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Telemarketers ...please read

I had the displeasure of having the Police Benevolent Association call today.

First I pick up the phone.. "hello?" I hear people talking in the background "hello?" still hear it, assume it's a telemarketer calling me with a really bad connection. "hello?"

"mr beckerman?"

"yes" (my first mistake)

"this is .... we'd like to let you know about.."

"i already donate"

"well i'd like to tell you about a package we have and.."



So it wouldn't be so bad if the computer he was reading his script from was so lagged that I already heard the majority being read by the person in the next station over while he was waiting just to find out the name of the person he connected to....

argh
 
Monica, wow, thanks for the oh-so intelligent jibe against my use of a quote from Bran's freestyle. Great google-moogle I better change my quote AND my thoughts on telemarketers!!! Thanks for showing me the light...oh wait...:puke:

Telemarketers are professional time wasters and annoyances. They get paid to annoy and waste peoples' time.

They cannot give that time back. Even if it wasn't much trouble to answer the phone to say, "No, not interested," it is obviously more trouble than I wanted to go through at the time. They can't give me that 60 seconds back. They took away a piece of my life for absolutely nothing.

So, should telemarketers EXPECT to have some irate people on the other end of the line sometimes? YES. Does it make it right that people yell at them? No, but it is part of the job and they should toughen up. And if they CAN'T, then there are PLENTY of other options available(don't give me that disabled no choice BS, there is ALWAYS a choice, ALWAYS. It just depends on if you are willing to look at them all.).
 
oh my.... now your going to get on to me for saying something about that... hah thats funny... too bad i own cky's cd and the videos :) landspeed cky2k cky 3 and cky 4 :) cant even joke about crap... thats so nice of you... but hey if you had to listen to the song 50,000 times a day from the people you live with because they are just now getting to hear it... i think you would scream too
 
Telemarketers

Well I've been on both ends of the phone line and quite frankly was embarrassed when I was on the "dry calling" end of it.

I get, and this is not an exaggeration, 10 telemarketers calling a day. I tell everyone, take me off your list, but it doesn't end there, I have to then hear their take me off your list speech and agree and then be told it'll take a while yadayada... then 2 weeks later I'm still getting calls from the same place.

I do have caller ID, caller ID anonymous call rejection, call screen and the like, each of which is costing me $3.50 to have. I also had something called privacy manager, which actually worked for the telemarketers, but most of my family couldn't get through, so we cancelled that.

My most recent telemarketer said, they want to send something free, and then added they would send some info regarding long distance service. I told them I didn't want the long distance service but if they want to send free stuff ok fine. Well I though that was the end. Until I check my bank statement 2 weeks later and have a $60 charge. I won't even begin to tell you what I had to go through to find out who this charge came from. Well surprise surprise, it's from that little telemarketer who called the other day. I NEVER GAVE THEM MY CREDIT CARD!!! I finally talk to someone and they tell me, oh we have your card on file!!! Mind you I've never even heard of this company. Needless to say, I flipped out told them to take my number off their list, and give me my money. Oh well that was another ordeal!!! I finally filed fraud charges and got my money back.

Situation like this are why many react the way they do to telemarketers, like I said, I've been on both sides and have to say was very disappointed in the way it works.
 
I just saw this thread, and have only read the initial entry. All I have to say, and I hope I am not echoing someone else's sentiments, is that I am sick of telemarketers being a pain in the butt over my phone, even after I have nicely said no thank they keep pestering. I have already had one call back just to make sure I meant it. Yes I say 'not interested' and no thanks' and 'sorry but not now' and 'remove me from your calling list please' but certain ones keep calling. I just received a call the other night at 1130 PM when everyone else in the house was asleep! That one got me PO'd but I was still nice. I have also tried my states 'no pest call' service, with little success as I still get these calls.

NOW YOU HAVE THE UNMITIGATED AUDACITY TO TELL US THAT IF WE DON'T LIKE THESE CALLS TO GET A PRIVATE LINE. Screw yourself into a light socket or something and turn on the juice please. See the light! A private line does not makle any difference as numbers are now selected by random via computer from among active exchanges. All they do is feed in the first three numbers aftet the are code and the computer spits out lists of all possible numbers in that exchange. Maybe your service still uses a phone book but not the big guys.

You may be well intentioned but I do not appreciate your unmitigated gall in telling people how we should react to pest calls. If you don't like how we react find another job! Do you like that suggestion - I bet not - just as I disliked yours to me. Too bad I don't have your number - I know more than a few people who would be quite willing to disturb your dinner each night.
 
By the way, when you use all caps repeatedly in making a point on a forum like this, it is akin to yelling really loud for a long time. It is considered rude and uncalled for. So who are you to tell us how to act on the phone, when you do not have online manners to begin with?
 
Wow, long thread!!!

I was a telemarketer for three weeks, it didn't pay well, but I was a freshman in college and it paid better than minimum wage, so I was interested in it. My company was trying to sell Kirby vacuums. They cost a small fortune, but are apparently sturdy and durable and can be changed to buff hardwood floors. However, I don't like the idea of spending $2,000 on a vacuum. There where people there who had been calling for years and where making good money off of it. Most often the money was made off of sweet little old ladies, that really got to me, what little old lady is going to need an expensive heavy vacuum, really? I got sworn at and called lots of different things, but I expected it, my dad was never really too nice to telemarketers so I knew what I was getting into. And yes, there were lots of nice people too, who just said no and hung up. I liked it when I would call some young sounding man, who would try to hook up with me, how almost cute :) We didn't call off of a computer list, so those zapper things didn't really work because we couldn't be zapped. I always took people off the list when they asked to be, you just realise that you'll never be able to get this person to buy a vacuum so why bother in the future. The most effective way of getting off the list, (at least if I was calling you) was when I was told that the person I was asking for had just died. Ouch, I didn't want to mess with that, so I just crossed them off the list. I eventually had my life threatened by someone I had called, that freaked me out, and I imagine that you all would agree that that is just pushing the rudeness a little to far. I was one of those happy telemarketers, I hate getting calls from telemarketers who sound like they are doing this for the millionth time and aren't putting any effort into it, I always tried to be more personal, without invading privacy or prying. But the job sucked, there was a lot of pressure to sell, I didn't have the heart to push these big expensive vacuums on people, so I quit. Yes it may be the perfect job for some people, and sure I can see how it may be the best fit for disabled persons with few skills or other impediments (learning disabilities, fear of crowds, etc) but it wasn't for me. I never admit to being a telemarketer (face to face that is I don't see this as counting because you guys can't give me the bad looks I would usually get) because no one likes a telemarketer. That's not to say that I wouldn't like that person, but the telemarketer in them I wouldn't.

If that makes any sense to anyone then yahoo...

As for rudeness, it is expected but not really necessary, from the telemarketer or the person being called.
 
Hey, I got one of those Kirby's!!

I just bought one of those Kirby's from a door to door guy!! We only paid $800 though. That gross test with showing the dust and grossness in the carpet sold us (we have 5 kids, one of which is only 15 months), well sorta, we weren't about to give them $2,000, we dealt with them for about 5 hours and finally they sold it to us for $800 (with the carpet shampooer too) Anyhow, I usually can't stand the door to door guys either, but unlike the telemarketers they don't usually come back!
 
Finally.......

Finally someone who understands why I started this thread to start with!

THANK YOU Missymonkey
 
Statistics

I tried something over the past few days, while I was trying to sleep mind you. As of this writing I have answered every call to my house and logged them.

I have received 17 calls to my home number total this is in a period of 48 hours. Of the 17 calls all showed on the caller ID as out of area. Of the 17 I was available to answer 14. Of the 14, 14 were people trying to sell me something. The other 3 were answered by the answering machine and no one left a message.

And you wonder why people have a short fuse.

Of the calls I answered, I asked a couple of questions.

1) What company do you represent?
2) What company is your employer?

I also made the statement that I would like to be removed from the call list and any further violation of this request would be reported to the authorities.

Just as humor point of the 14, 4 of the telemarketers hung up on me when I started in on the questions!!!!!

Oh and by the way, a telezapper is a wonderful idea. I have to pay more to get some respect of my privacy!

I wonder if I can get a telemarketer to call and sell me one. LOL

Oh and for those of you who are thinking it. I also realized I have no life maybe I can get a telemarketer to sell me one of those too.
 
TeleZapper

I'm curious about this telezapper thing, wonder if it'll work or not. Also I'm thinking how ridiculous it is that I have to pay more money to keep these people from harrassing me, it's ridiculous. I'm paying about $30 a month for telephone services that still can't keep all of them out, mind you without the service I get twice as many calling, so now paying more for this telezapper thing, is it worth it, will they find a way around it???? I think the telemarketers should pay us for the telezapper, any thoughts.
 
I agree.

I pay for a unlisted number, I pay for a custom package. And now someone thinks that I should pay for a telezapper all so that I can keep people from calling MY number and bugging me. In my honest opinion telemarketers should be banned.
 
Here Here

I agree with your most honest opinion!!! I homeschool 3 of my 5 kids and amongst everything else that goes on in my house, the last thing I enjoy occurring is the 15 telemarketers that call EVERYDAY!!!
 
Tell you what, with all of the advances in cell phone technology and payment plans these days, I am beginning to wonder why I even need a regular phone line anymore, except for a basic line for my modem (I live in the sticks and have dial up service only!). I have never received a telemarketer call on my cell phone!
 
I lived without a ground line for three years using my cell phone. I never had a telemarketer call. This may change soon as the powers that be want to make cell phone numbers publicly listed.

As for the telezapper, telemarketing companies have already come up with a way to circumvent that. It would seem to me that somehow messing with information on another's computer is hacking, and as such, illegal. Since the Telezapper is supposed to remove your number from their machine, thereby deleting something against their will from their machine, could that be considered hacking? If it went to court, would using the Telezapper be ruled as illegal?

Anyway, the companies, as I said, have already come up with a way around it, but not all companies are using that method yet.
 
Since the Telezapper is supposed to remove your number from their machine, thereby deleting something against their will from their machine, could that be considered hacking? If it went to court, would using the Telezapper be ruled as illegal?
Click to expand...
The Telezapper actually doesn't do anything to their computers. It merely fakes the tones of a disconnected number, fooling the software into believing that it has dialed an inavlid number.

However, a relatively new piece of software available to telesharks can circumvent this issue.
 
How do I deal with them

These are just some of the ways I've dealt with telemarketers.

1. Kept one siding salesman on the line for about 15 minutes asking all kinds of questions. He hung up when I asked him if I would have to forward the bill to my landlord or if they would bill him directly. The ones that work on commision really hat this sort of thing.

2. Since they are only doing their job, I try to do mine. I ask them If they are interested in buying a snake or an aquarium.

3. The one I use most since 9 out of 10 of them butcher the pronunciation of my last name "there no one here by that name"

4. I tell them I never make purchases or descisions like this over the phone.

5. Many times a call will need to be verified or confirmed by a third party. Sometimes I'll let the telemarketer think they made the sale only to tell the third party confirmation no. This happens a lot when companies hire telemarkieting firms to make their calls and the callers are not directly employed by the company whose product they are selling.

6. Simply tell them no and hang up. It saves time but if I'm not too busy and I feel with jacking them around a bit I might get more creative.


On a related note, I was listening to Howard Stern one morning and they played a clip from the guy who created Crank Yankers. Basically it was about a guy who was called by a telemarketer trying to sell him a subscription to a magazine. He told him he only had 6 months to live and asked if they had a discounted rate for half a year subscription. Then he went on to ask the caller if he needed any houshold items as he was trying to sell his stuff before he died. It was one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

Any way, bottom line. If my job was to punch you in the face, would that be OK, because I would only be doing my job.

Steve Schindler
 
The Telezapper is a neat invention, however it wouldn't have zapped anything at the company that I worked for. We had a hard copy of the numbers, printed on paper, which we penciled notes onto. There were no computers attatched to the phone lines at all, they were simple land lines like anyone has.

oh well, back to the drawing board
 
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