As obnoxious as they are, I still feel sorry for the people

[janradder]

Whenever someone brings up the topic of telemarketers, almost invariably, someone brings up how they like to hassle the callers -- string them along as if they're really interested, argue with them, waste their time, tell them what horrible people they (the telemarketers) are, and so on. Granted, those calls are pretty annoying, especially when you get them on a regular basis, but I just can't get into giving those people a hard time because, years ago, I used to be one of those people calling you up during dinner and asking if you were interested in vinyl siding, insulation, or thermal replacement window.

It's not fun work, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, telemarketing is one of the worst jobs I've ever had -- I mean, you're bothering people in their homes or places of work on the off chance they might be interested in what you're selling. After about the third or fourth call, you just want to kill yourself. And it's not like the pay is decent. Usually it's at or about minimum wage or just slightly better, which is crap.

But aside from thinking about how the person on the other end of that phone used to be me and what a sucky job it is, hassling them for calling you is sort of like hassling the kid behind the concession stand for not giving you a free cup because he could get fired for it. Or giving the store clerk a hard time because whatever you just bought has tax so in stead of the ten dollars you thought it was going to be, it's ten dollars and eighty cents. Perhaps that telemarketer might be doing the calling, but it's not like it was his or her idea and it's not as if the person's getting rich while doing it. They're just doing they're job, like every other employee in a crap job, and more than likely because it's the only one they could get.

Comments

[vee-ecks.livejournal.com]

I also did some of that as a kid, and yeah, it sucked, but so did the place, and my best friend was a floor manager. Which is why I got to spend a few months fucking around and calling my friends and porn lines around the US and getting paid for it. The last job I did there, and virtually the only one where I actually made calls all day, was for some uber-conservative running against Packwood, a get out the vote and vote for our guy thing. I spent all day actively offending people in the guy's name.

I just hang up on telemarketers, immediately, if I ever take the call, these days. If they're kewl, they'll appreciate the honesty, and if they're the kind of eager beavers who will try to keep me on the phone as long as possible after I say "No," fuck 'em.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

To me there's a difference between the groups which can legitimately ignore the do not call list - politics, polls and charity - and the predators. Which is what telemarketing was to a degree and is now primarily after the do not call list. People in these jobs can quickly figure out they're doing borderline illegal work. I hang up on everyone, but I understand the hostility towards people who are taking minimum plus commission to troll for easy marks even worse off than them.

[vee-ecks.livejournal.com]

I can sympathize, but ultimately, what they're doing is incredibly rude and I don't owe them anything. If I stay on the phone and let them try to Get to Yes with me, I'm just going to get pissed off, and I already know I don't want or need whatever they're selling.

Same deal with religious proselytizers at the door, although I do give them a firm "Not interested" before I shut the door. At that point, they have about five seconds to either demonstrate the greater kindness and patience and understanding Jesus is supposed to provide them and back the fuck off, or they can respond with "How do you know you're not interested?" and get the door slammed in their faces.

I used to do *that* job, too, BTW, somewhat more seriously than I took telemarketing.

The only door-to-door salespeople we ever get around here are kids and I'm just...unable to be mean or rude to kids, generally, so I usually buy something.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

I hang up on them too, though we get far fewer calls now. Mostly, it's the phone company calling, trying to upgrade our services.

[sarahgoss.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way. It's annoying to get the calls, yes, but I always feel horrible for the people having to make the calls. My husband used to do telemarketing and he didn't want us to be on the Do Not Call List because he felt bad putting someone out of work (albeit, really really crappy work). Of course, now with the Robo Calls, it's becoming a bit of a moot point.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

I'd have no problem if telemarketing was permanently eliminated, but I don't see why anyone should hassle a person doing a job that's already crappy enough.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

I have to disagree somewhat. I'm not rude to poll takers and I just hang up on the charity calls (though some like the Policeman's Benefit Society are scams).

Telemarketing, however, was oft exploitative even when it involved legit products. I dated someone who worked in data for calling center which did polling and before she quit she was gathering stats for marketing. Those most vulnerable to pitches are least able to afford it - the old, the isolated, the easily intimidated, the mentally unaware, etc. It's part of why she quit.

Post do not call list, telemarketing is increasingly predatory (or flat illegal in defying the list). The Car Warranty calls now driving people crazy are attempting to scare folks into a policy designed never to pay out. More than ever it targets groups who can't or don't use the do not call list, again the most vulnerable.

I've worked in jobs and activism which involve telemarketing target groups and I lack sympathy. One might take the job in naive desperation, but it's not hard to figure out the job involves trolling for easy marks, especially now. It may suck to get paid minimum wage for a job which takes advantage of people who are as bad if not worse off, but if one chooses that path, it kind of should suck. It's the sort of job one should do badly then quit.

[vee-ecks.livejournal.com]

Those most vulnerable to pitches are least able to afford it - the old, the isolated, the easily intimidated, the mentally unaware, etc.

Yep. Same deal with junk mail marketing (I won't say "direct mail" in general, because a lot of that is actually targeted at people who can afford to spend and have demonstrated that), email spam (same caveat as previous), the Home Shopping Network and all those commercials and infomercials for hilarious shit that go up on YouTube.

Whenever you think "Jesus, who would buy this?" that's who.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

It's the sort of job one should do badly then quit.

I think that's easy to say when you have other options -- education, for instance. Most people working crap jobs aren't doing it because they like it but because they have no other options. You are right that telemarketing is predatory, but I think the people who should be taken to task aren't the saps doing it but the people in charge of the whole operation. I mean, really, what point does it serve to give some woman on the phone a hard time. It's like being at a protest and yelling in the faces of cops just for being there -- it does nothing but make the yeller feel good about his or her self. I'm not saying that the latest robo-calls should be legal, but I also don't think it's all that big of someone to go out of their way and punch in the number as directed just to hassle a live person. If you've got caller ID, don't pick up the phone; if you don't, just hang up.

[sacwentie.livejournal.com]

A good goal for you might be to not hassle _any_ of the people who call your house!

[janradder.livejournal.com]

I'll stop hassling you as soon as you stop calling, how's that?

[sacwentie.livejournal.com]

OUCH

[janradder.livejournal.com]

"Ouch," you say? But no, "Okay I'll take a hint"? Geez.