Cold Callers with attitudes

LizardKing · 27-02-2009 12:51PM #1

I work in a small office environment and we get daily phone calls from companies which are trying to sell us stuff. Most of the time I politely tell them we are not interested.

I got a call today and the guy started off his spiel ... hello how are you .. he then asked for the manager .. I asked what it was in relation to .. he said web services /professional services and highlighted its not a sales call , I said we're not interested and hung up ...

5 mins later the guy calls back and threathens me

"Don't ever hang up on me again ok !!"

He then hung up .... :rolleyes:

The number he rang from was blocked .. I was thinking of complaining to someone .. how would I find out who the call came from ?

TheZohanS · 27-02-2009 12:55PM

Why did you hang up on him?

Oh The Humanity · 27-02-2009 12:55PM

It will have been one of the following:
eircom
Perlico
TalkTalk
Clarity
IFA
Imagine
Gaelic
Pure

So ring them all (request their sales departments) and try to sell them something as revenge. Yellow snow or some such.

Gummy Panda · 27-02-2009 12:57PM

and i though this thread was about a rap band made up of call centre employees

Berty · 27-02-2009 12:58PM

TheZohan wrote: »

Why did you hang up on him?

You obviously dont get these calls.

BTW I cold call in person in field sales but the people I call on know my company and my products so its half the battle.

speedboatchase · 27-02-2009 01:01PM

I work in a call centre, don't use private numbers and never lose my cool like that, though we did have an employee that was a bit like that. Mostly its because underperforming employees put all their hopes behind certain calls and go a bit mad if they dont go through, it's a definite minority.

It's a pity you cant get their number as we had a similar incident at my work and I found out when I rang a business and they told me about it, I got the guy disciplined and shortly after that he was fired

AnonoBoy · 27-02-2009 01:04PM

Gummy Panda wrote: »

and i though this thread was about a rap band made up of call centre employees

Me too.

Their first album would be "Straight Outta Clapton"

speedboatchase · 27-02-2009 01:12PM

Our first single can be "I Just Called To Say I Love ....if you would buy our premium super duper priority web package kthxbye"

Femelade · 27-02-2009 01:14PM

i get them too.
i put them on hold and leave them there.

mickoneill30 · 27-02-2009 01:17PM

Berty wrote: »

You obviously dont get these calls.

I get them too. I don't hang up on them but they're annoying. Our dept gets about 4 or 5 a day these days. You have to be blunt with them. If you're polite and say you might be interested they'll ring back again, and again and again.

chin_grin · 27-02-2009 01:29PM

Here's a tip for you free of charge. Next time you get a call from them repeatedly tap the mute button on the phone while talking away normally. Then hang up. I'm sure they'll call back but three calls with a "bad line" will just test their patience.

Dragan · 27-02-2009 01:37PM

Why not just contact ComReg and get yourself on the register of people who DON'T want to be cold called.

magic?
Nope!

dlofnep · 27-02-2009 01:46PM

You could of being a bit more courteous when hanging up on him in fairness.

Maybe a "We're ok for the moment, but thanks anyways.."

mickoneill30 · 27-02-2009 01:46PM

Dragan wrote: »

Why not just contact ComReg and get yourself on the register of people who DON'T want to be cold called.

magic?
Nope!

Can companies do that? The number isn't in my name. Will ComReg listen to employees? Can it stop cold calling from companies you've bought from in the past? Companies also get check up calls from suppliers frequently to see if we need anything. What can Comreg do for that?

When my company is buying anything at the moment I've to get 3 quotes. I know that means for the next month or so I'm going to get 3 suppliers ringing me to see if I need evaluations, or people to come out or if the quote was OK.

mickoneill30 · 27-02-2009 01:48PM

chin_grin wrote: »

I'm sure they'll call back but three calls with a "bad line" will just test their patience.

Have you dealt with sales people? Really. They're a lot more patient than that. Just tell them you're not interested. That'll keep them away for a month.

northwestguy27 · 27-02-2009 01:52PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un_PjRXV5l8

this is a great one

banshee_bones · 27-02-2009 01:52PM

oooo im so glad i dont have a landline!!! :pac:

ToxicPaddy · 27-02-2009 02:06PM

We get a hell of a lot of cold calls mostly from Recruitment Agencies trying to get through to the HR manager. Our receptionist, a very polite mannerly lady gets dogs abuse from most of them when she informs them she cant put them through and is unable to provide them with a direct dial number for the HR manager..

Its unbelieveable, no matter how many times they ring and she informs them of company rules, they still abuse her and hang up..

Ok, I understand its a tough job cold calling and in the current economic climate very few people are buying anything, but being abusive to someone who is polite and mannerly and only following the company rules doesnt deserve that..

the_syco · 27-02-2009 02:10PM

Femmy wrote: »

i get them too.
i put them on hold and leave them there.

Me: Sure, do you minf if I put you on hold whilst I transfer?
Them: Thanks!
Me hangs up the call

They ring back in 2 minutes.

Them: Hi again, seems the line was cut off accide-
Me hangs up the call

They seem to get the message then

Dragan wrote: »

Why not just contact ComReg and get yourself on the register of people who DON'T want to be cold called.

magic?
Nope!

You mean get on the list of people not listed in the Golden Pages? They also get called. Esp those ringing from Scotland.

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

We get a hell of a lot of cold calls mostly from Recruitment Agencies trying to get through to the HR manager.

Usually gets calls asking for our secuity manager. Tell them either no, meow, or hang up.

consultech · 27-02-2009 02:23PM

Meh, be rude back I say. They're making twice the salary you are so they deserve it!

MagicMarker · 27-02-2009 02:30PM

I do a bit of cold calling myself, I don't really care if people put me on hold, it just adds to my ''call time''.

It works both ways to be honest, some cold callers are assholes and some of the people you call are assholes. I am as polite to someone as they are to me. I won't say what I do, but I am ''selling'' a genuine product that 90% of the time is guaranteed to save a company money at the end of the day, so it's your loss if you don't want to listen to me.

Like it or not though, some people are just ignorant, and choose to believe that they know best.

useful_contacts · 27-02-2009 02:40PM

the_syco wrote: »

Usually gets calls asking for our secuity manager. Tell them either no, meow, or hang up.

LOL:D:D:D

javaboy · 27-02-2009 02:46PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

I won't say what I do, but I am ''selling'' a genuine product that 90% of the time is guaranteed to save a company money at......

/SLAM

beep beep beep

rubadub · 27-02-2009 02:59PM

LizardKing wrote: »

I got a call today and the guy started off his spiel ... hello how are you .. he then asked for the manager .. I asked what it was in relation to .. he said web services /professional services and highlighted its not a sales call , I said we're not interested and hung up

dlofnep wrote: »

You could of being a bit more courteous when hanging up on him in fairness.

No courtesy for liars...

coillcam · 27-02-2009 03:09PM

I used to work for a very well known mobile operator.

We sourced all of our contacts from comreg.

Anyway the spiel was:

Me: Hi this is Richie calling from X.

At this point you could be told to feck off and if so then moved on.

Otherwise I'd say something like:

Just calling about your current phone contracts and to get to the boss - So they were with us or not. If not then if I could offer them free gear and cheaper bills would they switch..... Of course they'd have a look from time to time, other times you get gate.

It's a simple mindless job at times and if you have any charm or social skills at all you can work away to your hearts content.

People as described like the current OP are mind-boggling, they'd never be let near the team I worked with. Cold-callers are just a scourge of capitalism. OP I'd forget about it, don't let some moron take away your sanity.

mackeminexile · 27-02-2009 03:19PM

In fairness there is an awful lot of misguided resentment towards salespeople. At the end of the day it's a profession and in these times a job! I have sold and trained salespeople for 12 years now and wouldn't dream of letting anyone I managed start off with that line, its crap and American! In most cases if you're polite and let them know that you're happy with your current provider/supplier/contract etc then they will usually leave it at that. At the end of the day though, remember these people are just trying to pay the bills and get by, just like you and it's a tough bloody job with managers giving you crap all the time about targets and call time! To whoever it was that said they are on double the money, get real. Sales is comms based so usually the basic is sh*te. Rant over

consultech · 27-02-2009 03:47PM

mackeminexile wrote: »

In fairness there is an awful lot of misguided resentment towards salespeople. At the end of the day it's a profession and in these times a job! I have sold and trained salespeople for 12 years now and wouldn't dream of letting anyone I managed start off with that line, its crap and American! In most cases if you're polite and let them know that you're happy with your current provider/supplier/contract etc then they will usually leave it at that. At the end of the day though, remember these people are just trying to pay the bills and get by, just like you and it's a tough bloody job with managers giving you crap all the time about targets and call time! To whoever it was that said they are on double the money, get real. Sales is comms based so usually the basic is sh*te. Rant over

I said it.

If they aren't on double the money; then why aren't they phone-monkeying at the other end taking the call in an admin role? Personality is well-rewarded, which is why they are doing it to begin with. Basic is crap, commission usually at least doubles the basic.

mackeminexile · 27-02-2009 04:04PM

Commission only doubles a basic if sales are made! Believe me there's nothing cushy about a sales job. Phone monkeying aside (I am not, funnily enough, a fan of most if not all cold calling 'techniques') there can quite often be a genuine product and more importantly a genuine person at the other end of the phone. It's not usually that hard to have a quick listen and see if it could actually be of benefit! Remember, you always have the option to say no and despite the pyscho-babble bullsh*t that some sales people and trainers would have you believe, its not that easy to turn that around.

Ginny · 27-02-2009 04:12PM

Absolute bollocks, I'd been the face to face Sales person and currently I'm the person being sold to.
Bonus would never ever double your basic, and with all the extra hours doing quotes and reports and planning my territory I'd work solidly from 7am to 9/10 pm most days for crap.
Now I'm in the buying role, and funnnily enough had a Salesrep in with me today, I was nice and polite to him, he arranged to come back when the powers that be are here.
Sales people are grand on the most part, and usually will not have a problem with a "thanks but no thanks".

Abi · 27-02-2009 04:38PM

mackeminexile wrote: »

Commission only doubles a basic if sales are made!

Career change ftw. Sales people are akin to chuggers to me.

Fact of the matter is, if somebody wants to buy something or switch a service- we have the media to enlighten us, and we will do so in our own damn good time.

Well its my thoughts on the matter anyway. I have various 'techniques' of my my own depending on whether its by phone or at the door. I used to say 'nah you're alright thanks' and be totally pîssed off by the caller.

Ive turned this around purely for my own amusement, and enjoy faking orgasms, start talking about my day and problems like they are from the Samaritans that Im under financial strain and ask them for a donation to support my smack habit.

The ones at the door vary. *messes hair and starts dribbling*
/answers door

"Oh h.. Oh I see your busy there"

Bubbye.

Fabritzo · 27-02-2009 04:51PM

here's a classic one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vng3HwVzuJ0

Cold Callers with attitudes

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