Telemarketers

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Abue
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Telemarketers

Postby Abue » Thu Jan 30, 2003 5:20 pm

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030130/ts_nm/telecoms_telemarketers_dc_4

Quote from the link above:

<B>"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Telemarketers went to court on Wednesday
in an attempt to stop the U.S. government from setting up a proposed "do
not call" list that would help consumers block unwanted sales calls." </B>

All telemarketers should burn in hell. I am tired of getting called while eating dinner. I am tired of using my modem and getting booted. I am tired of picking up the phone hoping it is someone I want to talk to just to find out they want to sell me a new Morgage or siding. This group claims that it is there freedom of speech "RIGHT" to call me even though I don't want them to. That is like saying I have the right to bare arms so I can shoot the fuckers when they call me. Neither argument should be allowed to float in court. I hope they fail in there attempt to stop this. Let the telemarketers get a new job. Train them as nurses or something. There is a shortage of them. There are just way to many telemarketers and lawyers then there should be.
Yadir
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Postby Yadir » Thu Jan 30, 2003 6:13 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Abue:
I am tired of using my modem and getting booted. </font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Did you know that you can turn off call waiting? (put it in your modem's dial string) In most areas if you dial #70 or *70 before you dial your number you will turn off call waiting for that call. I'm assuming that is the reason your modem drops.

You can also use your answering machine to screen calls/delete you from the automated dialers that telemarketers use. See the following link:

http://home.attbi.com/~dakine/defeat.htm

I hate telemarketers too. :P

Yadir
vezasee
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Postby vezasee » Thu Jan 30, 2003 6:21 pm

NO One knows better than a telemarketer that we're mot wanted, but some of us have little other choice. I've been a telemarketer and I hate the job, but with little other skills and no money to go back to school and learn a real proffesion or even a trade I don't have much other choice. In my experience telemarketers hate bothering you. I have never met a caller that felt good about what they do whether it be soliciting charitable donations or selling newspaper subscibtions. I've tried to find other work and nothing lasts so back to telemarketing I have to go. I'm always shocked by the hard sale tactics I'm told I must use, and by the abuse heaped on me and the people I work with.
As for the do not call lists, Canada has them if you say do not call me the company is obliged not to call for 3 to 5 years. I know it seems like very little but there it is.
I'm not a bad person and I don't feel that I should burn in hell for trying to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate. I don't like working during dinner and never seeing my friends. I don't like being told to f**k off and screamed at by the people I'm obligated to call. I don't like leaving work in tears. I don't like the shit money that I make. I don't like being treated like I am the lowest form of slime to ever dare walk on your fair earth. I don't like the hand to mouth existence that means I can never save money to got back to school and better myself.
I hate telemarketing but I don't have any other choice.
thanuk
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Postby thanuk » Thu Jan 30, 2003 6:33 pm

Vezasee -

I hear where your coming from, and i have a suggestion for you. There are other kinds of telemarketers, the kind that work for stock brokers. They make solicited phone calls, to people who actually want to hear what you have to say, and get a portion of the proceeds in their salary. They also get an opportunity to study and take the series 7 exam, which would allow them to one day become a broker themselves. If you can be a telemarketer, you can do this, and there is ample room for advancement, without the problems you experience at your current job. Its rough work, im sorry anyone has to do it.

Telemarketers should not burn in hell. The guy who thought of telemarketing should.


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Thanuk Pantherclaw

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Gurns
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Postby Gurns » Fri Jan 31, 2003 12:31 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by thanuk:
There are other kinds of telemarketers, the kind that work for stock brokers. They make solicited phone calls</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
My brother did this for a while. Unfortunately, he was expected to make "cold calls" on a regular basis, it was part of his job. And part of his job performance was judged on how many new clients he got. Telemarketing, wearing a suit. So I think it depends on where you work.
Ashiwi
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Postby Ashiwi » Fri Jan 31, 2003 12:46 am

Most telemarketers don't bother me too much, and I field their calls all day at work since my building is listed with the chamber of commerce. If they ask for the owner of the building or somebody in charge I ask if it's a sales call, depending on the answer I tell them very politely that we don't take sales calls and give them the opportunity to bow out gracefully. The ones I can't stand are the ones that don't take "no" for an answer (and yes, I know they're not supposed to, but I even taught my children better than that), and those are the ones who get told to not ever call back then get hung up on. I really do try to be polite, since I know the person on the other end is just trying to make a living, but I firmly believe that if I could strangle every snothead who got pissy with me because I didn't want to sit on the telephone listening to their spiel, when I have work to do, the world would be a much better place.
Sarvis
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Postby Sarvis » Fri Jan 31, 2003 3:35 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by vezasee:
<B>NO One knows better than a telemarketer that we're mot wanted, but some of us have little other choice. I've been a telemarketer and I hate the job, but with little other skills and no money to go back to school and learn a real proffesion or even a trade I don't have much other choice. In my experience telemarketers hate bothering you. I have never met a caller that felt good about what they do whether it be soliciting charitable donations or selling newspaper subscibtions. I've tried to find other work and nothing lasts so back to telemarketing I have to go. I'm always shocked by the hard sale tactics I'm told I must use, and by the abuse heaped on me and the people I work with.
As for the do not call lists, Canada has them if you say do not call me the company is obliged not to call for 3 to 5 years. I know it seems like very little but there it is.
I'm not a bad person and I don't feel that I should burn in hell for trying to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate. I don't like working during dinner and never seeing my friends. I don't like being told to f**k off and screamed at by the people I'm obligated to call. I don't like leaving work in tears. I don't like the shit money that I make. I don't like being treated like I am the lowest form of slime to ever dare walk on your fair earth. I don't like the hand to mouth existence that means I can never save money to got back to school and better myself.
I hate telemarketing but I don't have any other choice. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, that's why I only lasted a week doing a similar job. I wasn't actually selling anything, I just needed customers of a bank to take a survey... If the person wasn't there we were supposed to leave a message, and one guy actually called back... to yell at me. I could have understanded calling back to request being removed from the list... but to call someone just to _yell_ at them? Some people deserve telemarketing. Image

That said, there are a few other jobs which don't require any skill and pay better than minimum. Could become a Security Guard... same pay I got as a phone research guy (8$/hr) but you don't get bitched at by everyone you talk to. Management varies depending on what site you get, my last one sucked... but my first one was great. :shrug:



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Llaaldara
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Postby Llaaldara » Fri Jan 31, 2003 3:50 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by vezasee:
I hate telemarketing but I don't have any other choice. </font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Two words, Food Services.

Or

Most Blockbusters, or similar chain stores, higher people who can work a schedule that changes week to week. It's how I got highered, and they offer a pretty good benefits package for a crap job.

Or

UPS is always highering people to unload and load trucks. Usually starts at $8/hr and you get benefits and a weekly paycheck. Everytime you train for something else you get another raise, plus a yearly raise of 50 cents an hour or something. Teamsters did good making UPS jobs actually worth it. In less then a year you could be making $9.50/hr, or even $1,300 or so a month as a part-time supervisor. I love my friends who work for UPS, they are always in great shape! Mmmmmmmmmmmm Lick!

There are a lot of things out there you could do instead of telemarketing which are a lot less stressful on you and require didly in forms of schooling.

G'luk!

-LL
Abue
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Postby Abue » Fri Jan 31, 2003 1:05 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by vezasee:
<B>NO One knows better than a telemarketer that we're mot wanted, but some of us have little other choice.
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I hear your plight but that doesn't change the fact that Telemarketing needs to be phased out as a common business practice. It invades privacy, it is not a constitutional right and it is hated by most Americans. As stated in my original post I just laugh at the lawyers attempts to say this is protected form of speech. There is a huge difference between protecting ones right to go out in public forum and say "Bush is an incompetent idiot and needs to step down so Bob Doles wife can become president" and the constant harrisment of the American public by vicious telemarketers. There are a lot of other good reasons allow a way for consumers to escape the constant bombardment of solicitation calls and I will not name them off now. As far as you having no other choise... that is not quite accurate but it is something that should be delt with along with the phasing out of telemarketing. There are quite a few areas/professions that are in a major shortage. Nursing and health care is one of them. It would be very prudent for any government action to limit telemarketing to include some kind of retraining assistance to displaced workers. I also like to say that I personally spent most of my life as an unskilled worker. Yet here I am ... somehow made it through college paying for most of it working $5 per hour jobs. Even now I have to work a second job picking out horse stalls to make ends meet. Yes I am a professional shit picker upper. This I can tell you though, I will not call you at home while your trying to eat. I will not call you at home just as your baby falls a sleep and wake her up after she cryed for a couple of hours straight. I just want to be left alone.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2"><B>
I'm not a bad person and I don't feel that I should burn in hell for trying to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You may be a nice person at home, but when your telemarketing your an evil person. A lot of telemarketing schemes are not to far off from phone fraud these days. I suggest exploring other possibilities because most Americans feel the way I do about being called at night. I would expect that telemarketing will only take more additional hits against it then these do not call lists that have been popping up.


Yadir,
I know about those things. The problem is that I get phone service through QWEST. QWEST does not believe in decent service. They do not offer that service along with many others to my area. I won't get into my feelings about the monoply known as QWEST because that is probably another post topic in its self.
moritheil
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Postby moritheil » Fri Jan 31, 2003 4:15 pm

Happiness is mandatory, citizens!

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Gerad
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Postby Gerad » Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:02 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by vezasee:
<B>NO One knows better than a telemarketer that we're mot wanted, but some of us have little other choice. I've been a telemarketer and I hate the job, but with little other skills and no money to go back to school and learn a real proffesion or even a trade I don't have much other choice. In my experience telemarketers hate bothering you. I have never met a caller that felt good about what they do whether it be soliciting charitable donations or selling newspaper subscibtions. I've tried to find other work and nothing lasts so back to telemarketing I have to go. I'm always shocked by the hard sale tactics I'm told I must use, and by the abuse heaped on me and the people I work with.
As for the do not call lists, Canada has them if you say do not call me the company is obliged not to call for 3 to 5 years. I know it seems like very little but there it is.
I'm not a bad person and I don't feel that I should burn in hell for trying to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate. I don't like working during dinner and never seeing my friends. I don't like being told to f**k off and screamed at by the people I'm obligated to call. I don't like leaving work in tears. I don't like the shit money that I make. I don't like being treated like I am the lowest form of slime to ever dare walk on your fair earth. I don't like the hand to mouth existence that means I can never save money to got back to school and better myself.
I hate telemarketing but I don't have any other choice. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ive done telephone market research, and I know how it goes, man. Ive also worked in 3 different call-centers, and in one of them, all I did was call people to make sure they got their telephone books ok, and even some of THEM screamed at me and got upset. Most of them were cool, but there are always a few nasty people.

People dont seem to realize, that the person on the other end of the phone, is a real person Image

Amen brotha,

-Gerad

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<I>Living and dieing, Laughing and crying,
One you have seen it you will never be the same-
Life in the fast lane is just how it seems,
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Gurns
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Postby Gurns » Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:08 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by moritheil:
<B>Happiness is mandatory, citizens!
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Except when it's prohibited.
Daz
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Postby Daz » Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:46 pm

On the flip side of phone bitches - you have technical support.

you call in, and we KNOW you hate us, we KNOW you want to abuse us, we KNOW that you probably don't want to be on the phone.

we also KNOW that you wouldn't have called if you didn't need us. that puts us in a LOT of power. i can, and have refused to help someone because they got an attitude. 15 dollars an hour to sit and listen to 20 people a day gripe about our services is about as far as it goes. the ideal call goes 'hi, my name is joe smoe, i live here. i have insertOS here and a rca cable modem. when i try this this or this, i get this. here are other identifying clues to help you solve the problem.'

this doesn't happen. but still, you get the idea. get a job where you are in that kind of power, and exact your revenge on the uneducated masses.

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Ragorn
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Postby Ragorn » Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:59 pm

Wow, listen to yourselves.

"When you're at work, you're evil."

Can you imagine doing what you have to do to feed yourself and your family, working a shit job you hate just to have someone tell you they don't like being bothered during dinner and you should find another line of work? Let alone being told you're evil? Let alone being the butt of hundreds of websites which laughingly tell people how they can get back at you for doing your job?

If you get a telemarketing call, politely decline. Twice if you have to. A reasonable telemarketer will thank you and hang up. That's their job, to push you until it's clear you're not going to be interested, then move onto the next call. There's no profit in spending 40 minutes convincing one person to buy a product. There's no reason to scream into the phone or fart into it or ask for the telemarketer's home phone number so you can call them back at midnight. Chances are, they want to be cold calling far less than you want to be called.

If you get somebody who's an ass and won't stop trying to hard sell you, hang up the phone. Their job is to sell product, not to harass you. If you make it impossible for them to sell to you, they will not spend their resources trying.

Imagine the number of five-minute calls a telemarketer makes in a day. Averaging six minutes a call on inbound calls, I average 65 calls a day. Now imagine what percentage of those people are going to be rude or offensive when they're called. 10%? 25? 50? Even if 10% of the people you call are rude, you're still dealing with 6 or 7 people A DAY who are yelling at you for doing your job.

Enjoy if you went to work every day and 6 people called you an ass for doing what you're supposed to do.

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- Ragorn
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Sarvis
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Postby Sarvis » Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:03 pm

Yeah yeah... but what about collections people? It's ok to be rude to them right? Image

I actually am being rude to them lately, but only because they are calling me daily at 9am over a matter of 13$ that _they_ perceive as past due. They got a payment on time, but weren't satisfied with that... bastards.

------------------
Every problem in the universe can be solved by finding the right long-haired prettyboy and beating the crap out of him.

"...it was not terribly difficult or scary unless you were a perhaps an adorable kitten and not a seasoned gamer." - Tycho, describing Panzer Dragoon Orta
Keka
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I feel bad for telemarketters.

Postby Keka » Sat Feb 01, 2003 3:37 pm

I don't think any telemarketers go into work thinking "this is my dream job". It's a way to pay their bills.

My sister met and married a man from overseas and now they're back home in Canada. He's a very nice, soft spoken, well manerred and well educated man, but because of his being new, and this being a very slow economy right now, his only means for making money is telemaretting. He gets all the F**K YOU!!!'s and flames, and dreads going into work, but he has to for now.

I think people forget that telemarketers are people too, and they also have feelings just like everyone else. I think it's hard enough having to do such a tough and nerve-wracking job without being threatened or flamed everyday. I know I wouldn't have the strength to do it.

I don't mind telemarketters... what I mind is if they can't take no for an answer. There's a difference.

If you're not interested in what they're calling about, just say so... if you don't want to be contacted again.. let them know to take you off their list... It's simple and considerate...

besides.. if my brother in law calls you up and asks you to buy a newspaper subscription and you threaten him.. I'll come kick yer ass!!! j/k

Keka

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