Any telemarketers in here?

[aurelemsrealm]

I've just recently accepted a job as a telemarketer. The base pay is more per hour than was my previous job at a convenience store. Plus, I can make commission once I meet quota each week. I work better hours, weekdays and every other Saturday. At the c-store, I worked evenings and most every weekend that I didn't request to have off. It's odd to think that I've accepted a job as a telemarketer considering that I'm a person who really doesn't like to bother with talking on the phone most of the time unless I have a specific reason for being on the phone. Also, I always dreaded bothering with pesky telemarketers and other such solicitors calling my home phone. I was never necessarily rude to them, but I usually just told them that I'm not interested and don't have time to talk even if I was just lounging around the house.

I start my first full week of calls this week. Last week was training week. I made calls Thursday afternoon and Friday. I'm not sure what to think about it, but I'm making my best effort. The thing is that there are so many rude jackasses who become downright hateful and vulgar with their attacks. I'm not even talking about people who simply hang up or say they're not interested and then hang up. I'm talking about people who cuss you out, scream like maniacs, and tell you to drop dead just because you called them as part of your job. So far, I'm taking it in stride, I think partly because I don't have to deal with them face-to-face. At the store, I was pretty quick to put many of the jackasses in their place when they got to acting out of line.

Anyway, any advice or observations from other telemarketers?

[napoleana]

I don't know if you're from the US, but, if not, here we have a "Don't Call List." (Other countries may have it; I don't know.) Anyone who complains (specifically a couple family members) about being called "all times of the day and night" just gets glared at by me, and I'm sure they yell at or are rude to the poor people on the other end! It's not the telemarketer's fault you're too lazy to get on the list that everyone and their grandma has heard of. Of course, if you point it out to them, it's always "I don't know the number," "I don't have the time," or "I shouldn't have to."

*sigh* Even worse are those who complain about repetitive calls. Last I heard, if you told someone to take you off their list, they were legally obligated to do so.

Yes, it's annoying to get random solicitations on the phone, but if you don't say you don't want it, you're practically saying you do want it.

[LadyAndreca]

I just have the same advice I give everyone in a job where you're likely to find angry customers--they are not angry at YOU, but at your company, or telemarketers in general. Try not to take things personally and you'll be fine.

For those exceptionally sucky people...remember that you have the power to have them ridiculed by people from all over the world! In fact, we enjoy doing so.

[JustADude]

My advise, as a former telemarketer, is find somewhere else soon. Not being able to handle verbal abuse is a good reason to leave a job, and if you've got phone experience you can get a place at an inbound call center pretty easily.

[Jewels]

When I was a telemarketer, the dark twisted and evil side of me loved it when people would flip out and yell and scream at me about how they didn't want to hear what I had to say...but yet refused to hang up. We had a rule that you had to go through 3 different screens of script before you could end the call...and the further you went the more upset the person became.

My advice....just have fun with it.

[Boozy]

I don't understand why they wouldn't just hang up.

When I get a solicitation call, I just hang up. I don't even say I'm not interested. Just click.

My husband says its rude, but I figure it just saves everyone time. These callers are often on commission. I get them off the phone with me pronto and then they can make the next call.

[Fawn]

I only worked telemarketing once and I quit after a week. I would make a fairly large quota in that one week and yet I didn't call enough people apparently. Why does it matter if people are buying it? URG!

My dad does the *sorry not interested and puts the phone down* thing. I just listen to what the person says, wait for them to stop, tell them I'm not interested and hang up.

In some cases I've had the PUSHiest people. Thats probably why telemarketing has such a bad name (other then calling at supper time). Twice this lady called. She had a strong accent and I could barely tell wtf she was saying anyways. She wouldn't stop at all in the script and instantly assumed I was going to sign up. I said no and then just before I go hang up she goes into this tirade of why I have to get this and why its better then the other stuff.. etc... etc... I never hang up on people mid sentence, but that person drove me batty!! *click*

I don't understand how people go into a verbally abusive rant whenever telemarketers call. It is there job and unless your being provoked (ie. like above situation), then I don't see a reason.

Maybe when someone starts doing that, you should just apologize for calling and thank them for the time. Then hang up on them.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Unless you tell them specifically "Do not call this number again, put me on your do-not-call list" , they can and will call you back.

Saying that you are not interested does not count.

[Shabo]

Unless you tell them specifically "Do not call this number again, put me on your do-not-call list" , they can and will call you back.

Saying that you are not interested does not count.

Technically they can call you two more times before you can sue them for harassment, which sucks, but there you go.

There is also a do not call registry, and it's up to the companies to check and see what numbers are on that list. However, non-profits and charities are still allowed to call you, but at least it protects you from like 9 out of 10 solicitation calls.

The company might ask for a really large number of sales from their employees because of the cost of purchasing the list of numbers they have. If they narrow down a list to get a specific demographic of people, they can pay several thousand up to a million for that list, depending on how picky they get when narrowing down the list of numbers. Then, if you think about how many people actually buy things, it is a very small return on a rather large investment.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

"Technically they can call you two more times before you can sue them for harassment, which sucks, but there you go."

Actually, I'm almost dead certain that legally they cannot call at all you once you tell them not to. You can sue them for one violation per call after telling them. However, the likelihood that you will win probably won't be great until after multiple calls.

However, if they call multiple times after youtell them, say 2 or three times or more, the judge may decide their behavior is "harrassing" and then double or even triple what you can sue them for.

(Yes, I've actually successfully sued a company for violations of the TCPA. I knew more about telemarketing law than the company's brillcream-smelling lawyer did.)

[Shabo]

Perhaps with telemarketers, this holds true, but usually when you ask to be put on their do not call list, they say some stupid crap about how they might call you once before that list gets updated. I've never had that happen, but at least they warn you. And you can always hang up on them. I know it's rude, but unless I'm in the mood to screw with them, I don't even say "Hello" twice. Sometimes they call back two or three times in a day, and I really don't even want to talk to them.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

"Perhaps with telemarketers, this holds true, but usually when you ask to be put on their do not call list, they say some stupid crap about how they might call you once before that list gets updated."

Yeah, they always say that, but that's their problem, not mine. There is nothing in the actual law that gives them any leeway on that, so it sure didn't help the company I sued.

That was several years ago, so it's quite possible that the law's been updated to allow for time for them to update their lists. But at the time, it didn't, and I took full advantage of that.

What I found interesting at the time is the sheer number of telemarketing firms who's employees were completely untrained in the TCPA. I mean, most of them had never even heard of it.

Which was amazing to me, because at the time, having a telemarketing employee making calls without knowledge of said law was, in itself, a violation that could earn them increased fines and lawsuits.

[Boozy]

...having a telemarketing employee making calls without knowledge of said law was, in itself, a violation that could earn them increased fines and lawsuits.

And its unfair to the telemarketing employees, the vast majority of whom would never want to be breaking the law. And who shouldn't be exposed to the wrath of someone who's been called repeatedly due to incompetent or unscrupulous management.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Exactly. I always thought it was grossly unfair to put a person on the phones without training them in the rules according to Federal law.

But you know what? Most of the employers were equally ignorant. That has probably changed with the mainstream use of the National Do Not Call Registry, I'm guessing.

[Starlord]

We have been on the DO NOT CALL list since the beginning. However, I suspect when you tell a telemarketer that, they just shrug, hang up and never tell anyone, so when your number comes up for the next person, they don't know that instructions were given not to call again. Take a call center with a hundred telemarketers, and you can play that game forever, because people leave and are replaced, and that gives a new batch to call the victim again and again. Unless you provide evidence greater than your handwritten list of calls (you can't) then no one will do anything. No wonder we get nasty when you want to sell us vinyl siding for our mobile home. We keep getting calls from an outfit called Crystal Vision, but no one ever comes on, the call just hangs up. Go figure.