Comments on: Call Centre Agent Familiarity A Major Turn-Off

By: Stuart

Stuart — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:13:53 +0000

I hate to say it but I have sunk to the point these days where I tell them we are not interested and if they persist I ask them to please hold the line and then just leave the phone off the hook.

Lol seems to work well for me
Stuart

By: Tamxir

Tamxir — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:24:59 +0000

My favourites are the ones which say "Congratulations! You have won a mobile phone" or some other carrot. Depending on my mood I will either sound all excited and do this for a few minutes not allowing them to get a word in and then hang up abruptly, or say something like "Oh good, you already know my phone number, so you know where to send me my prize right?"

The second approach is more satisfying when they try to get you back to their script.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:13:59 +0000

I've not had to experience a single telemarker call in over 4 years since ditching landline and going to an unlisted VOIP number and my mobile.

Problem solved.

By: Lance

Lance — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:02:46 +0000

Another option is to place the receiver on your desk and carry on with what you were doing. Let the "machine" or person talk their spiel which in turn runs up their phone charges. After several minutes hang up.

If you do get "caught" talking to one of these people and they ask "How are you today?". Tell them! Recite a whole list of imaginary illnesses, ailments, etc., you, your family, your pets may be suffering. Thank them for their concern and hang up!

By: Gish Domains

Gish Domains — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:06:14 +0000

I think I speak on behalf of most Australians when I say "Outsourced Callcentres"

Call me racist, but if a telemarketer/call centre can't speak English clearly, and is quite obviously from a call centre in Bangalore, I am not going to believe a word they say.

A really quick test to see how 'ethical' they are, try the following:

Ask for the operators name
Ask for an ID code
Ask which call centre they are calling from
Ask for their manager's name

If they pass the above 4 questions with information, then odds are that they are up-front and reasonable to deal with.
It also puts them back and breaks their script so you are getting the real information, not the information written on their call sheet.

All of the above are completely legitimate questions to ask of someone you are entering business with or potentially providing personal information to.
Its also great to know exactly who is getting your information.

Would you trust someone who you have no hope of re-contacting who gets paid a couple of dollars a day with YOUR credit card number?

By: Neuromesh

Neuromesh — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:18:18 +0000

We've taken to not answering the phone during dinner. We are one of those rare families that eats dinner together at the table instead of in front of the TV, so whether it's a call centre or friend we still don't want to be interrupted in our family time. Likewise, if I'm home during the day 9 calls out of 10 on the home phone are just call centres.

Another trick is only saying hello once then wait a few seconds - many call centres run a robot dialler, which only transfers the call to a human when it's sure it has a human at the other end. Say hello twice and it knows you aren't an answering machine, but say it once, wait a few seconds, and if the person at the other end doesn't try to speak chances are you have a robodialler.

The worst ones are the recordings - who is making those worthwhile? I can understand people who don't feel comfortable blowing off the call centre human, but to stay on the phone and listen to a recording trying to sell you something???

By: citizendee

citizendee — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:16:48 +0000

I find it easy to tell a telemarketer these days as there is a pause just as you pick up while the autodialler registers an answer and serves it off to someone. It’s only two or three seconds but plenty of time to just hang up once you can recognise it.