Telemarketrs, Just Stupid!

I worked at a call center and have a lot of experience making those annoying phone calls. Here's the deal though...if no one answers your phone number stays on our list and the computers will continue to call it when it comes up. If your answering machine picks up the call is coded as "answering machine" and your number will stay in the system as well. The only way to get your phone number out of the computer system is to answer it in person. (if you aren't listed on the national do not call list). When you do answer, we are required to talk to you. Regulations do vary some depending on the call center and the company we are calling for. Generally though we MUST give you 3 chances to change your mind. This is why conversations are similar to what you described. ex: #1 "Would you be interested in product X" no #2 "This is a really good offer, are you sure?" no #3 "I'd like to offer you an alternative.." no Then they can say "Thank you for your time" etc and allow you to hang up. Where I worked we HAD to hear no 3 times or risk losing our jobs. Calls really are monitored so our supervisors knew if we were following protocol or not. Another thing is that regardless of how you're reaction, we are required to end the call with a specific closing. Even if you've just yelled at us, we must say this verbatim. We can not end the call until this closing has been said IN FULL and YOU have ended the call. These are things required not just by companies but also by LAW. If you really, truly don't have time to listen, don't get annoyed. Just say no one time and SAY do not call again, then immediately hang up. If you just say no once and hang up we may be required to call again until we get 3 no's in one phone call. If you tell us not to call again, we can code it to remove your number from the list. However remember that depending on the volume at the call center it could take a few days to process your request. The best thing to do is listen patiently. Say no thank you after each of the offers, when they request a reason why it's not because their being nosy, it's a requirement. Once you are certain you've replied no 3 times, tell them you do not want to be called again, allow them to inform you of the waiting period for updating the list (if they don't get to inform you of this they can't make it official), then politely hang up. They still have to sit there and state the closing so don't get mad if they stay on your line after you've hung up. It's required and again not saying it or performing any of the other requirements risks their job. Another tip while I'm at it: DO NOT use air horns or other extremely loud noises to get rid of them. Most are wearing headsets and you could cause damage to their ear drums doing this (I saw this happen). No matter how long you do it they CAN NOT hang up on you. Thank you for starting this discussion. I hope I've been able to answer your questions and helped you understand things from "the other side of the sales call".

There was but one incident where a bank agent called to ask if I wanted to buy an insurance. I said I already had one and I am not involved in any risky jobs like POliceforce, firemen, army. The joker said " But you may just have an accident soon, so why dun you buy it now" I told him offf and reported his rudeness to the management and I never heard from him again. That was plain rude and negativity mongering. Hated that.

My most messed up expeirence is when someone was trying to enter me in a contest. It was through credit cards which I don't have. It went something like this, and keep in mind I was in one of those kinds of moods. HIM: Do you have any hobbies? ME: No. HIM: Do you like sports? ME: Nope. HIM: You don't like basketball, baseball, or anything like that? ME: Basketballand baseball are sports? When did that happen? WOW that totally changes my asnwer. If I had know they were sports I would have answered yes. It went on till I said I didn't want the magazines they were trying to sell me to enter me in the contest. He then said some legal stuff faster then I could understand but I did hear I wasn't entered. Now that was a big surprise.

I reall hate telemarketers. I'v found that if you bring it their attention that your phone number is listed on the do not call list that the'll hanga up asap and not call back.

i usually give it to them left-right-centre... so they don't call again...

yeah i know whatcha mean i absolutely hate when the newspaper keeps calling and u tell them no and then they call the next day and the next and next it aint no lie either, but oh well what can u do

I can't stand these people. First off, they are always calling me at a worse possible time where I finally get to the point and tell them either call back or sorry not interested and just hang up on them. Just yesterday a bill collector had called me and questioned me about my employment. Like what's it his affair?

well when telemarketers dont get an answer, your number gets thrown back into the system. its jsut a computer that pulls numbers from a certain pool of numbers. you could get called 3 times a day if it gets pulled. It just happens. and the reason they keep pushing is because a higher up person is listening in and it is a RULE that you have to push 3 times at least. if they dont...they get in trouble. Trust me, i was a telemarketer and i hated having to push and push. after a while, i stopped and got in trouble alot.

Call and register (free), I did and my calls were down from these people 98%! http://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

I thought I was lucky to only have a cell phone and I don't get telemarketers phone calls. But I did join one of the survey sites and started filling out some offers. Little did I know that my cell-phone number was being passed on to every thing under the sun from them. Today I answered 23 of these phone calls then I turned it off and got 8 messages and 4 text messages within 2 hours of the turn off. I had to go back and unsubscribe at this survey site. I also let them know why. I know they are just doing their job but it sure is annoying. Now I'm answering with "not interested" and hanging up before they say anything. Some even have the gaul to call again.

I used to receive calls from hotel membership departments and they would always ask me to provide my credit card numbers for them to process payment. I was like " I did not even say yes". They went "oh, ok...wld u like to take it up" I replied that I would decline their offer and ask them to remove my name from the calling list. But I made a new friend out of the call, the lady over the other line was a kindly woman who also spoke to me about Life and I wish her well.

Hello, I joined the National Do Not Call List years ago and have not received any telemarketing calls since then. One person responded mentioning "donotcall.org", well they failed to mention that it will cost you $20.00 to register. If you goto www.ftc.gov/donotcall/ it's free and this is the original National Do Not Call List. Good Luck

Man I just went through this myself. A telemarketer was calling at 1 in the morning and I just slammed down the phone. Pure evil...Pure evil.

I was getting so many of those calls that I stopped answering my phone. It was just so infuriating. I know they have a job to do, but it is so invasive. If I want something, I will go out and find it. I don't need someone pointing out that there is a newspaper in town. Now I have to screen all my calls. I let the answer machine take care of it. Telemarketers don't leave messages, so you no its them when they hang up when the recording starts.

They are usually working getting paid for what they sell so they are very dissapointed to say the least. I do not feel any reason to be rude at them, i just tell them I am not interested and hang up. Here in sweden we can join a group for free wich puts a block at our nuber and with this block they are not allowed to call. they have to update their register once a month so it works fine here =)

offcourse u r right coz they r just horrible in the sense that they never care r u in some work or busy in meeting .they just do there duty of calling n harassing peoples.

that's strange eh? I also got telemarketers calling about newspapers and I told them no we don't need newspapers we have internet news and TV LOL they actually asked me whether I was employed and at the time I was. They asked if people at my workplace read newspapers then I said yes, the obituaries hehehe because if we work in the office there is always internet connection where we can read world and local news anyway. she sounded upset and hung up, what can I say?

UGH I hate that! They don't take no for an answer! Even if i say no thank you they try to keep me on the phone for 30 minutes trying to offer me something else. What is it with these people?

I've also been annoyed by telemarketers who keep calling me. It's bad when they call me at the most inconvenient times for example when I am having an important discussion and they call me on my handphone. It's disrupting. So these days I don't pick up calls unless I recognize the number. On the regular phone there's no caller ID, so if I happen to pick up a telemarketer's call, I'd say "Thanks, I'm not keen", then hang up immediately. I don't give them the chance to go on and on about what they want to sell.

yes they r my favorite ones are the ones who either call at dinner or at bed time. I remeber one that called and wanted money for something and I said no plz take me off the list, she said well can't u send a small amount I finally told her what part of no don't u understand and hung up. I don't get calls anymore go to donotcall.org and sign up your phone numbers it's the national do not call registry. it takes 30 days for calls to stop but if after 30 days u get calls u can go there and file a complaint. it works too!!!!