....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.

To all of thsoe being rude to this person. They are trying to make ends meet just the same as the rest of us our. If you get off on being rude to fellow human being who is doing the job they are being paid to do then shame on you you nasty, smal lminded supieriority complex twat.

And the fact that you are even at home to take the call means that you most likely aren't out doing a horrid job that you hate and that destroys your very soul because you have no other option if you want to feed your family.

I'm in sales but it is more consultative so I don't get anywhere near this level of rudeness. However I do understand how it feels when someone thinks they are superior to you just because you have something to sell. Their behaviour reflects on them rather than on you. And no, they wouldn't say it to your face. Cowards.

Tigermoll - I've been where you are and it's crap. But putting on an answering machine really isn't the answer - because if companies get an a/m, then your number doesn't get taken off the database, it will just come up on someone else's screen another day.

The only way to stop the calls is to tell the caller 'no thank you, I'm not interested, please take my number off your database'. I do that and put down the phone. I never swear

y'think scotchmeg? I do one of the most commonly mentioned jobs on the 'jobs I'ld never do" threaD so your thinly disguised dig at the better/off, or SAHMs, or whatever it was was misguided! and because of the SHITE hours I work I am often home at "target the housebound before their carers come" time!

and BTW people are not annoyed that the OP DOES this job, I and others are annoyed that she is JUSTIFYING what the company she works for does and basically saying that the people bing called deserve it!

here here scotch

thats what i was thinking, theres plenty on here who bleat about the unemployed massess.

Thats probably the only job the op can get. She cant refuse to ring people and has to meet targets otherwise she will be skint or in the dole que

BBS that annoys me too when I'm polite and listen to them say what they're selling then say no thankyou I'm not interested it's deadline! no thankyou, goodbye, nothing!

No I won't waste time on people who should not interrupt my private life by fucking calling in the first place

Of course I have the right in my own home to speak to unsolicited callers in any way I see fit - you are trespassing on my time

Blimey... the people who are justifying this industry have really been brainwashed. What is it about the fact that cold calling intrudes on people do they not understand? If people wanted the crap these companies were selling, they'd source it and buy it.

I don't think drug dealers push as hard as some of these scummy companies.

I am neither rude or polite I simply put the phone down.

it doesn't just intrude, at times cold callers terrify people and destroy lives. Their job is to take advantage of the vulnerable.

yanbu OP i have worked in call centres in the past

and never will again

hell on earth, made me pretty much hate people in general :o

I start polite. But if they won't accept "I'm not interested" or "Sorry this isn't a good time" etc and start to get pushy/bullying and try and keep me on the phone then I will get annoyed and so more rude.
It's almost like they're playing on the fact that you'd rather not be rude sometimes.

The "Don't blame me, I just work here" thing doesn't really wash.
Vegetarians manage not to work in chicken factories.

tigermoll, I understand where you're coming from.

I worked in call centres and part of my job is dealing with queries from members of the public. The rudeness and general unpleasantness you get from some (not all) can be really hellish.

I too get unsolicited calls trying to sell stuff and there is no reason to be rude or unpleasant. These people are just doing a job. I simply say 'No thank you', and put the phone down.

I also can't help but raise a smile at the sheer irony of prolific MNetters who seem to post all over the shop getting hot under the collar about evil telesales people/cold callers interrupting their busy lives.

If you're that busy just don't pick up the phone.

flippinada... Why do YOU think that unsolicited calls are acceptable? Many of the posters here have complained that they've registered with TPS but still the calls come through. It's intrusive and there's no excuse for it.

I think there's also a bit of confusion regarding a call centre function for customers to ring in to (banks, insurance companies, etc.) with legitimate customer contact details and the cold-selling companies that use whatever methods they can to part people from their money.

Suggesting that people don't pick up the phone if they don't want to take sales calls is just ridiculous.

flippinada what a daft thing to suggest; "don't pick up the phone".

a) it might be someone I want to speak to (that's why I have a phone)
and b) if I don't answer the phone it does not mean that the company won't ring again...and again...and again.

I cannot bring myself to get that worked up about it LyingWitch and I do have a lot of sympathy for OP because she's had a right royal flaming on here.

I agree people shouldn't get unsolicited calls if they don't want them and it is annoying (I get them too) but there's still no excuse for rudeness to someone who is just doing a job. They are people trying to make a living - not the scum of the earth.

Just don't answer the phone, or put it down as soon as you realise it's a sales call. Problem solved.

The thing that bothers me most about these calls is that some of them are complete scams and many people including elderly people and vulnerable fall for them. It makes me highly suspicious of all cold callers as a consequence and irritated to say the least to receive a cold call.

The world won't end if you don't pick the phone up. I often ignore mine if I think it's a sales call, but then I'm not keen on phone calls anyway.

I can see this topic has really hit a sore spot for a lot of people, however, judging by the strength of reactions.

For people who find this sort of thing intrusive and upsetting (which I understand), call screening is a godsend.

Sorry, that was to verlaine, someone posted in between!

It isn't a problem solved though, flippinada because if you put the phone down they ring back.

I loathe unsolicited calls. I understand why people take the jobs. I know quite a lot of people who have worked, or who do work in call centres. I don't know many who enjoy it and most can only stand it for a short amount of time.

I still find it hard to remain polite though, because it is SO annoying.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of civil politeness. I work in a telephone based role, and I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of someone's abusive rant.

Although I get frustrated at the calls asking if It's 'the lady of the house speaking', I politley tell them that I'm not interested or too busy. That said, I got slightly annoyed on Saturday, when after my polite refusal to listen to what they were offering, I had the phone put down on me without a further word from them. Politeness works both ways.

I sympathise verlaine.

I really do uderstand why people don't like them and get annoyed. My issue is with abusiveness and rudeness to cold callers which OP is obviously suffering from.

Plenty of folk here - not everyone I grant you - seem to be saying its ok to talk to someone like a piece of shit because they are cold calling. I don't think it is ok and the people who do this are IMO just as bad. Self congratulatory nastiness. What's to be proud of there? Does it make people feel good to abuse and belittle someone on minimum wage doing a shit job?

YANBU OP, I used to work in a call centre and its the worst job ever! I used to dread putting my headphones on every day, having people talk to me like shit all day.

I can't understand how some people on here can justify being so rude to sales people, yes they are annoying but it's their job they have targets to meet, they dont actually do it for fun If it makes you feel better ranting and raving down the phone to someone who's called you up then you're really not a nice person IMO.

Maybe everyone who has disagreed with OP should try doing that job for the day and see how they feel after that...

Have only read the OP, so apologies if this has already been said:

tigermoll, you say that this happens "Often, very often" - so surely logic would suggest that the people you are calling have not volunteered to accept a call from your company? You may have been told by your employer that they have, but I would doubt you have any way to confirm that.

I know LOADS of people who've done that work, about 80% of the other students when I was at uni! and the vast vast majority of them wouldn't touch a "dirty" but essentially good helpful job with a barge pole so lets get some persective!

I'ld do all kinds of dirty filthy back breaking work before I could ever bring myself to pressurise and rip old people (and other vulnerable groups) off like that! we're talking actually starving children! and actually while some people doing it really are that desperate, many do it because it pays and smells better than other low end jobs

What a rollercoaster of a thread First you had my sympathy OP, because you're right, no one should tell you to fuck off. Then you were very annoying and I wanted to call you and tell you to fuck off. Then you did that big U-turn and won me back

For the record, I am always polite to cold callers but we are also on the TPS, never give out our number and untick the boxes/put in a fake number etc and still get calls. Not so much here because the last occupant was elderly but our last house was clearly previously owned by someone who freely shared the number and ticked every "What, you're selling shit? Hell yeah, call me any time you want!" box she could find. I was working nights. It was not a good combination.

I do try to be polite(-ish) to people even when eg I've received crap customer service because I know that it wasn't that particular specific person's fault (eg when Talk Talk randomly disconnected our internet for no fucking reason and it took about a month to sort out) but you are a representative of that company, it's what you're paid for even if you don't agree with it. It's a bit like a soldier joining up and then complaining they're getting shot at

Good luck finding a new job :)