not saying you HAVE to get rid of your landline phone, but just get on the DNC list. Do not answer any "unknown" or 1-800 type #s. It's not that difficult....

So basically, your opinion is I should be inconvenienced to avoid inconvenience. Oh, that's a greeeeeeat solution, really. Funny how expecting other people to have some respect for my home doesn't seem to be an option.

Throwing a tantrum doesn't do squat.

Except in all those cases where I pointed out that it essentially took me throwing a tantrum to get them to stop calling because all the times I asked nicely I was ignored.

where simply annoying someone is enough to deserve the anger, hate and hostility of others.

What a strange person you are, to think that you should be able to annoy others and not have to suffer any consequences for it.

[Zyanya]

The only thing I see that is sad on this forum is people thinking another human being doesn't deserve respect. That says a lot more about you than it does about them IMO.

So, when you were a kid, how many times did the kid sitting behind you have to poke you in the arm after you politely told him to stop and told the teacher before you turned around and yelled at him?

See, they generally only got to poke me twice. The first time, I asked them politely to stop and told the teacher. If they did it again, I took whatever they were poking me with and broke it.

Sorry dear, but I don't care for bullies. And frankly, that's what the type of telemarketers I am rude to are in essence, bullies.

If you want to be poked until you are black and blue and keep being nice about it, that's entirely your problem.

Frankly, you deserve respect until you undertake actions disrespectful to others. Telemarketers undertake actions disrespectful to others, and some of them are downright snotty about it. Your entire argument is a double standard, because if telemarketers had respect for other human beings, they *gasp* wouldn't be telemarketers.

I've been thinking about this, and I figure that if getting nasty actually makes the phone calls stop, whereas politely saying "I'm not interested" makes them continue, then that's a pretty valid argument for getting nasty. Yelling for a minute is a lot less leg work than going through the song-and-dance routine of reporting them, so I can see why people would prefer it if that got them results.

Exactly. I can go through the rigmarole of getting my name off the list and get three or four more calls. Or, I can yell at the supervisor and get my name off the list immediately. Gee....which am I going to pick after they've already disregarded my first 'I'm not interested, please don't call me again'?