Secrets of Telemarketing From an Industry Insider

Paul Michael — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:15:02 +0000

They call you at all hours. They don't care if you're eating dinner or taking a shower. And they really don't like to hear you say no. They're telemarketers. And recently, someone from "behind enemy lines" came forward to give us all invaluable tips on dealing with those harassing calls.

The information comes from reddit's Ask Me Anything section (IAMA). Usually, people will put themselves out there to answer questions on anything from work and hobbies to computer games and, well, anything you can think of. Today, a telemarking insider came forward to reveal all on a profession that's about as beloved as dog poo on your shoe (he uses the pseudonym "Lotkrotan" to protect his identity).

He explains that roughly 90% of telemarketing calls are made from specialized call centers, not the business itself. From Bank of America to EA Games, everyone is outsourcing this stuff. Often, it's to places like India, but there are still plenty of call centers here in Uncle Sam's country. The numbers they call are on an auto-dialer which recycles numbers on a monthly basis. And as for the human you eventually talk to, they're armed with a bag of tricks loaded with everything they need to convince you to say YES.

The original post is quite lengthy. But here is a condensed and edited version that gives you the best advice in a nutshell. Follow it wisely, and arm yourself with the knowledge that will stop these people getting between you and your hard earned cash.

Here are the 10 top tips on dealing with telemarketers.

1. So you're on the Do Not Call List? So what?

This is not a cease and desist order to every telemarketer in the world. Bottom line, if you have ANY kind of relationship with the company, or it's a political or non-profit group, the list does not apply. You can request to be put on a do-not-all list for that specific company, or you can ask to be put in that call center's do-not-call database. If this doesn't work, you have the FTC on your side. Call them.

2. Never hang up immediately.

Why? Because the reps mark it as an early hang up. No pitch was made, so you're still a prospect. Hence, you go back on the list.

3. Don't be rude.

Aside from the fact that these people probably hate their jobs anyway, they have the power to put you back on the calling list. And they will if you're rude.

4. A simple NO isn't good enough.

Saying you don't want the product doesn't mean they won't bug you again. And again. And again. So ask to be taken off the calling list as well.

5. Trickery won't work either.

We've all done it: "Oh, he's not here right now" or "No speak English" may get you off the hook for that one call, but it won't stop the next one.

6. The telemarketer has to rebut when you decline.

Getting mad because they initially won't take no for an answer is not going to help. Reps often get fired for not rebutting at least once, often twice. But after that, it's time to ask to be taken off the list or speak to a supervisor.

7. You have rights.

Check out the TCPA. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 provides rules that telemarketers must follow, or face serious penalties. If a telemarketer breaks ANY of these rules, your have the law on your side (yes, you can sue). They include:

Solicitors may not call residences before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time.
The solicitor must maintain a "Do Not Call" (DNC) list, which must be honored for 10 years.
Solicitors must provide their name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity may be contacted.
Solicitation calls cannot be made to residences with artificial voices or recordings.
Calls cannot be made with artificial voices or recordings to cell phones or to any service in which the recipient is charged for the call.
Prerecorded or autodialed calls cannot engage two or more lines of a multi-line business or to any emergency number.
In a related section, unsolicited advertising faxes are also prohibited.
In the event of a violation of the TCPA, individuals are entitled to collect damages directly from a solicitor for $500 to $1,500 for each violation, or recover actual monetary loss, whichever is higher.

8. Beware of buying from infomercials

Many are legit. Just as many are high-pressure sales outfits with all sorts of upselling techniques and sketchy practices. Here's a direct quote from "Lotkrotan":

We used simple circle talking techniques to trick people into buying our product. In the infomercial it was $120. We had a list of people that called the number from the infomercial but didn't buy the product. We called them back and offered the same product for $45. Then if they refused we'd go down to $35 and eventually $25 as a last resort effort. They were willing to sell this product for $25, and people were buying it for over 4 times that much! (Employees got the product for $5)

9. Learn the rebuttal and "permission to continue" laws for your state.

Some states require that the rep ask your permission to continue. Others must terminate the call after your first refusal. Know the law for your state and it's another weapon in your arsenal. There's a ton of info here.

10. Remember, you're dealing with a real person.

This is a person with a real family, real bills and real problems, just like the rest of us. It's a minimum wage job and it's not pleasant. They most likely took it because it was all they could get and they're just trying to make ends meet. Before you get into a fit of rage over their call, remember that they're only trying to make a living and your attitude could get them fired.

Here's the complete text. I did my best to cut it all down for you, but it's well worth a read if you want to learn a little more. Also, the other links contain a lot of info, but that is also very helpful.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Telemarketers Prank Call Me - 800-266-9420

Andrea Karim — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:23:36 +0000

Almost immediately after receiving my new VISA card in the mail, I began receiving calls from a number that showed up on my caller ID as 800-266-9420. The first few times, when I answered the calls, there was that weird mechanical pause, the one that tells you that the computer is alerting the telemarketing rep that they've got a live one. I waited patiently, and asked the telemarketer on the other end to tell me how they got my number.

They inevitably claimed to be calling on behalf of VISA. They couldn't tell me which VISA card they were talking about. At one point, I claimed not to have a VISA card at all, to which the rep responded "I don't care" and continued babbling from his script about all the rewards that I could earn, if I'd just keep listening to him babble.

I hung up.

The Pranking Begins

A couple of days later, I began receiving phone calls at the rate of four or five per day from 800-266-9420. When I would pick up, ready to give the telemarketer and earful about my number's presence on the Do Not Call list, they would hang up on me.

I'm not sure if it was retaliation for sure, but it sure felt like it. I had already rebuffed their unwelcome and unsolicited advances several times. And now they were calling at odd hours, in meetings. But they never said a word. The computer waited for my hello, and would then connect to a person (I could hear them breathing) and fnally, they would hang up.

I tried calling them back at the number appearing on my caller ID, but only got a busy signal.

I'm not alone in this experience. Go ahead and Google the phone number and you'll find all kinds of rants about it. I wouldn't even be blogging about it, except it started happening to a couple of friends the other day, so I thought I'd go ahead a post a little sum-sump'n on how to get them to stop.

Make It Stop!

If this is happening to you, first of all, I'm sorry.

Fortunately, someone at Who Called has done some sleuthing, and they discovered the number at which the company's managers can be reached.

When you call, they will answer with "Corporate", but the name of the company is allegedly "Platinum Rewards". I called and explained my situation, and the manager (Roxanne?) apologized and claimed that a computer glitch had caused the repeated calling and hang-ups. She also blamed it on young, inexperienced employees, but I seriously doubt that this is the case. I've had a lot of spam-type calls over the years, and none of them have hung up on me AFTER I've said "Hello? Hello? Oh, god, is this one of those stupid...."

The managers all seems quite nice, and if you want them to stop calling you, I recommend just calmly explaining your situation to them. Keep in mind that your information was given to them without your permission. Since I've called, I've been phone spam free.

It's hard to know how they get your number. I was initally convinced that VISA had sold them my info, but the manager that I spoke to told me that they received the info from "usage" meaning that a third party, such as a hotel that I had stayed at, had sold them the information.

That doesn't mean that I'm not filing a complaint against the company with the BBB of Clearwater, FL.

Platinum Rewards
18586 US-19 N
Clearwater, FL 33764

I emailed Ben at Consumerist and he mentioned that filing a complaint with the Do Not Call site is also an option, although you have to have been on the list for 31 days before you can file.

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: