Automatic Dialers and Telemarketers

[roadman65]

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?

[bugo]

At work, I get at least one call a week from Google that is a recorded message. 

[Pete from Boston]

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. 

[jeffandnicole]

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!!!

[roadman]

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.

Ding Ding Ding Ding!!!!!!!!   We have a winner!

[oscar]

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.

[Pete from Boston]

Do Not Call is a joke.

[roadman65]

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.

[okc1]

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.

[english si]

most 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.

[Brandon]

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.

[hbelkins]

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.

[SP Cook]

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.

[Jardine]

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.

[agentsteel53]

49 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.

[bugo]

Religious calls I generally head the conversation towards Santeria or Satanism.

LOL!  That's a good idea.

[roadman65]

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.

[Brandon]

^^ 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.

[jeffandnicole]

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.

[roadman65]

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.

[Pete from Boston]

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).

[Zeffy]

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!

[thenetwork]

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.

[Pete from Boston]

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?

[jeffandnicole]

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?