Hi Joe,

I tend to agree with your point of view, for the most part, as far as what the hell, don't get mad at them, be polite and get off the phone quickly. But, let me tell you this little story...

Got a call one evening, and I missed the beginning of it, but the operator was asking about accepting a collect call. Thinking it was my son (he always does the collect call thing when he's out and has no money for a phone call), so I accepted the call. Immediately I get a sales pitch and to make matters worse, it is a recorded message. Man! Was I pissed!! They had the nerve to call collect! I hung up and immediately called the phone company, they told me I could take care of it when I got my phone bill. A month later, a collect call for $10.50 shows up on my phone bill. The call was placed from Haiti. Not a problem getting it off my bill, but that's not the point. I can't believe that they can do that sort of thing and get away with it, but apparently they can.

End of story ... < g >
Bonnie

>Hi Jim.
>
>I thought this might be a good spot to voice mt opinion on telemarketing.
>
>The people making the calls are normally just doing their job. Not a fun job. Not a job that pays well. Not a job that they prefer doing. But they are working for their money and I find that commendable. I don't give them a hard time. If I am not interested I say so. If I might be interested but it is not a good time, I ask them to call me back. Or I listen to what they have to say. I never get upset with them for the simple fact that they called my home. It is their job.
>
>The company that decided to use telemarketing as a marketing tool has done research. It has determined that a certain percentage of people will be upset by the calls and they might not use their service/product because of this. Others will use their product as a result of telemarketing. The research has shown that it will be profitable to use this type of marketing. And the company has an obligation to its shareholders to try to make money. I cannot be upset with a company for the simple fact that it decided to use telemarketing as a marketing tool. It is the company's duty.
>
>So, personally, while sometimes telemarketing bothers me, I don't hold anyone to blame. So I just move on. It is apparent to me that it bothers me at times when something else is bothering me. If I am in a good mood, I sometimes even enjoy these calls. I look at it as a time that I can be pleasant to someone who is probably not having a very good time. Maybe I can get them to crack a smile.
>
>Anyways, just friendly advice to people who are often angered by telemarketers: Relax. Work things out in your life so you are not so stressed. Its not so bad.
>
>This all said, doing something like Evan saying "I don't have a phone" is just innocent fun. I have a phone number that was the number for a Mr. and Mrs. Moses at sometime in the past. It has been my number for almost two years, but I still get calls for the Moses family from their old friends. I always ask them to call me with the new number for the Moses family if they find it (so I can pass it on the the next "old friend" type of caller), but I've never heard back. Anyways, I also get telephone solicitors asking for Mr. Moses. I say "Mr. Moses isn't here right now, but I am Mr. Abraham, can I help you?" But then (usually after a moment of silence) I tell them I'm joking and let them know that Mr. Moses is no longer at the number, etc.
>
>Take care,
>Joe
>
>>SNIP
>>
>>So, Ed, one might surmise that your superior morals may not be what they appear to be at first blush.
>>
>>On the one hand you abhor software piracy because it will cost the writer money yet on the other hand you go out of your way to cost these 'marketers' money.
>>
>>I would say the even *you* have cases where things are not so black/white after all!
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Jim N
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Most of the time, the guy who calls initially is a random telemarketer. They get paid for each lead given to a salesman, so it costs the LD carrier something. The guy who calls back is normally a sales droid of some sort being paid on commission...and for them, time == money < beg >