The NERVE of some people!

[christinaliu]

I just got off the phone with a telephone solicitor.  Not just any telephone solicitor.  This one was INCREDIBLY persistent, and even got insulting!

 Let me explain.  I run a very small, home-based business from my home.  I sell books, on Amazon.com Marketplace and also hand-sell at vendor fairs and have been selling at my daughter's Chinese school.  So it puts few extra bucks into the account, but mostly the business finances itself and my own book addiction.  

Anyhow, we just recently started accepting credit cards, which is a big step for us--we needed to in order to do business at a big Disney convention last December.  Ever since then, I've been getting calls from telephone solicitors who want to sell me business services that are just too expensive for this little business of ours!  

Today, the guy was more persistent than previous callers.  I had heard the pitch for having him set up a website for us from prevous callers, so I cut him off before he could tell me all the features, and asked him what the monthly fees were. 

"$129.95/month," he replied. 

I told him "that was too much, and our tiny little business can't support that amount." 

"I am trying to help you grow your business," he said.  Then he starts to give me the pitch about how they'll GUARANTEE at least 20 click throughs from Google's website.  Yeah, big deal.  If they can guarantee those click-throughs all will turn into dollars spent on my business, THEN we can talk. 

I replied, "I have about all the business I can handle right now, thank you,"  I replied.  I told him that this business was not my primary occupation, and that I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old that are my priorities.  

Then he committed the ultimate insult. 

He said "I'm just trying to help you put food on the table." 

WHAT?!  ?!  Since when do clicks from Google turn into food on my table?  And why does he think I need HIS HELP to put food on MY TABLE?  I have heard plenty of sales pitches in my day, but this one really took the cake.  I was insulted.  I told him that he had no right in trying to pull a guilt trip on me by telling me I'm not putting food on my table with my business!!!  

I don't remember much of the conversation after that.  I think he took a quick retreat and ended the call.  But really!  THE NERVE of some people!  Apparently he didn't realize that you don't make sales by insulting your customers!   

[Kalee56]

Jan. 5, 2007 at 4:52 PM Hey, I would have been mad too. Hope your business does well. Good luck.

[ldmrmom]

Jan. 5, 2007 at 4:54 PM

Argh!

I HATE sales pitches at work. hate them...and I'm literally at work when I get them. The real obnoxious ones I like to string a long for a bit. "You know, it might be worth while but not right now. Call me at the end of the 3rd quarter."

 September rolls around, "Oh, yeah, ahh, remind me what you do. Oh. I'm sorry. We just signed with someone else to do that."

I'm a witch. What can I say.

[cassandra17]

Jan. 5, 2007 at 5:20 PM It sounds like this person needs to take a course on customer service & quickly before he ticks off so many ppl that he loses his job! You were probably to angry to think straight, but by chance, did you ask to speak to his supervior??? If so, good for you!!! If not, I hope you at least had the pleasure of yelling at him about how rude he was. BTW, I'm always looking for books & helping out a friend. Do you have a website for your business? If so, send it my way. I won't say for sure I will buy, but at least I will check it out & spread the word in my area. Take care, Girl & don't let ppl like him get you down! Your to good for that!!!

[taiauberon]

Jan. 5, 2007 at 5:43 PM Usually when they get that way, I say "put me on your do not call list since you cannot take no for an answer" and then tell them I am terminating the call.  I try to be polite since once upon a time I was a telemarketer (business to business though) but some people...

[heather]

Jan. 6, 2007 at 12:39 AM

That is the worst way to gain a client ... and the quickest way to drive people to the competition.

Did you call the head of Customer Service and complain about the ambush and insult tactics?

[christinaliu]

Jan. 6, 2007 at 9:39 AM No, I didn't talk to the supervisor or head of customer service.  Since I didn't ask them to put me on their "Do not Call" list, I'll probably get another call.  I'll definitely try to remember to ask for the supervisor/manager then and tell them!

(Original Poster)

[NaiNaimom]

Jan. 10, 2007 at 10:41 PM

That guy just sounded so rude. Does he really think he'll make a sale with that attitude? I hate solicitors, too... I keep saying no and they just keep right on pushing. I learned a phrase from my hubby I use now, which is: "I said no, now are you going to say goodbye or do I have to hang up on you?" lol. Sounds harsh, but sometimes it's the only way to get them off the phone.

[GummiMama]

Mar. 29, 2007 at 12:09 PM

That's just awful.  I've worked as a telemarketer, (waiting for the hail of thrown stones...lol) and I know that most places pretty much demand that you make that all important "second request"....when someone says no, but you pitch them in a different way to try to change their mind.  I hated that....call me dumb, but when someone says "no", chances are that that's exactly what they mean....so I didn't do it unless I was being listened to.

But what this guy did?  There's no excuse or reason for that.

Perhaps you could get on the National DO NOT CALL List.  OR the next time one of these jokers calls you, tell them to put you on their company's MASTER DO NOT CALL LIST.   Sometimes the actual company the telemarketer works for is contracted to make calls for SEVERAL different companies, so if you're on their master do no call list, they can't call you for ANYONE they're contracted to make calls for. They're required by law to put you on it if you tell them to. 

Anyway, I hope this helps, and I'm sorry that he was so rude to you.