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Re: LOL (Reply to this comment)
by matty61184
Well, I telemarketed for over 9 months, and I can sum it up in two words, IT SUCKS! Why would you defend something that 90 percent of people hate? I HATED the work I did, and am sad to say I was a telemarketer. The money may be ok w/ commission and all, but it's not worth it for the stress and long hours. I hated the environment, the bosses were pricks, and half the people in the places telemarketing are just plain disgusting. Go right ahead, defend your loyal telemarketers. Also, why do you stereotype all of your friends as flipping burgers? There is a large variety of jobs for teenagers. I work at a grocery store making pretty good money. I totally agree with the telemarketing hate that floats around. I feel they are wasting MY time, and you don't think us people playing the pranks on YOU so called highly "intelligent" telemarketers don't already know you are thinking "what kind of an idiot is this person." We aren't the ones sitting in the sweatshop harassing innocent people. Thank GOD for caller ID, because any unknown numbers that come up aren't answered, and the preference service has removed all my information. Hope you've found a better job by now!
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Jul 05 '01
10:00 pm PDT
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My Attacks (Reply to this comment)
by Destinys-Child
I have two different ploys I use while at home.
1. I get them to stay on the phone as long as possible and then when they ask, "So can I sign you Up?" I reply "No I was just wasting your time". Twice I have had the person on the other end swear at me and hang up.
2. If the caller is female I will simply keep repeating "What are you wearing" til they hang up. One thing I have leanrned from this technique is be careful if your girlfriend is around, she will begin wondering.
I personally think that telemarketers are a scab on the face of humanity. They are typically lazy people who think they can make money by sitting on thier butts and harrassing people at home or at work. My response to any telemarketers is to get a real job if you can't handle it.
As for the tip on asking them to take you off thier list, that never works because your name will simply be on the next list they buy. Also in Mass. it is illegal to use any type of autodialer, yet for some reason they all get away with it.
Great Review.
Destinys-Child
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Apr 16 '01
9:48 am PDT
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Updated comment! (Reply to this comment)
by _Cassandra_
Sorry I said brilliant so many times. Heh.
Well today I have a report to make. I tried the Guerilla Anti- Telemarketing techniques for the first time! I had a BALL!
I got this guy from a roof restoration company which call me, on average, once every 2 months. I decided, right, I will give it a go, I will be an activist against this scourge! So I kept doing what I was doing (installing some RAM into my PC) and chatting away pleasantly and being given the spiel. It didn't really waste much time, as I kept asking him to hang on while I reached for things. I wasn't quite up to being rude or putting the phone down, so I tried the distraction tack. I got talking to this guy about all kinds of stuff - turns out his girlfriend studies in the same department at college as me, all through the conversation I was also spelling out to him what I was doing right now (ack, there's so much dust! Ooo hang on, I just have to put this screw in). It was SO much fun. I am still giggling about it now. I must have kept him on the line for about 25 minutes. Then he decided he should get his supervisor over (maybe he smelled a rat!) and he put ME on hold so I hung up! The supervisor tried to ring me back but I was already on the phone to a friend (to get some help with updating my BIOS) and giggled madly wondering if they'd leave a message. Hah! They didn't! Actually, as soon as the guy realised I was a student he kindof cooled off. SO a tip: don't let them know you have no money!!! They may never call me back now!!! (chuckle - now would that be a bad thing, I wonder?)
Heh. Okay. I also have to reply to nickgraham - seriously, this isn't (as far as I interpret it) an attack against individual telemarketers - if anything it's something which may potentially free those who accept employment in such an insidious industry as advertising to actually do something which is better for the body and mind. Maybe. With the advent and hugely growing success of viral marketing techniques, there will be less focus on telemarketing/direct advertising anyway, and advertising will be more and more insidious and hard to recognise (erk!). But in regards to the activism here, I think I made not only my day, but this particular telemarketers day by being friendly and talkative. I sympathise with how thankless the job must be with people resenting the interruption to their day.
So thankyou green! I had a fun time today and will be practising your fine techniques in future.
Cheers!
Cass
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Nov 09 '00
2:21 am PST
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Re: I refuse to rate this (Reply to this comment)
by green
Nick-
I would like to clairfy a couple of points. First that when I refer to these people I do not mean the telemarketers themselves but the companies that use this as a marketing strategy.
While I generally think that people should treat each other with respect and civility, in the case of telemarketing there is an exception. Because the nature of telemarketing is to exploit this tendency towards politness, one can reasonably assume that continuing the polite strategy of "Sorry I am not interested please take my name off your list" does not help to end the nusiance of telemarketing.
One such manner is making the profession of telemarketing unpleasant, thus reducing the supply of willing workers. This will raise the pay of the profession while lowering the profits of the telemarketing organization. It will benefit the individual in the form of additional pay as long as they can stick with the profession. You also stated that the telemarketer should not be held accountable.
I apologize if these techniques offend you. However, there is one fact: Most people, especially those who have not worked as telemarketers, find telemarketing one of the more annoying parts of their everyday lives. It only seems right that this practice is curtailed. I am completely open to any suggestions that you may have that will better reduce profitablity of telemarketing.
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Nov 07 '00
7:15 pm PST
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I refuse to rate this (Reply to this comment)
by nickgraham
"These people" are just trying to make a living, same as any other person. Having been a telemarketer, I can tell you that we do not get our jollies by calling you in the middle of dinner, or getting you out of bed at night. 99.9% of the time, the computer we are stationed at dials a number on our list (which the people on the phone have no control over) and then the information is displayed on the screen in front of us.
If you want to "fight" telemarketers, simply let the person on the end of the phone read their script, then kindly request to be taken off of the calling list when they stop to ask a question. By law in all fifty states (I don't know for other countries) you have to be removed, and most telemarketing firms will do so gladly.
Your advice to be rude to telemarketers appalls me. There is no cause for rudeness</b; the people on the phone are simply trying to make a living. Next time a telemarketer calls you, imagine yourself in his or her position, being hung up on rudely by people who have read articles like this and take their advice to heart.
Really, man, grow up.
Nick
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Nov 04 '00
6:44 pm PST
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Very nice (Reply to this comment)
by RdeCassia
Love the guerrilla tactics. They are trained to keep talking until you either buy or hang up, so your suggestions will definitely throw a wrench into the works. Personally I just stick with, as soon as I figure out that it's a telemarketer, saying very sweetly, "I'm not interested but thank you for calling goodbye," without letting them get a word in edgewise, then hang up. That way I cover my bases as far as politeness and I still avoid wasting time -- they always seem to call at 8 in the morning just as I'm trying to get out the door to work, ya know? But sometime when I have extra time I will try some of your ideas.
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Nov 04 '00
5:20 am PST
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Re: Brilliant. (Reply to this comment)
by green
It's funny I've never really been called an activist before, most of the time people call me things that would not be appropriate to write on the site.
Nonetheless I am really glad that you liked the ed. and I hope that you and yours have as much fun stiking it to these telemarketing folk as me and mine.
Thanks for the props, however next time you comment on one of my reviews try to keep it down to one or two brilliants per comment. As after reading I found it difficult to fit my head through the doorframe.
But really, Thanks a lot. It is really encouraging to see that there are some people out there in this strange social fabric of keystrokes and pixels that really care.
If you keep up the good work I promise to do the same.
Thanks again,
green
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Oct 17 '00
1:38 pm PDT
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Brilliant. (Reply to this comment)
by _Cassandra_
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
This one will go on my list of favourite editorials ever. There's some things you just want *everyone* to read. This is activism at it's best, plus you have a sense of humour.
Cheers,
Cass
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Oct 15 '00
10:17 pm PDT
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