Are you a scumbag salesman?

[Scutter01]

I've got two different (legitimate) companies who call my office on a regular basis. One calls me 2-3 times per week (for at least the last six months) and the other has taken to blocking Caller-ID and/or calling other employees in the company and having them transfer the call to me. For both companies, I have told them repeatedly that I'm not interested and to please stop calling.

What makes these guys think I'm even remotely interested in doing business with someone who is clearly that unscrupulous? The second company actually has a really cool product, but I am so put off by their sales tactics that I'll never do business with them.

If you are one of these guys, what's the matter with you? Does hounding a potential customer for months on end really net higher sales than actually building a professional relationship?

 

[Fletch]

Have you ever asked them what they think will be gained by harassment?

 

[Fletch]

I'm just wondering aloud, because my response to this kind of stuff is "logically speaking, your product has to suck if this is what you have to do to sell it."

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

Ok, I'll stop calling!! But you should really look at the quality comas I have to offer, , , JDMack buys then all the time now! , , , !
But seriously, I have this company that blocks the caller ID also because I've hung up on them before. I believe that they get paid by how many people they offend!! I will pay more for the same product if the salesmen are respectful and not a jerk!!

 

[Shiver]

Shout obscenities loudly into the receiver. Slam the phone on the counter ( but do not hang it up) and run into the distance while continuing to shout at the top of your lungs. After a few minutes of this, if they are still on the line, Buy their product.

 

[Scutter01]

Shout obscenities loudly into the receiver. Slam the phone on the counter ( but do not hang it up) and run into the distance while continuing to shout at the top of your lungs. After a few minutes of this, if they are still on the line, Buy their product.

Uhh... okaaaayyy...

We have a pretty smart VoIP phone system here. I just route their calls directly to a never-ending phone tree.

 

[mom45]

Tell them they have reached the wrong person and ask them to hold. I do that at home when stupid people call. Then I set the phone on the counter and go about my daily chores. Vacuuming floors, banging things around in the kitchen, singing at the top of my lungs but very off tune....they usually don't call back. If they do, I ask them just how stupid they truly are but not quite that politely. If they are still there, I ask them again to please hold.

 

[Scutter01]

Tell them they have reached the wrong person and ask them to hold. I do that at home when stupid people call. Then I set the phone on the counter and go about my daily chores. Vacuuming floors, banging things around in the kitchen, singing at the top of my lungs but very off tune....they usually don't call back. If they do, I ask them just how stupid they truly are but not quite that politely. If they are still there, I ask them again to please hold.

I think my co-workers would be a little annoyed if I started vacuuming.

 

[Shiver]

Uhh... okaaaayyy...

We have a pretty smart VoIP phone system here. I just route their calls directly to a never-ending phone tree.

It works. They usually hang up and never call back.

 

[Shiver]

Or if you really want to have some fun ask them for their direct email address then.... Well I'm sure you could figure out some really nasty things to send their way. All via a dummy email account of course.

 

[mom45]

I think my co-workers would be a little annoyed if I started vacuuming.

But singing off key really loudly would be okay?

 

[Scutter01]

I understand scammers and telemarketers who use these kinds of tactics, but these are both legitimate professional services companies selling software and high-end network storage equipment. It's entirely out of character, in my line of work, for the types of vendors I deal with to behave this way.

 

[mom45]

I understand scammers and telemarketers who use these kinds of tactics, but these are both legitimate professional services companies selling software and high-end network storage equipment. It's entirely out of character, in my line of work, for the types of vendors I deal with to behave this way.

I have to agree with the other person who suggested that maybe they need to be asked just why they feel that harassing you is likely to change your mind about doing business with them.

 

[hoosierdoc]

i have recruiters calling the ER and faking all kinds of positions to get me on the phone with them. Our secretaries are pretty good about screening them out but they get through once in a while. Very frustrating.

 

[ModernGunner]

I'd just send a letter, in writing, advising they are to stop all future phone and/or e-mail contact. Mail it return receipt requested. Then you have a record that you advised them to cease and desist, and they received it.

Then you have future recourse. Though, that's always ended the matter for me.

With a tad of 'creativity', I've reduced the amount of 'annoyance' calls, junk snail-mail, even e-mail to darn near zero. And made a few bucks along the way, LOL!

 

[SEIndSAM]

Most likely they are still calling you regularly because they have a Asshat boss that is making them call you. I have never been there, but I have known a couple of people that have been.

Or, they just have you on a quarterly call cycle, and are hoping that you leave and they can talk to your replacement.

 

[Scutter01]

Most likely they are still calling you regularly because they have a Asshat boss that is making them call you. I have never been there, but I have known a couple of people that have been.

Or, they just have you on a quarterly call cycle, and are hoping that you leave and they can talk to your replacement.

I could deal with quarterly. The first company has called 2-3 times per week for six months. I have a phone rule that sends them directly to a never-ending voicemail tree.

 

[Fletch]

... a never-ending voicemail tree.

[video=youtube;wlMwc1c0HRQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlMwc1c0HRQ[/video]

 

[CindyE]

I get them at my job, several different "companies" selling the same thing. They act like we've ordered from them before. I ask them who their contact was on the last deal, and they don't know. Sometimes they hang up on me. If I'm bored, I mess with them. One guy just told me he was just trying to earn a paycheck.

 

[Scutter01]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlMwc1c0HRQ

Oh, it's easy. You just set up prompts: "Press 1 for the technical department. Press 2 for the sales department." and so forth. The very last level takes you back to the beginning regardless of what you press. The fun part is that you can add levels any time you get bored and have a few minutes to record prompts. The beauty is that you never hook it directly to your main business voicemail tree. You assign it to a dummy phone extension and then just forward calls to it based on Caller-ID or incoming phone number. The only way for someone to fall down that particular rabbit hole is to accidentally dial the extension or to be deliberately routed to it.