Kind of a PSA --> Be Nice to the Cold Callers. Maybe?

[Fairy]

I could tell when the phone rang that it was a sales/political/bot call. But I'm tired of being angry when I get these and just decided to answer it, handle it in short order with a "please put me on the do not call list" (yes, I'm on the do-not-call list) and move on. So, this one was a live person, it was a political call, and I answered her three simple questions. She told me to have a good night, and I said, you too, and then she adds real quick, obviously off-script cuz her voice changed to a more natural one, "and thank you for being nice!" And I felt about two feet tall. Some of these people I just want to smack around for their heavy-handedness and the beady little eyes I imagine them to have when they just won't take no for an answer. But others are not like this. Most of them are for me! And the bots are hell. But some people are just people trying to hang on to a job where every call is someone screaming at them to leave them alone, calling them names, being unkind. So, this "thank you for being nice?" Made me remember that these are human beings behind those scripts, and I need to try to remember to treat them that way.

[AnnieW625]

I try to be too only because my dad did cold call sales for Auto Week magazine when he and my mom were first married, and for his senior year in college. He said it was a hard job, but it taught him that he could be a good sales person as long as he was nice. 37+ yrs. later he is still in sales (this time he sells wine). If I have the time I will answer the phone, if not I'll let it go to the machine (one nice thing about caller id).

[edurnemk]

I try to remember that, too, the calls are annoying, and when they won't take no for an answer or are really pushy I always start out by saying "I know you're just doing your job, and you must get very rude responses, but ..."

[rlu]

If I answer the phone then I usually do see what they want and then tell them I am going to hang up and goodbye. I don't just hangup but I don't wait for response.

DH did cold calling when he sold life insurance, sucks.

[elektra]

Good PSA. :)
I still get peeved when my doorbell rings (dogs bark, I am always in the middle of something), however, since I have now come to love our nanny who is a Jehovah's Witness, I am much less bitchy to people coming to the door about things, because I would feel really bad if someone was ever mean to our nanny when she has to do her door-to-doors.

[wellyes]

I've done cold calling. Tried more than once. I didn't last long. But I was lucky to have other options. It's a good job for people who might have a hard time getting work elsewhere -- lack of education/GED, mobility issues (due to weight not disability), need to make their own hours due to funny childcare situations, etc.

My stock answer is: "This is not a good line for me to talk on, please take me off you list. Good night". Explicitly ask to be taken off the list is your best bet.

[Indianamom2]

I always at least listen to what the person is saying/selling, then say "No thank you" or, "I'm not interested, goodbye."

Got an interesting response the other day though...I got a call from the FOP who drive me NUTS because they will not take no for an answer. I politely let the guy finish, then said, No thanks, I'm not interested...and his response was, verbatim: "Well that's horrible...." and he hung up on me!

Dude, I wasn't saying I'm not interested in supporting police families...just not over the phone!

[SnuggleBuggles]

My stock answer is: "This is not a good line for me to talk on, please take me off you list. Good night". Explicitly ask to be taken off the list is your best bet.

The take me off your list thing is key! If you ask to be put on their no call list they are supposed to respect that- and I have found that they do.

Beth

[mommylamb]

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm usually a b*tch to people who call and try to sell me something. I listen long enough to find out if it's a charity and if so I'm pleasant, though I always give to charities on my own terms and never when one calls me up unless it's a clothing donation truck in the area sort of thing. But if they're selling anything I quickly say I'm not interested and take me off your list in a curt manner. It's a big pet peeve of mine. I also really hate the door to door people, especially the proselytizing religious people. I find it so offensive that they would invade my personal space like that. Anyone like that better hope that DH answers the door. He's much nicer than I am.

[kijip]

I make a lot of calls (mostly thank yous and invitations, though some are major donor chit chat and ask calls) though not in a cold call or call center way. But with all the people I need to reach out to for work, it's a safe bet I don't know them all so to them I am a new person. I also oversee a call pledge drive. So yeah, I am big of being polite and nice to people. I always tell charities to send me something in the mail (we don't get a lot of charity calls, because we mainly give anonymously and don't furnish our phone numbers), I politely decline the surveys and I tell the windows people that we have 3 year old windows so no dice.

The calls that really irk me are the GOP campaign calls. I am not rude to the person but I always say "Please remove me from your list, I am a member of the Democratic party." Because I contribute to any campaign to oppose the raising of sales taxes (not anti-tax, I am seriously anti high sales taxes), I seem to keep ending up on GOP lists. Live calls, robo-calls and they keep finding my number even though it is not listed and I don't give it when I contribute. My support of the other side is so darn plain- you can find my name on donor disclosure lists, my name on the list of district dem members, dem precinct captains, endorser lists of various local liberal candidates etc. This has been going on for years and as soon as it stops, it starts again. Dino Rossi, I am looking at you. Stop calling. I am not voting for you, period.

[SnuggleBuggles]

(we don't get a lot of charity calls, because we mainly give anonymously and don't furnish our phone numbers), I politely decline the surveys and I tell the windows people that we have 3 year old windows so no dice.
.

Quick question- I have really been wanting to give anonymously to charity but wasn't sure how to go about it. I don't want to send cash but couldn't they just take your info from a check and bug you? I hate having charities call me. I'll give when I want to and I am far more inclined to give if you don't bug me.

Beth

[m448]

I'm not rude but I'm not going to be overtly friendly. You've called me (and I don't let it go to machine since I usually have a sleeping baby somewhere). If I say no thanks I hang up right then and there. The "excuuuuuse me . . . " was the best response I've gotten. To that I said, "listen you're getting paid, I'm not. Goodbye"

Blegh and my DH is from the south and a good sport about pretty much anything so while he's letting them off nicely I'm sitting next to him rolling my eyes and making gagging sounds. I know pretty right?

My pet peeve is the kirby crew that lets out people from an SUV like circus clowns. One chick came up, rang the doorbell and handed my husband a bottle of dawn, said "hold this" and then ran off for 5 minutes. Came back with a kirby machine which he declined. Man if she would have set foot in this house it wouldn't have been pretty because I don't even answer the doorbell if I don't know you or you give me a badge number.

[Indianamom2]

I'm not rude but I'm not going to be overtly friendly. You've called me (and I don't let it go to machine since I usually have a sleeping baby somewhere). If I say no thanks I hang up right then and there. The "excuuuuuse me . . . " was the best response I've gotten. To that I said, "listen you're getting paid, I'm not. Goodbye"

Blegh and my DH is from the south and a good sport about pretty much anything so while he's letting them off nicely I'm sitting next to him rolling my eyes and making gagging sounds. I know pretty right?

My pet peeve is the kirby crew that lets out people from an SUV like circus clowns. One chick came up, rang the doorbell and handed my husband a bottle of dawn, said "hold this" and then ran off for 5 minutes. Came back with a kirby machine which he declined. Man if she would have set foot in this house it wouldn't have been pretty because I don't even answer the doorbell if I don't know you or you give me a badge number.


OOoooo...the Kirby people. Had a really, really unpleasant experience with them (similar tactic as well) on a Saturday morning when I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to prepare for company that was already on the way. I'm a polite person, non-confrontational and I rarely ever raise my voice...but these people would not take no for an answer. I believe I had to threaten to call the police. It was ugly.

[arivecchi]

I gotta admit. I am not so nice. I just hang up. I just don't have the time or energy to deal.

[fortato]

I'm done being nice.
I will answer the phone, count to three, and if they don't say "Hello" before I get to three, I hang up. If they do answer, I listen for a few seconds, to see if they give me a chance to speak, if not...I will say "Stop Talking." That usually throws them for a loop. I will ask what they are calling about.... I refuse to take political calls or sales calls... We are on the Do Not Call list for a reason.

Also- if they can't pronounce my name.... I will tell them they have the wrong number. Of course, my last name isn't easy to say.

I know...I'm nasty. But at 8:30 at night... I have a right to be... that's MY time.

[ncat]

The robo calls are bad - there is no one to talk to to get off the list. I try to be politely not interested when an actual live person calls, but the surveys have been driving me crazy!

Some say it will take just a minute of my time and it ends up taking 20+. I'd like to provide my opinion for what seems like political issues, but once someone takes more than 5 minutes, I think they ought to pay me for my time! DH got sucked into one - he finally gave up 20 minutes or so in and told them we needed to eat dinner. They kept calling back to finish at inopportune times - including 10 at night. I had to be blunt and tell them look, there will never be a good time - they lied to us about how much time they would take and then called at indecent hours and woke up our children.

Sorry for the rant. Not much sympathy here for the cold callers.

[kijip]

Quick question- I have really been wanting to give anonymously to charity but wasn't sure how to go about it. I don't want to send cash but couldn't they just take your info from a check and bug you? I hate having charities call me. I'll give when I want to and I am far more inclined to give if you don't bug me.

Beth

Many charities use a web donation processor that allows you to be totally anonymous from the charity if you prefer, these places will even reciept you so you can make the tax deduction without a reciept from the charity directly. I use this for my work and it is popular. Also you can send money orders or even, little known fact, cross out your information on your check with a black marker. I receive 4 donations a year for A LOT of money that way, from the same person.

However, I also give to places who I trust to not share my name or call me if I tell them not to. Someone can give me all their information but it will never get used unless they want it to be. But we have a very close relationship with our donor base, and it is not uncommon for people to reach out to me.

[wellyes]

I am so glad I gave up my landline and went to VOIP. I get maybe 9-10 cold sales call a year (probably from giving my # to some giveaway or web site) and no political calls.


However, I also give to places who I trust to not share my name or call me if I tell them not to.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/ is a great resource for a lot of reasons, one of which is that they rate charities on their privacy policies and tell you all the details so you can compare for yourself.

[brittone2]

Got an interesting response the other day though...I got a call from the FOP who drive me NUTS because they will not take no for an answer.
Oh my, yes! We went through this at our first house. They would call us almost every single night, over and over! At one point i think I said can you just mail me some info, because I don't want to give my cc info over the phone, etc. and they refused to mail me anything.

It was seriously bordering on harassment. I have never had that problem at any other place we have lived, but at our first house, it went on forever and was rather aggressive!

[wellyes]

Oh gosh memories. I tried working as a FOP fundraiser for all of 1 day. They literally just handed me pages from a phone book and a paper script. It was the skeeviest place I ever worked.... girly calendars hung up on the wall, smelly. They're just salesmen, but one of the guys would pretend to be a police lieutenant when he called. It was in a friendly way, not threatening, but still obviously lying to generate more $$. The company that does the fundraising keeps a big portion of the money that donors think are going to a widows-and-orphans fund. I did not like that place.

[Fairy]

http://www.charitynavigator.org/ is a great resource for a lot of reasons, one of which is that they rate charities on their privacy policies and tell you all the details so you can compare for yourself.

I must second the Charity Navigator. Outstanding resource for thigns just like this.

[longtallsally05]

When I was desperate for $ between college and grad school, I worked doing sales calls. You will keep getting calls unless you say the magic words,"I don't accept telephone solicitation. Take me off the list and don't call back". Supervisors listen in on conversations and the employees/callers can't take your name/number out of the pool unless you say those magic words, or the employees/callers will get in trouble (lose their jobs). Don't feel sorry for people, just tell them straight up and they won't lose their jobs. FYI, lots of the phone calls we made came from lists generated by Sears. If you have store credit cards, check your privacy settings on your accounts so you don't get calls.

To anyone who says they aren't soliciting anything when they call me or knock on my door, I tell them they'd better look up the definition of solicitation. Solicitation has nothing to do with selling anything, unless they are talking about prostitution. Any stranger who calls my house or rings my doorbell is soliciting my attention, and I don't accept it, period. I had a locking glass storm door installed just to give me an extra layer between me and the solicitors, when one acted in an angry, threatening manner.

[WolfpackMom]

Oh gosh memories. I tried working as a FOP fundraiser for all of 1 day. They literally just handed me pages from a phone book and a paper script. It was the skeeviest place I ever worked.... girly calendars hung up on the wall, smelly. They're just salesmen, but one of the guys would pretend to be a police lieutenant when he called. It was in a friendly way, not threatening, but still obviously lying to generate more $$. The company that does the fundraising keeps a big portion of the money that donors think are going to a widows-and-orphans fund. I did not like that place.

I am not sure if its that one, but one of those police family type cold calling agencies only gives something like 2-5% of what they raise. If you ask a charity that is calling you for donations what percent of a donation goes to overhead costs and what actually goes to services and what services specifically they are supposed to tell you, if they can't tell me then I say sorry I don't donate without knowing where my money is actually going.

[truly scrumptious]

I had a friend who, when she answered the phone to solicitors, would ask for the caller's home phone number. When they asked why, she would say that since they had called and interrupted her family/dinner/whatever time, she would like to have the opportunity to call them during THEIR family/dinner/whatever time. They'd usually give up and hang up.

[wellyes]

When they asked why, she would say that since they had called and interrupted her family/dinner/whatever time, she would like to have the opportunity to call them during THEIR family/dinner/whatever time. They'd usually give up and hang up.

I can tell you from my experience as a telemarketer that that's exactly the sort of family that gets put into the "call again later" registry, rather than the "declined" list or "do not call" list. Which is the telemarketer equivalent of a waiter spitting in someone's food. Not saying it's right, just saying that was my observation.

[kdeunc]

Quick question- I have really been wanting to give anonymously to charity but wasn't sure how to go about it. I don't want to send cash but couldn't they just take your info from a check and bug you? I hate having charities call me. I'll give when I want to and I am far more inclined to give if you don't bug me.

Beth

That is exactly what you need to tell the charity. Ask them to keep you anonymous and tell them not to solicit you. A reputable organization will want to keep a potential donor happy and should note your request. I have personally dealt with donors exactly like this and was happy to honor their request.

[kijip]

I am so glad I gave up my landline and went to VOIP. I get maybe 9-10 cold sales call a year (probably from giving my # to some giveaway or web site) and no political calls.



http://www.charitynavigator.org/ is a great resource for a lot of reasons, one of which is that they rate charities on their privacy policies and tell you all the details so you can compare for yourself.

One thing to bear in mind is that Charity Navigator is great for organizations that are pretty large. But a lot of small, excellent ors are not included. Places like you local food bank or the innovative domestic violence program that just opened a few years ago or such. So don't take a charity not having a listing on CN to mean that the place is so so or worse, just that is perhaps too small to merit their attention. I prefer that my domestic violence dollars go to a local advocacy and program place that is helping people In my town directly, not the national center. I prefer to give my social justice money to the local Defense fund etc. So if you give local, you may need to look local for your information. guidestar has all charity tax filings so you can see real financial responsibility stuff for even the smaller organizations. If they are required to file, it is on there. I use that a lot.

[truly scrumptious]

I can tell you from my experience as a telemarketer that that's exactly the sort of family that gets put into the "call again later" registry, rather than the "declined" list or "do not call" list. Which is the telemarketer equivalent of a waiter spitting in someone's food. Not saying it's right, just saying that was my observation.

Oh yes, I think she realized that - I think her purpose was the satisfaction of releasing some of her frustration in the moment. Not the best long-term strategy to avoid the calls, though.

[fivi2]

Put me in the I am not nice, nor do I intend to be camp. I am done. They call at night, when I am trying to get my kids to fall asleep. One I told about three times to take me off the list, they kept calling late at night, or early in the morning on weekends, etc. I finally screamed like a crazy person. They will not answer me when I ask what the point of the call is. I have threatened to call the police multiple times on door to door people who will not leave. I do not feel the need to be polite to someone who is so rude and disrespectful to me.

Just tonight (during crazy dinner chaos) a number showed up on my caller id - it said it was a local cell phone, so I answered... She said she was calling from some political something or other, I said it was a bad time (and really the screaming kids in the background weren't a clue?) and hung up. She called back immediately 3 times in a row (I didn't answer). Seriously I am so done.

[Sillygirl]

I wouldn't be nice to someone who ran up to me in the grocery store, while I was in the middle of a conversation with my son, and started telling me all about the PopTarts that I have no intention of buying. Why would I worry at all about someone who interrupts me in the privacy of my own home?

We cut the landline, so this is no longer an issue, but I generally just hang up on them without a word as soon as it's clear it's a sales call. The only people I went actively out of my way to harrass were the junk-fax people. I kept one on the line for twenty minutes, telling them I was about to puchase a deluxe vacation for twenty people, before telling them I was purposely wasting their time.