Something like this happens at least once a day at my office:
Ring, ring, ring.
Hello, you’ve reached…
Hello there! This is a recording that is pretending to be a person. Please do not hang up! My programmers would like to waste a few minutes of your time trying to convince you to do business with a company so inconsiderate that they cannot even be bothered to pay a real live (non-native English speaking) person to make their unsolicited sales calls. Please stay on the line or press ‘0′ to hear more options from our automated system. If you…
Click.
Oh, yeah …
I don’t know who invented the idea of an automatic auto-dialer, but that person should be shot for treason.
The person who decided that auto-dialers should great you with push-button menus is a special kind of evil. I hate those menus when I initiate the call.
How can these things possibly really generate business?
Ahem … sorry. Ranting.
By: wickle on July 3, 2009
at 7:45 pm
That’s what I want to know. Companies wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work, but who actually buys from a telemarketer?
At least with the pre-recorded ones I don’t feel bad hanging up on them. It’s almost worse if it’s a person; then not only have they wasted my time, but they make me feel bad for rejecting them without listening.
By: Ken Brown on July 3, 2009
at 9:40 pm
Why should you feel bad for refusing to allow someone to waste — steal — your time?
By: Ilíon on July 4, 2009
at 7:46 am
I only feel bad about hanging up on them, but they rarely take no for an answer, so it is usually necessary.
By: Ken Brown on July 4, 2009
at 8:44 am