Impatient Telemarketers

[Depot Denizen]

One part of my job at the Depot is to route calls to the business director of the Depot. We give no one his direct line, so we get telemarketers who call us up wanting to talk to him. Now, his last name can be very hard to pronounce if you haven't heard it before. It's a bit of a litmus test to to be able to talk to him. If you can pronounce his last name, usually that means you're ok. When I forward a call to him I never do a blind transfer, I get their name and their company first, and ask him if he knows who this person/company is.

Anyhoo. We've had the folks come up and just say "firstname" when I greet them. When I say, "No, this is "Depot Denizen" they say, "firstname there?" Gets old real quick. I had one guy call up, who was definitely outsourced, wanting to talk to him. He was reluctant to give me his name, and his company. Then I asked him what the company was about. It was for a product we already have a contract for, so we didn't want their schlock, and told them we didn't want to talk to them, and promptly hung up.

A minute later, he calls up again wanting to talk to "firstname". I tell them we already said we didn't want their product, and he stammers, "But he talked to me yesterday!" to which I reply, "No, you didn't. Don't call us again." Hung up again, and this time he didn't call back.

[JLRodgers]

Just last night we had another telemarketer call (we only have two, one trying to give us a $1500 loan, another for "credit card" something). Now if we weren't on the "do not call list" (I checked, we're still on it), it wouldn't annoy me so much.

Both places use an auto dialer with computer -- and I can never catch their name. Anyway, last night the credit card one called, and I pressed for a rep (since I wanted to know who they were!)

The guy said "so you want to (something) your credit cards?"
"No, just wondered who your company was, and how you got out number since we're on the do not call list"
The guy replied "Oh god I'm so sorry man, I've been getting this a lot today. It's my first day here, I don't know what the hells going on. So sorry. if you give me your number I'll be sure to take it off"

I kind of felt bad for the guy.... either he's a good actor, or he was getting nailed a lot by people with the same problem.

Last time I told them not to call (oh yes, there were others), the rep hung up on me mid-sentence!

[Shangri-laschild]

Just last night we had another telemarketer call (we only have two, one trying to give us a $1500 loan, another for "credit card" something). Now if we weren't on the "do not call list" (I checked, we're still on it), it wouldn't annoy me so much.

The guy replied "Oh god I'm so sorry man, I've been getting this a lot today. It's my first day here, I don't know what the hells going on. So sorry. if you give me your number I'll be sure to take it off"

Poor guy. Yeah, I added my main number to the do not call list but about 100 phone number ring straight to me if you're trying to call from outside so it makes it hard to add all the numbers.

[Eric the Grey]

I once asked a telemarketer what company he worked for... On the fourth rephrasing of the question he hung up.

I was actually annoyed. How rude.

In the US it's illegal, but most TM's don't seem to care. Once you ask them the name of their company, they hang up. My personal belief (which *could* be wrong) is that they are well aware that they are breaking the law and hang up to avoid having to deal with someone.

If you can get the name of the company, you can report them. Of course, that only helps if they are US based. . .

You do realise that some of our board's members are or were in that particular job? You do realise that they don't do it because they want to irritate people?

Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to do to keep the roof over your head and food on your children's plates.

Rapscallion

Rap, while I don't wish any harm to those who have to work these jobs, the entire telemarketing industry needs to die and go away. The make money on pestering people at home when they are trying to do other things (like have dinner). The do not call list was established to give us a way to avoid these calls, and the companies in question ignore them and they've given us zero reason to think kindly about them.

I'm sorry for anyone here who has to do telemarketing. I pray you can find a better form of employment soon.



Eric the Grey

[Misanthropical]

I got a call today that went to the answering machine that was a recording of some guy saying how important it was that I call their 800 number and it wasn't a sales call, so call RIGHT NOW! and tell the operator that I'm calling for item 999.

Yeah, right, I'm just going to call up a random number that I have no clue why they are calling and ask for an item that I also have no idea about. I don't think so.

[Rapscallion]

Rap, while I don't wish any harm to those who have to work these jobs, the entire telemarketing industry needs to die and go away. The make money on pestering people at home when they are trying to do other things (like have dinner). The do not call list was established to give us a way to avoid these calls, and the companies in question ignore them and they've given us zero reason to think kindly about them.

Aye, but that level of debate is for Fratching. I happen to agree that the industry should go, but on an individual basis - such as the member of this board - I have a duty of care. I will not condone actions that would hurt members of this board.

Rapscallion

[Shangri-laschild]

Rap, while I don't wish any harm to those who have to work these jobs, the entire telemarketing industry needs to die and go away.

I don't mind them calling. Especially since sometimes they honestly have been working with the person they ask for and so it's not unwanted from that person. Just wish they wouldn't hang up after I've gone to the trouble of looking the number up (which if they aren't in the main directory can take a minute). *shrug* most of them are pretty nice actually.

[MadMike]

I had one that hung up on me after I politely told them I wasn't interested. I didn't yell, didn't get rude, just politely declined. Go figure.

[Geek King]

I had one that hung up on me after I politely told them I wasn't interested. I didn't yell, didn't get rude, just politely declined. Go figure.

That's great, as long as they take no for an answer, I'm more than happy to be pleasant. Its the ones that refuse to give up after I've told them I don't commit to anything over the phone that get me irritated. If I can't get a copy of the agreement in writting before I commit, I'm sure not going to trust you with my money.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

It takes a big, clanking pair to call a stranger at random and then hang up them like that because YOU don't want YOUR time wasted.

[kibbles]

It takes a big, clanking pair to call a stranger at random and then hang up them like that because YOU don't want YOUR time wasted.

I don't think it takes a big clanking pair since the person is only doing their job, and after so long on the phone it is probably figured the person is not coming back. A telemarketer cannot spend the full night on one call waiting for someone who isn't coming back.

It's not being wasting their time, it's about them doing their jobs.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, why even ask if they can speak to so and so then, if they don't have time for that person to come to the phone? The OP said (the way I understand it) they hang up while the person they asked for is being sought.

[kibbles]

If they hang up right away, then ITA they aren't doing their job and are not being patient. Usually a five minute wait is acceptable (IMO of course); but, telemarketers who are doing their job do wait for the person at least for a little while.

Sorry I misunderstood your post

[Shangri-laschild]

If they hang up right away, then ITA they aren't doing their job and are not being patient. Usually a five minute wait is acceptable (IMO of course); but, telemarketers who are doing their job do wait for the person at least for a little while.

Sorry I misunderstood your post

not a problem. I don't mind all that much if they hang up after it's been a while. Fair enough. It is slightly irritating because it means that I've been spending all that time trying to find information for them and now it's for nothing but I get it. It just perplexes me when they hang up right away.