Anyone else on information overload?

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Rozmataz

Rozmataz

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Posts
2,773
Loc
Fingerlakes Region of NYS
The world we live in is putting us into information overload. That is both the information that we can obtain (which we seek) and information requested from us.....

Does anyone else get annoyed with these businesses seeking information via telephone on your company.

They obviously obtained information from some source and then call to confirm, update, verify or whatever. Some are telemarketers; but some are viable businesses like Dunn and Bradstreet... or are they!

Do you provide them with info? If so,why? What motivates you to give them this info?

Roz
 
If you call here (or my house) and don't get to the point in 45 seconds, you get the dial tone. The only exception to that is if the number is from out of state and you have 20 seconds.

If they are fast enough to get through the usually long introduction and ask the first question, I still don't answer. Then they get the dial tone.
 
I have a standard approach for telemarketers ... I tell them that I personally resent and detest telemarketing, I consider it an invasion of my time, and as a matter of principle will not under any circumstances buy their product or service, not even if they are selling $100 bills for $1.
 
I tell these guys that I do not verify or provide information to unknown persons over the phone. They are welcome to send snail mail, as long as a verifiable persons name, address and phone number are included. I also ask them to remove me from their call list immediately.
 
I also don't answer questions on the phone.
If they can't mail me information then I can't help them.

That is my general rule...of course there are exceptions.
 
Now Jay, that's harsh. You don't even allow for a southern drawl?? I'm thinking you should give 'em an extra minute for that.
 
Right there with you Jay.

Dunn and Bradstreet gets the same d*** answer as I give the unintelligent idiot asking for the person in charge of donations....

(click) bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

My boss used to look at me in astonishment then remark how she would NEVER have the nerve to do that... caught her doing it the other day...
thumbsup.gif


Dunn and Bradstreet lost their meaning on Main street about . . . .ooooooooh, last century.
 
There are several reasons I never talk to telemarketers: 1. They waste my time. 2. They mispronounce my common name. 3. They need to get out and get a real job, or maybe they enjoy abuse in some kind of weird way. If you go to the website below, you can register you number(s) in the National Do Not Call Registry. I would say 99% of the calls have stopped since my registering with them.

www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
 
I say, "Not interested. Good bye" (click).
Sometimes their mouths are still flapping as I hang up the phone.
 
I guess I'm MUCH more polite than some of you. I say, "Sorry. Not interested. Thanks for calling, but don't do it again." (click)

Honestly, both at home at at work, if the caller ID says "unavailable" or "blocked call" I don't even answer it. Oh, sure, I've missed a couple of calls from Ireland, but that's why they invented voice mail.
 
No, I never give information over the phone. My employees are asked to hang up or send the call to me. The most irritating telemarketing calls are the ones who leave a name and call back number and you call back and wait on hold thinking it might be a sales inquiry only to have someone try to sell you paper rolls for your credit card terminal.

Don't ever say the word "yes" or anything close to an affirmation on something you expect is a telemarketing call. They record the calls and can place the "yes" anywhere they want in the conversation or to "extra" conversation after you hang up. They will ask questions designed to get you to say yes. I've even had a telemarketer hang up on me right after they got me to say that word.

Those kinds of calls typically go like this:

"Hello, is Mr... (or "The Owner") there?"

"This is Mr... How can I help you?"

"Are you Mr...."

"How can I help you?"

"I'm calling long distance, can you hear me ok?"

"How can I help you?" or I just hang up at this point.
 
Ditto what Ron said.

I've got caller ID and it announces the phone number so I can hear it from a few feet away. If it's "unknown caller", or I see on the display it's a telemarketer, the phone doesn't get answered. Most of the time when I used to answer those calls, I would have to wait for THEM to get on the line, that was the absolute worst.

-Hobbes.
 
One thing I've learned from working in a call center (an INCOMING call center) is that, if you answer the phone and hear elevator music, it's a good idea to hang up.
 
Mike and Ron do what works for me, too.

Any pause or background noise that I've come to recognize as telemarketing land- I hang up before anyone even speaks.

Last time one called, and made the mistake of asking if I had a few minutes, and I said, "No, that one child was bleeding, dinner was burning, and I just heard a loud crash outside. Perhaps I could pencil you in after my kids move out of the house."

He did not think that was funny, but got off the phone very quickly.

I wasn't lying. All that stuff was actually happening when he asked.

Gotta love the real life stuff that keeps you humble.
 
Hey wait a minute. I just realized that he could've called Jay's shop and had the same response!

Now they are gonna think we are just making this stuff up to deter them...
 
So if its a slow evening at home and there is nothing playing on pay per view I should not call and act out as a telemarketer for kicks...

Got it.
 
Telemarketers should be banned from the face of the earth, or at least from calling my store. I absolutely get bent out of shape when I'm right in the middle of a "please no body bother me stituation" and the phone rings, only to hear dead space and realize It is a telemarketer. If it is an actual human I am very polite and ask them do not call again. NO ONE gets any private or business info over the phone. And what about the marketers who can't speak intelligible english? Sorry, I'm starting to rant and rave, but this subject is a huge sore spot with me.
I need to go cool down,
Lori
 
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