I know that many of us hang up on telemarketers and telephone solicitations, but what is your opinions on automatic dialers which are the reason why it takes a few seconds for the unwanted soliciter to state his or her business. To me I think it is rude to call someone and wait a few seconds to have a person talk to you in general, but being a former telemarketer I know why the reason for it which is money!
The auto dialer can dial faster than your fingers can and that means more calls can be made with more calls being delivered the chances of sales are much better. However, the same principle that applies to this also requires that a potential customer need to be put on hold, as the dialer dials so fast that many operators are still on the line with other customers. Basically there are twice as many phone lines as there are operators so while an operator is being cursed out by one customer the computer has the next angry customer already on the line.
I think it is rude as well as unproffessional. When I first did marketing, before those annoying machines were invented, we were always trained to control your phone call. It is the first few seconds the callee is on the line that determines whether or not that particular person will listen to your scripted pitch or not. We were told never to pause, but get right to talking to your customer to avoid losing the sale with facts backing that up! Now all of a sudden the companies are allowing the dialing machine to place a callee on hold which the caller originally could not. Not to mention the not interested calls (which are very plenty) back in manual dialing we would discard the lead sheets and they would be filed for calling again in about 3 months where now the computer keeps in the general file where it can be called at anytime even though a company can be heavily fined for recalling again. Many companies I worked for just know how to use the "oh its the computer's fault that you are harassed" line when someone is mad that we keep calling them after being told not to call again.
Times have changed here, which makes it bad for us as now telamarketers can call as early as 8 AM, where it used to be 9 AM earliest one could call any household. Most likely because of the lobbyists that exist is why the law has changed making it worse for us the consumer that hates (and think all solicitations should be illegal) unwanted phone calls instead of for what the people really want and that is no unwanted phone calls. Not to mention the auto dialer can bug the hell out of you if you owe money to a company which once was my case. I once owed money to the ambulance for my insurance carrier at the time did not pay them. They actually called me and a recorded message told me to wait for the next available operator as if I called them for service. Now that is rude! To call someone for something while disturbing them and then having the decency to put them on hold is unthinkable!
Do you think that auto dialer devices should be outlawed or at least toned down where an open operator must be available at the time of dialing? I am just curious to know what others think about this. Is it just me or are dialing machines making annoying phone calls now more frequent as well as more disrespectful to us individuals?
At work, I get at least one call a week from Google that is a recorded message.
I still have not claimed my Google web store, apparently.
I really don't believe Google has anything to do with these calls. I found a bunch of numbers making such calls to me everyday to be coming from some marketing outfit in California, got assurances from probably every one of their 22-year-old executives that I was off their list, and kept getting the calls. So I blocked all the numbers I could and posted my experience online, which then gained me the pleasure of regular messages from them pleading with me to allow them to resolve the problem.
Anyway, I don't care what your business model requires. Unsolicited mass calling means I won't do business with you.
At her shop, my wife gets these Google calls as well.
At home, we simply don't pick up the phone if we don't recognize the number. In the rare it's a legit phone call we're waiting for and they leave a message, we either pick up then or call back later.
I imagine the auto-caller pause works for these companies because enough people stay on the phone long enough to talk to someone. People are generally pleasant and courtious to a fault. The same ones that would cut people off on the highway will answer the phone, wait, and listen to a sales pitch.
Timeshare salespeople are very similiar...they are counting on the passerby being a nice person that just doesn't want to upset the poor little person trying to make a living. They'll calmly say no, or even walk over to the stand. On a forum I look at, people readily admit they don't want to be mean to these people who literally cut them off on the sidewalk in order to invite them over unannounced to sell them a multi-decade vacation rental. I, on the other hand, will simply walk by without even saying No. In the rare event I get caught up in a potential presentation (such as one time at my nearby supermarket), I can turn rude as hell in a nanosecond. It's not my general personality, but I'm at a Supermarket for crying out loud!!!
QuoteAt home, we simply don't pick up the phone if we don't recognize the number. In the rare it's a legit phone call we're waiting for and they leave a message, we either pick up then or call back later.
Ding Ding Ding Ding!!!!!!!! We have a winner!
My home landline phone has an answering machine. Because I get so many junk calls on my landline, I almost never answer the phone. (Family and friends have my cellphone #, which I answer if I can unless I don't recognize the number.) But I do listen in when my prerecorded message comes on. Some callers hang up when my message instructs telemarketers to put me on their do-not-call lists and hang up. But all too many leave me a message anyway, since their machines don't realize that my machine is telling them to go fuck themselves.
The FTC's Do Not Call regulations (which are mainly what regulate the use of automatic dialers for the calls not prohibited by those rules) have a number of loopholes, including for bill collectors, junk charitable solicitation calls, and political organizations. Not that sleazy telemarketers always obey the regulations anyway. Some try to slip around them by pretending (a) I've somehow opted in to their call lists, or (b) they aren't making a sales call.
Do Not Call is a joke.
Quote from: oscar on June 11, 2014, 12:28:58 PM
My home landline phone has an answering machine. Because I get so many junk calls on my landline, I almost never answer the phone. (Family and friends have my cellphone #, which I answer if I can unless I don't recognize the number.) But I do listen in when my prerecorded message comes on. Some callers hang up when my message instructs telemarketers to put me on their do-not-call lists and hang up. But all too many leave me a message anyway, since their machines don't realize that my machine is telling them to go fuck themselves.
The FTC's Do Not Call regulations (which are mainly what regulate the use of automatic dialers for the calls not prohibited by those rules) have a number of loopholes, including for bill collectors, junk charitable solicitation calls, and political organizations. Not that sleazy telemarketers always obey the regulations anyway. Some try to slip around them by pretending (a) I've somehow opted in to their call lists, or (b) they aren't making a sales call.
I used to be a telamarketer so I hear most of the stuff that goes on with them. Never say "sales" and try to make it sound like you are doing the caller a favor and most of all STAY ON SCRIPT! What was interesting was the fact that those at one marketing agency I worked for had most of the people who got sales not at all use the script. However, I was not good at getting sales so I was always accused of not reading the script even when I did read the script getting long lectures about why you must say every word verbatum and when you try to tell them that you are doing your job they insist that your lack of sales proves that you are not reading the script! Basically telemarketers are all always right and not the customer nor the employees!
BTW I only did that work because 10 years ago it was so easy to get a job for them and if you got fired after two weeks for poor production, you could find another agency ready to hire you again without questions or back round checks. Once you again got fired, another agency, followed by another agency and so on would be there as you could work two years doing telemarketing for all the companies in my area that provided the annoying service. I however found one I was at for a long time because it was not selling for real, but offering a loan specialist to talk to homeowners about refinance. I got laid off when the market got real bad in 06 and since then never returned.
When calling is done using an Internet-based system, such as Vonage, it is easy to fake the receiver's caller ID into thinking it is from another number. This makes it impossible to enforce any do-not-call rules.
The only solution I see is to separate the landline and cell phone networks completely from the internet.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 11, 2014, 01:53:18 PMmost of all STAY ON SCRIPT!
That's why, when rudely asked "is that Mrs Hollett?" without even a hello, they make a big long speech that starts off "Hello Mrs Hollett" when I ask "who are you?". It's as they are following a script created by their employers, or their employers' employers. I typically cut them off and say that I am not Mrs Hollett, and that a minute-long blurb of 150 words leaves me none the wiser as to who they are (I should point out that I clearly say that its not their fault, but the scripts' if it's clearly the script's fault)
It depends on how busy I am, but I want to know who felt that I'd feel good about someone ringing a bell in my house and expecting me to come running like some footman on Downton Abbey to hear a sales pitch/take part in a survey/hear a recorded message. Oh, and to make it worse, they pay someone else next-to-nothing to do it.
It's not the poor Indian person on the line who calls the shots here - they are just trying to make some money - its companies in the UK who do not deserve my business, that normally means making it very clear that those companies are on my blacklist and that I'm never doing business with them again, and getting the call-centre guy to pass that on. Never works, but has more hope than just hanging up or not answering as it is a very active shun.
Quote from: english si on June 11, 2014, 02:35:49 PM
It's not the poor Indian person on the line who calls the shots here - they are just trying to make some money - its companies in the UK who do not deserve my business, that normally means making it very clear that those companies are on my blacklist and that I'm never doing business with them again, and getting the call-centre guy to pass that on. Never works, but has more hope than just hanging up or not answering as it is a very active shun.
Or it's the scammer who's trying to get your personal information. I've got one right now using several different phone numbers. I announce that I am (fill in the blank with your favorite state or federal agency) and that this call may be recorded. The twits hang up right away.
If I do not recognize the name or the number on my caller ID, I do not answer the phone. Period. That's what the answering machine (or voicemail) is for. And sometimes, even if I do recognize the name or the number, I let them leave a message and call them back when it's convenient for me. There's no law or rule that says I have to drop what I'm doing to talk to whoever is calling.
I am getting calls from a number that I do know but choose not to answer. It's someone with whom I have a business relationship. For some reason they will not leave a message. I know what they want (it's a credit card company) but I don't want to talk to them. I don't know why they're so averse to leaving a message.
I recommend that everyone get a Google Voice throwaway number and list it as your phone number for as many things as possible, then set your GV account to "do not disturb" so the phone never rings. GV will alert you if you get a voicemail, and often will attempt to transcribe it for you, and you can pick and choose which calls you want to return. And if it's someone who really annoys you -- there's an 888 number that calls my GV number all the time -- then mark it as spam and they'll get an "out of service" message when they call.
When a telemarketer or other such scum calls me, I begin to explain in as course a language as I can the size and role of my sexual organs. I then play a Ralph Stanley tune for them.
Don't want to hear it? Don't call. Get a real job.
I have asked food purveyors, such as Omaha Steaks, if they take food stamps. That seems to eliminate future calls like that.
Any home improvement call I advise I am a renter and ask if they want the landlord's number as there are many things here that need fixed. (I own my own home, BTW).
Religious calls I generally head the conversation towards Santeria or Satanism.
Pollsters, I don't think I've ever answered a poll truthfully.
Magazine renewals I do treat seriously, I get several career relevant publications gratis, and I have to answer some short questions to keep receiving them.
An aside:
please recall, congressman Lee Terry (R, Nebraska) a few years ago attempted to cram a bill though the House to allow junk/spam calls on cell phone numbers. 49 out of 50 State Attorneys General thought it was a bad idea. An Omaha message board recorded 100 consecutive posts describing Lee Terry as an idiot, and he was 'Butthead of the Week" on a local radio talk show for months. It only took a few weeks for the idiot to pull the bill. (the bill was co-sponsored by another rep, too, but he retired last election cycle)
Lee Terry is running for re-election now, might be a good idea to call his office and complain some more, or send some $$$$ to his opponent.
For some reason, Lee Terry's own cell number is a closely guarded secret, I'd love to post it EVERYWHERE, if anyone out there has it, pleas advise.
:)
Quote from: Jardine on June 11, 2014, 07:20:00 PM49 out of 50 State Attorneys General thought it was a bad idea
who was the one dissenter? the one from Nebraska?
Nebraska and telecommunications have a strange history. something about 800 numbers and NORAD.
Quote from: Jardine on June 11, 2014, 07:20:00 PM
Religious calls I generally head the conversation towards Santeria or Satanism.
LOL! That's a good idea.
One call lately I have been getting is the same guy from Windows and always says he wants to talk to me about my computer. It is obviously the same guy each time, so it cannot be a company calling me, but a private individual because six times the same exact person where each of the six times are months apart he calls me except last week he called me twice.
I told him the first time, that I remember YOU from the last few times and your voice is very familiar with me. However this douchebag hangs up before I am finishing scolding him. Then when he called a few days later again with the same pitch and the same idiot, so I again scolded him, but again he hung up before I finished.
He sounds Indian, so if he is calling from India, he knows the cops or Attorney General cannot do squat to him and he knows it, so why not hound me. What is even more interesting is that India now has telemarketers selling American company products, but when you call one of their people to market they hate it and try to shame you for calling them and give you the third degree.
^^ Oh, that dipshit. I've gotten many calls from them, including about 24 yesterday between 8 am and 4 pm. I collected all the phone numbers they spoofed and added them to my call reject list. They used a total of 13 different numbers.
For a listing of numbers for these jokers, check out 800 Notes (http://800notes.com).
In order for companies to be found in violation of ignoring the Do Not Call list, individuals receiving the phone calls need to file the complaints. Since most people aren't going to bother doing that, the phone calls continue.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 12, 2014, 09:56:04 AM
In order for companies to be found in violation of ignoring the Do Not Call list, individuals receiving the phone calls need to file the complaints. Since most people aren't going to bother doing that, the phone calls continue.
You are right about that. As a former marketer, I can see what you are saying. A lot of people do not realize that they themselves open themselves to the calls in the first place. One time I was calling leads from when people would sign up for free or discounted vacations at local clubs. They would sign the card that says they will be notified by telephone later of the vacations being offered. Of course it is all time share marketing as TS developers will pay for your accomodations just so you can take their high pitched sales tours which is what I was doing at the time. I would call people to get them to buy a TS tour package vacation they are offering.
Needless to say, everyone was surprised of the phone call and said we were bothering them. If I pointed out the fact I had their signature on file that they themselves authorized the call, they will blame it either on the drinks they had as "Oh I was drunk when I filled that out" or "I thought I was winning an all expense paid vacation when I filled the thing out."
Then with H & R Block Mortgage, I was instructed to end all calls by giving out the toll free 800 number for H & R Block and let them know if they have any questions to call it. Most people will freek out and say "I told you I am not interested!" even though if they were to make a call it would be of their own free will to do so. That raised interesting conversation to us marketers for laughs as the old Daffy Duck cartoon with "Hey dope you just turned down a duck dinner" to the hungry hillbilly who slammed the door in the face of Daffy Duck. The people here are yelling at us who are hired help and not the ones directly responsible for the phone calls, when we are giving the people the number themselves of the one's responsible to actually bitch to in person.
If enough people called H & R Block, who hired us to call them, and complained to them instead of poking fun at us or yelling at us like we made it our personal mission to call them up, they would get the message and know that phone solicitations are not welcome at all! Yelling at the caller is just like asking the vending machine itself to give you back your quarter that you lost or yelling at a toll booth collector of the toll increases after it goes into effect! You know that most states require legislation to raise tolls on toll roads, so to give the collector your frustration will not solve anything.
Yes, but, it was you that called them, not some nameless, faceless entity. From the point of view of someone getting the call, "Hey lady, we're just doing our jobs by calling you four times today" isn't a moving argument. If "just following orders" doesn't work for soldiers, it isn't going to work for telemarketers. It's not like one doesn't know what they're getting into when they take a telemarketing job (and yes, I've done it too).
I love answering these because I like to be somewhat of an asshole to these guys. It's real infuriating when you're doing something and the phone rings, and I personally HATE talking on the phone no matter what the reason is. So, for some entertainment, I usually pick it up, pretend to go along with whatever the fuck they are selling, then at some point, I tell them: "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that I cannot honestly give a fuck about what you are saying to me." *hangup*
Yes, I'm an asshole, but telemarketing is one of the most annoying things. If it's my house phone or my cell phone, I don't take them too kindly regardless. I would let the phone ring, but that's annoying as hell to listen to for 6 times in a row!
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 12, 2014, 09:56:04 AM
In order for companies to be found in violation of ignoring the Do Not Call list, individuals receiving the phone calls need to file the complaints. Since most people aren't going to bother doing that, the phone calls continue.
I had some Indian telemarketer call me over two dozen times, almost on a daily basis, asking if I have had recent surgery. Each time I asked them who they were, and how did they obtain my medical information. I could never get a legitimate response. And even though I would tell them each time I was on both the state and national DO NOT CALL list, and each time they apologized and said that they would take me off their list, it never happened.
The calls always came from the same 2 or three numbers, and I would report them to the authorities.
It's great that the government has created a "law" (and I use that term lightly) that allows the household to seek compensation for each time the same business or telemarketer calls after you have told them not to. Where this "law" fails BIG TIME is that you need to have the actual name and address of said company(s) that violate this DNC request. The company in question will never give that information to you on the phone if you ask, you cannot find it on the internet, and I found that the state authorities who you report these violations never give you that information.
You would think with all of their investigation powers, they would find out that information and give it to you since they probably have contacted them, but nooooooo. Otherwise, I would have filed a lawsuit with said company and at anywhere from $500-$1500 per violation (allegedly), I could have been at least $10,000 richer in theory -- The telemarketing firm or company would probably just file for bankruptcy and would never pay off.
That's what I cannot stand about many consumer protection laws...On paper, they look pretty and they have a lot of bark, but no bite.
BTW, here is my method of addressing telemarketing & spam callers:
1) If my caller ID does not show an actual business or person's name ("800 Number" does not count), I don't answer. Especially now, in the weeks leading up to our state's primary -- unfortunately, political ads via robocalls are exempt from any Do Not Call restrictions.
2) If said number continues to call, I may answer it to find out who it is. If it is a telemarketer, I tell then to put me on their DNC list.
3) If I say hello, and it takes more than just a second for a robo-dialer to connect me to a live person, I tell them flat out that If you cannot be on the line talking to me as soon as I say Hello, then you have no business calling me, and I hang up on them.
4) I used to log each multiple call incident to the state DNC to their complaint dept. Since that doesn't do squat for me in the long run, I now add the number in question to my new phone service's Call Blocking list.
I know the telemarketers are the "messengers" that get caught in the cross-fire, but if they wish to continue to working for companies or clients who continue to piss off the people they call, they need to find another company that abides by all the laws and uses common telephone courtesy, or work for a call center that handles inbound-calls only.
And to you Indians on the other side of the world, don't try to fool me by saying that your name is Edward, or Paul or Tom...I know your name is actually Mahareeshi or some other name that is difficult to pronounce. It's not like I'm going to look up your name in the New Dehli white pages and call or visit your home in the middle of the night.
So tell us, do you have any strong feelings on the matter?
A lot of people in the US use an "American" (European) name because their given name is difficult to pronounce to most US people. Should they also drop this deceit when talking to you?
Quote from: thenetwork on June 12, 2014, 12:28:20 PM
It's not like I'm going to look up your name in the New Dehli white pages and call or visit your home in the middle of the night.
Did somebody say roadtrip?
As for being rude to telemarketers, I have a friend formerly in the business and he was and remains rude to those that call him.
As he says, "F##K 'EM".
:-D
Quote from: Brandon on June 12, 2014, 09:38:41 AM
^^ Oh, that dipshit. I've gotten many calls from them, including about 24 yesterday between 8 am and 4 pm. I collected all the phone numbers they spoofed and added them to my call reject list. They used a total of 13 different numbers.
For a listing of numbers for these jokers, check out 800 Notes (http://800notes.com).
holy shit.
I don't think I've ever gotten 24 phone calls in a week, and that includes relevant and solicited ones.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 12, 2014, 12:13:37 PM
Yes, but, it was you that called them, not some nameless, faceless entity. From the point of view of someone getting the call, "Hey lady, we're just doing our jobs by calling you four times today" isn't a moving argument. If "just following orders" doesn't work for soldiers, it isn't going to work for telemarketers. It's not like one doesn't know what they're getting into when they take a telemarketing job (and yes, I've done it too).
I am not saying that you should not be rude to those who call you, but if you have a question do not ask somebody who does not know the answer. What I was saying has nothing to do with me making myself feel good for calling them because a dialing machine with leads generated from another company actually made the call. No, I accept that I will be called names at the time I am doing it, but when the person thinks that I made the call for my benefit and am the one profiting solely on this and actually purposely picking on them for the sake of picking on them I think it is ignorant.
Back in 1980's when I worked for a Research Firm to help pay my rent in addition to my full time job, the very first week an old woman accused me personally of trying to sell her a hot water heater a few weeks back which was before I was employed by the firm. Back then, believe it or not, I had no idea you could hang up on people you did not want calling you because I once tried that and the dude from The March of Dimes trying to get my dad to subscribe to the Newark Star Leger called back after I hung up on him. I used to always answer the phone and be polite, even when they called at times I was busy including the Army who used to recruit people via phone solicitations. In fact I thought I would go to jail if I hung up on the US Army, or Navy for being rude to an officer. It was not until I became a telemarketer then I learned that you can hang up, curse, or threaten people and did not have to take abuse.
Anyway, if someone did not want to talk to me or listen to me, I moved on to the next call. If that person accused me of trying to continue the sell when I gave out the toll free number, it did not bother me either because it was the law at the time that we had to leave the contact number so that consumers were allowed a method to complain about rude telemarketers after the call was made. If I thought that they thought that I was hoping they would change their mind to talk to me personally, I actually chuckled to myself as it was not and they were simply flattering themselves by thinking that especially when they are asking me to have H & R Block Mortgage to stop calling them when a duh the number for them to call H & R Block is being oh let me see given right to them free of charge. Hey dummy, you just had a duck at your door where you can make dinner out of him because you are hungry is what it is.
Yes, people treat all Telemarketers as the same so they do not differentiate them unless they prove to be different to them just like we still kick the vending machines that eat our money and give us no product even though that results in the same. Face it no one is going to quit their job as a telemarketer just because you tell them. Maybe over time they do as not many stay because they either cannot take being cursed at or get fired for low sales, but the firm that hires them will eventually call back with another person ready to pitch and annoy you again. You can moan all you want, but the next caller will not care when you do complain about the previous person or rival company also marketing and just log the call and move on while the computers programmed by the higher ups who never hear your complaint will continue to let their system harass you!
Thinking of Indian callers who use fake names... My mom used to work at a call center where she took inbound calls handling health insurance claims. The doctors who were filing the claims would often hire companies to handle it for them, and many of those companies used Indian call centers, so my mom often ended up getting calls from them. The fake names they would come up with often became a joke among the staff there.
My mom once got a call from a "Francis." Just to be a smartass, she asked him if it was with an I or an E (i.e. "Frances", a common female name). He didn't know. One of her coworkers got a call from a "Jude", and got written up after she couldn't find his claim in the system and told him by singing "Hey Jude, can't find your claim..."
Are transcontinental phone calls so cheap these days that it's easier for American companies to use call centers across the water rather than hiring Americans, whom you can actually understand when talking to them?
I'm not rude to them, I just hang up. OK maybe that is rude, but serves them right for not giving me a chance to even politely say I'm not interested.
Just had a smile at this one, which I only did one time but I should probably do it again. As you may know, once you say No twice, the telemarketer must end the solicitian. So when I picked up, I said No. When the telemarketer started talking, within a second I interrupted with a No again. Guess what? He thanked me for my time and hung up! It was actually kinda funny.
Quote from: spooky on June 12, 2014, 02:28:08 PM
I'm not rude to them, I just hang up. OK maybe that is rude, but serves them right for not giving me a chance to even politely say I'm not interested.
When I don't want to be rude (on the rare occasions where I even answer a telemarketing call, rather than letting it go to my answering machine), I just hang up, so neither of us wastes any more time on the conversation, and the telemarketer can move on to his next mark that much faster. If I do want to be rude, I
don't hang up, but just leave the receiver of my phone dangling while I go off to do something else, letting the telemarketer make his sales pitch to empty air and wonder whether I was still listening.
Occasionally, I wish I could blast an air horn into my receiver. Fortunately for the salespeople, I don't have an air horn, and by the time I can buy one, I decide using one can't blow out the eardrum of the real offender, at most just an underling trying to make a living.
Those of you who've done telemarketing, did you have circuitry or other ways to defend against air horns or other loud retaliatory noises, or don't they even make it full-force through the phone lines?
Quote from: roadman65 on June 12, 2014, 02:03:02 AMHe sounds Indian, so if he is calling from India, he knows the cops or Attorney General cannot do squat to him and he knows it, so why not hound me. What is even more interesting is that India now has telemarketers selling American company products, but when you call one of their people to market they hate it and try to shame you for calling them and give you the third degree.
Although this example is lampooning the Customer Service side; anyone remember this
gem of a commercial a few years back?
It's one thing to go off on telemarketers for bothering you, but spending energy on being rude to them? Time to get some real hobbies.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 12, 2014, 04:32:44 PM
It's one thing to go off on telemarketers for bothering you, but spending energy on being rude to them? Time to get some real hobbies.
I have no problem with honest telemarketers. They're trying to do a job. I have a problem with scammers like those Indian ones mentioned above. Those folks are rude, call multiple times in a day (24 for me yesterday), and are trying to scam you out of your money. I wound up just plonking their numbers (all 15 of them from as many area codes).
My sister-in-law replied to a telemarketer who was selling long distance service, "Oh, we don't have a phone." It worked - the telemarketer apologized and hung up.
Quote from: Brandon on June 12, 2014, 05:17:49 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 12, 2014, 04:32:44 PM
It's one thing to go off on telemarketers for bothering you, but spending energy on being rude to them? Time to get some real hobbies.
I have no problem with honest telemarketers. They're trying to do a job. I have a problem with scammers like those Indian ones mentioned above. Those folks are rude, call multiple times in a day (24 for me yesterday), and are trying to scam you out of your money. I wound up just plonking their numbers (all 15 of them from as many area codes).
That is how I lasted at my one job. I did not mind the service we were providing our customers, as we could be honest with them and not have to stay scripted as long as we stayed on point. We were allowed to talk to the people using our own personality and it was for refinancing as at the time it was good to redo things with home mortgages.
The other jobs I did for timeshares we had to stay scripted and even lie a little just to get people interested which maybe why I did not succeed. Plus it bothered my conscious as well to do it then, but with the one it did not and our job was only to qualify those people who could use the service, so we did not have to create scenarios like with time share sales where anybody who had a credit card qualified for the vacation packages we offered.
Like I said, being rude is a waste of time, and they are not worth it. It may be fun to vent, but asking a phone operator is just as good as asking the vending machine to give you your money back when you do not get the candy bar or soda you wanted.
One thing that stops a lot of conversation even with the so-called legitimate folks is that regardless of who they are, I make it a rule to never give money or personal information to somebody who has called me and not the other way around. Since their whole script usually leads to the goal of getting one or both of these, it tends to obviate the need for them to go any further.
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 12, 2014, 04:02:47 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 12, 2014, 02:03:02 AMHe sounds Indian, so if he is calling from India, he knows the cops or Attorney General cannot do squat to him and he knows it, so why not hound me. What is even more interesting is that India now has telemarketers selling American company products, but when you call one of their people to market they hate it and try to shame you for calling them and give you the third degree.
Although this example is lampooning the Customer Service side; anyone remember this gem of a commercial a few years back?
Peggy was cool. I hate most modern commercials, but I liked this series. I wish they had kept it going (I rarely watch TV so I don't know if it is still being shown but I suspect it is no longer.) The commercials themselves weren't that funny, but the thought of a guy named "Peggy" makes me laugh.
A good litmus test word to see if your telemarketer or call center employee is from North America: Have them pronounce the word "Arkansas".
Quote from: formulanone on June 13, 2014, 02:29:49 PM
A good litmus test word to see if your telemarketer or call center employee is from North America: Have them pronounce the word "Arkansas".
They'll probably interrupt you in the middle.
I got a call from Gallup once. I went through the process since I was objectively curious what it would be like. At the end of the call they asked if they could contact me again. I said "no" and have not heard from them since. Well, nice to see they follow the rules.
I don't frequently get telemarketing calls, although I do get a lot of robocalls from one particular source. I responded by blocking their number, but the problem is that on a cellphone all that does is kick them directly to voicemail every time they call. You cannot block them from leaving voicemails (which they do!) using an app on your phone since voicemail functionality is handled upstream by your carrier.
But at least I know if my phone makes a noise notifying me I have a voicemail without ringing first, it came from that number and I can just delete it.
I could probably opt out of those robocalls by confronting the company they come from but I haven't seen fit to bother. I prefer solutions that I can implement on my end without having to rely on them to play by the rules anyway.
Quote from: Duke87 on June 14, 2014, 12:15:45 AM
I got a call from Gallup once. I went through the process since I was objectively curious what it would be like. At the end of the call they asked if they could contact me again. I said "no" and have not heard from them since. Well, nice to see they follow the rules.
I don't frequently get telemarketing calls, although I do get a lot of robocalls from one particular source. I responded by blocking their number, but the problem is that on a cellphone all that does is kick them directly to voicemail every time they call. You cannot block them from leaving voicemails (which they do!) using an app on your phone since voicemail functionality is handled upstream by your carrier.
But at least I know if my phone makes a noise notifying me I have a voicemail without ringing first, it came from that number and I can just delete it.
I could probably opt out of those robocalls by confronting the company they come from but I haven't seen fit to bother. I prefer solutions that I can implement on my end without having to rely on them to play by the rules anyway.
Verizon, at least, allows blocking on their web site so your phone is never involved.
It seems to vary depending on the phone. Blocked numbers on mine don't go to voicemail. Plus mine allows blocking entire area codes, which is useful if the spammer uses multiple numbers from the same area code, which seems to be common.
On the subject of poll calls, I once got a call from a CNN poll at 6 AM on a Saturday morning. Still half asleep, I told them in not particularly friendly terms that calling 6 AM was unreasonable. Their excuse? It's not 6 AM in the eastern time zone... At least they haven't called back since as far as I know.
CNN can get a fine for doing that even. It is supposed to be the time of the person being called, not the one who is making the call. However, good luck on that one getting authorities to do something like fine one of the top media agencies on the planet.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 14, 2014, 11:35:41 AM
CNN ... one of the top media agencies on the planet.
When did that become the case? :-D
Quote from: hbelkins on June 14, 2014, 07:19:35 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 14, 2014, 11:35:41 AM
CNN ... one of the top media agencies on the planet.
When did that become the case? :-D
You're denying that they're one of the most watched TV news channels?
Quote from: bugo on June 14, 2014, 10:55:06 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on June 14, 2014, 07:19:35 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 14, 2014, 11:35:41 AM
CNN ... one of the top media agencies on the planet.
When did that become the case? :-D
You're denying that they're one of the most watched TV news channels?
However, Reuters, AP, and BBC are much bigger than CNN in actually collecting the news.
I hadn't actually watched CNN in a long time, so out of curiosity I watched it for a while last night. There was a show about conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination, then when that ended another show came on with a dude sitting in a bar in Salvador, Brazil, ordering six caipirinhas. Then I switched to MSNBC and there was a show about a dude in prison jacking off at people.
The "news" doesn't seem to have much news anymore...
TV news (Fox News is the biggest culprit) is full of negative stories designed to make the viewer uncomfortable, angry, and frightened. It's basically propaganda. I avoid watching the news. My life is hard enough without thinking about all the bad stuff that happens around the world every day.
I think there is a distinction to be made between network and cable TV news. Network news is basically the televisual equivalent of a newspaper of record, while cable news is scandal-focused and sensationalistic.
Personally, I hardly ever watch the TV news, though I receive a considerable amount of passive exposure through TVs in public places such as the locker room at the gym. It generally doesn't disturb or agitate me even with captions, but I just don't like sitting still for the news clips to be shown in the network's chosen order, so I prefer to get my news from online sources like Slate or the Washington Post.
Returning to the OP: I despise telemarketing and I am very sympathetic to the ideas that autodialers should be banned and that do-not-call registries should be extended to all forms of unsolicited communications, including political calls. However, at this stage I feel we have moved as far toward these goals as is practically possible without taking on compromises that would be hard to live with, such as significant restrictions on our ability to use the Internet and the public switched telephone network anonymously.
In regard to telemarketing as a job of last resort, I support unemployment stipends for people who would otherwise have to become telemarketers.
Quote from: J N Winkler on June 15, 2014, 02:28:19 PM
I think there is a distinction to be made between network and cable TV news. Network news is basically the televisual equivalent of a newspaper of record, while cable news is scandal-focused and sensationalistic.
In British dead tree media terms:
Network news = broadsheet newspaper
Cable news = tabloid newspaper
sounds about right!
About the only time I listen to the news is when I overhear it during the hotel's continental breakfast. Even then, one of the outlets was mentioning the twentieth anniversary of OJ Simpson, which was the first nail driven into typically respectable news media's coffin. It blazed the way for sensationalizing every little so-called controversy.
In this day and age, can't they just get folks to tweet or respond to an opinion online? Make it participatory, rather than bothersome. There's a lot of people with no opinion, don't care, or have no time to make an informed answer.
Well I just got two telemarketers that called me today. One would not state the name of the business she represented and the other was straight forward.
The first call I had to answer because I have submitted my resumes lately for better employment, so a few prospects have called me up. Therefore I have to know for sure who the person is calling me before I hang up, however this one would not tell me who was calling unless I assured them that I was myself. I kept asking who was calling and the girl gave me her name only and not the company she was calling from which is not only rude, but unproffessional as well! In any business call you are to identify yourself and in any manner you never ask for a person without saying who you are. That person calling should know that I do not know her and I could very well be me she was calling from.
I think that call was from Capital One, who I have a credit card with, as their computer and automatic dialer is so messed up, as I pay them the desired minimum as required and they have their agents still ask me where their money is on numerous occasions. Then even when I get ahead, their system still is days or months behind. Plus you cannot negotiate with them either. If you are unemployed and want to lower your monthly minimum, forget it they will not flex themselves for you and after you terminate your call with a live agent amicably within an hour another agent calls you asking when are you going to pay even though you just talked with someone about it. And YES, they call before 9 AM and on Sundays even!
The last call I just got was from a real estate agent, trying to appraise my house. Although, we are looking to sell and move to another dwelling, I still said not interested because I do not know who this agent is and I would rather make my own judgement of who I should contact when I am ready.
The other day, I had this lady (scammer) call and ask me, "Are you the owner of your computer?"
I replied, "No, my dog is the owner." (I don't even have a pet of any sort, unless you count the ceramic kitten I have next to the computer desk.)
Click! She hung up!
I might have something here...make them want to hang up on you!
We have a Digitone call blocker. It automatically blocks calls from 800 (and other similar) numbers, from people who block their caller ID info, and from people whose numbers don't display any caller ID info. You can then block any other number you like, or you can block whole area codes. Or you can pre-emptively block everyone except people you designate (I don't do that for a lot of reasons). I don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize and, if there's no message, I look up the number with a Google search. Usually that will return a result from 800notes.com giving me ample info, and usually I find the number belongs to a garbage caller and I block it. The device works great–the only thing in the house that rings when a blocked number calls is the fax machine (because it's connected to a splitter box in advance of the call blocker). I don't mind that one ring because it confirms the device is doing its job.
The thing isn't perfect, of course. Scammers know about these types of devices and they change their spoof numbers constantly to get around them. But it's amazing how many numbers it does block. On a more humbling note, it also makes you realize how few real calls you get!
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 24, 2014, 10:13:32 PM
We have a Digitone call blocker. It automatically blocks calls from 800 (and other similar) numbers, from people who block their caller ID info, and from people whose numbers don't display any caller ID info. You can then block any other number you like, or you can block whole area codes. Or you can pre-emptively block everyone except people you designate (I don't do that for a lot of reasons). I don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize and, if there's no message, I look up the number with a Google search. Usually that will return a result from 800notes.com giving me ample info, and usually I find the number belongs to a garbage caller and I block it. The device works great–the only thing in the house that rings when a blocked number calls is the fax machine (because it's connected to a splitter box in advance of the call blocker). I don't mind that one ring because it confirms the device is doing its job.
The thing isn't perfect, of course. Scammers know about these types of devices and they change their spoof numbers constantly to get around them. But it's amazing how many numbers it does block. On a more humbling note, it also makes you realize how few real calls you get!
I thought about doing that. But what if it's a family member whose cell phone has died using a borrowed or pay phone?
I do have an automated blocker set up so that anyone calling has to dial the number the recording says before it rings on my end. That cuts down on a lot of junk calls, and is the best $6 a month I ever spent.
I have gotten to the point to block the number for the pharmacy at the local grocery store. When your prescription is filled, they robocall you at least twice a day to remind you until it's picked up. Either that or they robocall you once a day for each prescription that is ready. Either way, I appreciate the friendliness of the voice, but it is overkill!
Quote from: thenetwork on June 24, 2014, 11:59:02 PM
I have gotten to the point to block the number for the pharmacy at the local grocery store. When your prescription is filled, they robocall you at least twice a day to remind you until it's picked up. Either that or they robocall you once a day for each prescription that is ready. Either way, I appreciate the friendliness of the voice, but it is overkill!
The worst is Optum Rx. They do not even tell you the prescription you have being mailed out, but a long 10 digit prescription number that nobody, unless you have a photographic memory, will remember the actual number. Plus you do not place the prescription on autofill, so how could you know the number anyhow.
I think robo calls and autodialers need to go as I stated in the OP, but I think we have a better chance of having total world peace before that ever happens. These companies have lobbyists get their crap legalized as we the consumers have no one to tell congress "Hell no, we do not want telemarketers and the like" so we have no choice but to be harassed because of this.
One thing is I agree with you on the pharmacy as Walgreens also is one to keep bothering you until you pick the prescription up as well. I cannot tell you how many times in one day their system will call you and yes leave a voice mail if you are not home!
Quote from: thenetwork on June 24, 2014, 11:59:02 PM
I have gotten to the point to block the number for the pharmacy at the local grocery store. When your prescription is filled, they robocall you at least twice a day to remind you until it's picked up. Either that or they robocall you once a day for each prescription that is ready. Either way, I appreciate the friendliness of the voice, but it is overkill!
I only get the initial call then another call 3-4 days later. It really isn't a problem and this month saved me because I forgot about the first call.
Quote from: kkt on June 24, 2014, 11:33:39 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 24, 2014, 10:13:32 PM
We have a Digitone call blocker. It automatically blocks calls from 800 (and other similar) numbers, from people who block their caller ID info, and from people whose numbers don't display any caller ID info. You can then block any other number you like, or you can block whole area codes. Or you can pre-emptively block everyone except people you designate (I don't do that for a lot of reasons). I don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize and, if there's no message, I look up the number with a Google search. Usually that will return a result from 800notes.com giving me ample info, and usually I find the number belongs to a garbage caller and I block it. The device works great–the only thing in the house that rings when a blocked number calls is the fax machine (because it's connected to a splitter box in advance of the call blocker). I don't mind that one ring because it confirms the device is doing its job.
The thing isn't perfect, of course. Scammers know about these types of devices and they change their spoof numbers constantly to get around them. But it's amazing how many numbers it does block. On a more humbling note, it also makes you realize how few real calls you get!
I thought about doing that. But what if it's a family member whose cell phone has died using a borrowed or pay phone?
I do have an automated blocker set up so that anyone calling has to dial the number the recording says before it rings on my end. That cuts down on a lot of junk calls, and is the best $6 a month I ever spent.
That's one reason why I didn't pre-emptively block all numbers except those I invite. I figure if a family member is calling from an unfamiliar phone, that person will leave a message when either the answering machine or voicemail picks up. I'll then call the person back or, if I hear the message being left, I'll pick up. If the caller doesn't bother to leave a message, then from my point of view it wasn't an important call. If I can't find information about the number using 800notes.com or the like, then I won't immediately block it because I'll figure it was a wrong number or the like. But if I get repeated hang-up calls from the same number, I will block it.
A family member will also usually try one of our mobile phones if we don't answer at home and the call is important. Sometimes that's annoying–my brother-in-law in Florida will call our home phone, leave a message, and then immediately try my wife's mobile and get confused if he still can't reach us (apparently, some people don't understand that there are places where one does not answer a mobile phone, nor even have the ringer turned on).
What is the blocker you have? It sounds like an interesting idea.
apparently, some most people don't understand that there are places where one does not answer a mobile phone, nor even have the ringer turned on
Fixed it for you.
Call the Guinness Book of Records, I today alone just received 5 soliciting phone calls! In fact one dude sounded so scripted I thought it was an automated voice machine until he started saying "Hello.....Hello" after I did not respond to his pitch.
I had the disabled Veterans call. I even had TruGreen lawn care call who we dumped a while back I guess trying to recapture our business again, a company called PTO Marketing, and two others this afternoon alone disturb me. It was amazing and mostly annoying. The TruGreen guy set himself up for a refusal from me automatic when I told him how I know longer used his company and he responded "That is why we're calling today" which led me to say "Then you have not gotten the message yet" right before I disconnected the call.
I use my answering machine to screen my calls.
If within the first ten seconds it sounds like a robocall I walk away from the phone.
Makes life so much easier (and having dealt with a few folks on my landline for business purposes, when I explain to them that I screen my calls the majority of them are very understanding and agreeable about it).