From personal experience, I can tell you that the best thing to do when a telemarketer calls you is to hang up, it made my life so much easier!! It was my job to keep asking our prospects at least like 5 times and it wasn’t until then that I could put them as “not interested.” I hated doing it but my bosses would listen in our calls and if we didn’t follow procedure, we were putting our jobs at risk.

It was a horrible job, but making around 11/hour as a college student was pretty attractive at the time. Then again, I was calling to raise funds for the school so it wasn’t exactly the same but a similar concept though.

The bottom line is, people are rude, because the vast majority of telemarketers will NOT listen to what we say. They will do everything in their power to keep you on the line, and often the only solution is to be rude and/or simply hang up. I can not think of a single instance where a response of “I’m sorry, I’m not interested.” was met with an answer of “I understand. Thank you for your time.” It’s usually some continuation of the spiel, followed by me interrupting and hanging up. After enough times, I don’t even bother with the first part, but just state that I’m not interested and hang up. After a while, I got fast enough to recognize the delay of the call being switched through to an agent and hung up before anything was even said. The fact is, my time and activities are valuable to me, and you just took one and interrupted another.

Don’t blame the rude people; blame the people that trained them to be rude. And the fact is, there’s a reason the Do Not Call registry was created. Clearly there was a problem with the system, and it was not with the people getting called.

No kidding. You people never seem to STOP CALLING ME.

>2) They are people too. Just because you can’t see
> them, or they’re from India, doesn’t mean they’re not
> people. They do their job for the same reason you do
>yours.

There’s one big difference: MY JOB ISN’T ILLEGAL. In my frame of reference, there’s nothing separating you from a drug dealer or a prostitute. You’re still breaking the law, and you have zero concern about the rights of the people you’re trampling on. So no, you deserve no courtesy from me.

>3) Don’t just hang up and say “not interested”. With
> the centre I worked at, we had about 30 different
> ways to disposition a call. One of them was “Not
> interested before script”. That means you get a
> call-back, because hey, how do you REALLY know you’re
> not interested if you didn’t listen? (the company’s
> perspective, not the employees’). Hang-up ? Ditto.

You know perfectly well I don’t want any more of your calls. You PURPOSELY set me up for more as a result? Then you prove my point, because you’re exactly the kind of scum I’m pissed off at.

>4) Do not tell the person that the contact is dead
>unless they really are! I worked for Bell Canada. If
>you tell a Bell Canada rep that the contact is dead,
> their account may be cancelled. Not a good idea.

Then Bell Canada is a bunch of a******* for letting their subscribers be hassled by their own employees. Getting people’s accounts cancelled just proves once again that you’re a scumbag who has no respect for the people you’ve been hired to piss off.

>5) Stop pinning the blame on the person doing the
> calling. If the COMPANY is using the wrong list, then
> it is the COMPANY’S fault. We don’t pick our calling
> list. Heck, we didn’t even dial the number. The
> computer did it for us. So stop pretending that we
> know you’re on the Do Not Call list. Say you are,
>politely, and file a report. Don’t take it out on the
> person who is making $10 an hour to put up with your
> crap.

1. Nobody forced you to take the job. If your employer asks you to break the law, then YOU are a criminal. I don’t care how much you’re paid to do it. If you get told often enough that people like me who are on the do-not-call list are being called, STOP and find out why. Don’t hide behind the B.S. excuse of “but I’m just doing my job!” Take some responsibility for YOUR actions.

I worked as a telemarketer for 2 months. It pays a couple dollars higher than minimum wage, and I’m a self-supporting student who doesn’t qualify for loans due to my parents making too much. I suppose there are other jobs out there, but with a recent job shortage, they were hard to come by for a college student. I did what I had to to keep going through school.

I ended up having to stop after spending untold amounts of time in the doctor’s office with various symptoms. Headache, nausea, anxiety, exhaustion. All caused by… you guessed it! Work-related stress!

Every day I went in for 9 hours a day. I would sit in my grey cubicle and place calls. I tried to sound pleasant. I tried to be polite. I was friendly. Time after time people would abuse me. I got shouted at, cursed at, called names, blamed for all the wrongdoings of Bell Canada (which are numerous) and just generally mistreated. But it didn’t stop there!

Because of my wish to be polite, I wouldn’t push. I would back off after one “No”. Then, my supervisor would tell me off and threaten my job because I wasn’t trying hard enough.

If someone was nice and polite to me, I’d find a way to change their services around to give them a better deal (believe it or not, it is possible! You’ll never know if you don’t hear us out!). At the very least, I’d make sure they were dispositioned so they don’t receive any more calls. The rude ones? I’d set a call-back date and time, usually around 6 pm.

Just some tips for dealing with telemarketers:

1) You are not creative and witty. Asking us for our home phone number so you can call us at dinner? We’ve heard it all before, many times. Oh, and I worked from 11-9 every day, so good luck reaching me at dinner-time. We have heard every trick in the book, and your funny accent or putting down the phone and walking away don’t work.

2) They are people too. Just because you can’t see them, or they’re from India, doesn’t mean they’re not people. They do their job for the same reason you do yours.

3) Don’t just hang up and say “not interested”. With the centre I worked at, we had about 30 different ways to disposition a call. One of them was “Not interested before script”. That means you get a call-back, because hey, how do you REALLY know you’re not interested if you didn’t listen? (the company’s perspective, not the employees’). Hang-up ? Ditto.

4) Do not tell the person that the contact is dead unless they really are! I worked for Bell Canada. If you tell a Bell Canada rep that the contact is dead, their account may be cancelled. Not a good idea.

5) Stop pinning the blame on the person doing the calling. If the COMPANY is using the wrong list, then it is the COMPANY’S fault. We don’t pick our calling list. Heck, we didn’t even dial the number. The computer did it for us. So stop pretending that we know you’re on the Do Not Call list. Say you are, politely, and file a report. Don’t take it out on the person who is making $10 an hour to put up with your crap.

Oh, and in Canada at least if you have a working business relationship with the company, they are within their rights to call you.

I deal with telemarketers at home. I am on the Canadian Do Not Call list. I get the occasional one who slips through the cracks. Do I yell at them? No. I get the agent’s name and the name of the company, and I report it to the government.

[...] Get Rich Slowly has a good piece about telemarketers and how to deal with them. Hanging up is many people’s preferred method, but if you want to make sure John from EZCredit4U doesn’t call you again, you need to have a little conversation with them, and it wouldn’t hurt to put your number on the federal Do-Not-Call List. GRS has the script and the link to do both. [...]

I only took the job till something better came along then I finally told my ex boss to fuck himself, kiss the blackest part of my ass, and I quit. Ironically it was two days before my birthday so I considered it the best damn gift I ever gave myself.

I have my first “real” job at a retail store. The two previous jobs I’ve had were “student helper” jobs, which I automatically got just because I was a High School Student who needed a job.

As for the “get a new job” comments, I’m sure the telemarketer is looking into it, but it can take a while. The job market isn’t so great right now (at least, not for where I live), and so they may be telemarketing in the meantime in an attempt to make ends meet.

As to the person who asks if businesses hang up on all the people asking if they’re hiring: I wish businesses *would* hang up (or at least be honest) when they aren’t hiring. I hate it when businesses tell me that they’re “hiring year ’round,” when it’s rather obvious that they aren’t (unless they’re a really shitty employer).

I figure if they claim to be hiring year ’round, they’re likely just throwing away my application when they aren’t hiring at all. Or worse, sticking it in the “call if desperate” pile.

Just tell me you aren’t hiring. It won’t make me think anything less of you or your company. I’ll ask when you are planning on hiring next, and then apply then. Therefore, you don’t have to waste your time filing away an application you aren’t going to read, and I don’t have to fill in an application for a job that I’m not going to get.

As for the political calls: I agree. I despises these, and I wish they were on the do not call list. I think I’ll try doing that * whatever call back thing in November, when I’m sure to get a lot of calls.

If I really cared about who was running to fuck up the country for the next four years, I’d read about it. DUH! Even if I couldn’t afford the ‘net, I could easily read the Newspaper. It’s only 50¢ around town, and 25¢ if I go to the local college campus to get it.

I am on the DNC list, however, the woman who had my telephone number OVER 15 YEARS AGO apparently is still on many of these people’s lists and they call asking for her.

When I do answer the phone (during PMS is a fun time to do it) and it’s a telemarketer I’ll say I’m not interested and hang up.

I feel that I’m actually doing the poor slob on the other end a favor by allowing him to go on to someone else who, and don’t start laughing, might be interested in his spiel.

I’m on the do-not-call list. Have been for years, and yes… I’m still current. It doesn’t stop these jerks. And I’m sorry, but if you’re VIOLATING THE LAW by calling me and you know it (as evidenced by the fact that they’ll hang up on your if you ask identifying information), you DESERVE whatever crap you get from the people you call. I don’t care how down-on-your-luck you are… if it’s illegal, don’t take the job.

Lastly, debt collectors are not telemarketers. They’re not marketing anything, they’re collecting a debt. Ergo, much of the discussion for this posting does not apply.

#1 Pay your bills. On time. This may require
1a getting organized
1b spending less overall
#2 Close accounts that you do not currently use.
#3 Order your credit reports yearly. Make sure everything is current and accurate.

Guess what? Since learing these little skills 10-12 years ago I haven’t had a single call from a debtor. Try it, you might like it.

i act interested.

then they discover my 17-year old car has 330,000 miles.

No problem getting them off the phone then.

But if everyone did this, it would get very difficult for telemarketing to remain a viable business model.

And I am saying this as someone who worked as a telemarketer in college, and was eventually promoted to a management level.

[...] Get Rich Slowly shows us a great way to deal with telemarketers! [...]

Also, asking to be removed from other lists the company might have is totally useless. They do not have access to those lists. Usually, these are minimum wager college kids, trust me, you don’t want them to have access! So they will say okay just to get off the phone with you, but they won’t do anything but take you off the list they are calling off of at the moment (which a ‘no thank you plus hangup’ will do just as well). Sometimes, if it large company they are calling for, there may be a 1-80 number you can call to get off other lists.

So, what is the best way to handle these calls? ne of two scripts.

1) I’m sorry, we do not accept pone solicitations. Please remove me from your list. Hang up.

2) I’m sorry, we do not accept pone solicitations. Please remove me from your list. Does your company have a 1-800 number I might call to get off other lists? Thank you. Hang up.

That really is the best way. Don’t play games, don’t let your blood pressure boil, just thank your lucky stars you are not so financially desperate that you have to be in their shoes to earn your bread, then ask to be taken off the list and hang up. Simple simple.

Placing your number on the Do Not Call list is a good idea and will stop most cold calls.

The company I used to work for purchased leads (your name and info) for between $200-$400 a pop- because they buy them from companies like…..Monster! As well as many other employment web sites.

When you apply for jobs on these sites your disclose copious, detailed, personal information about yourself and your financial status. These companies in turn sell this information to telemarketers.

These are the ones that will call you all the time for weeks or even months at a time, because their boss paid $300 bucks for your number and they know the info’s right.

It’s not just employment web sites either……

Many of these companies will not take you off their list if you just hang up. Tell them nicely to take you off their call list and maybe remind them that they can be charged up to $11,000 by the FCC if they call again and you choose to report them…

I look forward to telemarketing calls- I am a practicing actor, and I like to develop accents, personas, etc. I use these calls as an opportunity to act a certain role- aka, one of my favorites, the barely understanding indian (from india, I love the accent, as I listen to a lot of depak chopra)- I pretend that I am interested in whatever they sell, but I rephrase what they say to indicate I wouldn’t have to pay, ever- for example:

“Sir, we are offering a free trip with a membership to our Auto service.”

“Why that is wonderful! Phenominal! Please sign me up for the free trip and free limosine service! Have I won a contest?”

“No, sir, you have won a free trip, with our auto service, may I sign you up?”

“Yes, Yes, please sign me up now!”

“Would you like Las Vegas or Florida?”

“Please I would like to visit my relatives in New York!”

“Sir, it’s only Las Vegas or Florida”

“I will go to florida and use your free limo to go to New York! Imagine their faces!”

“Ok, sir, I’m going to need your credit card number and home address”

“Please, yes!”

silence

“Sir…”

“Yes! Do you have my confirmation?”

“Sir I need your credit card number…”

“What is that?”

“A Credit card? Sir, It’s a VISA, Mastercard…”

“Oh, I need a work visa? Why, do you intend to employ me?”

“No Sir…”

And on and On, and On. I see how long I can keep them on the phone, they always think they are getting closer to closing the deal, I always wave it just beyond reach….

Funny, I used to have a lot of fun doing this, however word must have gotten out. They never call anymore.

I was amazed at the number of people who would help us this way. We paid for their parking but that was all.

A different era… These days a SWAT team would probably show up at the center.

“Did you know the gorilla’s loose?”

The silence on the other end is priceless!

I’m-Sorry-I’m-not-interested-please-put-us-
on-your-do-not-call-list-and-don’t-ever-call-
again-thanks-bye.

Takes a second, makes a token nod toward politeness, tries to capitalize on the DNC registry’s existence.

Although, given what I’ve just read, my armchair economic take is that I need to degrade the efficiency of the callers. I also see a moral impetus: every minute on the phone is 2 or 3 customers (including gullible little old ladies) that won’t get a sales call. Maybe I’ll go back to saying ‘uh-huh’ a few times each minute until they hang up.

What I wouldn’t give for a telephone butler device that did just that: push a button and it goes to work muttering nocommital noise for a while, then saying ‘um, hold on a second…. ok, I’m back. What were you saying’, then ‘wow’ and ‘mmm’ a few times more, then repeating. Oh, and for fun, the device should take messages if a 4-digit code is entered and keep track of the longest telephone call, just so I could enjoy setting a new record…

I was a telemarketer for my univ asking for donations from alumni. Since I was calling alumni, I still got mostly polite responses – people still care some about their alma mater. And I hated the job. But I had to take it. There were no other jobs that summer on the campus.

And there is nothing wrong with being polite without being angry. It takes all of 5 seconds to cut off a telemarketer and say you are not interested – politey but firmly. Most of the ones I encounter give up at that point. Maybe some try to counter with a couple of questions. Again polite but firm negations just work fine.

The ones who persist after that are the ones really cocky or passionate about telemarketing. And they are the ones who get get burnt at my end of the phone line.

Cmon guys, have a heart, they are just trying to get food on the table for their families. Only a handful feel cocky to make a career out of telemarketing.

… to tell them I was on the DO NOT CALL LIST and to put me on their NO CONTACT list.

And secondly to go throught each place we did business with (since they are exempt from the DNC list) (Comcast etc) and call their customer service number and asked to have no phone calls (or no mail also if you wish).

We also seem to be on some kind of senior sucker (scammer) list so we use the voice mail to screen calls occaisionally as they seem come in batches. We use: http://800notes.com/
and also
http://whocalled.us/
to check out those numbers.

I haven’t gotten around to it yet but someone mentioned above you can put the 3 tone sound file at the beginning of your outgoing message. Do a google search for “sit.wav” —I recently read you really only need the first of the 3 tones but I dont have a way to chop the file myself. That is my next thing to work on.

One that I get regularly is from my internet provider. They are a cable company and they sell a “triple play” plan, but we only have internet with them because we don’t like land line phones (don’t need them) and don’t have a TV.

The time before last they called me at work they wanted to tell me about how their cable was better than satellite that “I currently have”, so I had to explain to her that we don’t have satellite. So, she asked “how do you watch tv” and I’m like, “well, sweety we don’t have a TV.” And that takes a while to sink in, so now its kind of fun because I’m expanding her mind a little. “How do you get news and entertainment?” “Well, honey we get internet service from you and then we can read news on the web and buy music and movies from the iTunes store and watch them on the computer, but we are pretty busy and don’t have a lot of time for TV. Plus we have a small baby and new studies are showing that seeing images on screens is not that good for babies, so we like to error on the side of caution and not have her watch TV or movies until she’s at least three or four.” And then we have a conversation about her sister’s kids and whether they are watching too much TV and if it might have caused one of them to develop autism. (I’m not sure – I think the definitive data is yet to be determined on that.)

The last time they called it was a different lady and she pushed the fact that I could get internet in addition to cable and phone in her opening pitch. So, I said, “Well, honey we already have internet service with you.” and then she hung up.

I don’t get a chance to call women honey other than my wife or daughters in real life very much.