Crankiness *Updated*
March 13, 2008 by mrschili
Despite being on every “do not call” list we can find, we still get inundated with phone calls. Most of them are computer-generated recordings of overly-enthusiastic people informing me that I can get a great deal on health insurance, or warning me of the dire tragedies that will befall me because my car’s factory warranty is expiring.
EVERY SINGLE TIME I get one of these calls, I sit through the “press ‘1′ to speak to a representative about this fantastic offer. Press ‘2′ to be removed from our lists” and, big surprise, I press ‘2.’ I’m then reassured, by a recording, that my number will be removed from their call lists and I’ll be forever excluded from their wonderful services.
Until they call again.
The warranty people have been making me crazy lately. I’m smart enough to not hit ‘2′ again - it’s obviously not getting me anywhere - so when they called me again this morning, I pressed ‘1′ and got Carl on the phone. “HI, Carl!” I said in my nicest, most friendly voice, “may I speak with a supervisor, please?” “Sure,” he said, in a rather bland tone, and then promptly hung up on me.
Bastard.
I pressed *69 and got the originating phone number, immediately dialed it, and was met with ANOTHER recording. “Press ‘1′ to be removed from our call lists (we’ve moved up from 2 to 1 on this line, it seems) or, if you have a rotary phone, please leave a message at the tone.”
BINGO!
(In my sternest, most authoritarian voice 
Hello. This is Mrs. Chili. My number is 777-888-9999. I have been repeatedly called by your company after requesting several times that our number be removed from your call lists. I was called again this morning and I requested to speak with a manager, but one of your representatives named Carl hung up on me.
If our number is NOT removed from your list immediately, I will call my state Attorney General and report your company for unlawful harassment. Again, my number is 777-888-9999. I appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.
*Updated to include: I got ANOTHER warranty call at quarter past three this afternoon. This time, I got someone named Francina, and when I asked to speak to a supervisor, she hung up on me, too, just like Carl did this morning. The *69 thing didn’t work for this company, so I’m betting it’s a different outfit. I’ve officially passed “cranky” and have proceeded directly to “pissed off.”
I has it too.
The Do Not Call registration needs to be updated periodically. Maybe you’ve fallen off of it.
I hope that works, but I wouldn’t bank on it.
Sorry, I’m just naturally pessimistic.
go girl go, give them what for (from one to another)
The only calls we get are those robots wanting money I mentioned in one of my recent posts. For several days now, they haven’t called. We’ll see . . . . .
maybe those calls should be turned into a drinking game. every time they call take a drink. every time you are supposed to push a button take a drink, every time you are on hold, take a drink….
Oh boy do those calls ever just piss me off royally. We are on all the Do Not Call lists too, but some companies are finding loopholes and calling anyway.
I am also starting to get these calls on my cell phone.
I wonder what the success rate is of telemarketing calls. It seems to me that if everyone hates them as much as we say we do, no one would ever buy any goods or services as a result of a telemarketing call.
I get those warranty calls ALL THE TIME. And they’re never from just one phone number, they bounce around all over the country so it’s not a number I recognize. Can I borrow that speech, please?
Slow Panic is on to something good.
Telemarketing is CHEAP. It doesn’t take a very high closing ratio to make it profitable; especially if the company can close the sale on the phone.
Since non-profits and charities are exempt from the DNC list, I have made it a point of telling charitable solicitors that I will not donate to their charities over the phone even if I do happen to support what they are doing. My way of letting them know that I don’t want to be solicited on the phone.
So, it turned out that we HAD fallen off the DNC list, so I put us right back on. I hope that helps. Thanks, Dudley!
Jennifer, the speech is yours. I hope it does you more good than it’ll likely do me.
Panic, I think that’s a GREAT idea! Of course, it’d mean that I’d be sauced by 11 in the morning most days, but hell, it might be fun to try it at least once!
Hate. Telemarketers. Especially the ones exempt from do not call lists.
I had a student throw an exam at me today. How’s that for cranky?
Yesterday I heard on the news that Southwest Airlines was busted for over a 100 planes flying past their inspection dates, and getting the biggest fine, ever,in the entire history of aviation fines- at this point I expected a figure in the billions but then the talking head said “10.2 million dollars”.
That’s million not billion, it was funny when Dr. Evil said million but just sickening when the tv spokesmodel said million.
Ten point two million, Exxon makes that in a second don’t they? Ten point two million is nothing for a corporation.
What’s the fine for breaking the law of ‘don’t call lists’?
Chances are as soon as you called the first ‘unsubscribe me’ number you were put on the grade A prime sucker list. After all, you are the type of person who isn’t afraid to get things done on the phone, you showed that by taking the bait of the ‘dail 2 to unsubscribe’ thing.
Sure, one day they will be busted for it but by then they will have made enough profit to pay whatever fine will be levied. You know I’m right, it happens all the time. Most fines for corporate crimes are far far less than the profit that can be made by breaking the laws.
So why does the government allow this shadyness? because anger is only a temporary motivator, eventually it leads to acceptance and defeat which is what they want. They don’t want you to feel empowered because then you might not accept a lousy ten million dollar fine for risking hundreds if not thousands of peoples lives.
The answer is to not play their game. Don’t answer the phone, scan your calls. You’ll never be taken off the list until you change your number though.
My grandmother was constantly harassed by the republican party on the phone for donations because she once donated, every single time they promised to take her off the list and never did. Nothing worked to remove her because no one person you are allowed to speak to (without hiring a lawyer) has the power to do it.
Crazy pain in the ass, this problem.
I think you can report violators to donnotcall.gov.
Hi.
As I think I’ve indicated I was going to, I wrote a post on my blog about “pretty.”
See what you think.
Its been a day at my house as well.
The only thing that will stop telemarketing is when it becomes ineffective. Like I noted above, it’s very inexpensive, and a company does not require very many postive repsonses in order to make it pay off.
Never, and I mean NEVER, purchase or make a donation as a direct result of telemarketing.
Been there, done that. And then one day I ripped the land line out of the wall and tossed it into the trash. Now I do only cell. I just don’t need the anger. Maybe we should start a support group. Hello, my name is Meg and I hate telemarketing…
Joining the club. Yeesh.
I was feeling your crankiness until I got to the dog. It was so adorable it distracted my crankiness.
These same type of people keep calling me twice a day every day at WORK!
I’m really ticked off, because the same thing happened to me. I pressed 1 and waited and asked to be removed, and the stupid guy hung up on me.
I reported them to my administrator, I’m hoping they can look into. Someone should sue these people.