Job Snob

[ImNotDancing]

Just wanted to get a feeler out there for other peoples opinions...

My DF just got a call from a telemarketer and reeled of a whole spiel about the telephone preference service but then ended with the words 'get a better job'.

I was fuming on the other persons behalf, DF may find the phone calls annoying but who is he to deem whether their job is good enough? I told him it's the equivelent of telling me working in retail that one day I'll get a real job. AIBU?

Well DH was told to ask the cold callers what colour underwear they're wearing . Or tell them that's he's 'sooooo pleased they called because he's been sooo lonely all day.' Is that better or worse?

Personally, I believe telemarketing is unnecessary and bothersome. So yes, your DH was right in that it's not a "proper" job.

However, people don't usually go into telemarketing out of a sense of vocation, but rather because that's what they can get. So he was being very unkind. While it's true that if you have a telemarketing job you should probably try to find something better, the person on the other side of the line probably doesn't have the luxury of choice.

AND YET, if you have signed up to TPS, then telemarketers can expect to get angry answers. But I would just hang up.

No, YANBU, it's really snobbish and a horrible thing to say to someone.

I think the attitude that telemarketers are just being a nuisance or cause misery and stress is missing the point, too. I doubt that it's many people's dream job; most people will be doing it because it's the best or the only option.

I just say politely that I'm not interested, and ask them equally politely to take my number off their records, then I block the number. There's no need to play silly games or be nasty to them.

I'm care assistant and get looked down on as an 'arse wiper'. Frequently get asked when I'm going to get a 'worthwhile job'.

More worthwhile than looking after the sick, dying and elderly? What is that? Which job fits that criteria?

when it comes to the TPS I don't think it blocks calls from overseas which this was tbh i think most are these days

There are many jobs that are totally worthwhile. Care assistants, cleaners, shop assistants are all in that category imo.

People making unsolicited phone calls, including people that are trying to scam you or get you to make a fraudulent claim on insurance however (I've had a few of both of those) don't come into that category.

I do feel for the majority of telemarketers, as PPs have said its a hard and largely thankless job where 99% of the time you're interrupting people. However, the minority do give the majority a bad reputation - I am saying this as someone who has previously worked (briefly) in telesales, but also as someone who has more than once answered a telemarketer with a polite "I'm not interested thank you" and been told to "fuck off" (or "I hope you die" on one occasion!)

I think you're both a bit U. He was rude, but ultimately he's correct - the person working the call centre is abusing other people in order to earn a living. They should get a better job (better as in one that doesn't impose on lots of people who want nothing to do with you). It's not OK to hassle people in a way you know is unwelcome. He, at least, didn't do anything illegal (unlike the telemarketer).

It's rude and unfair to compare telemarketers to cleaners or binmen!

Yes, they have a job and are trying to make a living, but the majority is so rude and unreasonable that people have completely lost patience. Try to ask speaking to a supervisor to ensure you are taken off their list, they will hung up on you at best, but more likely insult you. Once you've been disturbed and abused half a dozen time the same day, you get a bit feisty with the next calls.
They can't call a stranger at 9pm during the week, or 8am on a Sunday and expect people to stay polite.

sharknad, are you referring to my post? Who was I being rude and unfair about?

YABU. I've had some shitty jobs (including literally) but I only lasted two days cold-calling because I felt what I was being asked to do was morally dubious.

Boom, perhaps they can't find a better job and need to do something to earn a living?

"The classy thing to say is: 'Thank you for calling but I have no interest in your services. Please don't call again. Goodbye.'"

This^^^!!!!!

I can't understand people who can't seem to handle everyday irritations with a stream of invective, or a condescending little speech.
Just politely explain your not interested and put down the phone.

without a

*I was on the phone to a customer service line the other day. The person on the other end turned out to be veryy educated, and the son of a famous scientist! He had some amazing tales to tell about how their father used him as a toddler to be able to travel around African warzones safely!

You never know who's on the end of a phone! So best to treat everyone with respect. *

You treat everyone with a level of respect, because everyone deserves respect, not because they might be the son of a famous scientist!

That's a horrible reason, indeed for a well travelled son of a famous scientist they will have more opportunity for work, so it's a reason to treat them to less respect if they are happy to do such a bad job.

I always say something like 'no thank you, please take me off your list. have a good day'

although usually I just don't anwer the house phone and only answer my mobile if I know the number!

The telephone preference service only covers sales calls, not market research so they've not done anything illegal, and it doesn't mean they aren't legit.

It depends - if it someone selling a real product, then very unreasonable. But if it was one of the lying ones ('I'm ringing about your recent accident' etc.) then actually they could get a better job because anything would be better than earning money fraudulently. Otherwise, you might as well say, yes it's fine to be a thief if you are short of money this month etc. etc.

The telephone preference service only covers sales calls, not market research so they've not done anything illegal, and it doesn't mean they aren't legit.

I don't think that's true. It's any unsolicited calls.

Right, so it's acceptable to not answer the phone unless you recognise the caller's number... That's the position these callers have put us in. Ignoring calls for fear of answering to a telepest.

So it's acceptable for society to feel they can't answer their phone, but should we speak to one of our phone stalkers, we must remain polite?

Sod that

I am signed up to the TPS which eliminates most nuisance calls but about once every 6 months some dodgy telemarketing company gets hold of my number and they bomb me with calls for about a three week period. I am talking at one stage receiving three or four calls per evening, they are unwanted, unsolicited and attempting to sell me shite/services I do not want. On top of that they are often rude, the moment I point out I am signed up to TPS or ask them where they got my number they just hang up. As others have pointed out they add nothing to society and I do not think it is a 'real job'.

I consider the telemarketer to have been the one to star the rudeness by making an unsolicited phone call. Fortunately TrueCall or the BT blocker phones allow you to automate telling them to bugger off.

They are annoying and in the case of old people it can be a struggle to get to the phone and frightening if they have rung off. I checked my call log and 84% of my calls have been unwanted and intercepted by Truecall.

Yanbu. Hate it. My younger brother (17) basically refuses to work until he's qualified in the area he's training in because he 'wouldn't dare' work in McDonald's or similar. So he's still relying on my mum to pay for everything and it isn't fair. Likewise I have a friend that's been out of work for ten months, he won't get a job until it's a 'proper' career because bar and retail work is for under 25's apparently. So he's purposely broke...

This is why immigrants are so valuable. There's A LOT of this job snobbery around from entitled UK born usually young people. I think it's because healthcare and education are free personally. And benefits/soft parents exist. It enables some people to think they don't have to work a shitty job because someone else will pay.

Only and I have some sympathy for that - in the same way I have some sympathy for people who steal because they can't find a job and need to eat. I'm in agreement with a hierarchy of morals. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be trying to find a way to earn a living that doesn't rely on abusing others. i.e. they should look for a better job.

holly, so it's 'best to treat everyone with respect' not because, er, everyone merits a basic level of courtesy, but just in case they turn out to be educated and/or 'the son of a famous scientist', and have 'some amazing tales to tell'?

How condescending.

Rain, that's a bit disingenuous. Arguably, yes, someone working in telemarketing 'could get a better job' in the sense that 'better' (more 'moral', for want of a better word) jobs do exist.

But a lot of people probably do the job because more moral jobs are not available to them, at that point, for whatever reason.