Marketers

[Knin]

What do you guys think about marketers. Do you think they are just plain boring and annoying, or are there any positives about them. Do you see them as:

1. People who have nothing better to do, but to annoy people who have better things to do than listen to dirty tricks and schemes of marketers,

OR,

2. Ordinary people who would do anything to live a descent life, and as people who\'s jobs are as important and required as your own.

I would like some opinions, please if it\'s not too hard to ask.

 

[uberdark]

i prefer to mess with them. like talking to them about my feelings as they start to discuss buying windows for my house. i started talking to one about how i was debating on whether or not if i should dress in drag or not. and no is the answer. but i did a straight dead pan monotone voice that sounded serious and continually started asking more quesitons and then screamed out that she was not my mother and i could dress anyway i wanted. in the end she hung up laughing. so we all had a good time. lol

 

[AinuLainour]

I think it\'s cruel to mess with them... most of the time Marketers are students trying to pay off the monthly rent, like my sister. She was shattered by people who would ask her \'how she slept at night\' knowing who she pissed off etc.

 

[Dragonsreach]

If we are talking about telemarketers, then I have a very mixed ( ) feelings about them.

I did get pestered at work with calls normally from the US at about 17:30 GMT always the same garbage about how XXX software would help us do this that or the other. Since that is normally quitting time (all being well ) they were not very well recieved.

I have been annoyed a great deal by O2 recently in fact I got 12 phone calls in one day asking about if I would like to dicuss my current mobile phone provider and was I interested in changing to O2. Since I was at work at the time, I ended up loosing it and demanding to speak to the supervisor. Told them in no uncertain terms that if they harrassed me one more time I\'d be contacting Oftcom the Govt watchdog. Since then silence.

 

[Mosch]

In Germany we actually have a law against this, not that anyone would care. I actually like it when those people call. Be nice to them and slowly work your way up to completely dominating the conversation. Ask them some questions: \"What brand of shower gel do you prefer?\" Usually they ask you why you want to know. I usually just say \"We could debate this now but this is all time we could to answer my question.\" Sooner or later they start getting pissed off and ask why you inquire about their private life. Say \"I love it when people I never met ask me about those things on the phone. Don\'t you?\"
Most get it and hang up. The others are a lot more fun.

One time was incredible fun. Someone called and tried to get me to use their phone service. He asked me what my provider was. I said it\'s the Moschcom. For some strange reasonm he never heard of it, then said I could have a look at their homepage. I shrieked. The internet? But it\'s full of terrorists! He didn\'t understand why I thought so... now here\'s the perfectly logical explanation:
1. The internet was soon used by the military to issue orders and share information.
2. The military has no business anywhere if there has been no breach of the peace.
3. The military uses the internet.
4. Therefore we can conclude that the internet is full of terrorists. Else why would the military be all over it?
After dazzling him with my genius knowledge I asked him switch the wires so I could talk to someone more knowledgable.
To his credit he was polite to the end when I asked in a serious voice \"You DO know I am just taking the piss, right?\".

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by AinuLainour
I think it\'s cruel to mess with them... most of the time Marketers are students trying to pay off the monthly rent, like my sister. She was shattered by people who would ask her \'how she slept at night\' knowing who she pissed off etc.

i know it may seem cruel to be nasty to them but they are getting paid to do it. i howeve am NOT getting anything out of the arrangement. and believe me, you get VERY pissed off when you have been working on call all nights (often 24hrs in a row) and you keep getting woken up by some arsehole who wants to know if i would like a new security system. last time i was offered one, i told them that i had a hammer by my bed and a VERY sharp 40cm cooks knife inthe kitchen adn then hung up

 

[Hinton]

I used to be a telemarketer. Now, before you all start throwing rotten fruits and vegetables at me, let me explain that I lasted less than a day at the job and I only took it at the time because I seriously needed the money.

I hated calling people trying to sell them some crap. It just seemed to me to be so rude. There were a couple of guys that I worked with that seemed to thrive on it, but most of the people there hated doing it.

I couldn\'t stand being one and I certainly can\'t stand talking to one.

 

[War Griffon]

They really bug the hell out of me :cussing:

Why is always somebody from India or Pakistan that rings you up trying to be your friend when they can hardly speak your language???

The other day was I have to admit a real pain I got home to find 10 messages on my answer machine 5 were just dead and no message the other 5 were telemarketing recorded messages :cussing::cussing:

Normally when they ring if there is a silent pause on the end when I answer followed by a click the phone goes down otherwise they get as far as thier name and then it is a grumpy/gruff no thanks not interested and I put the phone down.

I think there should be a law against this it is bad enough getting loads of unwanted junk mail that goes into the recycle bin each week let alone having them phone you as well.

 

[Gilvan Blight]

It doesn\'t bother me as long as it\'s polite and they listen to requests.

I was a telemarketer for almost 2 years when in University and I was good at it.

The thing is I worked for companies that respected all of the local laws and peoples privacy requests.

This meant that when I called if someone said \"no thanks\" no matter where I was in the conversation, you thanked them for their time and hung up. If they said \"do not call me again\" they were noted down and were not called again for 5 years. If they asked \"are you selling something\" you would state \"Yes I am calling to offer X service and there is a cost\". The companies I worked for did not lie or attempt to trick their potential customers.

I had no problem working for these companies (there were two) nor do I mind receiving calls from companies like them.

Now I also \'worked\' at about 3 other local companies where I did not last more then an hour due to disagreeing with there business practices.

I totally disagree with automated calling.

As mentioned above, you have to realize that the person on the other end needs to work just as you do. Perhaps this is the only work they could find (at the time I was doing it, I needed weekends only due to school, and there was a 9% unemployment rate in my city).

 

[squig hunter]

Funny story: My older brother once worked as a telemarketer and he is a polite man who was just doing his job. One day he calls someone and politely states his reason for ringing and ask the obligatory questions. The person then tells him to go to hell! My brother then firmly pissed off told him \"I\'ll meet you there\". I think the moral of the story goes telemaketers are in many cases humans too and the people they call are not always wictims rather than assholes. Thank you and goodbye.

Squig

 

[Mr.S.Marbo]

I don\'t really have a problem with them in respect of the odd call. Things got a bit bad at one stage when literally I was getting easily 5-10ish calls a night. I must have been one hell of \"catch\" for so many to be calling.

In the end I registered with the Telephone Preference Service. http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

It\'s a free service in the UK that makes sure you do not receive unsolicited calls from any organisation and it works. Other EU countries must have a similar service because \"under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.\"

I always tried to be polite in that these people are only doing a job, and I am sure they care as much in what they are selling as you do (ie not a lot!).

 

[Duende]

I don\'t like it either but I\'m always polite since I know it IS a human on the other end that\'s probably only doing this job for a paycheck. Why make thier lives even more miserable, it\'s bad enough they had to take this job.

But I really don\'t get any calls at all (the only recent ones being from my alma mater university), probably because my state has a website (http://www.nocallsplease.com) where you can register to be on a list of numbers that have to be taken off of telemarketers dialing lists. For all you non-Pennsylavnians there\'s a National Registry at https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx.
They also allow you to file complaints if, after registering, you still get calls (although telemarketers do-not-call lists are updated quarterly so it might take a couple of months).

Ahh, my nice quiet phone. Now if only real people would call.

 

[matty1001]

We don\'t get any as we don\'t have a phone :flip:

I get one a year from O2 concerning my contract upgrade.

 

[Thecadian]

not about phone calls but ive had a few emails saying they could knock 10 years off my age.

Id like to see em try

 

[supervike]

American folks can almost do away with them by putting their phone number on the

DO NOT CALL Registry

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

If you continue to receive the calls you can file a complaint with the Government. The Registry remains active for 5 years.

It has been very effective and has almost put a stop to it at my house. There are exceptions to the rule though...such as political calls, or calls from charities.

A comedian has made a pretty nice career of stringing Telemarketers along is a fellow named TOM MABE

http://www.tommabe.com/ some of his stuff is hilarious....some just annoying.

Personally, I feel Telemarketers are a scourge...just like spammers. I am sure spammers say they need the money as well.
I can\'t blame folks for trying to make money...but that excuse can only last for so long.

 

[philologus]

Yeah, I\'m on the Federal and state no call lists. I don\'t know if the FCC still pays out the fines to the call recipient though. At one time if a telemarketer called after you were placed on their no call list then the FCC would fine them and you could receive a portion of the fine. Anyway, I don\'t get any sales calls at all.

 

[Arkzein]

Even after getting BT to \"stop\" them we still get about one a day average, being the grumpy git that I am I have to admit to being rather rude, just put the phone down in them. Likewise with folk that come to the door.

I do however have two flatmates, one who won\'t answer the phone unless it shows a number they know and another that is *too* polite. How? He once was talking to one for 15 minutes who was letting on he\'d already changed our phone package or whatever and would be sending the details out, complete mess simply by giving them time to get in and twist words around.

Likewise he nearly got us changed over to a new gas company when one at the door made it sound like they were from *our* gas company. \"Oh yes we represent this producer, all gas companies get gas from us, even yours, we\'re just here to tell you you\'re getting it cheaper if you sign up\" I had to step in and press her several times until she addmitted it was trying to get us to switch suppliers, saying \"you\'re probably with us already anyway\" when both companies have similar names as well. I was bloody fuming that time.

So personally? No problem with the people, have to make a living somehow, but depise the practice and I\'ll not be nice about it. What worries me if a sensible, intelligent, if a little too polite and a bit unwise in the ways of the world, young man call fall for these, what the hell is happening with old people living alone, or those without the sense they were born with?

I\'ve always thought things things are around not to really sell to people who know what they\'re at but to pray on those vulnerable folk who will agree/sign up to something when confused or talked around. Recon they should be opt in, not opt out. Problem solved.

should I add a [/rant]?

 

[Highbulp Billy]

My standard appropach to telemarketers is to politley say I\'m not interested right at the start. If they ignore that and copntinue talking at me, I ask them to \"hold on a sec\'\" put the phone to one side (not hang up) and leave it until they realise I\'m not coming back. After all, they\'re paying for the call

My Dad used to get very angry with cold-callers because he was being hassled literally every evening by different people selling bank accounts and windows. He would usually launch into a rant (he\'s pretty good at them) but now he jst hangs up and walks away - I\'m proud of his development :]

 

[matty1001]

Originally posted by Highbulp Billy
... hassled literally every evening by different people selling bank accounts and windows. ...

Yep Microsoft can be a bitch!

 

[EricJ]

My standard approach is that no matter what the telemarketer is selling, I just tell them I already have it, and it pretty much kills any sales pitch they could possibly have to try to keep me on the phone, works well. There is no way it can turn rude, and it just ends it quickly so it saves my time and theirs and no one gets upset or hurt. I realize these are real people just trying to make due (and trust me, if these people could find other jobs, I bet you 99% of them wouldn\'t be calling!), so no reason to put them down or think of them as subhuman.

Now, I am also on the other side of things, as I am in marketing. I don\'t do calls, but I have callers which I manage (yes, I am the guy who provides them with the lists to call!). So basically I\'m the guy to really hate. However while you might not believe it, there is method to it, and I don\'t want to waste my time or my callers time any more than you want your time wasted. Now there is a difference because my product is not a mass market item, but rather to a VERY specific audience, so the people we call are all called very specifically (in other words, no one here will likely ever get a call from my department).

However, seeing the back end of it, I pretty much know that marketing doesn\'t happen because people are \"bored\" and want to annoy you, and everyone involved is really just doing their job. Of course I get as annoyed as anyone at calls over dinner, or over and over again, etc...but honestly it is never the fault of the person you\'re talking to, but rather the person who is doing my job behind the scenes. Of course this person also has to keep their job, so when past experiences/research tell them that they\'re 10% more likely to reach people between 6-7pm. So competative forces are encouraging them to call then...

The bottom line is that free market forces are driving some annoying practices, and the people who are willing to use their common sense to, say, not call at dinner desipe it all, and risk losing their job to someone who will, are few (because they\'ve probably lost their jobs).

Oh, and sometimes the marketers aren\'t such bad people, and can even be artistic and paint a little