There are some jobs that I really wouldn't want--for example, knife-thrower's assistant or Mafia hitman. But, those are jobs that SOMEONE has to do, just as the job of telemarketer--another one of those 'not for me' jobs. For the most part, I understand that telemarketers are trying to make a living, trying to pay their rent and feed their families. And I am okay with that. What I am NOT okay with is the attitude of too many of these people.
As I said, I don't want the job and I can imagine it is a very frustrating way to make a living, but I wish they would understand ME, as well. For the most part, I try to be as nice and courteous to the caller as I can. (I take issue, though, with the companies that call repeatedly, day after day after day. I don't need to be HARASSED.) As I said, I try to be courteous and friendly, while trying to get off of the phone as quickly as possible. And I usually can do all of this with a minimum of hassle. There are more times than I'd like to think, that I HAVE to be rude to these people or I would be on the phone with them all day long. Some telemarketers are like a dog with a bone, they just won't give it up! One thing that I will say is that I'm not interested and don't want to waste their time and then I'll say good by and hang up. I feel bad when I have to be rude, but there are times when it is just necessary.
I think what annoys me most are the times where the telemarketer is my BEST friend in the world until I make it clear that I am NOT buying from him/her. When s/he can just say good by and hang up, WHY get 'that tone of voice' and be rude to me? I wasn't rude in the first place and this is one of the reasons why telemarketers have such a bad reputation: They get all pissy when you let them know you are not falling for their sale's pitch. I want to tell them to suck it up and deal with the rejection--sorry to say, but this IS what you signed up for when you took the job. (I DO know that jobs are hard to come by, but it isn't a secret how people feel about telemarketers.) And while I know the majority of people ARE rude, please be happy that there are some, like me, that don't want to be.
aren't you on the Do Not Call list? It's made a world of difference to my mom, she used to get 10 calls a day, and since she signed up, it's rare that we get one in a week.
ReplyDeleteJust say "No, thank you" and hang up.
yeah, dealing with telemarketers can be very frustrating - because even when you are nice/kind to them, when you say, "No" - they kind of go postal!
ReplyDeletejanet: Yes, I'm on the Do Not Call list and it HAS made a lot of difference--these are the companies that are ALLOWED to call because I have/are now doing business with them. I hate being rude, but some of them are so rude to me when I say 'no' that it just gets to me. (And the repeat callers are usually recorded messages that don't stop even when I wait until the end and press whatever button they say for the calls to stop. I really think the calls increase--just like when you try to 'unsubscribe' to SPAM.)
ReplyDeletemeleah: Like I said, I understand THEIR frustration, but they need to understand ME, too.