I work for a company that employs telemarketers as a small part of our overall sales. We hate them just as much as everybody else does. A telemarketer will say anything, promise everything, just to make a sale. Makes not the least difference whether we can do it or not. Promise installation at a time or on a day that we have no installers working? No problem. Our usual promotions are about as flexible as wet spaghetti, so it’s really quite an accomplishment for a telemarketer to sell a package that we just cannot honor. They manage. We pick up the pieces. The telemarketing group is an independent contractor, so we just can’t introduce them to Mr. Leadpipe. I haven’t listened to the recording yet. But, whatever it is, it’s way too nice. There may be some honest telemarketers somewhere. I say, “Kill ‘em all and let Ghod sort them out.”
Many, many years ago, I was a telemarketer, and trust me - you didn’t stray from the script and it had to be legal - our companies were Fortune 500 companies who had attorneys monitoring our calls. Some of you think its cute to say nasty things to telemarketers, but believe me, for some women with children, with only a high school education, it is sometimes the only option they have in a weak economy. They were working and earning a pay check which kept them off the welfare roles, which so many of you bitch about. Believe it or not, they got paid fairly well - so, from the sounds of those in this thread, they haven’t a clue what they are talking about. And, no, we were NOT allowed to say anything or promise anything to make a sale. We were monitored daily and if we promised something or made outrageous statements, our butts were out the door. Don’t know what kind of things your telemarketers were doing, but they sound like they were giving the legitimate companies a bad name.
Most of the time the callers don’t even use basic phone courtesy & identify themselves after I say “hello?”
It’s “Is (resident’s name) there?”
I reply, “Who is this?” or “Who’s calling, please?”
Especially when I’m visiting my ninetysomething Mom, there’s always surprised silence & a pause when the caller hears a male voice.
And the dinner time calls..... My wife has a hearing loss so she doesn’t know what’s up when I throw down my napkin, jump up, yell “Leave us alone, you morons!!” & storm into the kitchen to answer the phone. As they tell me who they are (after I ask), I say “Not interested, thank you!” & hang up.
Now...if it’s the NRA, I politely say “I’m a life member, thank you.” & end the call. I am, BTW.
If it’s the RNC I tell them that as a conservative who is not a Republican, I won’t give one thin dime until they return to their Reaganite roots. Thank you (click).