Bye Bye Telemarketers
I know Telemarketers have a job. I know I should be nicer to them. After all, (after I'm done school) I'm going to make a lot more money and they will continue to make peanuts. But when they call, there is just something in me that turns me into "super bitch." I know I shouldn't be this way, as I was technically a telemarketer/survey caller for 2 months one summer several years ago, and I remember how it was great to have the super nice people tell thanking me for my call instead of the people hanging up and yelling at me.
In the same situation as me? Want to get those pesky organizations to stop calling you. Sure, there is that Do-Not-Call Registry taking effect this summer. But we all know how charities, newspapers and political parties (who have prior relationship) got to be exempt from the list. Hence the complete ineffectiveness of the legislation.
Someone thought of a solution!
Law professor Michael Giest from OttawaU came up with a website, iOptOut.ca and you can manage your own Do-Not-Call list. I opted out of everything except for polling (I don't mind those). I do not get a lot of telemarketer calls because I only have a cellphone, but it's worth putting forth the request.
In the same situation as me? Want to get those pesky organizations to stop calling you. Sure, there is that Do-Not-Call Registry taking effect this summer. But we all know how charities, newspapers and political parties (who have prior relationship) got to be exempt from the list. Hence the complete ineffectiveness of the legislation.
Someone thought of a solution!
Law professor Michael Giest from OttawaU came up with a website, iOptOut.ca and you can manage your own Do-Not-Call list. I opted out of everything except for polling (I don't mind those). I do not get a lot of telemarketer calls because I only have a cellphone, but it's worth putting forth the request.
posted by Spitfire at 8:24 AM
3 Comments:
We list our phone number under my wife's maiden name. About 1/2 the telemarketer calls come for that.
Telemarketer: "Hello, is <firstname> <lastname> there?"
Me: "You have the wrong number."
TM: "Did I just dial <number>?"
Me: "Yep, but no one by that name lives here."
TM: "Perhaps you'd be interested in-"
Me: "Sorry, you don't even know my name."
*Sometimes I get really entertaining here, use a fake accent, pretend I'm on the porcelain throne, etc...*
TM: *hangs up*
I figure, if I can get them to hang up, I've won.
Either that, or you could try this on them.
--
Thanks for posting this info. I made a point of registering and will be passing the site on to my friends. I too have done time working in the industry as a pollster, so generally I tend to be a bit nicer to them. My own technique is to answer calls from numbers I don't recognize like a business
Me: Smith & Jones Consulting, how can we help you?
TM: Can I speak to John Smith?
Me: I'm sorry, he's in a meeting and he has asked me to take messages. Who might I say is calling?
TM:Is there a better time I can call back?
Me: If you will not leave a message, then, no, there is not a better time you can call. Mr. Smith has indicated that he does not wish to receive unsolicited calls so I am requesting that he be reomoved from your list....
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