I am so sick of sales calls. They are nothing new, but lately the sheer volume of them seems to have sky rocketed. They are constant – on my land line, at work and now (oh joy!) even on my mobile.
This week alone I have been told all about the car crash I was in (I wasn’t), the bank charges I’ve accrued (I haven’t), and of course the dreaded PPI (which I don’t have. Also, I don’t live on Jupiter, which is how far away I would need to be to have not heard about this). And don’t even get me started on the recorded message I get bothered with at least once a day about PPI. I have been told to switch energy companies, mobile phone providers (twice), and my personal favourite? The company that is going to fix my terrible credit rating and financial ruin (which I’m not quite in just yet lol) by giving me – wait for it – a credit card.Tuesday I was at work, and I’m not supposed to be on my mobile phone. It was in my bag and I heard it ring. It stopped and then started straight back up again. Several times. I was a little alarmed.
For someone to do that, I figured it must be pretty important. I sneaked it out to check, and had 6 missed calls all within a second or 2 of each other and all from the same number. The number had a local area code which further worried me. I called the number back and had the following conversation:
Them: Hello (company name I didn’t quite catch) how can I help you?
Me: Sorry who are you?
Them: Company name
Me: (relieved and annoyed in equal measure) You have got to be kidding me!
Them: Excuse me?
Me: I have had 6 missed calls off you one after the other. I thought someone was dead! What do you want?
Them: Oh, that wasn’t me *pause* We would like to help you claim compensation for the recent road accident you where involved in
Me: *hangs up*
I mean seriously? Even I had been involved in an accident (and you know, just sat about waiting for someone to call me rather than calling a solicitor myself), did they really think that tactic was going to encourage me to do business with them? I think not.
Generally, I try not to be too rude or hang up on sales callers – after all they are only doing their job, but there’s a line, and more often than not, sales people cross it. If you work in sales, and want a pleasant exchange, please follow the below guidelines:
– When I tell you I’m not interested, apologise for wasting my time (because you have) and say goodbye. Don’t keep banging on. It’s not going to change my mind, it’s just going to irritate me. If, in the future, I do decide I want whatever you’re selling I am not going to give my business to people who don’t understand basic communication prompts like no thank you!
– When I refuse to tell you which company currently provide certain services, or how much I pay for them don’t get knarky – it’s none of your business.
– When I tell you I don’t want to complete your survey don’t just repeat the request again, or even worse, start anyway! Here’s a novel idea – if you want market research, pay for it like decent companies do!
If you follow the above, it also works for you too:
– You can move on to someone who might actually want whatever you’re selling
– You are less likely to be sworn at or hung up on
– If I have a bit of time to kill, I am much less likely to play with you and let you think your pitch is working for 20 minutes then hang up
Alternatively, do us both a favour and STOP calling me!
Do sales calls drive you mental? Do you do this for a living? If you do, let me know in the comments what it’s like from your side (I promise I’ll play nicely)
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I get loads and loads of sales calls. The worst are "Have you been in an accedent in the past few days" ermmmmm no! haha. – linked up from #effitfriday xx
So frustrating aren't they! They must work or companies wouldn't do it yet I have never spoken to anyone who had or would buy anything from any of them! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This is why I don't answer calls from numbers I do not know. There's one number that's come up several times lately, so I blocked it. Time to make sure this phone number is on the Do Not Call list…
I don't usually either on my mobile but with it being a local area code rather than an 08 number I thought it might be important. And I can't get caller ID on the landline, so frustrating!
This is why we don't use our landline anymore. It was only ever my Mum or nusience calls #momsterslink
I don't blame you for getting rid of it i should probably do the same!
My husband gets loads of those PPI calls and the accident ones. They're really annoying, but my husband just ends up being overly sarcastic to them until they hang up! Thanks for linking up to the #BinkyLinky
I don't blame him, you can only be nice so many times and these people just don't take a hint! Thanks for hosting 🙂
These calls drive me crazy but the weird thing is that they mist work otherwise why would they keep doing it? We have a Do Not Call register in Australia and we can list our numbers there, to let people we do not want to be contacted. Once I did that the volume reduced but some cheekily still give it a try. ARGH!!! Mel xx
We can chose to not be listed in any directories here, but it's pointless because the phone companies sell your number anyway, so going unlisted just means the odd genuine person wanting to contacting you can't! x
I seemed to loads of these calls really irritating good post thanks for linking to the Binkylinky 🙂
They drive you mad don't they! Thanks for hosting 😉
Hate, hate, hate them!! Our land line has meant to been removed but we still get randoms ringing. Once a long time ago when we lived in a first floor flat my husband kept a conservatory sales man on the line for 45 minutes before asking him how he was going to attach it to the side of building one floor up! They should have done their research – although I do feel a little sorry for them! lol. xx #momsterslink
Lmao, I love it!! Yeah, they really should do a little research haha. I feel sorry for the polite ones but not the pushy ones 🙂 x
they drive me up the wall but I daren't block any in case it is a booking! #SundayStars
Nightmare! You won't even be able to ignore calls if you don't recognise the number, must drive you nuts them tying your business phone up!
I know they are just doing their job but it is so damn annoying! Especially when they keep wanting to talk after I have nicely said I'm not interested. Thanks for linking up with #momsterslink.
That's the worst of it, when they keep pushing after you've tried being nice about it! Thanks for hosting 🙂
They are really irritating. I try not to answer calls I don't recognise, but when one gets through, I have on occasions lost my temper at them! #twinklytuesday
Generally I ignore them on my mobile but my land line doesn't have caller ID so I am plagued with them! And yes, me too 🙂
They drive me nuts!! Especially the repeat calls in a few minutes. I have been nice, rude and just hung up. Mustn't be a nice job at all really!! xx #twinklytuesday
Me too! Apart from anything if I wanted to use their service I would call them, there is no need for them to stalk me lol. Must be an awful job x
Ahhhh they are SO awful and make you even grumpier! Thanks for linking up to #SundayStars Jess x
They bother me sooo much! Thanks for hosting 🙂 x
I don't tend to answer my phone to numbers I don't know! I get calls a lot and I am normally at a computer so I quickly type it into Google and the website comes up called who called me. In there, it tends to tell you through people actually answering their phones, who it is calling! At the minute it's 02, apparently calling to talk about upgrading – but upgrade isn't due until September so I shan't answer!! Thanks so much for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Oh, I've never heard of that but will definitely be doing it from now on, thank you 🙂 Thanks for hosting!
These drive me up the wall – we had one ring at 530am today!! Sorry so late #effitfriday x
That's ridiculous, how can they justify calling at that time! I hope you told them what you thought about that! No worries, thanks for hosting 🙂
I hate those calls! I have them all the time no stop. I never answer because I always think that if it is important they will leave a message. I tend to check the number in Google and 10 out 10 it is always a sales number. I have lots of PPI calls. It is a nightmare!! I wish there is a way to avoid them. xx
A Moment with Franca
http://www.amomentwithfranca.com/
I agree – if it's not a sales call and someone does need to talk to you, they will leave a message. If not, they can hardly complain when you don't respond! x
There are no polite words for how angry these calls make me! #bigfatlinky
They really are that annoying – they should be illegal! Thanks for hosting 🙂