Share your favorite way to get back at telemarketers

[Kodos]

Sometimes I like to pick up and just talk off their ear until they give up in frustration.

[MikeVic]

Let them know I'm not interested and hang up. Or hang up if they're not listening. It's a normal person on the other end of the phone.

[Kodos]

It is a normal person who chooses to do a job that involves disrupting people's right to be left alone.

[QuikSand]

Phone rings.

I pick up.

Me: Hello?

...pause...

*click*

Telemarketer: Hello?

Me: No. Here's how it works, You call me. I pick up, and I say hello. Then you start talking. Got it?

*I hang up*

[cartman]

I just never pick up the phone if the Caller ID isn't a number I recognize.

[Kodos]

Yeah, but I get the same ones calling every day. (I work at home) Ignoring it just means they'll call again tomorrow. I even picked up last week and politely asked to be removed from their list. So now it has become my job to make their job more difficult.

[Butter]

Phone rings.

I pick up.

Me: Hello?

...pause...

*I hang up*

Fix'd for me.

[Maple Leafs]

Let them know I'm not interested and hang up. Or hang up if they're not listening. It's a normal person on the other end of the phone.
I feel the same way.

It is a normal person who chooses to do a job that involves disrupting people's right to be left alone.
Please. Telemarketing is an awful job. Imagine what sort of circumstances would have to occur in your own life for you to "choose" that job. Nobody is calling you because they want to.

This is like saying it's OK to be rude to the guy who empties your garbage bins at work because hey, if he doesn't like it he shouldn't have chosen that career.

I hate telemarketing and won't do business with a company that employs that tactic. But you can still be decent human being to the person on the other end of the line.

[Subby]

I let them know we don't accept phone solicitations in our home and I ask them to add us to their do not call list.

Then I say thank you and hang up.

THEN I pee on the phone.

[Kodos]

The man who is emptying my garbage bins is doing me a service. The person calling me repeatedly at home is not doing me a service. There are other jobs out there.

[Kodos]

I let them know we don't accept phone solicitations in our home and I ask them to add us to their do not call list.

Then I say thank you and hang up.

THEN I pee on the phone.


That sounds good, but I'd take it up a notch. Go all Najeh Davenport on 'em!

[cartman]

Ask them if they have stairs in their house.

[cougarfreak]

I ask them to hang on, that I've got someone else on the other line. Then I set the phone down. For a long time.

[wheels]

<center>Not that I've successfully sued anyone with this, but FYI:



J<small>UNKBUSTERS</small> Anti-Telemarketing Script

</center> <center> Telemarketers always use a script: why shouldn't you?

</center> http://www.junkbusters.com/images/fb.gif What to say when they call if you don't want junk calls

Every time you get a call you consider junk, just ask the questions in this script. If they answer no, you may be able to sue them (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#remedy). Be sure to put your phone number on the National Do-Not-Call registry by visiting http://donotcall.gov (http://donotcall.gov/) or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

``Are you calling to sell (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#report) something?'' (or ``is this a telemarketing call?'')
``Could you tell me your full name (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#identification) please?'' $
``And a phone number, area code first?'' $
``What's the name of the organization you're calling for?'' $
``Does that organization keep a list of numbers it's been asked not (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#dnc-requests) to call?'' $
``I would like my number(s) put on (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#multi) that list. Can you take care of that now?'' $
``And does the company you work for also make telemarketing calls for any other organizations?'' (If they answer no, skip the next question.)
(If yes) ``Can you make sure your company won't call me for any (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#dnc-requests) other organization?'' $You may need to ask to speak with a supervisor if they sound lost. When you're ready to let them off, you might close with ``Is it clear that I never want telemarketing calls from anyone (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#clear)?'' and just say goodbye. If you feel like making them pay, keep going:
``Will your company keep my number on its do-not-call list for at least ten (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#call-req) years?'' $
``And does your company have a written policy (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#copy) that says that on paper?'' $
``Can you send me a copy (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#wpolicy) of it?'' $
``What's your supervisor's first and last name?''
``What's your employer's business name, address and main telephone number?''
``Are you calling for a tax-exempt (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#nonprofit) nonprofit organization?''
``Is this call based on a previously (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#established) established business relationship?''Before hanging up, check you have all their answers written down, then say goodbye. Add the date and time to your record. (Is it between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.? (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#asleep) $) Disclaimer: nothing (http://www.junkbusters.com/over.html#notlaw) here should be taken as legal advice. If they answer no to any question ending in ``$'' you may be able to sue (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#remedy) them for $500-$1500 under the <cite>Telephone Consumer Protection Act.</cite> (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html) But if the answer to either of the last two questions is yes, then the Act doesn't consider the call to be a solicitation, (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#solicitdef) so it's not covered by many of its regulations. Also excluded are calls to business numbers. (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#residential) For more details, see our pages on federal laws (http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html) and on how to reduce telemarketing calls (http://www.junkbusters.com/self.html#telemarketing) and junk mail. J<small>UNKBUSTERS</small> D<small>ECLARE</small> (http://www.junkbusters.com/declare.html) makes it easy to tell companies not to pester you.

[gottimd]

I just answer the phone screaming obscenities.

[VPI97]

I let my six year old talk to them.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I just answer the phone screaming obscenities.
So do I.

Oh, wait, I thought this was the "share your favorite way to get back at mothers-in-law" thread.

[Bad-example]

I calmly wish a terrible disease on them and hang up.

I understand the job sucks. But if they didn't want to hear what I have to say, they shouldn't have called to annoy me. The idea is to help them decide to quit, creating staffing problems for the real villain, the company that employs them.

edit- I figure plenty of people cuss them out and they are pretty used to it, but I bet they will remember the guy that wished anal warts on them.

[Kodos]

Y'ello? What can I do ya for?

[Poli]

I tell them their product sounds great but my wife doesn't allow me to have access to a credit card because I kept buying stuff from telemarketers.

[sterlingice]

That sounds good, but I'd take it up a notch. Go all Najeh Davenport on 'em!

What Subby didn't tell you is that he does that for every call. Not just telemarketers.

SI

[sterlingice]

Yeah, but I get the same ones calling every day. (I work at home) Ignoring it just means they'll call again tomorrow. I even picked up last week and politely asked to be removed from their list. So now it has become my job to make their job more difficult.

That's the big problem- they'll keep calling day after day and there's no way to make it stop. They won't remove you from a list, they'll just keep calling you because you've verified you're a working phone number.

My wife worked for Chrysler Financial for a few months and it was a horrible job. She was one of those people that called people who were deadbeat on their car bills. Lots of people would sign up with fake phone numbers but they weren't allowed to take them off the list.

SI

[lordscarlet]

https://www.donotcall.gov/

[sterlingice]

I just verified that I've been on the list (since 2004) but it doesn't prevent all calls.

SI

[JeeberD]

I just never pick up the phone if the Caller ID isn't a number I recognize.

x Eleventy Billion

[wade moore]

I did telemarketing for 2 years in High School.

I have some compassion for the people doing the job. There are folks from all walks of life and it gets to a point where you have to do the job you can get hired for. Some of the same people saying "bum, get another job" are the sames that will tell them "bums, get a job" when they're living on the streets.

I politely say I'm not interested and I hang up.

If the same number is calling over and over after asking to be removed, I would pursue the legal options available via the do not call list.

[thesloppy]

Is anybody getting calls from 1-866-800-5475? These motherfuckers call me all day, everyday, and on the off chance that I answer THEY hang up.....that's a real cherry system you've got going there, chief.

..a little research proves that these guys are insurance peddlers that are business associates with Wells Fargo (my bank) and are therefore protected from the no-call list (see question number 7 in the second section of Wheels' post). In order to get them to stop calling I had to tell them directly to stop calling me AND call up Wells Fargo to 'opt-out' of there privacy policy...because of course the default is to assume that of course you WANT telemarketers calling you, and they don't even tell you about the option, or give you the option to opt-out yourself, you have to dig for it.

I was not appreciative to learn these things....you Wells Fargo bastards are out there making money entirely based upon on holding and maintaining the customer's money, and you think it's appropriate to sell their personal info to someone else without any sort of warning? I have had MANY reasons to close my Wells Fargo account in the past, but laziness has always won out, but I think this is the proverbial final straw.

[Raiders Army]

I ask them if they don't mind me recording the conversation. Usually they say no, so then I start to ask how they got my number, etc.

[Poli]

I like to give them Cronin's number.

[thesloppy]

I ask them if they don't mind me recording the conversation. Usually they say no, so then I start to ask how they got my number, etc.

..I had an (entirely un)interesting, but related incident, where I discovered that swearing over a business line is considered an FCC violation, and if you have proof of someone doing so (remember that a lot of these place also record their own calls) I believe you can have them fined, get a restraining order, and even possibly have all the phone-lines from that business closed.

[TroyF]

I did telemarketing for 2 years in High School.

I have some compassion for the people doing the job. There are folks from all walks of life and it gets to a point where you have to do the job you can get hired for. Some of the same people saying "bum, get another job" are the sames that will tell them "bums, get a job" when they're living on the streets.

I politely say I'm not interested and I hang up.

If the same number is calling over and over after asking to be removed, I would pursue the legal options available via the do not call list.

Pretty much my response. I did it when I was in HS. I hated it, but needed a job and for various reasons I couldn't have a "physical" job. That limited me to whatever I could get. I didn't like calling you and interupting your dinner, but I wanted a paycheck so I could have spending money and I didn't have a lot of other options.

I typcically won't answer the phone of a number I don't recognize. If I do, I 'll say thanks but no thanks, have a nice night, good bye.

No need to be rude IMHO.

That said, when I did it, the rude people actually made the day entertaining. Play a practical joke on me? Whatever.

If you really, really, really want to hurt the telemarketer, do this:

Feign interest and listen to the full pitch. Ask 10 questions. Then say you aren't interested and hang up. Those were the worst for me. Nobody had to be rude or cuss at me. Doing that took up my time and impacted how many sales I had in a night. If I had 15 of those a night, I'd have quit in a few weeks because I wouldn't have made enough money to spend anyway.

[TroyF]

..I had an (entirely un)interesting, but related incident, where I discovered that swearing over a business line is considered an FCC violation, and if you have proof of someone doing so (remember that a lot of these place also record their own calls) I believe you can have them fined, get a restraining order, and even possibly have all the phone-lines from that business closed.


Working in a call center, (both the telemarketing and later as a call center tech support all the way to supervisor), you are dead on.

Our calls were recorded. Any employee cussing on the line would lose his/her job instantly. A customer cussing (at the technical call support center only) would be warned after a first cuss word and hung up on after a second. If they called back, they'd go into a special Q which would tell them it was against the FCC laws to cuss over the phone system and we'd give them one more shot to be civil.

Obviously, I'm not saying we'd do that to the guy who said something like "I can't get this F'n thing to work, I really need your help" We would do it if he said "you and your company are F'n morons, I hate all of you F'ers and hope you burn in hell" (that was actually the opening salvo of a hot call I took once) Those guys woudl get the quick warning and hook if they continued it.

[RPI-Fan]

Pretty much my response. I did it when I was in HS. I hated it, but needed a job and for various reasons I couldn't have a "physical" job. That limited me to whatever I could get. I didn't like calling you and interupting your dinner, but I wanted a paycheck so I could have spending money and I didn't have a lot of other options.

I typcically won't answer the phone of a number I don't recognize. If I do, I 'll say thanks but no thanks, have a nice night, good bye.

No need to be rude IMHO.

That said, when I did it, the rude people actually made the day entertaining. Play a practical joke on me? Whatever.

If you really, really, really want to hurt the telemarketer, do this:

Feign interest and listen to the full pitch. Ask 10 questions. Then say you aren't interested and hang up. Those were the worst for me. Nobody had to be rude or cuss at me. Doing that took up my time and impacted how many sales I had in a night. If I had 15 of those a night, I'd have quit in a few weeks because I wouldn't have made enough money to spend anyway.

Just curious, what were you selling, what was your hit rate, and does "sticking to the script" really work?

[wade moore]

Just curious, what were you selling, what was your hit rate, and does "sticking to the script" really work?

I'll bite from my experience.

I did telemarketing for a travel club. I called and tried to book you to go to an in-person presentation (local to you - just for Northern Virginia and Chicago). The hook was you'd get a free trip after the presentation.

I was paid commision based on booking an appointment and I believe you got extra when they actually followed through (or it may be that you only got money when they actually followed through, can't remember).

As a 16, 17 year old kid I was making $10-$14 an hour after commission (with a base of I think $6 an hour). I did pretty well. I mostly stuck to the script and felt a lot of my success was by not trying to "convince" people. If folks were not interested I said have a nice day and moved on to the next customer. I feel like some people wasted too much time trying to make the sell.

On a side note - I saw many, many a person "break-down" in that job. Tended to be females, but sometimes males as well. It's a very tough job to do because everyone things it's fun to be rude to the telemarketer. I saw single mothers trying to get some extra money (it was a 5-9pm gig, so it could be second job) breakdown crying and have to quit because of it, etc, etc.

Edit: But that was in a world before the no-call registry.

[jeff061]

Went cell phone only awhile ago, so this became a non-issue.

Generally I used to just hang up on them, not worth the time. But once I led the guy on for a few minutes, then dropped the "I'm not interested". He was mad, very mad, at me for wasting his time. It was amusing listening to him tell me off, but wasn't worth the effort to do again.

[wade moore]

Went cell phone only awhile ago, so this became a non-issue.

Generally I used to just hang up on them, not worth the time. But once I led the guy on for a few minutes, then dropped the "I'm not interested". He was mad, very mad, at me for wasting his time. It was amusing listening to him tell me off, but wasn't worth the effort to do again.

This was definitely the worst way to get to me based on my strategy above.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I sometimes have played like I am an old man who is senile... Who? Oh... You looking for my son. He had me move in with him after I fell in my home and broke my hip. I loved that home... bought it before I shipped off to europe in the war. I come home and had the same plymoth in the drive that was there before and my son was so big (laugh) Me and the Mrs had two more children after that. She's been gone for a few years now and I miss her so... She was such a good woman. Who is this again? Who were you calling for? Oh, that's my son! He had me move in a few years back after I fell in my home and broke my hip.

It is at that time you hear an exasperated gasp. :)

[Lorena]

x Eleventy Billion

Yup

[sterlingice]

One trick is to tell em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Give me five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we? Oh yeah - the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones..

SI

[lordscarlet]

If you feel someone is violating the do not call list and is calling you consistently a threat to report them is normally enough. If its not, actually report them.

[Rizon]

When they ask for me, I say "hold on while I get him" and set the phone down without hanging it up, and go about doing what I was doing before I was rudely interuputed.

[Kodos]

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Of course I've already done that. One of the first items of business after moving to a new place. :)

[oliegirl]

My father used to let magazine telemarketers get about halfway through their script and then interrupt them with something like "who put you up to this?", of course the person would say no one, and he would say something to the effect of "what kind of cruel joke is this? I lost my sight in the war...is this how you treat veterans?" or something like that. It was pretty funny b/c the person on the other end would stutter and stammer, but it got to be too much effort so now he just says not interested and hangs up, which is what I do too.

[MizzouRah]

I usually act like I'm mexican and talk about eating a chalupa a taco bell.

[Logan]

I go into full-on Pumpy mode.

[Karlifornia]

Every time they start talking, I hit 3-3-2-3-9-3 on the keypad to the tune of "GO GO POWER RANGERS!"

[Izulde]

I let them say three words and then I say "Not Interested Bye" and hang up.

[Maple Leafs]

I let them say three words and then I say "Not Interested Bye" and hang up.
What? But that just ends the conversation and lets you get back to what you're doing, without embarassing some guy making minimum wage.

[CU Tiger]

I like play along and then see if they have sales guys to come out and visit(most recent was a home security deal).
If so I always start to schedule an appointment, then "Wait, I have to see counselor that day. How about Tuesday? Ooops Tuesday I have to visit my parole officer. Maybe Thursday...Dang it Thursday I have community service. I HATE THIS SHIT, KILL ONE DUMB ILLEGAL AND THEY RUIN YOUR LIFE....I guess I cant buy your product which is a shame cause it sounds like fantastic crap."

They usually hang up then

[TroyF]

I sold papers. Got $10 for each sale. Made minimum wage (at the time I think it was in the $4 something range.

Sticking to the script worked as long as you have the ability to "adjust" it. By that I mean reading the caller on the other end of the line, asking the right questions and then going to that part of the script. A college age voice probably isn't interested in me telling them about Parade Magazine in the Sunday edition of the paper, the old guy probably isn't interested in me pitching the hot new comics, the young female probably isn't interested in the newly designed sports section.

I saw a lot of young mothers, uneducated older people and students trying to make a buck. I also saw the breakdowns someone else showed above. It's why I have little desire to be mean or rude to any of them.

Then again, that's really the way I lead my life. Someone cuts me off? I can choose to get pissed, flip him off and act like an ass. . . or I can go about the rest of my day. There are very, very few situations where I think it's appropriate to treat another human being with malice.

As Maple Leafs said above, you made the young student, single mother or uneducated worker trying to make a living feel like garbage because you had a 30 second annoyance at dinner. You're a credit to humanity. :)

[sterlingice]

As Maple Leafs said above, you made the young student, single mother or uneducated worker trying to make a living feel like garbage because you had a 30 second annoyance at dinner. You're a credit to humanity. :)

QFT

SI

[Draft Dodger]

I let them say three words and then I say "Not Interested Bye" and hang up.

yep. My wife likes to let the phone ring when it's a telemarketer, but then I have to listen to it ring and then delete a message from the machine. I prefer to answer the phone, and as soon as I know it's a telemarketer I just say "no thank you" and hang up.

I imagine this (http://www.funcram.com/videos/best-prank-call-ever.html) clip has been around for ever, but I found it very amusing. Should be work safe at most places.

[MizzouRah]

yep. My wife likes to let the phone ring when it's a telemarketer, but then I have to listen to it ring and then delete a message from the machine. I prefer to answer the phone, and as soon as I know it's a telemarketer I just say "no thank you" and hang up.

I imagine this (http://www.funcram.com/videos/best-prank-call-ever.html) clip has been around for ever, but I found it very amusing. Should be work safe at most places.

Yeah, that's classic. :)

[rkmsuf]

I go into full-on Pumpy mode.

how do you hatefuck someone over the phone?

[sterlingice]

I imagine this (http://www.funcram.com/videos/best-prank-call-ever.html) clip has been around for ever, but I found it very amusing. Should be work safe at most places.

I hadn't heard that before, but it was pretty funny. The last 30 seconds are kindof a waste but before that was great.

I do kindof feel for the guy, tho

SI

[Synovia]

As Maple Leafs said above, you made the young student, single mother or uneducated worker trying to make a living feel like garbage because you had a 30 second annoyance at dinner. You're a credit to humanity. :)


Calling someone at their home to sell them something is rude. I see no problem in being rude back.



I usually just hang up on them.

[johnnyshaka]

Hold on here...I'm supposed to be polite to and tolerant of a young student, single mother or uneducated worker when they intentionally interrupt what little time I get to spend with my family whether it's during dinner or otherwise simply because they are just doing their job? Bullshit.

There are thousands upon thousands of jobs available in the service industry that actually benefit society and pay just as well, if not better, than telemarketing. Heck, we've got restaurants unable to open their patio during the week because they can't find enough waiters/waitresses/servers/cooks to handle the extra business. Gas stations that used to be open 24/7 now close by 10pm because they can't find people to work. Don't tell me there aren't jobs out there to be had because that's a crock. If it's the flexibility of being able to work from home on their own computer/phone then why not look into customer service instead? Again, there are options.

I'm not trying offend anybody on this board that is currently in the business or has been in the past, I just simply don't agree with the tactics involved. If I want to subscribe to the local newspaper then I'll call them myself. If I want to change telephone providers, again, I'll call them myself.

Actually, maybe the next time I accidently answer a telemarketing call I'll get my laptop out and pull up Workopolis.com and ask the caller where they live and start spewing out all the available jobs in their area.

[wade moore]

Hi.

My names Johnnyshaka.

I like to oversimplify complex issues.

[johnnyshaka]

Hi.

My names Johnnyshaka.

I like to oversimplify complex issues.

How complex can unsolicited sales be?

[Kodos]

Save me the bleeding heart crap. These people don't have to do this particular job. There are other jobs out there. I don't care about their sob story. They are a leech on society. When I want a service, I will go out an seek it. Do not disturb me in my home with a marketing pitch. I do not owe you anything.

It is rude to call my home when I did not ask you to, and in fact went to lengths to assure that you wouldn't call. Still doing so excuses me from having to be polite. The telemarketer is the one who started the interaction -- if I do something that annoys them at that point, too bad. I should not have the same company calling me day after day after day, especially after I specifically tell them not to.

The people saying that it is only 30 seconds ignore the fact that it is not an isolated incident. It is repeated daily until the end of time. Why should anyone have to put up with that? Maybe I don't like me son being woke up by the phone. Would you like it if a website hijacked your browser for 30 seconds every day? They have no right to barge into my personal time. They are not the victim. They are part of the problem.

[st.cronin]

They are part of the problem.

Actually, the problem is that telemarketing WORKS. If it wasn't a moneymaker, companies wouldn't hire people to do it.

[path12]

Hell, I don't answer the phone for people I know. My phone is for outgoing calls only.

[rkmsuf]

Actually, the problem is that telemarketing WORKS. If it wasn't a moneymaker, companies wouldn't hire people to do it.

PUMPY, STOP BUYING SHIT.

[Synovia]

Actually, the problem is that telemarketing WORKS. If it wasn't a moneymaker, companies wouldn't hire people to do it.


Whether or not it works is irrelevant. Spyware works. That doesn't mean its not a dispicable marketing technique.

[cartman]

Blake: Let me have your attention for a moment! So you're talking about what? You're talking about...(puts out his cigarette)...bitching about that sale you shot, some son of a bitch that doesn't want to buy, somebody that doesn't want what you're selling, some broad you're trying to screw and so forth. Let's talk about something important. Are they all here?
Williamson: All but one.
Blake: Well, I'm going anyway. Let's talk about something important! (to Levene) Put that coffee down!! Coffee's for closers only. (Levene scoffs) Do you think I'm fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's Levene?
Levene: Yeah.
Blake: You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?
Moss: I don't have to listen to this shit.
Blake: You certainly don't pal. 'Cause the good news is -- you're fired. The bad news is you've got, all you got, just one week to regain your jobs, starting tonight. Starting with tonights sit. Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. 'Cause we're adding a little something to this months sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anyone want to see second prize? Second prize's a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. You get the picture? You're laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them! You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close shit, you ARE shit, hit the bricks pal and beat it 'cause you are going out!!!
Levene: The leads are weak.
Blake: 'The leads are weak.' Fucking leads are weak? You're weak. I've been in this business fifteen years.
Moss: What's your name?
Blake: FUCK YOU, that's my name!! You know why, Mister? 'Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar BMW. That's my name!! (to Levene) And your name is "you're wanting." And you can't play in a man's game. You can't close them. (at a near whisper) And you go home and tell your wife your troubles. (to everyone again) Because only one thing counts in this life! Get them to sign on the line which is dotted! You hear me, you fucking faggots?
(Blake flips over a blackboard which has two sets of letters on it: ABC, and AIDA.)
Blake: A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing! Always be closing!! A-I-D-A. Attention, interest, decision, action. Attention -- do I have your attention? Interest -- are you interested? I know you are because it's fuck or walk. You close or you hit the bricks! Decision -- have you made your decision for Christ?!! And action. A-I-D-A; get out there!! You got the prospects comin' in; you think they came in to get out of the rain? Guy doesn't walk on the lot unless he wants to buy. Sitting out there waiting to give you their money! Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? (to Moss) What's the problem pal? You. Moss.
Moss: You're such a hero, you're so rich. Why you coming down here and waste your time on a bunch of bums?
(Blake sits and takes off his gold watch)
Blake: You see this watch? You see this watch?
Moss: Yeah.
Blake: That watch cost more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see, pal, that's who I am. And you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you -- go home and play with your kids!! (to everyone) You wanna work here? Close!! (to Aaronow) You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this -- how can you take the abuse you get on a sit?! You don't like it -- leave. I can go out there tonight with the materials you got, make myself fifteen thousand dollars! Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can you? Go and do likewise! A-I-D-A!! Get mad! You sons of bitches! Get mad!! You know what it takes to sell real estate?
(He pulls something out of his briefcase)
Blake: It takes brass balls to sell real estate.
(He's holding two brass balls on string, over the appropriate "area"--he puts them away after a pause)
Blake: Go and do likewise, gents. The money's out there, you pick it up, it's yours. You don't--I have no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those sits tonight and close, close, it's yours. If not you're going to be shining my shoes. Bunch of losers sitting around in a bar. (in a mocking weak voice) "Oh yeah, I used to be a salesman, it's a tough racket." (he takes out large stack of red index cards tied together with string from his briefcase) These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you, they're gold. And you don't get them. Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. (he hands the stack to Williamson) They're for closers.
I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it. (to Moss as he puts on his watch again) And to answer your question, pal: why am I here? I came here because Mitch and Murray asked me to, they asked me for a favor. I said, the real favor, follow my advice and fire your fucking ass because a loser is a loser.
(He stares at Moss for a sec, and then picking up his briefcase, goes into inner office with Williamson)

.

[MJ4H]

Whether or not it works is irrelevant. Spyware works. That doesn't mean its not a dispicable marketing technique.

It's not irrelevant because that is the reason it happens. Same for spyware. Nobody is saying it isn't despicable. The reason it is done is because it makes money.

Now, part of the job of a telemarketer is putting up with the people that are rude to them. If you can't handle that, you can't handle the job. People that are rude to unsolicited telemarketers are, in my opinion, completely justified. The telemarketers signed up to do the job, they should know what comes with it.

[stevew]

My favorite tactic with the magazine people is to start asking them which porno mags they sell. "Do you guys carry Black Tail"

[Drake]

I tell them that one of my children just died in an accident/my wife just left me/etc., and I'm not really in the emotional condition to talk to them.

Talk about an awkward pause *every* time.

[stevew]

"What do you mean, you're gonna pass. Alan, the only people making money passing are NFL quarterbacks and I don't see a number on your back. "

[Karlifornia]

I'm no fan of telemarketing, but I can think of plenty of other jobs that I think are useless and annoying..

..like...any job in the advertising/marketing industry.

[sterlingice]

(or sales, in general? or law? or politics? or insurance? or executives? or journalism?)

SI

[Karlifornia]

(or sales, in general? or law? or politics? or insurance? or executives? or journalism?)

SI

I mean, it's apparent that the biggest problem people have with telemarketers is the whole being called thing. It annoyed me just as greatly when it first seemed to start taking off (anyone know how long telemarketing has been around?), but then I got used to it, and now my house doesn't even have a landline. I've never had ONE telemarketing call on my cell phone.

I think it's dying out, and I find it less annoying than election ads that play every 15 minutes.

[Synovia]

Telemarketers are one of the reasons I don't have a landline.

[st.cronin]

I find previews at the beginning of dvds that you can't skip over 10x as annoying.

[lordscarlet]

Hold on here...I'm supposed to be polite to and tolerant of a young student, single mother or uneducated worker when they intentionally interrupt what little time I get to spend with my family whether it's during dinner or otherwise simply because they are just doing their job? Bullshit.

There are thousands upon thousands of jobs available in the service industry that actually benefit society and pay just as well, if not better, than telemarketing. Heck, we've got restaurants unable to open their patio during the week because they can't find enough waiters/waitresses/servers/cooks to handle the extra business. Gas stations that used to be open 24/7 now close by 10pm because they can't find people to work. Don't tell me there aren't jobs out there to be had because that's a crock. If it's the flexibility of being able to work from home on their own computer/phone then why not look into customer service instead? Again, there are options.

I'm not trying offend anybody on this board that is currently in the business or has been in the past, I just simply don't agree with the tactics involved. If I want to subscribe to the local newspaper then I'll call them myself. If I want to change telephone providers, again, I'll call them myself.

Actually, maybe the next time I accidently answer a telemarketing call I'll get my laptop out and pull up Workopolis.com and ask the caller where they live and start spewing out all the available jobs in their area.

Yes, the thousands of fast food joints and other restaurants have certainly improved society. I hate how fat, lazy and unhealthy telemarketers have made Americans.

[Greyroofoo]

I find previews at the beginning of dvds that you can't skip over 10x as annoying.

QFMFT

[Synovia]

Yes, the thousands of fast food joints and other restaurants have certainly improved society. I hate how fat, lazy and unhealthy telemarketers have made Americans.


Fast food doesn't make americans fat and lazy. Americans are fat and lazy and that keeps fast food places in business.

[Logan]

Fast forward instead of skip.

[Greyroofoo]

Yes, the thousands of fast food joints and other restaurants have certainly improved society. I hate how fat, lazy and unhealthy telemarketers have made Americans.

Fast Food made Americans fat and lazy?


Wow, I think I need to go jack off to "Supersize Me" now.

[lordscarlet]

Seriously, you guys know I was oversimplifying, just as johnnyshaka was. But saying McDonald's is a benefit to society is ludicrous. But they exist because fat Americans want convenient, shitty food. Just like telemarketers exist because people buy shitty products from them.

[st.cronin]

Fast forward instead of skip.

Yes. Which still takes longer than saying "please do not ever call me again" and hanging up.

[Greyroofoo]

Seriously, you guys know I was oversimplifying, just as johnnyshaka was. But saying McDonald's is a benefit to society is ludicrous. But they exist because fat Americans want convenient, shitty food. Just like telemarketers exist because people buy shitty products from them.

I don't get interrupted for 30 seconds whenever somebody buys a Big Mac though.

[Kodos]

Telemarketers are one of the reasons I don't have a landline.

I still get unknown callers on my cell phone from time to time. Luckily, I rarely have my cell phone near me, so I avoid the calls without even knowing it. :)

[BrianD]

Seriously, you guys know I was oversimplifying, just as johnnyshaka was. But saying McDonald's is a benefit to society is ludicrous. But they exist because fat Americans want convenient, shitty food. Just like telemarketers exist because people buy shitty products from them.

But McDonald's doesn't call my phone and wake me up or take time away from my family.

[Kodos]

Just like telemarketers exist because people buy shitty products from them.

The difference is that people SEEK OUT the crappy fast food. McDonald's is meeting a demand of the public. The public, as a rule, does not seek out marketing pitches on their phone, unless they are very, very lonely.

[rkmsuf]

But McDonald's doesn't call my phone and wake me up or take time away from my family.

Extended bathroom time.

[MJ4H]

Between telemarketers and my mother-in-law, the sound of a telephone ringing just immediately sends me into a rage these days.

[Noop]

I once pretended to be having phone sex with the lady on the other line.

[Logan]

Extended bathroom time.

Could also be woken up by a Big Mac-induced heart attack. That results in time away from your family too.

[rkmsuf]

Time away from my family is funny.

Sorry, can't go to your little league game. I have to stay home in case any telemarketers call.

[Synovia]

Could also be woken up by a Big Mac-induced heart attack. That results in time away from your family too.



Yeah, but I don't wake up at 2 AM to someone trying to jam a big mac down my throat.


(...don't bother, its too easy)

[BrianD]

Interrupting dinner with the family, breaking up playing with the kids...I feel no guilt if I make the telemarketer cry.

[rkmsuf]

Well that kind of defeats the purpose then. Takes even more time to make them cry.

Not to mention is a terrible example for the children.


Piece.

[sterlingice]

I don't get interrupted for 30 seconds whenever somebody buys a Big Mac though.

I'm pretty sure that's not a correct analogy. I think for that to be a correct analogy, every telemarketing call would have to go to you ;)

SI

[st.cronin]

<a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/01/03/funny-pictures-mam-i-r-the-suprvizer/"><img src="http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/funny-pictures-call-center-cat.jpg" alt="funny pictures" /></a><br />see more <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com">crazy cat pics</a>

[sterlingice]

I mean, it's apparent that the biggest problem people have with telemarketers is the whole being called thing. It annoyed me just as greatly when it first seemed to start taking off (anyone know how long telemarketing has been around?), but then I got used to it, and now my house doesn't even have a landline. I've never had ONE telemarketing call on my cell phone.

I think it's dying out, and I find it less annoying than election ads that play every 15 minutes.

(I was actually agreeing with you, tho, pointing out many other jobs that were pretty useless and/or annoying)

SI

[Bobble]

I've always wanted to copy down the phone numbers of telemarketers who call me and somehow give them to other telemarketers. Imagine a world where telemarketers are merely annoying EACH OTHER! "Speaking of free Florida vacations, you'll think your feet are on vacation when you're walking on carpets that have been vacuumed by the SUXME 4000!"

If someone could help me pull this off, you'd be my frickin' hero.

[lordscarlet]

I don't get interrupted for 30 seconds whenever somebody buys a Big Mac though.

But McDonald's doesn't call my phone and wake me up or take time away from my family.

The difference is that people SEEK OUT the crappy fast food. McDonald's is meeting a demand of the public. The public, as a rule, does not seek out marketing pitches on their phone, unless they are very, very lonely.

I was referring to the comment that "There are thousands upon thousands of jobs available in the service industry that actually benefit society and pay just as well, if not better, than telemarketing." Working at McDonald's does not benefit society. In fact, I would argue it is detrimental to society compared to a telemarketer. Annoying phone calls are a nuisance. The abundance of people eating out, however, is a burden on society. If all those workers were telemarketers instead we would be annoyed but forced to make our own food that is likely healthier.

Obviously I am using hyperbole, but the point is -- those jobs are not a "benefit to society".

[sterlingice]

I've always wanted to copy down the phone numbers of telemarketers who call me and somehow give them to other telemarketers. Imagine a world where telemarketers are merely annoying EACH OTHER! "Speaking of free Florida vacations, you'll think your feet are on vacation when you're walking on carpets that have been vacuumed by the SUXME 4000!"

If someone could help me pull this off, you'd be my frickin' hero.

I like this idea

SI

[Raiders Army]

Then again, that's really the way I lead my life. Someone cuts me off? I can choose to get pissed, flip him off and act like an ass. . . or I can go about the rest of my day. There are very, very few situations where I think it's appropriate to treat another human being with malice.

As Maple Leafs said above, you made the young student, single mother or uneducated worker trying to make a living feel like garbage because you had a 30 second annoyance at dinner. You're a credit to humanity. :)

Maybe the bolded part is what people should focus on. There's a way to handle things without being an ass and then there is a rude way of handling things...although I can understand after the umpteenth call getting frustrated. What if you were continually cut off in traffic? How would you act then?

I do, however, find this thread highly entertaining.

[johnnyshaka]

Yes, the thousands of fast food joints and other restaurants have certainly improved society. I hate how fat, lazy and unhealthy telemarketers have made Americans.

Yeah, it's McDonald's fault that North Americans are fat, lazy and unhealthy. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to eat it. :rolleyes:

Maybe we should go to a "pay per minute" phone system where the initiator of a phone call has to pay for the cost of the call. I would have no problem paying for every call I initiated. I also probably wouldn't be as hostile about telemarketing because I would know that they are paying for both the call and the time it takes to harass me.

[Raiders Army]

Yeah, it's McDonald's fault that North Americans are fat, lazy and unhealthy. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to eat it. :rolleyes:

Maybe we should go to a "pay per minute" phone system where the initiator of a phone call has to pay for the cost of the call. I would have no problem paying for every call I initiated. I also probably wouldn't be as hostile about telemarketing because I would know that they are paying for both the call and the time it takes to harass me.

We do have a "pay per minute" phone system where the initiator of a phone call has to pay for the cost of the call. Most places use an unlimited long distance plan, but they still pay for every call. Maybe I'm wrong here, but that's the way I understand it.

[st.cronin]

Maybe we should go to a "pay per minute" phone system where the initiator of a phone call has to pay for the cost of the call. I would have no problem paying for every call I initiated. I also probably wouldn't be as hostile about telemarketing because I would know that they are paying for both the call and the time it takes to harass me.

Um, isn't that how it works?

[johnnyshaka]

We do have a "pay per minute" phone system where the initiator of a phone call has to pay for the cost of the call. Most places use an unlimited long distance plan, but they still pay for every call. Maybe I'm wrong here, but that's the way I understand it.

My understanding is they pay a flat monthly rate. I know anywhere I've ever worked of any size paid a flat monthly rate.

[Synovia]

There's a way to handle things without being an ass and then there is a rude way of handling things...


I agree, and the way to handle things without being an ass is not to make sales calls to people's homes.

[lordscarlet]

Yeah, it's McDonald's fault that North Americans are fat, lazy and unhealthy. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to eat it. :rolleyes:

Maybe we should go to a "pay per minute" phone system where the initiator of a phone call has to pay for the cost of the call. I would have no problem paying for every call I initiated. I also probably wouldn't be as hostile about telemarketing because I would know that they are paying for both the call and the time it takes to harass me.

Do you think the people on the phone are doing volunteer work (excluding the ones that are ;) )? The companies are paying for each phone call they make.

[johnnyshaka]

Do you think the people on the phone are doing volunteer work (excluding the ones that are ;) )? The companies are paying for each phone call they make.

Obviously they aren't paying enough to deter them from continuing to harass people.

[lordscarlet]

Obviously they aren't paying enough to deter them from continuing to harass people.

Er.. they're paying them to harass people... I'm not sure of your point here?

[Rizon]

<a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/01/03/funny-pictures-mam-i-r-the-suprvizer/"><img src="http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/funny-pictures-call-center-cat.jpg" alt="funny pictures" /></a><br />see more <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com">crazy cat pics</a>

QFT

[Pumpy Tudors]

so how did i get involved

[Crim]

PUMPY, STOP BUYING SHIT.

There is a significant but manageable amount of diet cola on my monitor and keyboard now, asshole.

[Suburban Rhythm]

I tell them their product sounds great but my wife doesn't allow me to have access to a credit card...

JimmyWint is that you?

[Castlerock]

Save me the bleeding heart crap. These people don't have to do this particular job. There are other jobs out there. I don't care about their sob story. They are a leech on society. When I want a service, I will go out an seek it. Do not disturb me in my home with a marketing pitch. I do not owe you anything.

It is rude to call my home when I did not ask you to, and in fact went to lengths to assure that you wouldn't call. Still doing so excuses me from having to be polite. The telemarketer is the one who started the interaction -- if I do something that annoys them at that point, too bad. I should not have the same company calling me day after day after day, especially after I specifically tell them not to.

The people saying that it is only 30 seconds ignore the fact that it is not an isolated incident. It is repeated daily until the end of time. Why should anyone have to put up with that? Maybe I don't like me son being woke up by the phone. Would you like it if a website hijacked your browser for 30 seconds every day? They have no right to barge into my personal time. They are not the victim. They are part of the problem.

Actually, the problem is that telemarketing WORKS. If it wasn't a moneymaker, companies wouldn't hire people to do it.
People who quickly get off the phone ensure that it IS a moneymaker for telemarketing companies. The telemarketer can quickly annoy lots of uninterested people to get to the few that will buy their crap. If everyone wasted as much time as possible, then it wouldn't be profitable and it would go away. Sadly, that will never happen.

If you just say, "No thank you" and hang up, YOU are part of the problem.

Most of the time I just hang up because I don't want to waste my time but it is not because of any sympathy for the guy on the other end of the line.

[Grammaticus]

I've always wanted to try the Seinfeld thing, "Give me your home phone number and I will call you back later", etc.

But I either hang up at the click and pause (the tell it is an auto dialer) or just say no thanks, please don't call me for any future offers and hang up.

Every now and then I will let them spit out their script and then tell them no.

[Raiders Army]

FWIW, I hate getting calls from a machine..."Wait for an important call concerning your credit rating." I pick up the phone and it's a machine talking to me asking me to hold?

[Draft Dodger]

I've always wanted to copy down the phone numbers of telemarketers who call me and somehow give them to other telemarketers. Imagine a world where telemarketers are merely annoying EACH OTHER! "Speaking of free Florida vacations, you'll think your feet are on vacation when you're walking on carpets that have been vacuumed by the SUXME 4000!"

If someone could help me pull this off, you'd be my frickin' hero.

I work in phone sales (inbound, not outbound). a couple years back, it's a slowish night and we all start getting this odd calls - people calling about our products, but asking questions that were just a little off. and then they'd place an order, but back out at the last second. as we started comparing notes and doing some google searches, we figured out these folks all worked for one of our competitors. I think they were in a training class and were calling us on their cell phones I think just to see examples of calls. I don't believe they were trying to screw with us, but it was still very annoying.

When I got a couple of calls, I jotted down the number of the folks calling me. For the next few weeks, I would just randomly call the numbers whenever it was slow at work. I worked the overnight at the time, so I was able to call at a lot of inconvenient times.

[jeheinz72]

I'm typically pretty curtious on the phone...the first time from that phone number. If I get stuck on one of those "same number calling every night, etc." then I get pretty crude because I feel at that point, they should know not to call me.

[Aylmar]

Save me the bleeding heart crap. These people don't have to do this particular job. There are other jobs out there. I don't care about their sob story. They are a leech on society. When I want a service, I will go out an seek it. Do not disturb me in my home with a marketing pitch. I do not owe you anything.

It is rude to call my home when I did not ask you to, and in fact went to lengths to assure that you wouldn't call. Still doing so excuses me from having to be polite. The telemarketer is the one who started the interaction -- if I do something that annoys them at that point, too bad. I should not have the same company calling me day after day after day, especially after I specifically tell them not to.

The people saying that it is only 30 seconds ignore the fact that it is not an isolated incident. It is repeated daily until the end of time. Why should anyone have to put up with that? Maybe I don't like me son being woke up by the phone. Would you like it if a website hijacked your browser for 30 seconds every day? They have no right to barge into my personal time. They are not the victim. They are part of the problem.

When I did it in college, I loved people who were rude. There were several ways I could disposition a completed call. Things like "Not Interested, No Call Back", "No Answer", "Busy, Call Back In 1 Hour". If you were rude to me or screamed for no reason, guess which button I pushed? ;) And those guys on the floor talk to each other. Our call center did a bunch of work for similar accounts and we'd alert each other to the people we were dumping back into the system. So I would know if this was the second call or even third you'd gotten that night and usually just do something else while I was getting screamed at on the other end of the line before I dumped you back into the queue when you finally hung up. That's what you get when you staff a bunch of college students in a telemarketing center. We didn't get paid on commission, so I didn't care how much time each call took or any of that. In fact, I loved it when people would just start talking for no reason and telling stories and all that. I could usually clear my quotas easily, so I had nothing but time.

My favorite thing to sell was ChargeGuard. The quota was exceptionally low (2 sales per hour) and our call center would let you get off the phones once you'd made your sales for that hour. It was a tough sell, but you could usually clear two of them in about 30-40 minutes...then hang out outside until the top of the hour.

[Kodos]

You are certainly a hero for continuing to harass people in their homes. Kudos.

[Passacaglia]

When I did it in college, I loved people who were rude. There were several ways I could disposition a completed call. Things like "Not Interested, No Call Back", "No Answer", "Busy, Call Back In 1 Hour". If you were rude to me or screamed for no reason, guess which button I pushed? ;) And those guys on the floor talk to each other. Our call center did a bunch of work for similar accounts and we'd alert each other to the people we were dumping back into the system. So I would know if this was the second call or even third you'd gotten that night and usually just do something else while I was getting screamed at on the other end of the line before I dumped you back into the queue when you finally hung up. That's what you get when you staff a bunch of college students in a telemarketing center. We didn't get paid on commission, so I didn't care how much time each call took or any of that. In fact, I loved it when people would just start talking for no reason and telling stories and all that. I could usually clear my quotas easily, so I had nothing but time.

My favorite thing to sell was ChargeGuard. The quota was exceptionally low (2 sales per hour) and our call center would let you get off the phones once you'd made your sales for that hour. It was a tough sell, but you could usually clear two of them in about 30-40 minutes...then hang out outside until the top of the hour.

Sounds interesting. How can I purchase this, ChargeGuard?

[Logan]

You are certainly a hero for continuing to harass people in their homes. Kudos.

Kudos from Kodos. Impressive.

[lordscarlet]

FWIW, I hate getting calls from a machine..."Wait for an important call concerning your credit rating." I pick up the phone and it's a machine talking to me asking me to hold?

Have you heard the ones that say, "this is an important call... please call us back at 1-800-eat-shit"? Seriously? You think I'm going to call you back?!

[Kodos]

I think telemarketing should be a jailable offense. :)

[larrymcg421]

On an episode of TV nation, Michael Moore called the CEO of a telemarketing company and tried to sell him something. The guy was obviously not very happy. It was pretty funny.

Whatever you do, don't hang up immediately (unless it's automated). If you do that, the agent will put you in as a callback. At least say "Not Interested" or "Do Not Call" before you hang up.

[Aylmar]

You are certainly a hero for continuing to harass people in their homes. Kudos.

I did my job. If you said "Not Interested", then that's what you got flagged for no follow-up call. If you asked to be removed from our list, I would take the steps to make sure it happened. If you were an ass for no reason, I would reciprocate.

[Kodos]

But the person who is being called can't by definition be an ass for no reason. Your call is the reason they are being an ass.

As a side note, I hope something semi-expensive of yours breaks in the near future. :)

[Aylmar]

But the person who is being called can't by definition be an ass for no reason. Your call is the reason they are being an ass.

As a side note, I hope something semi-expensive of yours breaks in the near future. :)

If it does, I'll just pick up some telemarketing work part-time until I can afford a new one.

[johnnyshaka]

I did my job. If you said "Not Interested", then that's what you got flagged for no follow-up call. If you asked to be removed from our list, I would take the steps to make sure it happened. If you were an ass for no reason, I would reciprocate.

Wait a second, you called trying to sell something...you are the one being the ass for no reason.

[Kodos]

I'm afraid I must then wish you erectile dysfunction so that you can't reproduce and make more telemarketers.

[Dr. Sak]

But the person who is being called can't by definition be an ass for no reason. Your call is the reason they are being an ass.

As a side note, I hope something semi-expensive of yours breaks in the near future. :)

So by your definition, if you talk to a random stranger on the street, he is allowed to be rude to you because you are bothering him for no reason. I don't get why you would have to be rude to a telemarketer unless they provoked you. By saying no thank you or not interested you get to the point quick.

You must get some sort of rise out of being rude to them. "Yeah Im a tough guy, i just told someone on the phone to fuck off. Look at me I am awesome for doing that."

These people don't have to do this particular job. There are other jobs out there. I don't care about their sob story. They are a leech on society. When I want a service, I will go out an seek it. Do not disturb me in my home with a marketing pitch. I do not owe you anything.

It is rude to call my home when I did not ask you to, and in fact went to lengths to assure that you wouldn't call. Still doing so excuses me from having to be polite. The telemarketer is the one who started the interaction -- if I do something that annoys them at that point, too bad. I should not have the same company calling me day after day after day, especially after I specifically tell them not to.

Way to be an elitest here. This person is trying to feed their family. Do you think they want to do this? I highly doubt it, but it is a way they make an honest wage and help support their family. Would you rather them not take a job, apply for welfare, and have that money come out of your pocket?

I don't know maybe I'm just off the rocker here, but I don't get the big rise out of making someone on the other end miserable by yelling at them. Their boss told them to do the job, if you have a problem with it, call back and talk to the boss. Don't take it out on this person.

[Aylmar]

Wait a second, you called trying to sell something...you are the one being the ass for no reason.

It was my job. I didn't call you, the dialer did. I just had to make the best of what I got. You can just hang up if you don't want to be pitched. There is no need to be rude. There's just no excuse for it. I would always love the guys who would get on there and scream that I was interrupting dinner with their family. If you're at dinner with your family and a strange number calls your phone, do what I do...don't answer it! It was always kind of humorous just how irritated people got. I never liked my job and I've got a script to read. If I was being recorded that day, I needed three "No" answers in order to let you go. If I'm not being recorded (which was 90% of the time), I would settle for one. If you hang up, my instructions were to put you down for a call back in three days (depends on the account instructions, really). The only way to get anywhere is to just ask to be removed from their call list. Getting mad doesn't help. In fact, you'll never get the guy to take you off the list if you blister his ear with profanity first. You may get lucky and make someone cry on the other end, but that's not going to get you out of the system or do anything for you other than give you the satisfaction that you ruined someone's day because they interrupted your evening. In fact, you'll probably get a call back from that company in a few days.

Almost all telemarketers hate their jobs, but it pays the bills and allows some people to make ends meet. The attempted justification of being rude to those people because they got the short straw of having your number routed to their station by the relentless dialer really blows my mind.

[jeheinz72]

I just don't get why people default in situations like this to being rude. I'd imagine that's a sad way to go through life frankly.

[Raiders Army]

Have you heard the ones that say, "this is an important call... please call us back at 1-800-eat-shit"? Seriously? You think I'm going to call you back?!

Yeah, those are funny. On a different note, we get automated messages from our kids' schools. I like those since they keep us informed...although it's certainly putting some guy out of work using a machine instead of a real person!

[Lorena]

If the phone rings while we're having dinner, we just let it ring.. there's no reason for us to get up and answer it. If whoever is on the other line wants to talk to us, then they can leave a message and we'll get back to them.

[Maple Leafs]

Those of you in the "this is my only family time" crowd... do you have some sort of magic phone that answers itself and switches to speakerphone on the third ring?

Guy, if you only get a few precious minutes with your family over dinner time, don't answer the phone. Get an answering machine and check messages later. I'm sure your family appreciates the undivided attention you give them, right up until the phone rings and you bolt from the table to lunge for it.

Like Troy says, you have a lot of say over what you get stressed about in life. You'll probably be a lot happier when you figure that out.

[BrianD]

So by your definition, if you talk to a random stranger on the street, he is allowed to be rude to you because you are bothering him for no reason. I don't get why you would have to be rude to a telemarketer unless they provoked you. By saying no thank you or not interested you get to the point quick.

I would answer this with a "yes". There is no reason that a person would *have* to be rude, but there is no reason that a person would *have* to be nice either. I probably wouldn't fly off the handle just because some random person asked me how my day was going, but if he keeps trying to engage me when I've given subtle hints that I'm not interested, he may get some rudeness. I'm not a small-talk person and I don't feel the need to chat with some stranger to fill the silence in a 2-minute elevator ride.

You must get some sort of rise out of being rude to them. "Yeah Im a tough guy, i just told someone on the phone to fuck off. Look at me I am awesome for doing that."

It isn't about getting a rise out of being rude. It is about not feeling the need to censor yourself and pretend to be nice. It is kind of like sticking your hand out to a strange dog. He may let you pet him or he may snap at you. There is no reason he should snap at you, but that is a risk when you encroach on his space.

[jeheinz72]

It isn't about getting a rise out of being rude. It is about not feeling the need to censor yourself and pretend to be nice. It is kind of like sticking your hand out to a strange dog. He may let you pet him or he may snap at you. There is no reason he should snap at you, but that is a risk when you encroach on his space.

I don't feel like I'm sensoring myself when I'm extending common courtesy to a fellow human being.

[BrianD]

Those of you in the "this is my only family time" crowd... do you have some sort of magic phone that answers itself and switches to speakerphone on the third ring?

Guy, if you only get a few precious minutes with your family over dinner time, don't answer the phone. Get an answering machine and check messages later. I'm sure your family appreciates the undivided attention you give them, right up until the phone rings and you bolt from the table to lunge for it.

Like Troy says, you have a lot of say over what you get stressed about in life. You'll probably be a lot happier when you figure that out.

It generally takes less time to answer and hang up than it does to sit and listen to 4 rings. This doesn't take into account people without answering machines who have to wait for the other side to hang up, but there probably aren't many people like that anymore.

Either way, getting up or just listening to the ring is an annoyance that people would prefer to be without. I haven't had to deal with this for many years since I went cell-phone only, but I still remember the annoyance from when I had a land-line.

[Maple Leafs]

It is about not feeling the need to censor yourself and pretend to be nice.
What a burden that must be.

[BrianD]

I don't feel like I'm sensoring myself when I'm extending common courtesy to a fellow human being.

Then surely nobody else does either...

[Kodos]

For the record, I have NEVER yelled or cursed at these guys, so you're wrong there. Usually I just don't pick up at all. On occasion, I'll pick up and quickly say "I'm not interested. Please remove me from your list. Thank you. *click*" Nevertheless, it is annoying when they call day after day. I don't think it is unreasonable to want to retaliate for repeated, unwanted intrusions.

So by your definition, if you talk to a random stranger on the street, he is allowed to be rude to you because you are bothering him for no reason. I don't get why you would have to be rude to a telemarketer unless they provoked you. By saying no thank you or not interested you get to the point quick.


If I am trying to sell them something, then yes, they have a right to be rude to me. Especially if they don't take no for an answer the very first time.


Way to be an elitest here. This person is trying to feed their family. Do you think they want to do this? I highly doubt it, but it is a way they make an honest wage and help support their family. Would you rather them not take a job, apply for welfare, and have that money come out of your pocket?

Way to imply that the only thing keeping these people from starvation is a telemarketing job. There are plenty of comparable paying jobs out there that do no necessitate intruding into people's private lives.


It was my job. I didn't call you, the dialer did. I just had to make the best of what I got. You can just hang up if you don't want to be pitched. There is no need to be rude. There's just no excuse for it.

You've already shown that you get a certain glee out of repeatedly bothering people who clearly would like to simply be left alone. I guess we shouldn't blame hitmen either, because they are just doing their job.

[johnnyshaka]

It was my job.

Exactly, it was your job to harass people in the privacy of their own home during supper time. Maybe you don't see anything wrong with it, but most people do. I don't care if you were doing what your boss told you to do...it doesn't make it right. If my boss told me to do something I don't agree with I wouldn't do it...plain and simple. If my job included doing something I don't agree with on a routine basis, I wouldn't have taken the job in the first place. Call me an elitist, call me whatever you want, I try to live my life by treating others like the way I would like to be treated...therefore, unless it's an emergency, I don't call people at supper time.

You can just hang up if you don't want to be pitched. There is no need to be rude. There's just no excuse for it.

You are missing the point...there should be no call in the first. If I wanted to buy ChargeGuard I would pick up the phone and call them myself.

I would always love the guys who would get on there and scream that I was interrupting dinner with their family. If you're at dinner with your family and a strange number calls your phone, do what I do...don't answer it!

Do you have kids? Any idea how most toddlers react to the telephone ringing? I'll tell you...it's like the ice cream truck just parked about 5 feet away from them and they want to sample each and every flavour imaginable. So, when I let the phone ring 5 times multiply the excitement by 10 and then spend the next 10 minutes trying to get them to focus on eating supper...already a tedious task in and of itself.

Here's another good example, what if you work the graveyard shift and sleep in the evening? My brother-in-law usually sleeps from 4pm until about 10 or 11pm during the week but can't unplug his phone because his wife is 8-months pregnant and may need to get a hold of him at any moment. So, a guy trying to make ends meet gets his sleep interrupted several times a week by telemarketers trying to sell him a vacation home in Portugal.

Yeah, good thing the guy on the other end is just doing his job.

It was always kind of humorous just how irritated people got.

Nice. :rolleyes:

Almost all telemarketers hate their jobs, but it pays the bills and allows some people to make ends meet. The attempted justification of being rude to those people because they got the short straw of having your number routed to their station by the relentless dialer really blows my mind.

If you hate your job, quit.

[Julio Riddols]

There should be a telemarketing reality show featuring d-list celebrities.

[JonInMiddleGA]

There should be a telemarketing reality show featuring d-list celebrities.

Y'know, that ain't the worst idea for a reality show I've ever heard.

[Bad-example]

1- Telemarketers are paid to harrass people in their homes.

2- Telemarketers know that many of those people will be pissed off. Some will use one of the two valid methods for combating the assholes that do telemarketing, either wasting their time to reduce their productivity or being rude to help them decide their job sucks so badly they should quit. (Helping create staffing problems for the company).

3- Some people would like us to feel bad about using that second method, even though we are completely justified.

[Aylmar]

Yes, I was an ass when I was a telemarketer fifteen years ago. I was nineteen. Comes with the territory. Yes, I obtained a certain amount of pleasure out of riding people who acted like their world was coming to an end because their phone rang at 7:15 on a Tuesday night. It's such a small thing to be so angry about and to elicit such a massive response and desire for retaliation. Because, in the grand scheme of things, your phone ringing when there is a telemarketer on the other end is a trivial event. No reason to get so excited.

Look, it sucks. If it didn't work so damn well, it would have probably gone away by now. The facts are, though, it DOES work. I can't tell you the number of times that you could turn a call after the first no. The number of times someone would start out not being interested and then sign up for whatever I was selling. Is it a marginally scummy tactic? Yes, and it makes those companies piles of money. I was just doing it to help pay room and board, so I got out once I finished college. I guess I should have sought out other employment. I was a phone tech support guy for a year for Creative Labs shortly after leaving that job and I think the constant battering of being a telemarketer helped prepare me for it. Am I too proud to go back to telemarketing? If it's a choice between that and bankruptcy, no. Guess that means I'm still an ass.

Kodos, I did not mean to imply that you cursed at people. Only that I had experienced it first-hand, several times. And no, most of them were not guys that I had routed back into the system. Most of them were pick up the phone, figure out that you were a telemarketer and go into full out assault types. You had to laugh at them a little in order to be able to do the job.

[rkmsuf]

So what if you are jackin to pron and the phone rings? You picking up?

If not, when the phone rings and it's dinner time just pretend you are jackin to pron.

[BrianD]

So what if you are jackin to pron and the phone rings? You picking up?

Probably not, but you'd figure it would have to ruin the flow.

[BrianD]

There should be a telemarketing reality show featuring d-list celebrities.

What happens the first time we watch Kathy Griffin get shouted at until she cries? Do we rejoice in a telemarketer getting what she deserves, or do we feel empathy for what Pumpy must be going through?

[Pumpy Tudors]

how did i get involved

[BrianD]

how did i get involved

Seems like you always get involved somehow. I felt a little dirty doing it, but I couldn't help myself.

[Logan]

You're doing Pumpy???

[Synovia]

I don't feel like I'm sensoring myself when I'm extending common courtesy to a fellow human being.


Thats not the situation though. Someone is calling your house to sell you something (IE, not extending common courtesy). Why should I respond with courtesy when they won't treat me with the same?

[larrymcg421]

Couple points here.

I worked telemarketing about 10 years ago because it paid about $2 an hour more than anything else I could get in that town. Sorry, but you do what you have to do to support yourself, and I'm not giving up that kind of money just because other people don't like what I do.

Having said that, I don't blame anyone for getting upset or irritated that my auto dialer called them. But I should let you know that it didn't bother me at all. I simply went to the next call and tried to get the next sale. Most of the other people that work in telemarketing are like that. They've dealt with thousands of upset people. You're probably stressing yourself out alot more than you're annoying them.

[jeheinz72]

Thats not the situation though. Someone is calling your house to sell you something (IE, not extending common courtesy). Why should I respond with courtesy when they won't treat me with the same?

I guess I just don't see their *initial* phone call as a malicous act.

If the same company calls me repeatedly day-after-day after I tell them I'm not interested, I do get a lot more stern or quick with them but I don't act demeaning or derogatory to the caller themselves. It rarely ever gets to that though.

I've just always gone by the adage that you get more with honey than with vinegar. Given that my real goal is to minimalize the calls (since we all know they won't absolutely stop) I am polite, tell them I'm not interested and ask to be taken off the list.

Funny thing is, it works. I'd say for a residential home signed up for who knows how many things, I get very few calls. Probably every quarter or so I get 2 or 3 in a spurt but I do what I do, and it goes away.

It's hardly as big of a deal as some of you are making it out to be, and I'd bet if you folks acted in the same way to the callers you'd find that the calls will dissipate over time.

[Maple Leafs]

... or being rude to help them decide their job sucks so badly they should quit.
Yes, I'm sure people who work in telemarketing are under the mistaken impression that they have great jobs. How helpful of you.

[KWhit]

I had a situation a few months ago where some dipshit used my phone number when he took a test drive of a Mercedes. Evidently, after doing that, Mercedes-Benz sent my cell phone number to every fucking dealership in the country. I was getting multiple phone calls from dealerships every day on my cell phone (which is actually my work phone).

And they couldn't remove my number from the system because each dealership was a separate entity and now they all had my number as a hot lead.

I screamed, I cursed, I begged, I threatened, and it did no good. I kept getting calls. Telemarketing should be fucking illegal. I should not have to be interrupted NO MATTER WHAT I'M DOING to have someone try to sell me something in such an intrusive manner.

[Kodos]

My friends from "800 Service" just called me again. I quickly told the girl I was not interested, and could she please take me off their list. She said yes. We shall see... CallerID says they've called me 6 times this month so far.

[BrianD]

It seems pretty evident to me that the people who "get back" at the telemarketers are looking for a way to channel their own frustrations out... like Larry said, it seems pretty obvious that it's not going to bother the caller that much no matter what you do.

Ah, but there are stories of telemarketers breaking down and quitting the job. To me this is like the people that actually buy from telemarketers. There are just enough of them to make the actions worthwhile.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Seems like you always get involved somehow. I felt a little dirty doing it, but I couldn't help myself.
Funny, my wife feels dirty when she's doing me, too.

[Synovia]

I guess I just don't see their *initial* phone call as a malicous act.

I'm on the no-call list, so YES, the first call is a malicious act.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm on the no-call list, so YES, the first call is a malicious act.

Not if they're one of the (far too many) exceptions to the list, or are acting on behalf of one of those exceptions.

[Bad-example]

Yes, I'm sure people who work in telemarketing are under the mistaken impression that they have great jobs. How helpful of you.

Hey, it is an effective tool for creatng staffing problems for the company. I bet thousands upon thousands of people have quit because of the abuse that goes with the job. They have an agenda when they call to disturb me. My agenda is to make them hate their job a little more in the hope that the cumulative effect will make them quit. Every employee that quits forces the company to hire and train a new one.

[larrymcg421]

Are you kidding? Telemarketing companies don't have staffing problems. If 10 people quit all at once, that's called Tuesday. When 20 people come in to fill an application, that's called Wednesday.

[Bad-example]

High turnover? Have to train employees all the time? Mission accomplished.

[Synovia]

Not if they're one of the (far too many) exceptions to the list, or are acting on behalf of one of those exceptions.


No, that means its not illegal, not that its not malicious. The fact that they legaly CAN call me doesn't change the fact that I have clearly expressed the fact that I do not want to be called, and they are violating my clearly expressed wishes.

[Poli]

Next time, I'm going to answer it with,

"Aylmar, is that you?"

[Aylmar]

My friends from "800 Service" just called me again. I quickly told the girl I was not interested, and could she please take me off their list. She said yes. We shall see... CallerID says they've called me 6 times this month so far.

Hopefully she'll follow through and take you off the list. When I worked telemarketing, it was easily within our power to make sure we didn't call that person again. It took some work (there were several companies using our phone banks and so you had to make sure you requested the removal for all accounts and follow up with your super to make sure it actually got done) but it could certainly be accomplished. Makes sense, I guess, that the firm would make it difficult for their employees to get someone removed.

I saw someone mention training earlier. We're not discussing a job where you get trained for a week or even an hour. Five minutes. This is how your phone system works. This is the software you use and the options you can choose. Here is your script. Go get 'em! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

The fact that they legaly CAN call me doesn't change the fact that I have clearly expressed the fact that I do not want to be called,

{thinks about it for a minute}

If you're on someone's "can call because ... " list I doubt you've even been cross-referenced against the do-not-call list by that particular company. In other words, you haven't "clearly expressed" jack to them at that point.

And (not for you, just in general) just for the record -- In spite of my daily work in advertising, there's probably nothing I urge clients more strongly against than any form of telemarketing. After pointing out the pitfalls & potential negative effects I usually just ask them how they react to getting a call at home. And in more than a decade of working on this stuff I've yet to have a client insist on doing it (I've had to be a little more insistent to stop a couple of proposed mass email campaigns though).

That said though, companies do it because it can be quite effective. And although it's incredibly annoying stuff, I really can't go along with the application of the word "malicious" to it simply because I've never heard anyone even consider an intent to "harm others or to see others suffer". That's not even a part of the equation. The people ordering up the campaigns are just squirrels looking for a nut, just like the rest of us.

[Buccaneer]

Two things that shock me from reading this: 1) people actually pick up the phone from a unknown caller (this ain't the 1930's, kids) and 2) people actually believe the federal govt's no call list if effective. We are not on that list and we get (according to my wife), no more than 12 such calls a year (there are more effective ways than trusting the federal bureaucracy).

And yes, I despise telemarketers, just like I despise advertisers, public relations and salespeople.

[JonInMiddleGA]

no more than 12 such calls a year

Let me hazard a few guesses here ... few/no credit cards, no mortgage, no major purchases on credit of any kind, pay cash for most purchases, no magazine subscriptions, never fill out a rebate form that requires a phone number, never do any online registration that requires a phone number (at least not with a real number), no shopper cards (i.e. the little Kroger keychain thingy), never submit a product warranty card with a phone number, and quite possibly not registered to vote/do not vote regularly.

I despise telemarketers ... and salespeople.

That last one kind of had me scratching my head. Granted here my first thought was more about sales "clerks" (ala a department store or whatever) rather than sales "people" (such as a car salesman) but at some point most goods & services do require someone on the other end to complete the transaction. Or do you make your own clothes too?

[KWhit]

Are you kidding? Telemarketing companies don't have staffing problems. If 10 people quit all at once, that's called Tuesday. When 20 people come in to fill an application, that's called Wednesday.

That's just not true. Call center attrition is a huge problem for companies today. They are spending millions of dollars to hire people who will stay in the job longer than 30 days. And they're spending millions more training all of the newbies.

[Buccaneer]

Let me hazard a few guesses here ... few/no credit cards, no mortgage, no major purchases on credit of any kind, pay cash for most purchases, no magazine subscriptions, never fill out a rebate form that requires a phone number, never do any online registration that requires a phone number (at least not with a real number), no shopper cards (i.e. the little Kroger keychain thingy), never submit a product warranty card with a phone number, and quite possibly not registered to vote/do not vote regularly.

No. Qwest's No Soliciting service apparently blocks 99.9% of such calls. But to answer each one: yes, no, yes, no, yes, yes, yes (phone numbers are almost always optional in such cases), no, never and yes. But you should see the junk we receive through the mail (nearly all credit cards and mortgage shit). In fact, I'll forward them to you. :)


That last one kind of had me scratching my head. Granted here my first thought was more about sales "clerks" (ala a department store or whatever) rather than sales "people" (such as a car salesman) but at some point most goods & services do require someone on the other end to complete the transaction. Or do you make your own clothes too?

I had originally typed "salesmen" but thought that was not PC. I am specifically referring to those pushing you to buy something you don't need, shouldn't buy or adds to more wasteful consumerism; not those simply completing the transaction. Besides, I had a bad experience a long time ago with selling.

[Aylmar]

That's just not true. Call center attrition is a huge problem for companies today. They are spending millions of dollars to hire people who will stay in the job longer than 30 days. And they're spending millions more training all of the newbies.

When I think of this problem, though, I think of incoming call centers. Front line support and things of that nature, where there usually is a decent level of training required before you can be effective at your job. In that case, yes, attrition is a huge issue. For telemarketing shops, though, where it's all outgoing, I think it's much less of a concern.

[Julio Riddols]

What happens the first time we watch Kathy Griffin get shouted at until she cries? Do we rejoice in a telemarketer getting what she deserves, or do we feel empathy for what Pumpy must be going through?

Herein lies the quandary of the reality TV watcher. It is a question not of right or wrong, but of the soul.

[KWhit]

When I think of this problem, though, I think of incoming call centers. Front line support and things of that nature, where there usually is a decent level of training required before you can be effective at your job. In that case, yes, attrition is a huge issue. For telemarketing shops, though, where it's all outgoing, I think it's much less of a concern.

It is a bigger problem with call centers that have a long period for initial training, that is true. But it still costs the companies money to hire people and get them trained.

[Rizon]

Well, I'll be damned: I got a letter from a research company that calls me every night apologizing for disturbing me with their phone call. And they sent me two bucks in cash.

[thesloppy]

Well, I'll be damned: I got a letter from a research company that calls me every night apologizing for disturbing me with their phone call. And they sent me two bucks in cash.

Like actual dollar bills? That's a novel business strategy.

[lighthousekeeper]

how did i get involved

http://www.sigmamusic.com/pp.png

[Schmidty]

http://www.sigmamusic.com/pp.png

Look!!!! An orb!!!! It's the ghost of one of the telemarketers that killed themself because of Kodos!!!!!

[rkmsuf]

oh shi

well done!

[Kodos]

Mission accomplished.

[Pumpy Tudors]

welp

[Lorena]

AHAHAHAAHAHA, great job lighthousekeeper :D :D

[Crim]

mucho lols

[sterlingice]

I missed this originally but I need to pass along the props to lighthousekeeper.

SI