Random Thoughts, Etc.

How to Deal with Telemarketers

OK- Here's the deal. I recently became a telemarketer. I started work
a couple of weeks ago. Now I know the story from both sides.

Here are some tips for people who are called by telemarketers and for
those who do telemarketing.

For those who recieve telemarketing calls-

1. If you're sure you're not interested (even if you don't even know
what it is we are selling - please let us know early so we don't 
have to read or go through our whole "spiel").
Also-please do not play games with us and waste both your time and
ours- don't tell us to call you back later or that you're too busy
but to call back another time( because we will call you back!) 
Be honest and please give us a reason why you are not interested.
I say that because if you just say "Well, I'm just not interested"
We will then ask "Can I please ask, is there any particular reason"


2. Please don't be "hateful" to us. Just politely say no or "I'm not 
interested because________. 

3. If you have the time and think you might be interested then please
listen and let us finish before you object and please ask questions,
if it's a legit company then you should be able to get the right 
answers and have a number to call. ( The company I work for does 
have an 800 number for any questions, concerns)

4. Buy and/or make use of an answering machine or voice mail. I think
some states have a new service through the phone company which keeps
telemarketing calls from coming through.

5. If you must hang up on us then please do it quietly and don't chew 
us out first.  If you hang up before we even get to talk to you or 
ask for the person we are calling - you will be put in as a 
"Call Back"
so if you don't want to be called back, we need to know if you or 
whoever we are trying to reach is not interested - Okay? 

6. You CAN ask to be put on the DO NOT CALL or the DO NOT SOLICIT 
list.

7. Some names are nearly impossible for some of us to pronounce and 
I myself apologize if we "butcher" your names. My maiden name for 
hard for some to pronounce but compared to some I've seen it's a
piece of cake. Again it's no offense -it's just some of us are not
familiar with the various names people have.

8. I know many people don't like telemarketers, and I understand that,
but as for myself and where I work- I don't know the person I am 
calling and they don't know me- I try to treat each person with respect
and I don't know when their names come up on the screen that their 
husband/wife or whoever just left them or that their father died or 
that the baby is sick,etc. So please just try to give us the benefit 
of doubt as I try to give anyone I talk to. I don't do the calling, 
some machine/automated system does that so it's like the man in Forest
Gump says- It's like a box of chocalates and I don't know what I'm
going to get!
Anyway- not all telemarketers are the same. And unfortunately there are
some out there who are definately not on the up and up! My advice is 
that if you are at all leary or concerned ask to speak with the 
telemarketers supervisor or ask questions concerning what city and state
they are calling from and the name of the company, etc.



NOW- for all my fellow telemarketers!

1. Always treat the people you call with R-E-P-E-C-T!!!!
   The rule of thumb where I work is "Two NO's and 1 Rebuttal"
After the 1st NO, then Rebuttal- after the 2nd NO then politely
Exit the call.

2. Don't hang up on the customer! If they are being rude to you - 
find a nice way of responding and end the call. If they want to 
be placed on the DO NOT CALL or SOLICIT list then apologize for 
calling and let them know that you will begin the process for 
their request. Then DO IT. 
Follow your employers guidelines for this procedure.

3. If they ask who's calling then let them know and be polite and
if the person you are calling isn't home then let the person who
answered know you will try to reach them later.

4. MAINLY - BE POLITE- BE COURTEOUS-FRIENDLY- BE RESPECTFUL!!!!!

So these are some of my thoughts on the whole business with and of 
telemarketers. I will add more if I think of them.

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