27 February 2009

I'd Like To Insult You With An Exciting New Offer...


I am starting to wonder why I keep a phone at Snap Snap. Of course the reason is, I still get a few calls a week from customers or people who need information about selling their old clothes, jewelry, handbags...etc. and I'm sure people listen to my outgoing message when I'm not there (it's informative on all the above as well) But for the most part, the majority of the calls I receive are from telemarketers or people looking for monetary donations of some sort.

Several calls a day in fact.

It's starting to get annoying.

These calls are divided about 50/50 between automated messages (which I can't believe would move anyone to buy anything) and real live people. These types of calls are invasive and interrupt me when I am in the middle of working, and more often than not, the phone rings when I am trying to help a customer, which interrupts that interaction so that I can reach over and grab the phone, only to realize that someone is calling me about something I'm not interested in, or don't have (health insurance or credit card processing are the biggest culprits)

I usually have a standard answer that interrupts the scripts the live people are reading from, because I'm sure, as you know, these people never pause for breath or interaction with you. I say, "I'm sorry, I'm not interested, but thank you for calling" and then I hang up.

It's starting to get annoying.

Yesterday though? Yesterday was a doozie. The woman who called immediately launched into her spiel the minute my greeting was issued forth:

"Snap Snap..."

"I am calling to talk to you about your credit card processing machine..."
(note the lack of any greeting from most of these companies)

"I'm sorry, I'm not interested, but thank you for calling"
(I hang up phone and go back to what I was doing)

The phone rings again:

"Snap Snap"

Voice of the telemarketer that just called:
"...you know? You're selling resale clothes, but you act like you're selling Gucci...don't you want to know how you can save money when you're buying people's clothes from them?"

She hangs up.

Oh my...really?

I almost *69 her back (as she didn't even mention the company name she works for) to tell her the following:

1. You know? I am a resale clothing store and I am a resale clothing store that actually sells Gucci. I have had Gucci in the shop along with Louis Vuitton, Coach, Prada and other name brand clothing and accessories. That is in fact, how I have kept the doors open as long as I have.

2. I have no idea how listening to you talk about credit card processing is going to personally save me money when I'm buying people's clothing...unless those people take credit cards. This makes no sense to me whatsoever. And if you know so much about my business (seeing as you kind of took on this attitude that you do...when you called me back to interrupt me again) then you would realize that information about credit cards or credit card processing machines are of no interest to me...

3. And in case you've forgotten, you are calling my business during business hours. You are invasive and interrupted me, without even checking to see if I had time to listen to you. I answered you politely...if you can't take people hanging up on you, or rejection...perhaps you need to rethink your job. I'm pretty sure I was probably not the first person to not want to listen to what you have to say...at least I try to be polite and thank you for calling. Yes, I hang up at the end of these interactions without waiting for your response, but you never wait, pause or listen for my response, so I figure it's only fair.

I'm not going to mention anything about any kind of economic times we happen to be in...but I don't think this is going to get any company any kind of business...In fact, I would be interested in the statistics or results in this kind of business practice. How much product do these people really sell over the phone? All in all, it gave me a big giggle and a fun story to tell...but I wanted to warn you,

You may want to watch out...The telemarketers are calling and they've got attitude.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

you hit the nail on the head, my dear...

luvmygreenbug said...

...total PIA's, I tell ya...I keep getting the one who tells me the factory warranty on my car is about to expire, and they have a real deal for me...I have repeatedly pushed the number they mention to get off their calling list..I have talked to a live person at LEAST 5 times to have them PLEASE take me off their list (oh, yes, MA'AM, we will do that for sure..), and still it goes on..even after I tell them my car is 41 FRIGGIN' YEARS OLD, and I don't need a warranty on it...OK, I vented also, and I feel all better now..unless the phone were to ring right now...

~Molly~ said...

Ok, now I'm mad!!! And so feeling your pain. I hate those jackasses. BAD.

Molly

Suzanne said...

You GO girl! I must say I am very happy to have a cell line off of my husband's, so HE gets all those calls instead of me. It just makes one NOT want to answer the phone at all, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

Yes, it is very annoying. We have an old answering machine on our land line, screen our messages, and are listed on the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY.

Despite that I still get the robocalls messages recorded on the machine about credit cards and auto warranty issues. I have heard that some people respond by saying that they are on the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY and for the caller to expect to be contacted by an attorney. The phone number of the annoying caller can be reported.

Sorry you could not be with us at A-B. Wishing you a glorious Spring,

Larry

Anonymous said...

dont you wish you could think of sh** to say while they are on the phone with you - like yes i am the OWNER bbeeyotch of a successful upscale resale clothing store while you - beeeeeeeeyotch are making min wage annoying people on the phone then hang up on her!!!!!!!!!!!! whaaaahaahahaha

Mytutorlist.com said...

My goodness! She is sooo rude! I can't believe these telemarketers these days. No concern whatsoever for other people, and no sliver of decorum. I hate it when they don't even ask if they can have some of your time or if they're interrupting something.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that.

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