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I'm sure we've all been there before. You've just got in from work and sat down with the family to have tea, or maybe your relaxing by watching some TV or a film. Suddenly, the phone goes and you feel compelled to answer it, after all it could be something important, you just don't know. But no, it's another bloody cold caller with a survey or trying to sell you something! Grrrrr...
The last thing I want is to be pestered by cold callers
When my working day is done the last thing I want is to be pestered by cold callers trying to wheedle some business out of me. I really feel that it is an invasion of my privacy and they're taking up my valuable personal time, time I'd rather spend with family relaxing than answering inane questions. When my dinner is interupted by some telemarketing company trying to sell me something, I can only be polite to them for so long before I've had enough and hang up.
Here's what happened the other night around teatime. Yet another kitchen sales person who wanted to come out and do a survey called us. My husband took the call and I distinctly heard him say "No thanks, we're not interested", very politely at least five times before hanging up. Lo and behold, within the hour the same company rang us back again. This time it was the supervisor who went into her long spiel and asked us why we didn't want a survey done, "Surely there's something that you would like to change in your kitchen?" she said.
That's the thing about cold callers, they're quite thick skinned and this one was no exception. Clearly she wasn't about to take 'No' for an answer, so after being terribly polite for the first eight minutes, I told her that she shouldn't presume that my kitchen wasn't perfect the way it was and could she not call me again. She then had the audacity to say "But if you want to change something in the future, you will give is a call wont you?" Well I had to bite my tongue at that point because a few choice replies sprang to mind. "Not on your life" I said and then hung up.
Thinking about the sheer number of cold calls we receive I'm actually quite perplexed. We aren't in the phone book and I've signed up to the telephone preference service (TPS) so I'm quite puzzled as to why we still get so many calls. I do shop on the Internet and occasionally sign up for offers etc., but I am very careful and always check the appropriate boxes so that my details aren't sold or forwarded on to telemarketing companies. Something is going on though and a system is broken somewhere, because I still get pestered by loads of cold callers. Perhaps they've started dialing randomly now or something?
Another thing that really bothers me is when they don't get my name right. If they're trying to score some business, the least they could do is figure out how to pronounce the name of the person they're calling. A fair amount of them are from foreign call centres so that explains it I guess. I've had so many different pronunciations it's unbelievable.
By: Joyce
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Why? Who is kidding who? Why aren't the cold callers charged 5-fold for their calls? If I do not want nuisance calls why should I have to put up with them, or have to pay to have them stopped?
Why doesn't 1471 collect the last 100 calls I have received - when and from whom?
Why is it possible for a caller to call from an unregistered telephone number? What kind of primitive technology is that?
Ring,Ring,
Hello,
Can I speak to Mr/Mrs/Miss whoever,
No they are not available, can I take a message?
Are you the householder?
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. Total time lost....maybe 15 seconds.
uk which bt is braking the law which must be shutdown by the police.
What can I do to stop this?
If you do a good job, your customers tell 10 people. If you do a bad job they tell 100.
If someone asks, where shall i buy a car we go "dont buy it from xxxxx", not "do buy it from xxxx".
So WOM is better for trash talking than it is promoting.
And as you said. WOM might get a small business by, but it wont a larger one. And larger ones keep the masses in work and support the economy.
Well when I worked for a bluechip company, and if the supervisor had heard the harassment that he had given me, he would be up on a disciplinary! I would not usually wish ill of people, whatever creed or colour, but I truly hope he gets whats coming to him...
...oh and it was for payment protection insurance - if I want to pursue it, I'll call them!!!!
We are in the civil engineering business and have work as far apart as Yorkshire and the south coast; plenty of work for our 7 employees. So yes, we are a small business; sometimes it's better that way!
I would be interested to know which line of business you are in and im not being facetious. Genuine interest.
And if you "dont need to" at this moment in time due to a loyal customer base etc, please do not be complacent. If you are not growing you are actually shrinking, and how do we increase our top-line (grow)???..................certainly not by sitting on our backsides moaning about others looking to grow their business and actually doing something about it.
Sales/advertising/marketing - welcome to the commercial world, its nothing new - get used to it.
"Have you ever been mis-sold payment protection insurance?" No, I've never had a credit card.
"You may be able to make a claim because of the recent accident you had". What accident?
"Hello, I'm calling from the maintenance department of Microsoft". Scammers from India.
"Have you claimed your grant for loft insulation?" Don't need any more insulation.
"Would you be interested in solar panels?" How many times do I have to tell them we aren't?
Yes, if we want to buy something we will look on the internet; and no, the company we run does NOT have a telesales department, in fact we hardly ever advertise at all. Don't need to!
Second of all, MOST telesales people dont want the agro, but if you give someone an irrational response such as "not interested" before they have even said why they are calling you, well your a fool. Quite often the product and/or service could be of major benefit to you.
If someone heres me out for 10 seconds and then says "im not interested because x", well then thats fine by me. Thank you for your time.
Also the argument "if i want it i'll google it or go out and find it" is utter nonsense and partly to blame for the problem of big companies ruining the economy for all the smaller companies.
The company I work for compete with a multi national billion £ organisation who shall remain un-named. Our customers will happily reference us as providing a better service, at 70% of the cost.
BUT HERES THE PROBLEM!!! Because we dont have a multi-million pound marketing budget, we HAVE to cold call. You wont find us on the first 50 pages of a google search, or on ITV during the News at 10 ad-break. What are you going to search for???
We still save people hundreds of pounds a year, provide a top rate service and support 40 people (employees) and their families.
One other thing to consider...To the people who work, do a little research on your company and you will soon find all companies have an outbound (cold-calling) sales team. YES thats correct. Whether you work for an engineering firm, an investment bank, B&Q or the local leisure centre. Somewhere, someone is selling something in the company you work for, with a phone! Do a littel digging, you'll be suprised.
Shortest call ever
Me: Which area were you referring to?
Caller puts the phone down on me.