I don't think anyone can say that they don't get annoyed when telemarketers call them up on the phone trying to sell them something. And many people get angry at the telemarketers, yelling at them not to call anymore. However, to me, it's not the telemarketer who is at fault for making the irritating phone calls. The thing is, they're just doing their job, doing what the company they work for tells them to do. Hence, it's the company that these telemarketers work for who are at fault. They're the ones whom I'm angry at...not the low level telemarketers.
I've actually thought about this a lot. I mean, I know it's annoying to hear that stuff, but at the same time, it's usually someone on the end of the line who probably hates their job, knows a dismissal is coming, and just wants to make a living. If I dismiss them, which I usually do, I try to be at least basically civil about it.
I do feel bad for the people who make those calls because yes, they're just doing a job. I don't answer any calls that come in from a number I don't recognize. I run them all through google to find out who they belong to. There are sites set up just for reporting these sorts of things. I'm always irritated especially when they hang up, but not before the voice mail picks up so I have to clear the voice mail and there isn't even a message indicating what they wanted. I'm at the point where I actually get angry and irritated for a second when the phone rings, we get so many of these calls. It is amazing how many calls we get during the day.
Is it their fault, the poor guy sitting in a sweltering booth, stunk up by the sweat of a thousand armpits, all within a couple hundred feet? Yup.
By that logic, the kneebreaker who works for a loan shark isn't at fault for the violence and pain he visits upon others, it's the loan shark who has hired him. Yes, the loan shark is responsible, but so is the troll with the one-syllable name and lumpy hands the size of Rottweilers.
It does make me wonder: what sort of life choices did they make that led them to taking this kind of job? Even if I enjoyed selling things, I certainly wouldn't want to endure angry rants via the person I just called. I feel bad for some telemarketers, to be honest. They're just doing their job and they get people saying horrid things to them. Really, I don't think either side wins in this scenario.
I once did door to door selling for a couple of months. Similar sort of gig, except you have to come face to face with people. You don't get shouted at as much as you'd expect, at least not in England. It's still a terrible job though. Shouting at telemarketers isn't going to achieve much. They're going to expect the occasional angry person. It's not going to result in you receiving less marketing calls in the future. Staff turnover is high enough it'd be rare to get the same salesperson twice, so it's like yelling at individual raindrops. It's fine to cut them off mid sentence , say "sorry not interested" and hang up. It saves your time and they won't normally mind because it saves them time on doing a pitch that wasn't ever going to result in a sale.
I once spent about 6 months working for a life insurance company...those who were customer-facing (i.e. answered phone calls from customers) were sent on a "customer care" course...from which they came back with a stress-ball. I heard of a call-centre where there's this REALLY irate customer giving it his all, so the phone-monkey has had enough and tells him to **** off in Aussie, and hangs up. A few moments later, phone goes again and there's this EVEN MORE irate customer complaining about this rude Australian. "Bit of tough luck you're having there, twice in one day" says an Aussie voice.
I have a hunch that this is a nuisance that won't go on forever. I can't see how these companies make money at this, now that everybody knows what's happening. There are probably very few people who fall for these sales pitches now. I never NEVER shout at the person on the other end, or take pleasure in giving them a hard time in any way. I feel quite sorry for them, actually. In many instances it's the only job they can get. If they don't take a job that's offered, their benefits get stopped. It must be soul destroying for them, actually. So what I do is simply hang up. I find I get less stressed by not engaging with them at all, and just hanging up the minute they start.
I used to hang up the moment they start. There was twice though when I said, "I'm not interested," and the telemarketer started yelling at me. She got really pissed and shouted down the phone all like, "Why? Why wouldn't you be interested in saving money? What's wrong with you? Tell me why!" I hung up on her mid-sentence. Wasn't gonna stand for that kinda shit. These days I get stupid Vodafone texts telling me to claim free minutes and free ice-cream, and spending £1 on sending them the stupid STOP message doesn't frigging work - the texts keep coming. Never had this problem before when I was on contract, but the pay as you go thing sucks all thanks to these stupid messages. Occasionally I get a telemarketer ringing my Czech mobile. Now that's actually kinda funny, cus I don't speak a word of Czech. And the Czechs serious suck at marketing. Anyway, I'd pick up the phone and off they go - minite-long monologue without even a break for breath. I smile and wait for them to stop so I can kindly say, "I don't speak Czech." Then, the pause from the telemarketer as this sinks in before they say, "Goodbye." Hahahaha
Unfortunately, the legitimate telemarketers will likely be replaced by scam artists. Some of them have become quite elaborate, with companies pretending to be Social Security or Publisher's Clearinghouse, having legitimate websites that are designed to look like the real thing. Some pretend to be young relatives who are stranded away from home and want money so they don't have to call their parents. Some new ones even pretend to be professional killers who were hired to kill you, but won't if you wire them money. Basically, all it takes is a tiny proportion to fall for it for them to continue. And, many of them are homed in countries such as China, who won't prosecute their own for not abiding by the West's telecommunications criminal law.
I think while telemarketing in developed countries is dying, we're seeing a shift to computerised marketing calls and telemarketing companies from places like India. These methods require a much lower success rate to be financially viable. They'll probably always be that one in a thousand customer who's prepared to take a punt on something.
I'm always polite. Firm, but polite. When all is said and done, they're just people trying to make it to the end of the week with a wage. Just like the rest of us. Unless you happen to be J.K Rowling or E.L. James and possess the magical power of turning shit into gold.
And those who do are the real problem, not the callers or the companies they work for. It's like spam - if no one clicked on the links, the spammers would disappear. I gave up my land line a few years ago and haven't received more than a handful of telemarketing calls on my cell in all that time.
There is actually legislation in the works here in the UK to curb this kind of telephone activity. I think it's pretty much running its course, but won't last forever. I hope. Mind you, it will no doubt be replaced by something else. Universal pestering is the price we seem to be paying for universal connectivity. There is always a downside.
I don't think this analogy works. Telemarketers are not doing anything illegal. They are legitimate jobs. As I noted, these are legitimate jobs, and many people can't be all that picky. There are very few manufacturing jobs left, and in some locations there are only so many retail jobs. Also these sorts of jobs offer positions at a variety of hours, so people who work 2, 3, even 4 jobs to feed their family often take them as an add-on. For example, some people might work in a job in an office from 8-5, then work retail from 5:30-10, then work at a call center from 10:30-2:00. In the U.S., especially, jobs that pay minimum wage or even a little above don't provide enough money for rent and other necessities. If someone has medical bills or special expenses for children, they have no choice but to take every job that they can get. And it's not because they're lazy.
Legitimate as in legal, I guess, but no one should have to do a job where all the 'customers' they contact despise them for calling. I agree with everything else you posted.
I do this too nowadays, except just a few months ago I had a brainfart and picked it up. Turned out she was selling stuff I actually wanted and made a nice cell phone / tablet deal, so no harm done that time. They seem to make ok money over here, so for a student or someone wanting to make some extra on the side, it can seem like an attractive option. But I couldn't do it myself, I'd feel so guilty about pestering others.
"she was selling stuff I actually wanted and made a nice cell phone / tablet deal" Now we know whose fault it is. I don't care how good a deal it is, I'm not going to buy from them.
I was that person! it was an utterly soul destroying job. In my job now when I get annoyed I just think 'at least I'm not working at *** anymore'. My friend and I still shudder when we walk past those offices. Bleurgh. It depends on the reason, mine was a survey on services given by the Government so it was 'legitimate', but annoying so I do feel for them (some of them!) The real nuisance calls where details have been obtained in a dodgy way and they're calling under false pretences are starting to get hit by the Information Commissioners Office (in the UK), I don't know if there has been a 'big' case yet that will set a president but time will tell.
