FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » Fun with Telemarketers (Or why Dagonee's Fiancee is the Coolest!) (Page 1)

  This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Fun with Telemarketers (Or why Dagonee's Fiancee is the Coolest!)
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
Phone rings, it’s an 800 number I don’t recognize. I pick it up.

“Hello, Mr. XXXXX, this is Michael from the State Troopers Association.”

“Thanks, but I spoke with you two days ago.” *click*

Phone rings two minutes later. Same 800 number. I hand it to my sweetie pie so she can have some fun. Her side of the conversation follows:

quote:
“Hello”

“Hello Michael. Thank you so much for calling.”

“I’m sorry, did you say Troopers for Teddy Bears?”

“I see.”

“Well tell me, Michael, you said you were with the Virginia State Troopers. Is that who you actually work for or do you represent another organization?”

“I see. And is the Civic Association an LLP corporation, Michael?” *Gagging sounds of Dagonee stifling hysterical laughter*

“It’s just a corporation. I see. And is it non-profit?”

“I see. It’s a for profit organization but you call it the Civic Association. That’s interesting, Michael. And if I were to donate a hundred dollars today, how much would the State Troopers get, Michael?”

“Twenty dollars? Well, why wouldn’t I just write them a check directly?”

“I can? Could you give me their addr… Michael? Are you there Michael?”

Is it any wonder I love her? I keep telling her she’d get along great here at Hatrack – this makes me sure of it.

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
mackillian
Member
Member # 586

 - posted      Profile for mackillian   Email mackillian         Edit/Delete Post 
[ROFL]
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DocCoyote
Member
Member # 5612

 - posted      Profile for DocCoyote   Email DocCoyote         Edit/Delete Post 
Dag, you are truly blessed with a fine woman. Keep her and congratulations!
Posts: 230 | Registered: Sep 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Lupus
Member
Member # 6516

 - posted      Profile for Lupus   Email Lupus         Edit/Delete Post 
lol...messing with telemarketers if fun. My Dad's best was when a funeral place called and asked if he wanted to buy a plot for himself. He said "no, I'm immortal." The person sounded confused but kept talking about how great their service was, he then interrupted and said "I'm sorry, I don't think you understood me...I am immortal." The salesperson finally stopped his speech and said "excuse me?" My Dad then said "Well, seeing as I am immortal, and will never die, I don't understand how a funeral plot could ever be of use to me." lol, the person then got rather confused and apologized for calling.

My best one was when the credit card company Discover called. Now I was getting tired of them calling, since they would call all the time even though I asked them to stop. They always were telling me "but we have a new low interest card that might interest you" So finally I told a Discover sales person that I could not use a credit card because I was very allergic to plastic. He then said "but we have 0% APR for 6 months" I then replied "But I can't touch any credit card because it would give me a serious allergic reaction." He then asked if I was serious...so I said "yes, it is something I have struggled with my entire life." He then said "So you can't drink out of bottles of coke, or anything...that is terrible." He actually sounded rather sympathetic. Now of all the things that a plastic allergy would cause problems with, I have no clue why he chose bottles of coke, but I had an answer for it. I said in a very forgiving voice "Its ok...I can still drink out of cans." At this point he apologized several times. I barely was able to hold in my laughter until he hung up the phone.

I know it was a little bit evil...but as I mentioned in the Wal-Mart thread...at least it gives him a great story to tell his friends.

Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
PSI Teleport
Member
Member # 5545

 - posted      Profile for PSI Teleport   Email PSI Teleport         Edit/Delete Post 
This is the only downside of being on the Do Not Call list.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
slacker
Member
Member # 2559

 - posted      Profile for slacker   Email slacker         Edit/Delete Post 
I've been wanting to see how effective an airhorn being blown into the phone would be, but I haven't had any annoying telemarketers.
Posts: 851 | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Its ok...I can still drink out of cans.
[ROFL] [Laugh]

quote:
This is the only downside of being on the Do Not Call list.
That's right - we're on the do not call list.

Just a doggone pickin' minute! They owe us money.

I'll tell them we'll give 20% to the troopers.

Dagonee

[ June 26, 2004, 10:09 PM: Message edited by: Dagonee ]

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
PSI Teleport
Member
Member # 5545

 - posted      Profile for PSI Teleport   Email PSI Teleport         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh wait, we're talking people who want donations. I guess they aren't affected by that. I did get people asking for money alot, but since I never give, they haven't called in a while.

I get frustrated with that, though. How is it any better than selling something? At least if they're selling something, I GET something. If they want a donation, I get nothing. Couldn't the telemarketers call asking for donations for their company, and you get a lovely gift for making a donation?

[ June 26, 2004, 10:16 PM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]

Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Little_Doctor
Member
Member # 6635

 - posted      Profile for Little_Doctor   Email Little_Doctor         Edit/Delete Post 
When ever a telemarketer mistakes me for my father, i love to pretend i have no idea what their product is. Example:

"What on earth is a credit card?"

"excuse me, did you say donation? Would you mind explaining to me what the word donation means?"

Posts: 1401 | Registered: Jun 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ClaudiaTherese
Member
Member # 923

 - posted      Profile for ClaudiaTherese           Edit/Delete Post 
Little Doctor, priceless. [Big Grin]

[What is priceless is that you -- relatively clearly -- are no longer acting in good faith with them, just as they are not acting in good faith with you. Shoe, other foot. [Wink] }

[ June 26, 2004, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]

Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Chris Bridges
Member
Member # 1138

 - posted      Profile for Chris Bridges   Email Chris Bridges         Edit/Delete Post 
We used to get calls from funeral homes once or twice a month. Our usual answers ranged from "We're not interested, thank you," to "we already have a family plot, thanks" (we don't), to "no, thank you, we eat our dead."

Once Teres took the call when she was home alone and busy with dinner. The offer was for free certificates for plots. The manw as very insistent and she finally said sure and gave our address, assuming they would be mailed.

I got home shortly afterwards to find her very annoyed. Turns out their rep was coming to the house and had just called to make sure he had the right street. He pulled into the driveway a few minutes later. Nice enough man but obviously determined to make his pitch. He gave us our free certificates, which were for 15% off burial plots (free certificates for plots, not certificates for free plots, you see).

We settled down to listen to him, but felt absolutely no obligation to take it seriously. Understand that both of us plan to be cremated and that any money set aside for memorials is to go towards a catered wake for friends and family, with any other donations going to charity. We don't begrudge others the desire to inter the bodies of their loved ones and erect monuments, we just don't feel any sort of urge that direction ourselves.

He was very pleasant and friendly, and certainly the person I would approach to buy a burial plot if I was ever interested, but he was remarkably resistant to our polite insistence that we didn't want one. The fun began when he asked Teresa, "If something, God forbid, ever happened to your husband, what would be most on your mind?"

She answered, in all seriousness, "My alibi."

He laughed and said, "No, seriously, have you taken steps to prepare for that situation?"

I assured him that she had, and that, sparing no expense, she had invested in the really good garbage disposal, the one that can handle bones.

Like a judo master he used that to segue smoothly into why burial was better than cremation as cremation may not always do the job and the skull may be left intact, which was a mistake because he had inadvertently succeeded in getting Teresa interested. "Really?" she said, leaning forward. "Would they let me have it? Could I put it on the mantelpiece?" That led to a furious husband-wife argument, which he patiently sat through, as I refused to allow her to display my skull unless she first got my teeth done.

He tried showing us his book filled with beautiful photographs of coffins and final silk-lined destinations and only managed to amaze us at his racket. The very cheapest thing he had, clearly included to shame us into upgrading, was essentially a wax-lined cardboard box that went for $800. We considered it an outrage, since you could find ones like that behind the butcher's dumpster for free.

When further discussions of our afterlife plans and the legacies for our future generations kept including the words "mulch," "reincarnation," and "Hefty Cinch Sack," he finally gave up. We thanked him for a fun and instructive evening.

Since then we have never gotten a call from a funeral home, which made me wonder if we were put on their Don't-Call list.

[ June 26, 2004, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]

Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
weezer
Member
Member # 6643

 - posted      Profile for weezer   Email weezer         Edit/Delete Post 
That's hilarious! I wonder . . . can you get off the national do-not-call list?

[ June 26, 2004, 11:57 PM: Message edited by: weezer ]

Posts: 104 | Registered: Jun 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
We telemarketers don't mind if you try to play with out heads at all. People who are rude (at least when we're polite, which most of us are, at least those who have to honor DNC laws, are) are annoying, and frankly, many of the people working telemarketing do have normal, everyday jobs, they're just looking to provide some extra for their families by some additional hours. Think of that when you're rude to one.

But playing jokes on us is okay, so long as the joke is funny.

Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
romanylass
Member
Member # 6306

 - posted      Profile for romanylass   Email romanylass         Edit/Delete Post 
OH MY GOSH Chris, that is so so funny!

Dag, what is so cool about that is she showed them up for what they are.

Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh, but the "charity" telemarketers are almost universally scam-ish (as your fiance uncovered, dags).

The one's selling something are generally much better -- they often really are risk free offers, for instance. I offer risk free trials of AOL (AOL's billing foibles notwithstanding). Some other people in my building offer winnie the pooh book series -- which come with a packing label, and you can return any of them within 10 days and not even owe for shipping, just by slapping that on and putting it out with the mail. Et cetera.

Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
BYuCnslr
Member
Member # 1857

 - posted      Profile for BYuCnslr   Email BYuCnslr         Edit/Delete Post 
As a note, it is federal law that when you ask a telemarketer not to call back and they do they have to pay you a fine that could be as high as $3000 (though usually around $100ish). The reason that they do call back is that people don't know this law, and thusly don't demand to be paid back. So next time you get a phone call from a telemarketer, try asking them the company they work for, and to put you on their do-not call list, and if they call back, simply tell them that you have been put on their do-not-call list and that you are filing a complaint, usually they'll just shut up and send the check right to you...and they'll stop calling once they know it hurts when they do.
Satyagraha

Posts: 1986 | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Yes, if you don't want to be called just say put us on your Do Not Call List (or say don't ever call us again, which Must be interpreted as a DNC request).

That gets you both on the telemarketing company's do not call list, and the telemarketing company's client's do not call list. The clients are sometimes pretty bad about following the law (AOL, National Geographic, Time Life, those sorts of people in my company's case), but the telemarketing companies themselves are usually very scrupulous.

Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
weezer
Member
Member # 6643

 - posted      Profile for weezer   Email weezer         Edit/Delete Post 
Yes, BYu. It hurts. It puts rocks in my emotional backpack. [Cry]

[ June 27, 2004, 12:23 AM: Message edited by: weezer ]

Posts: 104 | Registered: Jun 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
beatnix19
Member
Member # 5836

 - posted      Profile for beatnix19   Email beatnix19         Edit/Delete Post 
This reminds me of a guy on the BOB and Tom Radio show, can't remeber his name... but he has a couple of CD's out called Revenge on the Telemarketers. He has his home phone set up to record all incoming calls. The one that sticks out in my mind is about a funeral plot as well. When the guy started his pitch the comic broke in with something along the line of this call being a sign. He went on to explain how his wife had left and he was depressed and was currently holding a gun to his head and had been praying to god for a sign. The Telemarketer went on to make the sale and asking the comic if he could hold off for three days for the financing to go through. Both hilarious and very disterbing. He has done a bunch of other bits all very funny. Another I remember is him telling the lady she sounded like Pamela Anderson and he asked that she talk about the beach and running and such as he um... Let his imagination wonder [Wink] .
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
BYuCnslr
Member
Member # 1857

 - posted      Profile for BYuCnslr   Email BYuCnslr         Edit/Delete Post 
Now, as a note, i've never actually done what I said...I love talking to telemarketers, my favorite is talking to people for telephone companies:

"Hello, I'm from Sprint."
"I don't need it, thank you."
"But we have a great new deal."
"My phone bill is free."
"This is on long distance overseas calls."
"No, you don't understand, my long distance phone bill is free."
"How's that possible? Who do you use?"
"I use AT&T."
"I don't remember AT&T having that sort of deal..."
"I work for AT&T."
"oh...." *silence*
"As I said, my phone bill is free."
"I can understand that."
"I'd be willing to switch if you offer to pay me for using sprint though."
"I'm sorry, we don't have that service, I apologize for your time, thank yo..*click*"

My favorite story is from another gamer friend:
"Hello, I'm from"
*mute*
:: turns up volume in Counter-strike, and switchs sound to 120watt amp and holds phone to amp ::
*unmute*
:: drains entire clip in full-automatic ::
"beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep"

He says they never call back. [Big Grin]
Satyagraha

Posts: 1986 | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fil
Member
Member # 5079

 - posted      Profile for fil   Email fil         Edit/Delete Post 
As a college student back in the glorious 80's, I had the chance to do some telemarketing to keep me in beer and pizza. I had a ball! It was sooo unscrupulous then (as it probably still is in some places). We would make up stuff ("by purchasing this product, you also are entered into a contest to win a boat!"). When I would sell travel magazines, I would do a wicked english accent...which actually worked wonders...until I got someone who had been to England a number of times and asked me for details of where I grew up, etc. Drat. Now, I don't have time to haggle with telemarketers...it is just too serious for them.

fil

Posts: 896 | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Suneun
Member
Member # 3247

 - posted      Profile for Suneun   Email Suneun         Edit/Delete Post 
A few months ago, I decided to try and chat with the next telemarketer as long as I could. I got a woman trying to give me a discover card, and figured.. okay, this'll be fun.

We ended up talking about local telephone company monopolies, how she just moved into Chicago a few months back, and whether she should get DSL or cable modem. It was fun. I asked her early on if she was paid by the hour or by commission, because I didn't want to be mean. I did ask a lot of questions about the credit card, and was amused to discover (hah) that she uses a different company credit card because she prefers miles. We got in a discussion about the pros and cons of free airline miles versus getting cash back like Discover does.

All in all, about a 35 minute conversation. I did end up getting them to send me the card, but I never activated it. It's just one more in the long list of credit cards I get sent every month and throw out.

Posts: 1892 | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
That led to a furious husband-wife argument, which he patiently sat through, as I refused to allow her to display my skull unless she first got my teeth done.
That might be the funniest thing I've read in a year.

fugu, you're NOT a professional programmer? That shocks the hell out of me.

I'd have hired you in half a second back when I was in the biz.

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh yes, that is a way to be really nice to a telemarketer -- ask them what you can do to never be charged anything, and if its easy enough (sometimes you don't even have to do anything, you just never activiate/install/what have you), sign up. If its something you don't have to do anything with to never be charged, feel free to give them false information (but don't tell them you're doing that, they don't care, but they might be recorded).

And tell them to also place you on their Do Not Call list, unless you want to be called by them again. Trust me, they won't mind. Particularly for the bigger ticket items like credit cards or free aol trials, you've just made that telemarketer $15-$35.

Dags, I lack two very important things: a college degree (heck, as far as programming goes I lack college or any other sort of classes) and job programming experience. Without those two its hard to get into an interview, and in the (very) few I've gotten into there's always been an assumption that there are gaping holes in my knowledge even when they're strangely unable to uncover them [Wink] .

Though right now I'm working out a plan of attack to persuade a local marketing firm ( http://www.finelight.com , they've had those hiring ads for a couple of programmers up for a while) to take me on as an unpaid intern for a day or so a week.

Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
Man. We could have gotten you for a bargain price [Smile] .

I always preferred self-taught programmers who took it as seriously as you seem to, since it meant they could pick up new technologies on the fly. Plus, I was mostly self taught myself, so I could hardly hold it against them.

Of course, you have to distinguish the good ones from "self-taught" people who made on web page and pasted in some PHP code and some MySQL code in order to make a guest book.

I usually started my part of the interview (the technical part) by asking what they're favorite project they ever did was and why. The good ones would go off for 5-10 minutes, and it would usually be one they got stuck on and found an elegant way to complete it.

My partner's disagreement on this issue is one of the main reasons I left.

Have you considered getting a certification? That would show HR you're at least serious about it. Barring that, your best bet is a company too small to have a formal HR person.

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Erik Slaine
Member
Member # 5583

 - posted      Profile for Erik Slaine           Edit/Delete Post 
Having run an auto-dialer, I am miffed whenever a telemarketer claims that they cannot take me off of their calling list. I haven't had a call since the Do Not Call list came out, but they used to claim that. It was annoying, because I used to take care of that immediately whenever one of my telephone collectors, would report a number to me, I could remove it with the typing of a number. I don't know if the telemarketer lied, or if they were just ignorant.

Collectors are not straightjacketed by telemarketing law, these are numbers that belong to the debtor when they are turned over for collection. (I am no longer work in collections).

The thing is: there should never have been the need for a national no-call list. In my opinion, telephones are people's personal, private communication devices, not a company's sales and advertising medium. The industry should be ended as an invasion of privacy. Apparently other's views of the Constitution don't see it this way. If a telemarketer gets a rude answer from me--they shouldn't have dialed my private number. I have no sympathy for this, you asked for it when you called me.

Too bad.

[ June 27, 2004, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: Erik Slaine ]

Posts: 1843 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
I've considered a cert, but programming (as opposed to hardware/sysadmin) certs can get expensive. I've only recently started getting in a situation where I have enough money to consider it, and instead I'm acquiring a motor scooter (mmmmm, 100+ miles to the gallon) for getting around town and going to IU half time in the fall, working on an informatics degree (what is informatics? http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/overview/what_is_informatics.asp ).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
Excellent. Bioinformatics is incredibly interesting, especially bio-modeling of proteins from gene sequences.

You could always get Microsoft Certs. They're pretty cheap. [Evil]

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Erik: you still shouldn't be rude to a polite telemarketer. A telemarketer is a usually a person who needed some extra income, and in today's not so hot job market telemarketing is one of the few places to get a decent supplemental income with a flexible schedule. Be angry at the companies employing telemarketing, sure, but rudeness to a telemarketer who is being polite is callow.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Risuena
Member
Member # 2924

 - posted      Profile for Risuena   Email Risuena         Edit/Delete Post 
My dad has all sorts of fun with telemarketers. A couple years ago one called asking for my grandfather:

Dad: He's not here.
TM: When would be a better time to call.
Dad: Actually, he's moved on.
TM: Oh, well could you tell me how to reach him?
Dad: Sure, you could find him in St. Peter's Cemetery.
TM: (awkward pause) I'm so sorry for your loss.
Dad: Don't worry about it, he's been dead for 25 years.

Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Erik Slaine
Member
Member # 5583

 - posted      Profile for Erik Slaine           Edit/Delete Post 
fugu13: I am not rude to anyone who calls on my telephone, until they are rude to me.

But once that line is crossed, there will be no mercy. [Big Grin]

Posts: 1843 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh, feel free to be rude to rude telemarketers if the whim so takes you. Nice telemarketers don't like rude telemarketers, they give us a bad rep.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
fugu, how do you feel about the little doohickeys that automagically tell telemarketers to please not call?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Hmmm? never run into one. My company follows a request on an answering machine to not call back, so I'm sure we'd follow such a machine's direction. We do run into privacy managers a lot (I don't think those are the same thing, they don't say not to call, they say the number does not accept unidentified callers and such, though we do transmit caller id) and we code those such that we won't try that number back for a few months.

However, we hang up once we realize something's an answering machine (basically, not a real live person), which means I usually hang up before I hear the person say anything past "hi, this is the __blank__ residence" or similar. So it may not work very well unless it really sounds like a person/goes straight into the do not call back request.

Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
No, I mean things like the TeleZapper. I have something similar, but I have to push a button once I know it's a telemarketer. Then I hang up, and it says something like, "This number does not accept solicitations. Please remove us from your list."

Very useful when I don't feel like dealing with it and would rather not simply hang up.

Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
That would work, assuming we didn't hang up once we heard you hung up, before the thing cut in. However, I'm surprised you're receiving calls if you're on your state and national DNCs. Those will eliminate nearly all telemarketing calls.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
Has anyone heard about the service where you volunteer to receive telemarketing calls? They call and announce how much money you'll receive to listen to this call, and then you listen and answer a multiple choice question to prove you listened. Then money is credited to your account.

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah, I'm on the email part of the service, and I can't do the phone part now that I'm at home (I'm not about to use up my cell minutes).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Erik Slaine
Member
Member # 5583

 - posted      Profile for Erik Slaine           Edit/Delete Post 
The funnest thing to do with a telemarketer is to string them along. Just say "oh, I've got something on the stove," walk away, and go watch teevee or something. One of their perfomance review items is bound to be calls per hour.

And, yes, I do think it's funny. [Big Grin]

Posts: 1843 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Naw, calls per hour is pretty much meaningless. Sales are far more important, and they occasional person doing that won't change number of sales perceptibly. And they'll hang up after a couple minutes.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Coccinelle
Member
Member # 5832

 - posted      Profile for Coccinelle   Email Coccinelle         Edit/Delete Post 
I was a full-time missionary when I did this, so keep that in mind.

The telemarketer called out little apartment in Michigan and requested to speak to the one who made telephone decisions.

"Oh, that's not really me. That's handled at the main office. We're missionaries."
"Really? For what?"

I told him, and I found out he was calling from Chicago. He'd seen the temple in Chicago, but hadn't gone through the open house when it was open. When I invited him to go to church, he uncomfortably said he needn't to go and couldn't just chat. *grin* It worked. I'd do that from now on, except I only have a cel phone and no home phone line.

Posts: 862 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
sarcasticmuppet
Member
Member # 5035

 - posted      Profile for sarcasticmuppet   Email sarcasticmuppet         Edit/Delete Post 
The only fun I ever had was when I got a credit card company call my dorm I told him that my dad would break my arms if I ever got a credit card. I'm not very original, I guess.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
mr_porteiro_head
Member
Member # 4644

 - posted      Profile for mr_porteiro_head   Email mr_porteiro_head         Edit/Delete Post 
I personally don't understand why people put so much effort in making the day of somebody with the world's crappiest job a little bit more difficult. It's so easy to just hang up. It's easier for you, it's easier for them...

[ June 27, 2004, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: mr_porteiro_head ]

Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
Just to make it clear why our response to the telemarketer was justified:

1.) The same guy had called two days prior and been nicely asked not to call again.

2.) 2 minutes Before Eve played with him, I had already told the guy we weren't interested.

3.) The organization keeps 80% of the donations. 80%!

I don't feel bad at all.

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh, you weren't even really impolite. That response was fine.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Farmgirl
Member
Member # 5567

 - posted      Profile for Farmgirl   Email Farmgirl         Edit/Delete Post 
I relate to you, Dag.

I got a call from a local telemarketer also supposedly representing that state Highway Patrol Troopers. (remember who I am.....)

Telemarketer: "the funds go to the Trooper Association to help the disadvantaged, and to the families of troopers killed in the line of duty."

Me: Okay - so you're sending me money?

TM: what?

me: I'm the family of a trooper killed in the line of duty. I've not received money from you, are you sending me money?

TM: (silence)

*click*

Gets them every time. And since I'm telling the truth, I have no problem saying it...

Farmgirl

Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dagonee
Member
Member # 5818

 - posted      Profile for Dagonee           Edit/Delete Post 
Jeez, you take that a lot calmer than I could. By the way, when do you expect to hear about the parole status?

Dagonee

Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Farmgirl
Member
Member # 5567

 - posted      Profile for Farmgirl   Email Farmgirl         Edit/Delete Post 
They had said within two weeks after they review his case at the prison (June 21st) so I'm thinking about any time now -- okay, it's only been one week, but still -- I hope to hear by next week sometime.

Farmgirl

Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
John Van Pelt
Member
Member # 5767

 - posted      Profile for John Van Pelt   Email John Van Pelt         Edit/Delete Post 
For a while I got on a kick of trying to act rationally. Something like the following:

Caller: I'm calling on behalf of Citibank with important information regarding your credit card account.

Me: You are from Citibank?

Caller: Nooo ... we are a partner...

Me: Ok, what information do you have about my account?

Caller: I would like to send you this packet...

Me: The packet contains information about my account?

Caller: ... a 30-day trial of a credit protection program ...

Me: I thought you said you had important information regarding my Citibank account. You don't really, do you?

The trouble with this is that it is singularly unsatisfying. You will never get a telemarketer to say, ohmigosh! I've been lying!

My best moment came once with a telemarketer who happened to call me by name, in a very friendly tone. When he started his pitch, I cut in with genuine surprise:

"Oh! I thought this was someone I knew! I don't want to talk to YOU!"

I have used this since, and I feel it is very honest and to the point -- and takes it completely out of the realm of whether I am interested in what they are selling or not.

-jvp

Posts: 431 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dan_raven
Member
Member # 3383

 - posted      Profile for Dan_raven   Email Dan_raven         Edit/Delete Post 
My brother is a master of the Telemarketer Torture. He's spent hours on the phone talking to them. When an alarm company offered their 3 channel alarm system, he plastered them with questions about getting HBO on one of them there channels.

His favorite story, he spent a good 45 minutes talking with one telemarketer, and gathering information about the Call Center and the people their.

Five minutes later he recieved another call. He recognized the name of the caller as one of the women the previous caller described. My brother played psychic, described the callers desk, personal history, and general information about the room.

Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
  This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2