My Time as a Telemarketer

[Kogo Shuko]

Funniest one was "no, sorry, Barry won't come to the phone and talk to you. He won't talk to anyone with an Irish accent," that happened to one of my co-workers. One of the single most bizzarley... I dunno what to call it. Racist? Xenophobic? Anyway, wierdest insult/no ever heard working that job.

As a telemarketer from Canada calling th States, I found out that Americans are sometimes prejudice to french people.

My last name is French, and I had people hang up on me because of that.. I also had a fellow coworker who had a really thick French accent. She was hung up on way too many times... so they stuck her on only Canadian clients.

[draftermatt]

I don't hate anyone. If the phone rings while I'm eating dinner and I don't recognize the number on the caller ID then I don't answer.

Anymore I just say "I'm not interested thank-you" and hang up. I used to wait for a reply but I got too many of "Well sir, if you'd" nope not interested.

I did have a telemarketer who was succesful once. She was calling from the phone company about a package I wanted to switch to anyway so she switched me.

That said, I hate getting calls for charities and political parties. Charities because I have no money to give them right now (and I wouldn't do so over the phone anyway) and they make me feel guilty. Political parties because they just spew and spew.

I once had a call for my father, told them he wasn't available, so they started in on getting me to give them money. They never asked if I was a member of the same party. (I am, but they never did bother to ask)

Oh, and there are fake jobs out there that pay real money? Sweet sign me up, this job is killing me, and I'd love a fake one that pays the bills.

[AdminAssistant]

As a telemarketer from Canada calling th States, I found out that Americans are sometimes prejudice to french people.

Because the French are all liberal, bleeding heart babykillers who are leading the whole world down a path to HELL!!!! (/sarcasm)



I don't get it either. When everyone starting calling French Fries "Freedom Fries"...that was just too much for me...(And they're Belgian, people...Belgian!)

But back on the topic at hand, my Dad was a farmer, so we got a TON of survey calls from various agri companies. But nowadays...just put your phone number on the DNC list. No biggie. And I love how people complain about getting called during 'dinnertime'. What time is that? 5-7? 6-8? 7-9? Hell, I don't eat dinner till 8 or 9.

[Golden Phoenix]

Wow, I'm really hated (Well, not me personally but you know what i mean)

I'm an:
-Ex Cashier
-Ex Telesales for loans. (Double dose of suck)
-Current Collections Agent.

All three jobs were "real" jobs and were to fund my studies at university. I hated it when people would get mad at me, especially in the collections job.

I'm telecollections, so basically people call our callcentre and set up an arrangement to pay, we try to help as best we can but if a customer just won't stop shouting there's litle we can do, and 90% of the time it's something so simple like they didn't set up a new account when they moved in to the house or that they simply hadn't paid. (and those were always the ones who shouted most)

P.s The telesales job was a soul-crushing job and i'm never going back even if it's my only option.

[StarSong]

I was a telemarketer for about three days when I was desperate for money. It was for a charity and I had to call people at work (ack!) and read from a really cheesy script. I had to start out by saying "someone you know has accused you of having a big heart!" I once got an angry gas station owner who said, "Well, they lied to you. I have a very small heart. I hate children and puppies." I have to admit, that one made me chuckle.

[Umingmaq]

We've been on the Do Not Call list for a few years now. It is routinely ignored, and I do report violations when I can. I did become moderately (OK, insanely) irate when one sleazemeister told me that the DNC list had lapsed, but usually we just give them our script: "I'm sorry, we don't take any telephone solicitations at all."

[Ironclad Alibi]

One of my favorite movies is Glengarry Glen Ross. It is a mystery movie involving a real estate sales office. On the DVD is a feature about telemarketers. After watching the special feature, my attitude toward telemarketers changed. Some people can only do that type of job as they cannot function in a normal job or workplace. Not that I like them any better, I just think differently of them.

[Pagan]

I just don't have the huevos to do a job like telemarketing. I've got pretty thick skin, but not that thick. My hat's off to those of you out there that do have these jobs. Which I'm sure that everybody here realizes is just as real and valid a job as anything else!

I don't hate anyone. If the phone rings while I'm eating dinner and I don't recognize the number on the caller ID then I don't answer.

That's exactly why my answering machine is always on. If it's someone I want to talk to, I'll pick up.

Political parties because they just spew and spew.

On the last presidential election day, I counted somewhere around 60 calls. I felt so special. Gov Richardson called me (or King Bill, as some of us call him)....several times. Joy. Sen Jeff, Rep Udall. I'm expecting it to be especially bad this year as Sen Domenici is retiring and there's a lot of shuffling going on in the state because of it.

Because the French are all liberal, bleeding heart babykillers who are leading the whole world down a path to HELL!!!! (/sarcasm)

My favorite is "cheese-eating surrender monkeys"! And I'm saying this as a person with a BA in Frech and actually does like the country.

I did become moderately (OK, insanely) irate when one sleazemeister told me that the DNC list had lapsed,

Which is an out-and-out lie.

[kibbles]

One of my favorite movies is [URL="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/"] Some people can only do that type of job as they cannot function in a normal job or workplace. Not that I like them any better, I just think differently of them.

Some people also take a job as a telemarketer because they genuinely like their job, it does not necessarily mean it's because they can't function in other jobs. And telemarketing, like cashier, like debt collector, etc. are all normal jobs and normal workplaces.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Some people also take a job as a telemarketer because they genuinely like their job, it does not necessarily mean it's because they can't function in other jobs. And telemarketing, like cashier, like debt collector, etc. are all normal jobs and normal workplaces.

True, but the people on the show said something along those lines. And they were referring to some of the people who do telemarketing, not all of them.

[Andara Bledin]

First, what rerant and Pagan said.

Actually, I've seen some postings about the "Card services" thing, and apparently it's nothing but a scam.

Yeah. There's another scam for a car warranty. I was always especially amused to get that one when I had no car. And no car I've ever owned was new enough to even have a warranty. Not one that would be renewed, anyway.

Anyone who goes off on a legitimate telemarketer is being an SC, end of story.

^-.-^

[tropicsgoddess]

I was a telemarketer for about three days when I was desperate for money. It was for a charity and I had to call people at work (ack!) and read from a really cheesy script.

I did something similar to that, but my situation was for a second job when my main job was being a Hostess for a local Italian restaurant. Aside from the fact that my job at the restaurant was part-time since the bulk of the business was during the dinner hours,the pay was meager and barely made ends meet. The place I worked for had us call people at their homes (even worse). Sometimes when I called, I had people (mostly the elderly) ask if the charity was legit and it was (because of some of those scams out there).I quit the telemarketing gig after 3 days since the begging for charity thing wasn't for me.

[Bandit]

<phone geek hat>

Actually, the DNC list *did* expire. It's only since February this year (2008) that it became permanent. HERE is where you can register.

</phone geek hat>

I just try follow the rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". If there is a "Have a good day/night/temporal anomaly" after the first time I say no, then there's a friendly "You too. Good luck!" as a response. If the spiel continues and there's a second NO involved, then it's a hang-up.


B

[Andara Bledin]

<phone geek hat>

Actually, the DNC list *did* expire. It's only since February this year (2008) that it became permanent. HERE is where you can register.

</phone geek hat>

Close, but not quite.

Originally, the Do Not Call Registry was to have a term of 5 years per registration. As such, the original numbers would have started expiring in June of this year. However, as of February, the law was changed to make registration permanent. So, even though there was an expiration date, it become a completely moot point long before we got to that date (which is still a month away).

^-.-^

[Dreamstalker]

I don't hate anyone. If the phone rings while I'm eating dinner and I don't recognize the number on the caller ID then I don't answer.

Ditto. Don't recognize the number, ignore. I've dealt with too many freaky wrong numbers to pick up on any unknown numbers (although there is this number from the north shore where the line goes dead right after my machine kicks in with my name--thus indicating a wrong number but they have called at 9 AM every Saturday morning for at least a month...I wanna know who the weirdo is).

I used to get hounded by a student-loan agency looking for the previous tenant, they eventually stopped after the fourth time of "this person no longer lives here and I have no idea where they are" and a harassment-suit threat. I'd think if the person you're calling for has an Anglo last name and the person presently living there has an Eastern Bloc last name with none of the same letters...

Andara, I think I've been getting that warranty-scam call as well.