So, there I was hiding behind my workbench doing my stuffs, when I got a call. Sometimes if I was having a great day, I would answer every phone call I received. Usually though, if the phone showed “no caller ID” or an unknown number, I would simply let the phone rings until the caller gave up. All this changed when I recently felled into the category of to be made jobless soon. I could no longer pick and choose the phone calls that I would answer because any unknown call could be from a future employer. Unfortunately, any unknown call could also be from a telemarketer.
It all started about two weeks ago. I got a call from a telemarketer (let’s call her telemarketer A), wanting me to take up a credit card from this bank. I listened to the sales pitch and when she asked for my personal particulars, I replied that I was not interested and ended the call. Two days later, the same telemarketer A called again (I swear I could recognize her voice!) Again, the same sales pitch and when she asked for my personal particulars, I again replied that I was not interested and hanged up.
In the past, I have always been nice to telemarketers. I appreciate that they were doing a tough job and faced potential abuse from each call. Most of my credit cards were as the result of telemarketer calls. Heck, even some of the insurance policies that I don’t really need were results of me being suckered by telemarketers.
Eventually though, being the geek engineer that I am, I made a sticky note which I carried in my wallet. The sticky note has a simple list of questions. When faced with a telemarketer who don’t take no for an answer, I would subject the person to this questionnaire. Then, before ending the call, I asked to be put on the telemarketer company’s “do not call” list. It always stopped the pestering from then onward.
Now, I should stressed that I made this list only for the most persistent and irritating telemarketers. However, my recent unfortunate joblessness caused me to be extra careful. I couldn’t be nice anymore to every strangers that called. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, and I was on the verge of being the main course.
So, two weeks ago, after I got that second call, I was pretty sure there was going to be a third call. I checked my wallet, to make sure I have the sticky note ready. The next day, telemarketer A called again, and I settled the pestering once and for all.
Or so I thought.
Early this week, I got another call. Still to be made jobless soon, I eagerly answered, hoping it was from a potential employer. Instead, I got another telemarketing company (let’s call this one telemarketer B). I listened to the sales pitch. It was the same credit card! The bank has contracted more than one telemarketing company to do it’s dirty work! When she asked for my personal particulars, I said I was not interested and hang up.
The next day, the telemarketer B called again. This was turning into a tragic comedy. I told telemarketer B I was not interested and hang up.
And so, we are now back to where I started this post. I do tend to ramble, but don’t you know, this blog is about my ramblings after all. You were amply warned.
So, I got a third call while trying to hide behind my workbench. Dear miss, you asked for it! Out came the sticky note. I took down the caller information. This time, telemarketer B was resistant and try to end the call quickly. Unfortunately for her, I have had a lot of practice by now. She then voluntarily offered to put my name in the “do not call” list. I side step the offer. I kept the call going until I have all the salient information about the telemarketing company. Then, and only then, I asked to be put on the “do not call” list.
I am now in the “do not call” list of two telemarketer companies. I could have stop here, but I didn’t. The real culprit, the bank that has too much money to spend on credit card marketing remained largely unaffected. How about putting some of those money directly to my wallet, no? Too bad, it would be next to impossible for me to make that happen. Instead, I looked up the bank’s hotline and made a call. I asked to be put in the bank’s “do not call” list as well. From now on till the end of my life, I would never be the bank’s customer ever again.
There are lessons to be learned here, for the telemarketing companies, for the companies that hired the telemarketing companies, and for the average guy who go crazy getting all these nuisance calls.
For the average guys, I give you this free tip about keeping a prepared questionnaire in your wallet.
For the companies though, if you can’t deduced the lesson yourselves, I can only offer my advisory services for a fee (after all, I am soon to be made jobless; I need another income source). You can contact me by leaving a comment below, or use the contact form in the sidebar. I am sure you would the fee I intend to charge, fair and affordable, seeing that you have a big marketing budget and all.
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