Telemarketers :)

[marina]

So I sorta kinda yelled at a telemarketer this morning. And I'm usually not like that - I have friends who have done telemarketing and I myself have done some phone banking for a political campaign. So I know it's tough to have their job... But the s.o.b. provoked me and actually yelled at me first. I still feel really bad.. I don't remember raising my voice at anyone since I was mad at my little brother back in Russia when we were stupid kids......

(for last 2 days, they have called each morning but I didn't pick up)...

At first I politely asked to remove me from his calling list, and he said that as a Dell customer I'm supposed to be notified of their updates. I said, can you still please remove me? He said, I can't do that! I asked, why not? As I'm actually on the government's official "do not call" list, it's illegal for him to call me... And I told him that. But he said that I'm a customer and I'm in their database, hence it's legal.
I said - can you perhaps email me your updates instead of calling me? He said, at Dell they don't send email updates. I said - Dell sells computers, how can they not use email as one of their tools? I asked him - are you sure about this or are you making this up?
He said he wasn't lying.
So I asked him again to please, for the last time, to remove me from the calling list - I don't want any Dell updates via phone calls... And he said, no, I cannot remove you from our calling list.
I asked him to speak with his supervisor, and the guy said that the supervisor was currently not available..
So I hung up.
But before that, my voice was slowly and slowly raising the whole time.. and by the end I wasn't screaming, but was certainly agitated.....
And I feel awful for letting that annoying guy and his sacrastic/rude attitude get the best of me...
I'm usually trying to be super nice to those guys, b/c their job is tough...

argh... It really bugs me that it annoyed me so much....

Any of you had any "encounters" with rude telemarketers?

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out :)
:)
Thanks for letting me vent, I'm all relaxed now :)

[Dwaine]

Hi Marina,

Unfortunately, what he said is more or less true. Even if you are on the "Do Not Call" list, if a company has a business association with you, i.e. you are a customer, they can legally call you. However, it would seem to behoove them not to go out of their way to annoy their customers! As far as Dell, I'm sure they could notify you of updates via email or snail mail if you desired. So I have to wonder if the telemarketer bugging you in this instance was really legit? All this is why I never answer my phone at home. If it's not important enough to leave a message in the voice mail, it's not important enough for me to worry about. :)

[Nicole]

I agree if they don't leave a message it's not important, that's what my parents do and when it comes to telemarketers I just say no thanks and hang up if I actually answer my cell phone and it's them. Sorry you had to go through that Marina and yes breathing in and out works hehe

[Imajica]

Never go into a discussion with them, just hang up.
I bought a Dell computer a few months ago, but they don't call me. I get e-mail updates, like it should be.
Anyway, my phone number is not listed anywhere, so i never get telemarketers calls. :)

[Stormy]

never give your private number to something like that, just email.
-stormy-

[ulfdog]

So I sorta kinda yelled at a telemarketer this morning. And I'm usually not like that ......


Welcome to corporate America.

Unfortunately they will always find a way around your "do not call" list. I worked with a guy who used to work as a telemarketer and also credit collections. He says that what they would try and do is frustrate the person they were calling, so they would finally give up and say, “okay just sent me the information or I will send the money,” just to get them off the phone. They would either be condescending, “look little lady, we’re doing this for your own benefit.” Or they would try to make you feel stupid, “you know it would be a big mistake if you don’t let me send you this information.” And sometimes, they would try just being down right rude and obnoxious, like your so called “customer service” rep from Dell. Another thing they would do, they were only allowed to call someone a limited amount of times, so they would override their system. They would mark the call as “no answer”, so they could call you as many times as they wanted.

What really bugs me now, are the really annoying automated phone calls. I get called almost on a daily bases from three companies, one to renew my extended warranty on the car, then from a cable company and a satellite company. I have tried ignoring them, I have tried pressing so and so button to cancel these calls. I have even talking to a live person and told them I don’t have a car or a television and asked them to take my name off their computers, to which the happily agree to, but the call still keep coming.

I wonder if in the future, will it be like in the movie Minority Report, where Tom Cruise is walking thru the mall and all the advertisement are directed at him as he passes. But maybe instead advertisement, it will be Mr. So and So, your Visa and MasterCard bills are both over 6 months past do or Miss Marina V you have been ignoring your Dell updates.

[Nuno]

Well, one not-very-nice but effective way to handle one of these nags is do this for a particular insistent telemarketer :
1) answer the phone
2) when they begin their line, just excuse yourself for a moment but DON'T hang the phone
3) do smth else for 10-15 min while they are there waiting for you.
4) then come to the phone and say you're sorry but you have to leave and then hang.

They are not allowed to hang the phone themselves, so they will wait. It is bad business for them and perhaps next time they will not call you.

Have anyone tried this ?
Does it work ?

[Tiffany]

I don't think it's really legal for a company to call and harass you, especially if you kindly asked them to remove you from their calling list! Whether you do business with them or not, it is your right (with all companies) to not have them disturb you at home. But, if you must raise your voice....next time give them a good tongue-lashing in Russian :).