....to be so ANGRY at the way people speak to me? (RANT)

[tigermoll]

I work in a call centre. It's hardly my dream job, and most days it makes me want to put my head on the desk and cry. I have been applying for other jobs since I started here (6 months) but, (as you may be aware ) it is not a brilliant time to look for work. So I'm stuck here for the forseeable future.

Often, very often, when I call people they are so rude and aggresive it can bring tears to my eyes. The people I call have voluntarily put their phone number into a request for information, so can hardly be surprised that they then recieve a call. However, this doesn't stop them from swearing at me, denying they ever made the enquiry, accusing me of lying about the enquiry, blowing whistles at me, claiming to have never ever heard of the company I'm calling from, or indeed the service we offer, sometimes even denying that they are the person they said they were a few moments ago, or that they even know what the internet is, mocking me, sighing, tutting, ranting, deliberately wasting my time then hanging up, asking aggressive questions in an attempt to 'catch me out' as they see it, and being as patronising and dismissive as they can. They assume that they can speak to me however they like, in a way they would never dare to speak to my face.

I understand that recieving calls can get annoying for people. In this case I would respectfully suggest that they:

Go on the TPS register
Get an answerphone to screen their calls,
carefully check any form or enquiry they make and tick the 'do not contact me in the future' box
and:
STOP PUTTING THEIR PHONE NUMBER INTO WEBSITES

But, no matter how irritated the recipient of the call may be, or how justified they may feel, do they forget that they are talking to a human being? A human being who:
a) is unlikly to be doing the job out of a strong desire to work as a call centre operative, and more likely, works long hours at low pay in a job they dislike.
b) is not responsible for the business model of the company, - it wasn't their idea to make all these calls.
c)is not a shareholder in the company, and probably doesnt like their employer very much
d) has no power whatsoever to take them off OTHER companies' phone lists, or change the fact that other companies may be contacting them, especially if they make a habit of chucking their phone number around.

It is actually illegal for a company to 'cold call' - ie get your number and phone you without obtaining your prior consent. So when you do recieve a call, it is as a result of your actions (ie you have given them your number and not ticked a box that says they can't pass it on), NOT because the company calling is EVIL.

If you are called by a company, and have no interest in the service they are offering, why not just politely say 'Thanks for your time, but I am not interested in the service you are offering. Cheers, bye.' There is no need to act out your irritation in a pettish display of superiority just because you feel yourself so justified that you can act any way you like.

Grrr. Here endeth the rant.

I had a minor car accident. Someone at the insurance company I used sold my details on I was INUNDATED with dodgy claims companies urging me to sue (no one had been injured except boot of car) they knew the details of the accident, and had my number. I never authorised this finally one of them admitted that their firm had purchased my phone number this is totally in contravention of the Data Protection Act so whilst I was just about polite to the callers by the 9th call I admit I was becoming less amenable.

Thing is though, my default setting is Polite. It has taken an awful lot of unannounced, unsolicited haranguing from cold callers to make me Somewhat Terse with them. I would never tell someone to fuck off, but saying "no thank you I am not interested" does NOTHING to shut people up so I end up hanging up and then feeling bad. HATE HATE HATE cold callers.

Caller ID ?
If I dont know the number - and I know everyones number even the DC friends - then I dont answer !

If I do answer and they say Mrs Ifartrainbows ? Yes -we are selling ...CLICK

Cold callers should be called illegal callers so there is no misunderstanding. They are not allowed to do that and can be taken to court. I will treat illegal callers the way I'd treat an illegal visitor (burglar)

we're on tps but still get these calls, often at 9pm - so I do get annoyed. I don't swear though.

I am not "rude" however tempting it is at times. After the short intro sales pitch I usually say "No interest" and put the phone down. 50% chance that they will call again. I pick up the phone, but listen to the line and if it is them again just put the phone down. If they still insist and call back I usually threaten to trace the call and inform the police for harassment. Empty threat as usually these bastards are calling from overseas and have no reason to be worried. Normally I get calls from "energy savings" companies offering cavity wall or loft insulation etc.

One fucker called 7 years ago continuously for 2 months; once he figured out that I will not talk to him but my dh would he was putting the phone down when I answered but was using all sorts of sales pressure tactics to my dh, who after serious medical accident and resulting brain injury could not slam the phone on him. This bastard motherfucker nearly conned my dh out of 7K for water heating system. DH was vulnerable, I told this sales guy to stay away from him because of this and kept calling and calling.
To OP et al. Don't tell me how to behave with these blood suckers. I learned the hard way.

Loads of sympathy here too. Unfortunatly there just aren't the jobs to go around. Try to just let it wash over you.

Those of you who receive calls, the best thing to do is say "no thankyou, please remove me from your list" and hang up. The longer you spend on the phone, the more likely you are making it that that poor perosn doesn't get commission and may lose thier job. No, that will not benefit you, they will just get someone else to fill thier place, but the original person will be jobless.

Also, often if you are rude, the phone operator has ways of making you get more calls. They shouldn't, like waiters shouldn't spit in food, but I would rather be polite, personally. Not to mention that getting angry at someone makes me feel angry all day, so I'm not about to waste that on some poor soul with a supervisor breathing down their neck, being paid minimum wage and £2 a sale.

I just say thank you, but I'm not interested, thank you. - talking over them if necessary and put the phone down firmly.

Op fair play to you. I really would go over the edge if I had to do your job.

tigermoll, just out of curiosity do you have a means of removing someone from your list?

I've heard of the idea of asking to be removed from lists before and have tried it without any result. "oh yes sir I have.. removed it... now. All done and you won't get any more calls"

The next day the same person calls me so clearly they were only pretending to remove my name each time.

Last night, I had a cold call from a company about PPI. The call went like this:

Me - Hello?

Caller - I want to tell you that you have been missold PPI and I would like to help you claim it back.

Me - So when and where and how have I been sold PPI?

Caller - Have you taken out a credit card?

Me - No, I have never had a Credit card and how did you get my number, I am with the TPS.

Caller - Have you ever had a bank loan?

Me - No, how did you get my number, I am on the TPS?

Caller - Have you ever had an overdraft?

Me - NO, AND HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER, I AM ON THE TPS?

Caller - Have you ever taken out life insurance?

Me - Will you please take my number OFF your database, I am with the TPS and do not WANT your unsolicited calls.

Caller - Have you ever taken out life insurance?

Me - TAKE MY NUMBER OFF YOUR DATABASE, I AM WITH THE TPS AND YOU ARE NOW HARASSING ME.

Caller - Have you ever taken out life insurance?

Me - OH just FUCK OFF.

Twenty-two phone calls in AN HOUR (that I ignored) later -

Me - WILL YOU STOP PHONING ME, AND TAKE ME OFF YOUR DATABASE I AM WITH THE TPS AND YOU ARE HARASSING ME.

Caller - Have you ever taken out life insurance?

ME - RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHH.

I had to switch my phone OFF to stop them calling me.

I cannot always do that - I have only ONE phone, and as of today, for the holidays, DD is 600 miles away in Scotland, with her dad - who DOESN'T have PR, so I must be available AT ALL TIMES to take phone calls - if DD needs ANY medical treatment, I will have to be contacted before she can get it. I can't turn off my phone. If this same company calls me again - I WILL be phoning the police.

Call centre operatives are trained to ignore you when you are telling them you do not want to be contacted. I also check VERY carefully about whether or not I have checked (or unchecked!) the box that denies permission to contact me by telephone. I reserve the right to be impolite to someone who ignores me asking them politely where they got my number from, and ignores me when I ask them to take my number off their database, and ignores me when I tell them I am not interested. If you don't want me to tell you to FUCK OFF then LISTEN TO WHAT I TELL YOU.

Gosh OP, you have some nerve to think that you deserve to be spoken to like a human being...

YANBU. I have received irritating cold calls as well, I imagine that most people have. If I'm not interested I say "No thanks, bye" and hang up the phone, because I know that the poor buggers on the other end are not allowed to accept no as an answer and have to keep on with the script.

I wonder how some people here would feel if it was them at the other end of the phone, having to do a job that they probably don't want or enjoy but need, having to listen to such a high amount of verbal abuse every day. My mum had to do this job for a while and hated it for this reason. By the sounds of it, telling the call centre operative to fuck off won't stop the calls anymore than just saying "No" and hanging up on them will, so why go out of your way to make them feel like shit for doing their job? Express your annoyance with the company if you want but there is no need to personally attack someone else when they hate what they're doing as much as you do.

I am amazed at the people who view you and your industry as one and the same thing, or that you deserve to be treated like a turd because of your choice to work in a call centre, and after all "Vegetarians manage not to work in chicken factories!" The job market is BLOODY hard at the moment. Call centres are one of the few places that are usually hiring. You take what you can get, it's hardly on the moral scale of deciding to work in a bomb factory of something.

YANBU, i work in a pizza delivery place and people who phone in to complain are bloody rude.

I completely agree that your pizza shouldnt have been delivered upside down... but as i was here in the shop answering phones when it happened i think calling me "an uneducated fucking phone monkey" is a bit harsh!

I feel your pain OP!

I've tried to be rational but you know what. If you are receiving these calls it is because you are at home with too much time on your hands.

Go out and get a job.

I have and I don't have this problem.

(apologies to those who work at home.)

Good grief. Did you really just write that?

You get that some people are at hone for reasons other than work or idleness do you?

Was that your best shot at rational?

I was working night shifts, Hannah

yeah OP, bloody carers, ill people, elderly, less abled, parents of newborns! they should be taken for all they can get if you ask me how dare they expect any rest and convalescence in their own homes! useless feckers!

they should be more like you, you sound very happy with yourself!

when I was at a call centre I spoke to the unemployed, the retired and those on maternity leave. Those on maternity leave I felt a bit sorry for.

People retire far to early these days. DP's parents spend a lot of time winging about this and bragging about how horrible they are to people in less fortunate financial positions than them who work in call centres. They don't come off well to be frank.

Good to have you back @Pagwatch. (surprisingly quickly)

That was quite stunningly stupid and rude. And you know what? I don't mind if this one gets deleted for saying so, either.

I have a job, I work nights and long days, so still get the phone calls.

what a bloody idiot, get a job then you wont get the calls! I do actually think that is the most stupid thing I have read in a long while tbh. Well done!

Sorry OP I meant that for hannah.

I don't have a problem. Because I work out of the home.

Those who do have this problem are just stealth boasting if you ask me.

Where did I go Hannah?

"DP's parents spend a lot of time winging about this and bragging about how horrible they are to people in less fortunate financial positions than them who work in call centres. They don't come off well to be frank."

whereas you sound like mother earth! you and your ILs are welcome to each other

I'm sorry to expose you for the snobby bigots you really are. I am sooo, sooo sorry.

Go on how many of you are paying income tax? In completley un-capitalism dependent industries. Go on.

@grumple you sound charming