Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Do Not Call !

Before we registred on the "National Do Not Call List" a couple of years ago, the phone would almost ring off the hook. You could go crazy from getting disturbed all-the-time!

I'm amazed that the telemarketing business is as big as it is - I don't know anyone that would sign up to something offered by the phone. But some one must be out there or there would be no calls.

Unfortunately charities are exluded from the list, they can still call freely (and not risk getting sued). And they do. But now we only get telemarketing calls a couple of times a week. In theory I don't mind charities calling, but I do mind the manner in which this is done...

I'm usually the one answering the phone but they usually want to speak with my husband (for some reason, maybe they know that he is "easier"?).

Anyway - this is a normal conversation with a charity telemarketer:

Me: JaCal speaking! (Swedish I am...)
Telemarketer: Is Husband there? (What happened to "hello my name is YY etc"?)
Me: Who's calling please? (trying to be nice, at least the first five seconds)
Telemarketer: This is Angela (usually always a female... calling for my husband... without giving her name voluntarily)
Me: Calling regarding what? (a little more stern now)
Telemarketer: Is Husband there?? (annoyed by the gate-keeper wife)
Me: What are you calling about and from? (very firm by now)
Tele marketer: I'm calling on behalf of the Sheriffs' Deputy Pension Association (or something similar) and I want to thank Husband on his donation (husband has never given donation, especially not over the phone).
Me: This is the third time today you've called, can you please, please take us off your call list (angry)
Telemarketer: "Click"

They are hanging up on me?! What kind of a sales call is that? But I guess they have another 10000 calls to make before the end of the evening.

But to be fare, I usually hang up on them. If it takes more than 3 seconds for someone to answer my "hello", I hang up, or if they get into a lengthy explanation on what they are calling about (I wonder if telemarketers learn how to talk without breathing, not giving the other person a chance to break through....).

Life is too short to spend time listening to telemarketers.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Här i frankrike börjar det bli stort oxâ. Kruxet är att vi har hemligt telefonnummer sâ varje gâng det ringer en telefonförsäljare sâ frâgar jag dom HUR de har fâtt tag pâ vârt telefonnummer.Grrrrrr.

Dosiss

Annika said...

It sucks, Jacal, it sucks...I HATE it! Especially when they call from the fire dep or the police dep...O GOD!! I just want to scream. I was just thinking of the "Do not call list" the other day. Don't we have to renew it? It was only good for 5 years, wasn't it? Have to check on the computer later on.

And YES! They are so RUDE!

Anonymous said...

Vilken jättebra blogg du har!!! NU har jag tagit mig tid kolla in den "på riktigt". Superbra!
/utvandrar-Anne