Annoying telephone surveys and nuisance calls

Don't you just love those annoying telephone surveys that interrupt the peace and serenity of your weekend without even the slightest hint of any reward, financial or otherwise?

It's Saturday morning, close to mid-day but not quite early enough for lunch and I've just answered the phone for the third time in the vain hope that it's someone I actually want to talk to. But no, of course it's not, it's another telephone survey from an independent research company!

This guy even had the audacity to mention Mori (presumably as in Mori Polls) as if that would impress me enough to spare a few minutes, which would in actual fact end up being more like twenty minutes to half an hour as some of these questionnaires are so badly written I don't think the caller even understands them.

I have been called three times in a row today...

I declined to take part in the latest survey of course. Occasionally when I have nothing better to do I've whiled away a few moments answering silly questions, but not today. I am polite of course. They are only doing their job but I do wonder why I have been called three times in a row today. Feels like I am being picked on here! Still, at least this person stayed on the line while I declined to take part. The last time I took one of these calls the individual was very rude and just slammed the phone down on me. Nice!

They could get people to take part in telephone surveys more readily if they offered something in return. A few quid off something with a voucher or even just a pound or two would be good. Actually, even a lottery ticket would be an incentive to spend a little bit of my precious Saturday morning answering some pointless questions. Things are tough now though and you don't get something for nothing.

Other Related Gripes

'You've won a free holiday' scams
Telephone Preference Service, what a waste of money!
Cold callers can go to hell
A bad mannered eavesdropper
Doorstep selling and cold calling
Sky existing customers treated poorly
BT line fault and slow broadband
Working in a call centre, what it's really like
Home delivery at your convenience - what's that?
Getting a BT landline reconnected
Double glazing company won't stop calling us
Nuisance cold calls from mobile companies
Phones in the office interrupting my lunch break

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Globalism is the cause, and BT, re-selling 'used' landline telephone numbers is the guilty party, saving them money on the capacity for clean numbers. TPS are only relevant in the UK, so marketing or research calls from international locations continue. Most calls like this are now from unregulated countries. So turn off your ringer, keep the BT just for broadband and calling out, get a cheap mobile and SIM for home with a new number, tell your friends. Only answer. Thanks BT.

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Intterupted Sleeper - 24-Jan-12 09:53

i have been a lone parent and just started working as a home telephonist for a survey company.. now i have qualifications but no recent 'work' expereince so i felt had no choice but to take this work.. Times now are hard.
After first day I hate it.. Some of people i fone are between 70 and 80 and really nice and wouldnt be interested in the crap in the survey.. i found meself having freindly chats to them and listening to their problems lol hmm not professional hey lol
Unless u try it urself, u no idea of the pressure.. the targets we expected to reach. 4 surveys per hour minimum with 3 to 4 leads from each. i hate to be cold caller,, the money isnt worth it but getting the job center of my back is :(

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mandykaren - 18-Sep-11 21:54

I have had two of these energy serveys today and been busy with a house party due to the royal wedding. Why do they want to know? The last one I just got annoyed with as I was tired and would like to know how to get rid of them?

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fifi - 29-Apr-11 20:27

My advice is waste their time give them stupid answer's to their questions, after awhile you will find it quite enjoyable because you will be in charge of the conversation, pretend you want a kebab or fish & chips, do not let them hang up, it is great fun

-3

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Boblet - 24-Jan-11 09:52

Why do you even talk to them? Unless I feel like wasting their time, as per my posting on 12 MAR, I just hang up. It's so easy.

-2

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MikeP - 24-Jan-11 08:21

I just had one of these surveyers on the telephone yesterday. Gave me the usual patter about not selling me anything. Asked me who my energy supplier was, at this point I politely declined to tell him as far as I am concerned its none of his business,he then demanded I listen to him and went on to explain it was a survey. I said I did not want to do a survey thank you and then he started shouting listen to me , will you just listen to me. I said no you listen to me. He wouldnt kept talking over me was getting very irate so I said I have had enough goodbye and slammed down me phone. Hope you read this whomever you are DO NOT CALL ME EVER AGAIN and practice your customer service you are lousy at it!!!!

-2

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Amanda - 24-Jan-11 07:20

A friend of mine recently lost her telemarketing job due to "no business" and downsizing. All of the "surveyists" who call me (usually more than once) have middle eastern accents and do not understand English well enough to quickly explain what they are "surveying" and surely cannot answer direct questions. They have taken jobs away from Americans, such as my friend mentioned above and they can treat us in a rude way, yell at us, annoy us, call us time and again after being asked not to.....What is "fair" about this?

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Carol - 19-Jan-11 15:16

Telephone preference service doesn't stop survey calls, only sales calls.

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Ian - 15-Dec-10 18:45

'youassholes' - no wonder you are in such a terrible and low paid job. Unpleasant attitude and an inability to type basic English. Shame - still, I am sure you have SOME kind of talent. Perhaps, if you were to live to a ripe old age, you may discover what this is. One can only hope.

-2

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ajp - 30-Oct-10 20:41

Sign up to the Telephone Preference Service - you can do it online. This should reduce the amount of calls you get. For those who are persistent - do as another poster has said - put them on hold.

I did this to British Gas - 40 minutes. Funny how they didn't wait as they have expected me to do in the past. And they wouldn't have been able to make another call for a while as they would still have been connected to me since I didn't hang up! ;)

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ajp - 30-Oct-10 20:39

some people finish our surveys, even if its 20-25mins. long. cause they know their OPINIONS matter. while you people who have nothing better to do with your lives, keep nagging about money and crap!

"Things are tough now though and you don't get something for nothing".. useless pessimist! >:P

-1

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youassholes! - 1-Sep-10 02:48

The two ploys I use to rid myself of these unwanted calls, firstly, if I have my iPod playing I put them on hold until they hang up, and secondly, ask them how much they are paying for my time and information!

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Cobwebs - 14-May-10 06:22

I like the last sentence..."Things are tough now though and you don't get something for nothing." That's right. If I receive one of these survey calls from someone unwilling to fork out some cash for my efforts, the phone will get hung up, since the survey takers aren't getting my time for free.

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JL - 29-Mar-10 23:24

There are several ways of annoying these people if you have the time and inclination, although I simply hang up usually.

- Answer 'yes' to everything they say.
- Ask them if they are selling something. They will always say 'no'. Then tell them that's a great ity because you've just won a million pounds on the lottery and are trying to find ways to spend the money.
- If they are promoting double glazing, for example, tell them you live in a house with no windows because you are allergic to light.

-5

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MikeP - 12-Mar-10 09:45

I read on a Metropolitan Police website recently that after the second time it actually counts as harrasment and the Police should investigate it...perhaps this will be of assistance you to you too.

Also, regarding any calls asking "what energy company do you use" I normally piss them off by saying "I generate my own energy" or something to that effect.

Works really really well as they normally just hang up.

hehe

-4

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Cheeky Monkey - 12-Mar-10 09:29

Where to register to stop annoying marketing calls: Telephone Preference Service http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

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Sam - 20-Nov-09 11:40

I found this program ( http://www.phonetray.com/phonetrayfree.htm ) that is fantastic - uses your pc to screen calls you dont want and lets other through - best of all its free. I find it a nice touch to record a 'special message' just for telemarketers, which the pc sends to them on the first ring - I believe it also has a function to play a 'not in service' tone which apparently ensures your number is automatically wiped from their system (Havn't tried this so can't confirm it works)

-1

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Darren - 19-Nov-09 23:49

I had a telemarketer phone me today, I told him that he had phoned me up in the middle of a wxxx, he carried on asking me questions, so I asked him if he used a rubbing book when he did it, or did he do it from memory, in the end he hung up.

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Newark. - 11-Nov-09 23:39

bla bla bla mike you need to get a life.stop crying over nothing,you ok little baby?youll be fine,you will get through this!hahah

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josh - 28-Oct-09 04:31

Just hang up when you realise it's another telemarketer! A not-so-novel idea but quite effective in allowing one to get back to their day!

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Surakka - 27-Oct-09 12:39

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