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   telemarketers on the ropes

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Topic: telemarketers on the ropes (Read 232 times)

azure
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telemarketers on the ropes
« on: Aug 12^th, 2003, 4:10pm »

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cant say I feel sorry for them

Telemarketers on the ropes

Popular do-not-call list bringing industry to its knees

By Lance Williams
CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

Aug. 11 In the past three months, the hallways at Groesbeck-based Tel-A-Sell Marketing Inc. have become a lot less crowded. CEO Edd OConnor has been forced to trim his telemarketing staff from 72 to 18.

I WAS RUNNING a full house earlier this year, said OConnor, who also serves as president of the American Teleservices Associations Great Lakes Chapter, which covers Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.
   One of the big reason for the cuts: the chilling effects of the National Do Not Call Registry and other similar efforts in statehouses across the country.
   A month into the sign-ups for the federal Do Not Call list, nearly 30 million phone numbers across the United States have been registered for the list. That number could double by the time the list takes effect on Oct. 1.
   The ATA, which is challenging the list in court, said the national list could eventually cause more than 2 million lost telemarketing jobs. The ATA estimated that telemarketers are responsible for $660 billion in sales. The combined effects of do-not-call lists and the movement of jobs overseas have left the industry ailing.
   Its going to cause significant business problems for this industry, said OConnor, who said he expects a pickup in business in early fall. Weve got to step back and regroup.

Companies that use telemarketing services are beginning to rethink their marketing strategies and are postponing decisions about renewing contracts with telemarketers.
   Thats because most of the laws using no-call lists punish the companies employing the callers, not the telemarketers themselves, OConnor said. Each violation of the list, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, could cost a company up to $11,000. An endorsement by the Federal Communications Commission earlier this summer has also broadened the powers.
   Tel-A-Works, a telephone marketing firm in Reading, began changing its entire focus last summer.
   The handwriting was on the wall, President Mike Isley said. We refocused our company to do B2B marketing.

     How to stop the calls

   Click here to add your name to the National Do Not Call Registry.
Consumers also can register by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number they wish added to the list.

Source: Federal Trade Commission

   Isley said he had to replace managers with ones who had more B2B experience but was able to retrain others. The company normally has about 30 tele-nurturers on staff, Isley said.
   Isley said he still thinks the industry can thrive.
   Every industry has bad people in it, Isley said. Its just a sad thing it had to come down to this.
   Even as companies get more apprehensive, consumers are getting more excited about the lists.
   Blue Ash-based GovConnect has no-call registries for four states and said consumer responses are overwhelming.
   Its usually very large and very immediate, said Anne Abate, GovConnects director of communications.
   That level of interest demonstrated a mandate from consumers that many telemarketers were crossing the line, said Ryan Lippe, spokesman with the Ohio Consumers Counsel.


Consumers need to find a way to say no to telemarketers and protect their privacy, Lippe said. The sheer volume of signups shows how important this legislation was.
   With more than 30 states now adopting no-call lists, OConnor said the challenge is daunting for telemarketers. He said they must not only ensure that they have up-to-date lists to avoid calling certain households, but the varying rules from state to state also are difficult to track.
   There are some states you just avoid altogether, OConnor said. Kentucky, for instance, has some of the strictest penalties for telemarketers. In its first year, Kentucky has added about 800,000 households to its no-call list and garnered more than $500,000 in fines.
   The state attorney generals office said calls complaining about telemarketing have dropped by 90 percent since the law took effect.
   In Ohio, Senate Bill 28 is focused on creating a state no-call list that would be enforced by the Ohio attorney generals office.

  The legislation was passed overwhelmingly in the Senate and is expected to be brought before the state House this fall. The bill would create a registry for home, cellular and fax numbers and would authorize the attorney general to seek fines of up to $2,000 for each violation. Lippe said.
   OConnor said many telemarketing companies are abandoning the consumer market, and more companies are starting to target business-to-business customers.
   He said telemarketers must adjust or die.
   Theyre being left with no choice, OConnor said. Thats what they have to do.

« Last Edit: Aug 12^th, 2003, 4:12pm by azure »

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Rhune
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #1 on: Aug 12^th, 2003, 4:47pm »

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I guess they will have to find new ways to sell their products without harassing people in their homes.

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david
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #2 on: Aug 12^th, 2003, 5:53pm »

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and I bet everyone is heartbroken over that lol

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Red
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #3 on: Aug 13^th, 2003, 12:38am »

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do what my dad does....if they call during dinner he asks for their number to call them back late at night...or he just uses a whistle!

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luci
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #4 on: Aug 13^th, 2003, 10:05am »

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It is sad

that we have to add extra phone features to stop them, like Privacy Guard, but we did anyway. Like our phone bill isn't high enough!!! Roll Eyes

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Bumper
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #5 on: Aug 14^th, 2003, 12:20am »

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Try doing what I do when they call. When they start their sales talk, I just lay the phone down on the table and let em' talk. After a few minutes, I go back to the phone, the line is dead, (because I wasn't there to respond to their questions, LOL) and then I hang it up.

Sometimes, when I go back to the phone and by the off chance they're still there, I ask em' if they would repeat their sales offer again! Grin

That always gets em' and THEY hang up on me! Grin

The point is, pester the shit out of em', they do it to us! I think it's only fair to make em' work! Maybe one day I'll get lucky and one of them will blow a vocal cord or something while he's yaking away! Wink

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Pau
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #6 on: Aug 14^th, 2003, 1:25am »

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bumper...you naughty you... heheheh :laff:

but.. hmmm..... :chin:

maybe i'll try that when a credit card telemarketer calls me again here in the office... :devilish:

« Last Edit: Aug 14^th, 2003, 1:30am by Pau »

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Rhune
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #7 on: Aug 14^th, 2003, 2:02am »

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I usually let my 4 year old talk to the telemarketers. Grin

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MzWings
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Re: telemarketers on the ropes
« Reply #8 on: Aug 14^th, 2003, 8:28am »

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I rec'd a funny from my cuz a couple of years ago about how to "handle" telemarketers. Depending on my mood at the time of a call - I've actually used some of these.

"OMG - I've fallen and can't get up (moan).....please....please.... help me........(moan)"

Another one - ask them to repeat everything they say - several times.

I love this one - tell them you are hard of hearing and that they need to speak up.....louder.....louder....LOUDER

Or - tell them to talk very slowly because you want to write down every word.

Seriously - try these - it works! :laff:

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