Talk about rude!

[Alfie]

I am over telemarketers. Particularly the ones who have 'randomly selected' you to get you a cheap holiday.

STM- Sucky telemarketer
Me- Annoyed, but trying to be polite.

Cue hold music when I answer the phone
Me- Hello?
STM- Hi, you have been randomly selected to be able to get a heavily discounted holiday at *beach nearby*.
Me- Thanks, but I'm not interested.
STM- *very rude tone* How can you not be interested when you haven't heard what I have to offer yet?
Me- Umm... Please don't be rude. I've told you I'm not interested. I understand that you need to sell things, but I'm not interested.
STM- Thank you.

Argh! Is it really my responsibility to tell them that the only holidays I have is when I visit to go overseas to see my dad? Or that the only time pretty much any member of my family goes on a holiday is to visit my dad? Or should I tell her how I am too busy to have a holiday, or that I can't afford a holiday. Does she really need to know my life's story before she can accept that really, I'm NOT interested. I try to be polite to them, I have even had to tell some TMs that "I'm trying to be polite here". I am not saying that they shouldn't do their job, go ahead, just take no as an answer, and don't try to make me justify why I don't want a holiday. Oh, and don't ask me to ask my family or friends if they want a holiday... It's your job to pester them, not mine.

[Rapscallion]

Okies folks - threads like this can get very heated. Keep it to the telesales who can't keep a civil tongue in their heads, please. Several people here have worked or still work in the telesales business, so don't attack each other.

Rapscallion

[powerboy]

If they get rude with me first, when I tell them I am not interested, then I get a little rude back to them.

[draftermatt]

I cannot stand the hold music crap when I pick up. I almost always hang up. I'm on the "No call" list, so I only get calls from charities looking for money and stuff like that. If they don't let off after one "I'm not interested" or "I have no money to give right now" I just hang up.

They don't need to know my finicial situation. And frankly they'll start out asking for say $100 I say I can't give anything and they keep trying! I've had them damn near begging me for $15. That's why I just hang up anymore.

You would think they would know to stop calling when I have never given money. But they always call back. One of these days I'm going to say

"Look, I'm in the hole over $100K when you count my house, and when you don't I'm still in debt. I work 60+ hours every week, my wife works and goes to nursing school, why would I give money to you?"

[Alfie]

Oh I'm definately not having a go at telemarketers. I just think her approach was a bit off. I don't understand why I would have needed to explain to her my life's story to tell her why I don't want a holiday. I have had a fair few telemarketers who have accepted that I'm not interested the first time I told them. I'm sure someone appreciates being offered cheap holidays, just not me. I really hope noone thought that I was having a go at telemarketers altogether.

[Rapscallion]

Not really you per se - it's just one of those topics that gets generally heated, and we've had to close a few threads of this sort. I hate having to do that.

We've got fratching.com if you ever need to scream and rave about anything - it's safe over there.

Rapscallion

[kibbles]

It's telemarketers like this that make it increasingly hard for those just trying to do their jobs honestly.

[NightAngel]

"Look, I'm in the hole over $100K when you count my house, and when you don't I'm still in debt. I work 60+ hours every week, my wife works and goes to nursing school, why would I give money to you?"

I was born and raised in a very poor/in debt family. While my family has nothing against giving to or doing things for charity- my Grandfather always said, "Charity starts at home- which means my family eats first."

[BookstoreEscapee]

I think the best thing to do is say, "I'm not interested, thank you," and then if they press it, just say, "I'm really not interested, please take me off your call list, thank you" and then hang up. There's no reason to prolong the conversation. You are not obligated to answer their questions as to why.

ps If you say anything along the lines of "I can't afford a vacation," that just gives them an opening to point out how cheap their offer is ;)

[Heksubah]

I have had a fair few telemarketers who have accepted that I'm not interested the first time I told them.

One thing to watch out for, and I'm not saying you didn't, I'm just saying this so that everyone is aware and so that people aren't inadvertantly rude to someone who is stuck working in the sort of hellhole I once was... some telemarketers are forced to the three try rule. They have to get three refusals before they are allowed to disconnect. If they aren't told no three times they cannot hang up. And THEN, when they are told no three times they have to give an 800 number to show that they at least gave some sort of effort so that the person, if they had hang-up remorse, can call back.

I hated that job. But yeah... sometimes if you say no and they keep pressing, that's why. Try just saying no politely a couple times more and see if they let it go easily and that may be the case. When I was there I didn't try and press it after the third time. I hated that job, I just counted the times I heard no, thanked them, read the number, and disconnected after saying goodbye. It could have been my termination otherwise.

[myswtghst]

It's definitely a bit of a touchy subject. Heck, I get crap from people over the phones when they've either called me, or requested that I call them. :p And I completely understand that telemarketers are usually required to not take no for an answer in order to keep their jobs, so I always try to be polite. As long as they're polite, I don't mind, although with the advent of call ID, I rarely pick up the phone for telemarketers anyways.

Thank goodness I only have a cell, and am on the no call list. The only calls I get like that are from my alma mater, which calls me from time to time asking for donations. I donated once, when I first graduated, towards new labs in the building I spent all my time in while there. Since then, I always just simply say I can't afford to make any size contribution at this time, and leave it at that. I tend to prefer to seek out opportunities to donate. *shrugs*

[BookstoreEscapee]

When my school calls to ask to donate to the Annual Fund (as it's called) I just tell them that I will but to please just send me the paperwork. I don't like to pledge money over the phone. When I get the card, then I will decide how much I can afford.

I recently got the invite to my 10 year reunion, with all the cost info for the dinner/hotel. Not a week later I got a letter asking for donations to the Annual Fund, including a sheet of school-logo address labels. I wonder how much of my money is being spent on address labels (for the record, I have at least 2 other sheets of them in my desk, as well). I have enough address labels from the World Wildlife Fund and Easter Seals and whoever else, not to mention what's left of the roll that I actually bought myself years ago! :rolleyes:

[Jester]

I only have my cell, and if I don't recognize your number (i.e., if it doesn't come up as someone in my address book or it isn't a number that I know, like an alternate number from work), I don't answer. If it isn't a telemarketer, they can leave a message. If it is, well, off to the Voice Mail Jungle for you. Say hi to Consuela while you're there!

But a few years ago I had an interesting conversation with a telemarketer.

I was home, we still had a home (land line) number, and was in a jaunty mood, and the phone rang. And of course it was a telemarketer telling me about a "great vacation opportunity" I had just "won." (Translation: they still wanted me to pay for this or that, of course.) But it got funnier.

TM: "You've just won an all expense paid [yeah right] trip to Swanky Resort in Key West, Florida, Mr. Jester!"
JESTER: "Um, ma'am? That resort is just down the road from me."
TM [thrown off balance]: "What do you mean?"
JESTER: "I LIVE in Key West, Florida. Swanky Resort is literally just around the corner from me. I could WALK there in about five minutes or so."
TM: "Yes, but wouldn't it be nice to STAY there with [lists all their luxuries] ?"
JESTER [going along for the moment] "And how would this work?"
TM [back on track with the script] "Well, we'd fly you from your nearest airport to Miami and then Key West..."
JESTER: "You'd fly me from Key West to Miami to Key West? Again, I LIVE in Key West, ma'am."
TM: "...."
JESTER: "I appreciate your effort, but at this point, it is just too funny. You have a nice day."
TM: "You too, Mr. Jester."

I gave her credit for trying, but that was just too funny. :lol: