these guys have quota's and sales to meet. Drag them on ... for like 20 minutes, let them think they are selling you something. at the very last minute, drop it.
I used to work at Telecheck years ago. The computers are supposed to be setup where it only calls places at certain times b/c there are laws, but doesn't always work b/c I've had to cancel the call (time zone). I'm sure there's a way you could find out the laws as far as the times go b/c it's out of my memory now.
those people get annoying... i had a spanish teacher once who said when they called he just started talking in spanish and acting like he didn't understand
Jerry: (ANSWERING PHONE) Hello. (TELEMARKETER): Hi. Would you be interested in switching over to TMI long-distance service? Jerry: Oh, gee, I can't talk right now. Why don't you give me your home number and I'll call you later? (A LONG PAUSE) (TELEMARKETER): Well, I'm sorry. We're not allowed to do that. Jerry: I guess you don't want people calling you at home. (TELEMARKETER): No. Jerry: Well, now you know how I feel.
Insurance and securities agents can call 8am-9pm anyday of the week. Not sure how other industries are regulated.
Classic Seinfeld. I've had calls after 9pm. There ought to be a law. Actually, there is something you can do. It drastically cut down on the number of calls we now receive, although it took awhile to kick in. Call or go on the internet to the Texas Public Utility Commission and ask to be placed on their "do not call" list. It's supposed to go out to the telemarketers and they are required not to call you any longer if you're on this list. If they do anyway, they are breaking State Law. It doesn't get rid of all of them, but it made a huge difference for us. Try it. Just remember to give it some weeks to start working. They should tell you at the PUC how long it'll probably take. Your State government at work. Some of it does, although they often get little or no credit for it. They rarely get pay increases. They are having their benefits cut. And they are being laid off. Partly because G.W. Bush wanted to run for President saying that he'd cut taxes big-time for Texans. So we have a $9.9 billion budget shortfall. Hundreds of thousands of people across the State that can least afford the cuts in State aid are getting hammered, including children. We are losing hundreds of millions of $$ in Federal matching funds so that Perry and the Republican Party can run on a "we didn't raise your taxes" plank. And Bush is President, so "it's not his problem". Several Republican members of the Legislature are very angry about how Perry, Cadddick and Co. are handling this session. Dewhurst has actually attempted to do something, which has surprised me. He hired an excellent staff who know their business. Senator Ratliff is another Republican who is fighting a losing battle to come out of the session with a budget that doesn't gut State services. (hey, I make no bones about being a Democrat, but I've voted for Republicans before, if I liked them and they agreed with me on issues that matter) But no one in the Republican Party at the Legislature wants to publically make a fuss. So this has been the worst managed budget that anyone at the Capitol can remember. Whoops, no one wants to hear that... and it's the Democratic Party's fault. Or Rick Perry's fault. Anyone's fault but Bush's. Sorry for straying off topic.
damn, way to get off topic in a matter of seconds there Deckard. impressive to take a political argument you've made at least once before and stick it in a telemarketing thread. anyway, i worked for six weeks at a telesurvey place and we weren't supposed to call after 9 pm. however, there were no extra rules for sunday as far as i remember. they pretty much told us which city to call for a period of time and sometimes that went past 9 pm for that time zone. and you would see a lot more anger right after 9. nothing we, the actual callers, could do about it, since we couldn't just switch where we were calling until they let us. of course we weren't selling anything, just taking surveys, and we didn't give a damn if you wanted to answer the survey or not.
Hey, you didn't like the nice suggestion about how to do something about the problem? Besides, it's not the last time you'll see me bring this up. And I think it's pertinent, even if you don't. And to think my using an arguement that I've "made at least once before", like that is something not done, is pretty funny. I would have to make that same statement many, many times to catch up with some of the repetitive stuff I've read here... from all sides. And, I apologized. But I'm glad you mentioned it. At least you read it.
i'm nothing if not thorough (although i did miss the apology). i guess i just get sick of all the political stuff and like it to not enter the other threads.
OK boys, now y'all are interfering with what I do. Texas law states cold calls cannot be made after 9:00 P.M. However, if you have asked for information, it does not apply. I stopped cold calling a while back, but I do use a recording to get potential prospects. If they inquire for information, technically I can call whenever. (I rarely call anyone past 9:30, if that.) The Texas "no call" list is a joke. It will get you off of some lists, but don't think for a second you can sue somebody because of it. (I've had a lot a yahoo's who try and sue me because they received the recording. They can't because it is in the legal limits. If you hear a recording, and don't like it, hang up, stupid!) FACT: 24% of Texan's do not have health insurance. 59% of U.S. citizen's do not have their retirement set up properly. I send a recording out verifying this and give them a # if they'd like to either fix this, or get a better rate. I don't have a problem with it, either. #1:It's much easier to hang up to a recording, than to a real person. #2:There is a real need out there that people are procrastinating on. #3:If I can save you money, or guarantee you a better return on your retirement, what the hell is wrong with that? The fact is, some people hate to be disturbed. GET OVER IT! That complacency can be costing you a hell of a lot! And if you don't like it, it's a damn recording! HANG UP! Just don't be pissed at it too much. Again, procrastination is a huge problem in our Americana today.
Fatty, So I guess you wouldn't mind posting your home phone number and email here? I could set up a nice wake up call for you every day around 3 AM. I also have contacts with a lot of people that can help you enlarge your penis, reduce your mortgage, pay off your debt, invest your money smarter, enlarge your breasts, and get you cheap airline tickets. Did you ever think that the people don't have insurance because they don't want it, and if they did want it don't you think they could get it without you calling to pester them? Telemarketers and spammers are the scum of our society. They do whatever they want to try and increase their profit with absolutely no regard to the people they bother.
Fatty, I agree with what you say about health insurance and retirement but don't rationalize your actions by thinking that you are doing people a service. If you are the only one calling then it's not so bad but the problem is that there are so many telemarketers calling that its annoying to be interrupted so often.
Actually, Texas No Call worked great for me. I used to get hammered (by telemarketers, I mean) every night. Mostly automated calls offering me home mortgage loans which is strange considering I don't own a home . I did the TX No Call thing and about a month later, I got no calls of any kind and haven't since. I kind of miss messing with the live t-marketers. I would put them on perma-hold, pretend to fall asleep on the phone, pretend to be having loud sex, pretend to fight with my "other personality" etc. Endless possibilities.
Plan A: When I pick up the phone and I hear a delay and several clicks, I hang up immediately. I am guessing that there is some auto dialer that is forwarding me to a tele-marketer. Plan B: Anybody who asks for Mr or Mrs West immediately get the "dad" or "mom" isn't home routine. Some of these A holes will dial you right back (must be bored with the job?). I then proceed to tell them that "mom" or "dad" has a really good shot of getting out of prison in three years or so says the parole board. Plan C: If the telemarket gets this far, they are usually hand dialing the number and asking for me by first name Here I usually insult them and their ancestory wildly and hang up or if they say something like "Sorry to bother you this evening" and I rejoin "Yeah it really is sorry" and hangup. Plan D: If the telemarketer wakes my baby and gets him crying, I always hang on the line and put the receiver by the babe's screaming mouth
I understand the feelings with the cold calling. I absolutely hate someone trying to sell me a new phone plan, or credit card every 2 seconds. But it's people trying to make a living, and quite honestly, I respect them for doing a job like this that very few people have the guts to do. Telemarketing is done on all levels, from the little guy trying to call you up to sell lightbulb, to your company sales guy trying to sell the products and services that keeps you employed to other businesses. They to have to hear alot of BS to fill the orders that keeps folks employed.
My only phone is a cellphone. They aren't allowed to call cell phones. Cell phones make you harder to track down.
