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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

366 replies

tigermoll · 21/10/2011 12:12

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.

OP posts:

EllaDee · 21/10/2011 12:47

tigermoll - what about websites where they need your number to let you know if something is going to be delivered or not? I mean, obviously if I get a supermarket delivery they have my number because they text me the delivery time.

IMO, this doesn't mean I accepted they'd cold call me at a totally different time - that's like saying 'don't give your credit card details out online, or the company will feel entitled to use them for buying booze for the christmas party'.

Original poster

tigermoll · 21/10/2011 12:47

but making a living (however poor) out of annoying other people is not something I have any sympathy for.

Cheers. Believe me, as soon as I can make a 'poor living' any other way (that isn't actually stealing people's organs) I'll take it :)

OP posts:

chrispackhamslovebunny · 21/10/2011 12:48

so can i ask why when i ticked 2 boxes - one saying i didnt want any company to contact me via phone and one saying i didnt want contact via email - why i still got a call days later?

in future i will just put a ficticious telephone number in. i DO NOT want a call and i tick a box to say so - why do i still get a call?

what do you do if you cant phone a company and have to get a quote via a website?

and yes im pissed off because i ticked the box - ticking the box doesnt bloody work does it!?

JeremyVile · 21/10/2011 12:48

And when you say that these people have requested a call....really? Are you sure?

About 6 months ago I saw an ad on the train for 1 free issue of a magazine - text your address to this number - so I did. got a text back from the number saying that one of their agents would call and talk me throught their subscription packages not at all what they'd advertised. My own fault for falling for it, but blatantly not what they had protrayed.

I kept cutting the call off when they rang, every couple of days for about a month, then eventaully answered and saif "im not interested, take me off your list please" and of course the bloke said but you requested us to call...

Now if the ad had been honest and said - 1 Free issue when you take out a subscription I would have known not to text, and no ones time would have been wasted. But these sales depts rely on smoke and mirrors.

StoneSoup · 21/10/2011 12:49

I've tried everything to stop these fuckers phoning me repeatedly just as I am putting my kids to bed. Vodaphone are the worst culprit at the moment.

I would never swear or be abusive, but I am not going to reach out to you with love and bloody light. Selling calls are an absolute bloody nusiance.

Original poster

tigermoll · 21/10/2011 12:50

How DARE you put the onus on the people you are ringing to have an ansaphone. Seriously, how DARE you

Well, clearly, I'm quite daring.

I'm not sure I quite get the high level of your outrage, - someone has chosen to buy a phone, install it and pay for the line. If they are unhappy with the amount of times it rings, then there are a number of things they can do to deal with it.

OP posts:

BarmyBiscuit · 21/10/2011 12:52

I get about 5 a day nearly every day. I am on the TPS. There is no way I have the patience to be polite every time. Now, if there is a few seconds delay after I answer, I just hang up.

EllaDee · 21/10/2011 12:52

tiger, if you have money to spare for an answerphone, and live in the sort of world where you assume everyone owns their home (which i guess you do if you talk about installing the phone!), you do not need to be working in this job!

It does come across as rude to those of us who don't have the level of disposable cash you clearly see as normal.

pinkappleby · 21/10/2011 12:53

Yesterday I had one that basically said 'Are you Mrs x? This phonecall is to obtain and say thank you for giving your permission for xyz company to sell your details to any third party we like, thanks bye managed to say oi, no before he hung up.

I used to give the speil about the law but got too many 'we are abroad so it doesn't apply so there' type answers.

The level of these calls is a joke, I am surprised I am not rude to them TBH especially when I have broken off breast feeding or the phone has disturbed my toddler who loves to chat on the phone and then screams when she can't and I answer it in case it is the school about my son.

JeremyVile · 21/10/2011 12:53

tigermoll - serious;y, i could sympathise with you (ive been ther)if your anger was at the horrible scummy industry you work for, but its not. Which makes it veeery difficult to empathise with you.

chrispackhamslovebunny · 21/10/2011 12:53

look, if it pisses you off as much as it pissed us off then why are you doing it? you have chosen to get paid to sit and phone people up and try and sell them something. your choice.

to coin your own phrase - there are a number of things you can do to deal with it.

Original poster

tigermoll · 21/10/2011 12:54

I can understand your frustration, especially with the wording of the offer, but in this case, it would have been best to say 'thanks but no thanks' on the first call, rather than 'cutting it off'.

OP posts:

worraliberty · 21/10/2011 12:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

StoneSoup · 21/10/2011 12:55

tigermoll, don't get smart.

How about: someone gets a job making sales calls for a living and bitches about the fact that people tell you to fuck of occasioanlly.

Big wow.

Hardgoing · 21/10/2011 12:56

Yes, how dare you people want the telephone to be used for speaking to people you actually want to speak to?

If everyone ticked the boxes and are delighted you called, why are they all so rude?

I seriously do think working in a call centre if it involves the kind of smoke and mirrors/lying that is common (and not just fielding customer service calls and enquiries) is quite morally bankrupt. I personally would rather do one of the other low paid jobs that are usually available (as I said, cleaning or care work in our area).

JeremyVile · 21/10/2011 12:57

tigermoll...thanks for the advice I cut it off cos I was at work, and you're rather missing the point dear.

BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 21/10/2011 12:57

Yeah, I give a fake number as well. That's about half a dozen of us on this thread, no? So I'd say some people are telling the truth when they say you have no idea what you're talking about...

Though to be fair I usually type 123 4567 or something, so you could probably work it out.

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 21/10/2011 12:59

How do you suggest I avoid putting my number in a website when buying a tumble drier, which I need for them to call me to tell me when they will be delivering it?
What I don't need is a call a couple of weeks later with the hard line insurance sales push

Snorbs · 21/10/2011 12:59

it would have been best to say 'thanks but no thanks' on the first call, rather than 'cutting it off'.

No, it would've been best if the cold caller realised the call was unwanted and gave up. Because the alternative is for the entire british public having to learn the absolute best way of dealing with unwanted calls from an unwanted industry that largely relies on high pressure sales techniques and deception.

I absolutely reserve the right to be unspeakably rude to cold callers. If you don't want me telling you and the horse you rode in on to fuck the fuck off then it would be "best" if you don't call me.

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 21/10/2011 13:00

oh and I had to keep talking to him becuase when I dared to say "I am at work, please sned me the details" he told me that the first month's charge would come off my card - but it "didn't really matter"

TheRealMrsHannigan · 21/10/2011 13:00

I am torn on this, because whilst I understand where you are coming from OP, I have also been driven round the bend by cold callers, and I rarely use my house phone, am registered with TPS and do not ever give my home number out on forms/online.
I get persistent calls from the same companies, one asks for Mr (insert random name that is not mine) and it is a different name every time, I ahve told them countless times that they have the wrong number and please do not call again. They still call.
Another repeatedly calls, asks me for and tries to sell me soem bullshit I am not interested in, and every time I tell them to remove my details from their database, do they comply? No.

I think I am therefore quite justified in saying 'leave me the fuck alone' when they call.

I think that even if these people you call did register with your website, you may find that many of them are harassed as I am, by unscrupulous companies who are driving them potty.

purplemurple · 21/10/2011 13:01

@Secretnutella.....The company that have called you have been reported to trading standards, if you had been took the call they would have took you through steps to knacker your comp up, has been reported in our local newspaper.

emsyj · 21/10/2011 13:01

"someone has chosen to buy a phone, install it and pay for the line. If they are unhappy with the amount of times it rings, then there are a number of things they can do to deal with it."

Yes, and one of those things is to tell the (quite often very rude) person on the other end to fck the fck off.

HTH.

Oooh, I like this thread - it's gone full circle to a genuine resolution!

People have phones and have paid for them = people can choose how to deal with unsolicited/rude/harassing callers on said phones. Perfick.

Shodan · 21/10/2011 13:01

I am and will continue to be polite with any and all sales callers who pay me the same courtesy.

However I will be less than polite with callers who talk over me/ claim there is something wrong with my computer/lie about me entering a competition/get aggressive with me after I have politely refused their 'offers'/ continue to ring when I have explicitly told them and their company not to ring me again.

Other than that, you have my sympathy.

Vicky2011 · 21/10/2011 13:02

Your attitude that what you do for a living is someone else's problem is precisely what is so outrageous and shows that you have swallowed the bollocks lines that your employers no doubt give you as "motivational training".

I would have lots of sympathy for someone doing this job IF they appreciated that what they do is, frankly, a total pain in the arse to the people they interact with and showed a modicum of humility. You are coming across as incredibly arrogant and patronising so seem ideally suited to the industry.

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