How do you deter telemarketers?
By bellaofchaos
@bellaofchaos (11538)
United States
March 10, 2009 9:03am CST
I just visted a discussion that has the best way to deter telemarketers and I'll provide the link ... (not a refelral link) !! But I was sitting here thinking what is the best way to deter telemarketers besides putting your self on the no call list. Now I have always been polite to a point because I understand that this is a job too and they are just doing there job but some of the telemarketers are complette a$$holes.. and I usually start out with telling them that pa is a one no state and that this is their one no and that take me off their list and that I want their policies mailed out to me and I will expect to be off of there calling list in 24 hrs. Being a customer service rep on the phone you learn the TCPA guidelines and you know your state laws and what ever state that you plan to call into.. Thankfully I worked for Highmark as a CSR and only did incoming calls. Yeah me. So the people who called really wanted me to fix a billion and one things .. he he ... But for those who call you what do you do to deter them.? Below is the link that I have promised and I'm thinking that is a way better way then what I have been doing. LOL!!!!
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1936544.aspx
http://joshualowry.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c225203796f21900c2252ab8c18e1d.html
2 people like this
17 responses
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
11 Mar 09
The minute I realize it's a telemarketer (a man) I break into his spiel and say, "Sorry can't talk now, your wife just lit the candles in the bedroom and I have to run", then hang up. They never call back. If it's a woman I say "Oh, your husband just came through the door, would you like to speak to him? No? Ok." and hang up.
She never calls back either.
2 people like this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
You are so bad, but I think that is funny too.. I can just imagine what is going through there mind!!!
2 people like this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
you know I think you should stay on the phone longer with them so you can have some fun too. LOL!!!
1 person likes this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
11 Mar 09
I never stay on the phone long enough to find out. I don't need to. LOL But it works and it's fun.
2 people like this
@mummymo (23706)
•
10 Mar 09
LOL I really liked that one - it made me laugh so much! My Gran usually puts on a really frail voice and tells them she is an old age pensioner with only a state pension to live on and before she has finished they hang up! My other half keeps them talking for hours and plays with them - I feel bad about that as they are trying to make a living although I don't suppose they care much about what we are trying to do when they call! xxx
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Just tell them to take you of their list they have to if they don't then they can be fined a high penalty..
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Well, I usually just say no thank you and hang up but I've recently found out that bill collectors (not sure about telemarketers) can't be recorded so I've started telling them that I'm recording the call for my personal records. They hang up quick at that point.
[b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
**STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Most telemarketers are being digitally recorded by the place the work for. I know that when I was a CSR for Highmark SecurityBlue and FreedomBlue that we recorded all incoming calls. We have a statement when we answer the phone Thank you for calling highmark senior product this call may be recorder for quality assurance purposes my name is ______________ and May I have your name and account number.
That was from when I work at Highmark. I no longer work there.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Well, first I use my answer machine and screen calls. But, when it wasn't on or I needed to stop them, I'd answer and when they'd ask for someone by name or whoever they asked for, I'd say "hold on.." and lay the phone down and back to what I was doing. I go back 10 mintues later and hang up the phone as no more telemarketer or solicitor!
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Yeah if they hear nothing for a minute they hang up .. LOL!! But to stop the calls permanantly go to repsonse one and two...
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@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
10 Mar 09
Your welcome.. As someone who know the rules of engagement to telemarketing since I had to learn them as a csr. If you tell them to quit calling they'll continue to because you didn't tell them to remove you from their list. Most state allow rebutals there are few that don't simple rule of thumb is to cute them off and say no number one no number two no number three now take me off your list. and they have too if not it's a hefty fine for the call center if they call you back and you can press charges nd get damages...
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
10 Mar 09
your welcome I just don't like it that telemarketers now the rules but the population doesn't, I find it unfair that the population isn't told this..
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Well, what I am prone to do when a Telemarketer calls about something is maybe listen first and see if it might be something I am interested in, and if not, I will tell them nicely Thanks for calling, but I am not interested and then if it keeps up, I often BLOCK their phone number as well.
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
In order to stop the ones you don't want look at response one and two I have laid done the guidelines that telemarketers must follow..
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
11 Mar 09
We have a landline that we never use. So the only people who call us on it are telemarketers. We just plain never answer it. Instead, we only use our cell phones. Although the calls haven't completely stopped, we get a whole lot less of them than we used to. Apparently we are deterring some companies from calling and bothering us.
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
if you want then done completely get on a no call list or handle them they way that i have laid out in my response on 1 or 2.
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
11 Mar 09
Usually we just don't answer the phone if the number is a number that we know is definitely a telemarketer. Some of them are really rude and as soon as they start talking we hang up on them. We tell them know and if they don't listen then we'll just hang up. We used to keep a whistle by the phone and would blow it if they got too annoying. However, the whistle is gone. We have no idea where it went.
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
I seriously wouldn't do the whistle anymore if I were you simple word of advice if someone ends getting injury to their hearing you are going to be on the hook... I let no.1 and no2. responses no how to legally handle a telemarketer by telecommunication guidelines.
@cynicalandoutspoken (4725)
• United States
10 Mar 09
Most telemarketer calls I receive now are automated and it consists of a series of...if you are "this person" press 1 to be connected to a live agent, if they aren't home press 2, if we have reached the wrong number press 8675309 and if you would like to be removed from our calling list, please spell supercalifragilisticxpladocious using your keypad.
I typically just let the machine get them.
If by some change a live person calls here and asks to speak to me by first and last name I tell them they have the wrong number because anyone calling here that I want to talk to certainly won't be using my last name and will recognize my voice when I answer the phone.
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
11 Mar 09
I am on the Telephone Preference Service which stops those calls - or is meant to. But some still get through. If it's double glazing etc I say that I am a tenant. Anything else and I become P1ke's Taxis "Where can I take you"? A few moments of that kind of cross purpose talk and they're off.
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
When you are on a no call list the best thing to do is to tell the company that you are on a no call list and ask them to remove your number.. But what most people don't know is if you have any business with the company calling while you are on a no call list they can call you as you have done business with them before..I think it's like up to six months after you had dealt with them that they can call. but seriously just tell them you are on a no call list and to remove you and they have to or else they can get a serious and hefty fine up to and including shutting down their offices for a couple of days.
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
11 Mar 09
Oh God that is just so funny! That show host (I take it that's what he was) is a genius! Why can't UK radio be as good as this?
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
I have no clue.. I just think that was so funny!!!!!
@timhinyy (1653)
• United States
10 Mar 09
most of the time when i answer the phone once i realize that its not someone i know since some of our phones have caller id and some do not i will just hang up the phone because i do not have the time or the paitence to deal with some of those people and alot of them you cant even understand them
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
I understand your frustrations with alot of companies now outsourcing their telecommunications it's hard to understand some of the people that we speak to but just read the reply to #2 and that should help....
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
I should start doing that just to see the reactions of the people who call LOL!!
@Sparky5115 (244)
• Australia
10 Mar 09
Tell them you don't live there - you're just a Detective with the homicide squad investigating a brutal crime that has occurred at the residence they have rung.
Then tell them that you are going to need all their details as they are now a suspect on your list due to making contact with the victims home shortly after the body was discovered.
I bet they will have hung up before you even get that far! lol
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
11 Mar 09
yep I heard that one that is what my second link is too really.. LOL!! I think it's funny but I don't know if ya can get in trouble doing so.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
10 Mar 09
My phone has a digital answering machine and I can use it to screen incoming calls-If the call is important enough for someone to leave Me a message,they will,and I can act on it..If there's no message,The call can't have been important enough in the first place
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
10 Mar 09
I see what you mean, but me and alot of my friends we don't leave messages and just call back I hate answering machines and always have ..LOL!! So I usually tell the telemarketers to take me off their list after I given them pa is a one no state here is your one no, now take me off your call list. Nice thing is if they don't you can get them in trouble and assessed a hefty fine and you can get damages.
@kprofgames (3089)
• United States
10 Mar 09
ROFLMAO
Oh that was sweet. I admit I've given the phone to my 5 year old before and told them the nice lady wants to know about our dog, but that was sweet!
I"m sharing that link. That's just funny. Thanks for posting.
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