Be Nice To Telesales Folk..

The Volt

Okay so recently I've started work in a call centre doing telesales and it's not nice work to say the least. My 35 hour week mainly consists of getting given out to by people for inappropriate timing and wrongdoings of my employers. What people don't seem to take into consideration is that us telesales folk are common folk just like the people we ring and we're just trying to earn a living. As well as that, our supervisors actually take into account our average time on the phone to a customer over a days work so the least people can do is hear us out for a couple of minutes. So like the title says, do a good deed and be nice to somebody who rings you up trying to sell you a service, even if you don't intend on buying it (which believe you me is the case 99% of the time)

Faith

Why should we? I have better things to do with my time than entertain the 5 or so phone calls a day from telemarketers. I'm never going to be interested in ANYTHING that a cold call can offer me.

One time I let myself be duped by a kitchen company who told me I'd won a voucher for 30% off a new kitchen. They sent a guy out who recommended £11,000 worth of changes to my fine kitchen, who insulted everything in the room, and who got extremely aggressive when I told him I wasn't interested in it. Ever since then, I've more or less just hung up on telemarkers. Sorry it's a shít job, but being on the recieving end of the calls is a pain in the ass too.

My name is URL

No

cold-calling is no better than spam.

If I want to avail of a service I'll choose it myself and any company that uses cold-calling, I'll never use

Wagon

Voltwad wrote: »

Okay so recently I've started work in a call centre doing telesales and it's not nice work to say the least. My 35 hour week mainly consists of getting given out to by people for inappropriate timing and wrongdoings of my employers. What people don't seem to take into consideration is that us telesales folk are common folk just like the people we ring and we're just trying to earn a living. As well as that, our supervisors actually take into account our average time on the phone to a customer over a days work so the least people can do is hear us out for a couple of minutes. So like the title says, do a good deed and be nice to somebody who rings you up trying to sell you a service, even if you don't intend on buying it (which believe you me is the case 99% of the time)

No. We're at home tired after work and then someone gets on the phone and askes if we want to buy a chocolate toilet. Sometimes, we're just not in the mood.

Telesales staff are cannon fodder for abuse

My name is URL

Opt-Out

sillyputty

I worked in a telesales office last christmas but not on the phones, on the admin side and its a really tough job.
Since i left i have found myself actually doing the telephone surveys that call just as im about to sit down to watch my soaps, because they are people too and have a job with a target and i can help them out by just spending 10mins talking even if it is a pain in the bum.

Faith

My name is URL wrote: »

Opt-Out

I was on every Do-Not-Call list in the UK and I was still getting loads of calls.

Mossy Monk

Why do I get a case of deja-vu with this thread.

Dardania

I won't be nice to telesales folk. I'm sorry, I have no doubt that you are people, with emotions, but your way to make a living is at odds with my cultural values.

jellie

if you want me to speak to you then at least respond when i answer the phone & dont leave me going "hello? hello?" until i hear the click of you turning off whatever mute button you have & giving me the chance to hang up.

although actually, youre doing me a favour. i dont want to talk to you. i dont care if its your job. im just home from MY job. and im tired.

ejmaztec

sillyputty wrote: »

I worked in a telesales office last christmas but not on the phones, on the admin side and its a really tough job.
Since i left i have found myself actually doing the telephone surveys that call just as im about to sit down to watch my soaps, because they are people too and have a job with a target and i can help them out by just spending 10mins talking even if it is a pain in the bum.

Sillyputty.

Random

Us drug dealers are just trying to make a living too. Don't be giving us the cold shoulder on the street!

yah .. right. Take your cold calling and shove it.

Sparky

You're getting payed to cold call so part of the job is to expect to get random abuse hurled at you!
I'd be nice to you and tell you that its a bad time, but when you insist on keeping me on the phone, by christ you will be a sorry fcuker that called me!!

Dord

Been there, done that. No.

I'll still be a jerk towards you on the phone, actually probably even more so.

nlgbbbblth

f*ck those guys.

The Volt

Random wrote: »

Us drug dealers are just trying to make a living too. Don't be giving us the cold shoulder on the street!

yah .. right. Take your cold calling and shove it.

Haha, comparing drug dealers to Telesales agents? Do you think we want to be in these positions? We're not out to con people or get them hooked on something, then shoot them if they don't pay their bills. I can genuinely vouch for the people I work alongside and we're all sincere, hard-working people who've followed our training in call quality and compliance to the very last detail. All I was asking is that people show a little more consideration that there's a fellow human being on the other end of the phoneline and not just a profit-driven company

nlgbbbblth

what sort of televisions do you sell, Voltwad?

The Volt

Ones for cheeky people

Saibh

My name is URL wrote: »

Opt-Out

Got that done - never got a telesales call since.

sar84

sar84 wrote: »

if you want me to speak to you then at least respond when i answer the phone & dont leave me going "hello? hello?" until i hear the click of you turning off whatever mute button you have & giving me the chance to hang up.

That is most likely the call center software ringing say 5 numbers at a time and then when someone answers connecting them to the agent.

The Volt

Deleted User wrote: »

sar84 wrote: »

if you want me to speak to you then at least respond when i answer the phone & dont leave me going "hello? hello?" until i hear the click of you turning off whatever mute button you have & giving me the chance to hang up.

That is most likely the call center software ringing say 5 numbers at a time and then when someone answers connecting them to the agent.

Basically how it works where I am is that I'm logged into a dialler. So I have no control over who I chat to or when they're going to pop up on the screen. I just hear a beep noise and then 'hello'

humbert

I worked in that sort of job and completely accepted that people had very right to be rude. I needed the money but was under no illusions that I was basically annoying person after person. Suck it up or quit.

bigeasyeah

Its not going to happen.You guys are down there with the traffic warden in peoples respect.You could all be nice people but ringing my phone when Im about sit down to dinner is not on and thus will be treated sharply.

ilovemybrick

Faith wrote: »

I was on every Do-Not-Call list in the UK and I was still getting loads of calls.

A do not call list only applies to telesales companies. Not market research ones.

BLITZ_Molloy

I used to work in a call center for 2 years doing a variety of stuff from cold calling selling horse**** to debt collection.

The abuse is part of the job. As the first poster says it's not actually really directed at the worker, it's directed at the company so just pretend it's directed at someone else and don't take it personally. The part of the job that's actually quite heartening is how nice the majority of people are. It's only the odd few who are really abusive. And in those cases you just hang up. The autodialers are only meant to ring twice aday max, but people often get called much more often than that because it's not really enforced.

If someone is being a REAL dick about things the best thing to do is be ridiculously nice to them, which drives them more up the wall, tell them you can't deal with them while they're so irate, say you'll ring them back in 5 minutes and hang up. I used to love doing that. It's actually much more fun than telling them to go fcuk themselves.

Cicero

I don't have an issue per se with cold callers- if the deal is good and I respect the company, then I'll listen- what I don't like is scripted calling- waaaay too manipulative and under handed and some companies have got very good at it in recent times-
- I tend to give a running commentary on their sales technique these days throughout the call which knocks most for 6 and they give up soon after ..i.e.

Would you be in agreement that you mainly phone X mobile operator ...

(commitment and consistency technique) ...tendency is for the customer to say yes 3 times to different questions- much harder to back out of a deal as a result, as they will then have to question their previous answers given, and feel like a fool

I could help you save a great deal of money:

(Reciprocation technique )...i do something for you, therefore you feel more obliged to do something for me

Many customers have found this service excellent..

(Principle of social proof) ...others are doing it, therefore you're missing out if you don't

We are the number 1 leading company in .....as quoted by independent experts

(Principle of Authority) ...no need to question what I am saying, others more intelligent than you have already said how brilliant we are ..just sign now.

This offer is only available this week....

(Principle of Scarcity) ...buy it or loose it .....(the fact that it will be even cheaper 1 month from now makes no difference)

Thank you very much for taking this call

(Principle of Liking) ..aren't I just such a nice PERSON- why wouldn't you buy from little ole me?

now ya know!! Google Robert Cialdini for more on the above- expert in the Science of Persuasion- it's mandatory reading if you want to reduce the chances of being scammed,,,

JONJO THE MISER

I answer the phone in a real bogy accent then i start shouthing mary get the bloody ****ing dog outta the house, i then tell the telemarkerter to hang on 2 minutes then start shouting in the background to my wife:D:D then i talk to him/her pretending to be interested and acting like a dumb farmer, then after 5 minutes i say hang on a second someones at the door and then start shouting in the background again and i dont bother coming back to the phone:D
Its great fun i actually look forward to getting there calls.

The Volt

Cicero wrote: »

I don't have an issue per se with cold callers- if the deal is good and I respect the company, then I'll listen- what I don't like is scripted calling- waaaay too manipulative and under handed and some companies have got very good at it in recent times-
- I tend to give a running commentary on their sales technique these days throughout the call which knocks most for 6 and they give up soon after ..i.e.

Would you be in agreement that you mainly phone X mobile operator ...

(commitment and consistency technique) ...tendency is for the customer to say yes 3 times to different questions- much harder to back out of a deal as a result, as they will then have to question their previous answers given, and feel like a fool

I could help you save a great deal of money:

(Reciprocation technique )...i do something for you, therefore you feel more obliged to do something for me

Many customers have found this service excellent..

(Principle of social proof) ...others are doing it, therefore you're missing out if you don't

We are the number 1 leading company in .....as quoted by independent experts

(Principle of Authority) ...no need to question what I am saying, others more intelligent than you have already said how brilliant we are ..just sign now.

This offer is only available this week....

(Principle of Scarcity) ...buy it or loose it .....(the fact that it will be even cheaper 1 month from now makes no difference)

Thank you very much for taking this call

(Principle of Liking) ..aren't I just such a nice PERSON- why wouldn't you buy from little ole me?

now ya know!! Google Robert Cialdini for more on the above- expert in the Science of Persuasion- it's mandatory reading if you want to reduce the chances of being scammed,,,

During training we are given a script that they recommend we stick to for the first while but I've scrapped it already. However, it's main use is solely to make sure that all newbies are fully compliant with everything they're saying and that for a major company is the most important thing as heavy regulation applies. But like I said, I don't use a script because I try to personalize each call which I feel gives me a better chance of a sale.

The Volt

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

I answer the phone in a real bogy accent then i start shouthing mary get the bloody ****ing dog outta the house, i then tell the telemarkerter to hang on 2 minutes then start shouting in the background to my wife:D:D then i talk to him/her pretending to be interested and acting like a dumb farmer, then after 5 minutes i say hang on a second someones at the door and then start shouting in the background again and i dont bother coming back to the phone:D
Its great fun i actually look forward to getting there calls.

THAT works wonders for our talktime stats

weemcd

Who gives a fúck? The very least you can do is hear the person out for 2 minutes, worst case scenario they offer you an option that is more expensive/not as well suited to yourself, tell them that and wish them the best for the rest of the day. In any case they could also even give you a better offer than what you have at the minute, shock horror.

You think they really give a **** about your life either? Or your dumbass wife or bad mannered kids?

JONJO THE MISER

Voltwad wrote: »

THAT works wonders for our talktime stats

Glad to help, i try to be more unhinged every time they ring, ive had loads of them hang up on me and one woman was worried that i had hit my wife:D:D

The Volt

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Glad to help, i try to be more unhinged every time they ring, ive had loads of them hang up on me and one woman was worried that i had hit my wife:D:D

Had you? =/

FruitLover

Voltwad wrote: »

do a good deed and be nice to somebody who rings you up trying to sell you a service

Piss right off. Just like chuggers, you knew the moment you took on the job that you'd be despised. Live with it or get a better job.

The Volt

FruitLover wrote: »

Piss right off. Just like chuggers, you knew the moment you took on the job that you'd be despised. Live with it or get a better job.

I get enough personal abuse on the phones already, thanks for that though. I hope to god you're one of the many people I 'annoy' tomorrow. As well as that I hope I catch you at the most awkward of times that causes you an almighty hassle.

netwhizkid

My father recently gave alot of abuse to a telemarketer trying to get him to change from Eircom, I gave out stink to him over it for both wasting the guys time and because my sister occasionally answers the phone in her position so treat others and you'd like to be treated with this one. I generally tend to ignore cold callers myself and if it is man I generally just say sorry I am not interested but if it is a girls voice I tend to at least hear them out.... (I know how pathetic)!

Cian92

I wouldn't mind it so much if the person on the other end of the phone spoke fluent english. Not some guy who spells everything out like so " yes sir thats c as in charlie a as in alpha"

poisonated

I try to be witty but...well I wouldn't be the best at it ha:D

I am sure this is a load of crap but is it true that telesales people aren't actualy supposed to hang up on you regardless of how abusive you are being??I am not an abusive person I hate people who are overly disrespectful to these telesales people.As you said they just want to earn a bit of money.Common decency really.

The Volt

poisonated wrote: »

I try to be witty but...well I wouldn't be the best at it ha:D

I am sure this is a load of crap but is it true that telesales people aren't actualy supposed to hang up on you regardless of how abusive you are being??I am not an abusive person I hate people who are overly disrespectful to these telesales people.As you said they just want to earn a bit of money.Common decency really.

I'd never hang up on a customer but even if I or my colleagues wanted to well, we're usually beaten to it

convert

I used to make the effort to be nice and polite, but I've come across so many rude telesales staff that I just couldn't be bothered any more. Like the girl who, when I answered the phone, continued to carry on a conversation with a colleague before deciding that she'd actually talk to me. Then when I told her it wasn't a good time (in the middle of a family dinner) she asked if there was a more convenient time, which was fair enough. I said early morning would be best (trying to be nice) and the considerate salesperson that she was made sure to ring me back at dinner time the following two evenings!! Her phone manner was exceptionally poor (i.e. non existant) and wasn't at all apologetic.

Ok, I know not all telesales people are such muppets, and it isn't the nicest of jobs, but seriously, it wrecks my head! I'd prefer if you just stuck an information leaflet in the post and I could decide for myself whether or not I was interested at my leisure! I don't want someone to try to convince me over the phone that I want a good/service that I can't see/don't need!

PS, if you ever had someone ask you to put the info in the post, it was probably me!

My name is URL

I have nothing against the caller, just the companies

the same companies that when you call them for support you get a recorded menu

lol

weemcd

poisonated wrote: »

I am sure this is a load of crap but is it true that telesales people aren't actualy supposed to hang up on you regardless of how abusive you are being??

Don't worry about that, I hang up on plenty of bad mannered cúnts before they ever get at chance to hang up on me.

The Volt

convert wrote: »

I used to make the effort to be nice and polite, but I've come across so many rude telesales staff that I just couldn't be bothered any more. Like the girl who, when I answered the phone, continued to carry on a conversation with a colleague before deciding that she'd actually talk to me. Then when I told her it wasn't a good time (in the middle of a family dinner) she asked if there was a more convenient time, which was fair enough. I said early morning would be best (trying to be nice) and the considerate salesperson that she was made sure to ring me back at dinner time the following two evenings!! Her phone manner was exceptionally poor (i.e. non existant) and wasn't at all apologetic.

Ok, I know not all telesales people are such muppets, and it isn't the nicest of jobs, but seriously, it wrecks my head! I'd prefer if you just stuck an information leaflet in the post and I could decide for myself whether or not I was interested at my leisure! I don't want someone to try to convince me over the phone that I want a good/service that I can't see/don't need!

PS, if you ever had someone ask you to put the info in the post, it was probably me!

I have indeed been asked about literature but when I asked my supervisor he said to me that the company spent €100,000's on that very thing last year only to get a 2% return so as well as not being good for business, the company is trying to be environmentally conscious as well. Make of that what you will.

Anyway say what you like to Telesales agents but if one of them says his name is Glenn then just give him a break please

MikeC101

Voltwad wrote: »

I get enough personal abuse on the phones already, thanks for that though. I hope to god you're one of the many people I 'annoy' tomorrow. As well as that I hope I catch you at the most awkward of times that causes you an almighty hassle.

Right yeah....bearing that attitude in mind I'll be sure to be extra nice to any telesales people.

Though in fairness I don't get very many calls from them - are you guys getting these calls on landlines or mobiles?

Last one I got was from vodafone asking if I wanted to upgrade to something - a simple "no I don't, thanks" and the call was over. Then again that's a company I'm actually a customer of, rather than a random telesales outfit. Though they did try to sneakily get my email address, under the guise of "checking if they had it"

"Can I just confirm we have the correct email address for you sir, if you could call it out to confirm?"

"Why yes, it's .....wait a minute! Do you actually have my email address?"

"Ah. No sir, we don't."

I chuckled and said I didn't want any more spam in my inbox, she laughed and said fair enough, and that was that.

galwayrush

The funniest ones i got were the ones trying to sell me windows and a kitchen for our new house, i pissed them off when i told them they didn't know enough about their products as i'm a joiner and besides, i could them myself for a fraction of the price they wanted.:D

Ruu_Old

I used to sell credit cards for Discover Business. Tough times, tough times. An old lady tried to prank me, it made my day though. Name: Seymour Butts, I would have applauded her.

FruitLover

Voltwad wrote: »

I hope to god you're one of the many people I 'annoy' tomorrow. As well as that I hope I catch you at the most awkward of times that causes you an almighty hassle.

Not much chance of that, I only answer my phone to people I know. Anyway, why are you getting all angsty at me? I didn't force you to take a crappy job. You should have worked harder in school/college, then maybe you wouldn't have to take abuse for 35 hours a week, dunce.

netwhizkid

Ruu wrote: »

I used to sell credit cards for Discover Business. Tough times, tough times. An old lady tried to prank me, it made my day though. Name: Seymour Butts, I would have applauded her.

God help you trying to sell Discover you'd have a better chance of getting a retailer to accept one of these as payment

Stephen

I'm polite to telesales people as long as they respect my wishes - i.e. if I say I'm not interested, that's the end of the call. The twats from talk talk are the worst for this. They seem genuinely irritated that you don't want their poxy service and refuse to give up. That's when I hang up the phone.

Coriolanus

I've currently found the perfect solution to my telesales bugs. Used to be I'd get annoyed and hang up.

See we've been getting the same calls again and again from some place trying to sell us a website. I think so anyway, don't really listen anymore.

So, if we're not too busy (they ring me at work) I take a nice relaxing, destressing five minutes to eat the face off the young one who rang, get put onto their supervisor and then eat the face off them too.

It's actually quite therapeutic.

Red Alert

weemcd wrote: »

Who gives a fúck? The very least you can do is hear the person out for 2 minutes, worst case scenario they offer you an option that is more expensive/not as well suited to yourself, tell them that and wish them the best for the rest of the day. In any case they could also even give you a better offer than what you have at the minute, shock horror.

You think they really give a **** about your life either? Or your dumbass wife or bad mannered kids?

I've more respect and value for my time than listening to crap from them.