Medicine transcription - OT: Call Centers in India

Author

OT: Call Centers in India

Margie

2005-11-17, 5:53 pm

I just rented a car and spoke to a very helpful woman with an Indian
accent. At the end of the call, I asked her politely if she were
located in India. She said, No, she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I told
her my reason for asking was that I was reading an article from
today's newspaper (link below) about Indian call centers and their
impressions of the Americans who call. She told me she understood and
that she was an American citizen. We had a nice chat about the fact
that there are good and bad workers all over the world. I finished
reading the article, and now I don't know whether to believe her or
not about being located in Tulsa! Here's the link:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c...BUGB3FPGT01.DTL

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-17, 5:53 pm

I don't like jobs being outsourced any better than the next person, but
that article was really sad. If we're going to fault someone for
outsourcing from this country, it shouldn't be the people accepting jobs
that are offered. Especially living in that kind of economy, who
wouldn't jump on a job that allowed you to live well and gave you an
opportunity to learn? It sounds like the wrong people are catching the
abuse, if you ask me.

Anne

Margie wrote:
> I just rented a car and spoke to a very helpful woman with an Indian
> accent. At the end of the call, I asked her politely if she were
> located in India. She said, No, she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I told
> her my reason for asking was that I was reading an article from
> today's newspaper (link below) about Indian call centers and their
> impressions of the Americans who call. She told me she understood and
> that she was an American citizen. We had a nice chat about the fact
> that there are good and bad workers all over the world. I finished
> reading the article, and now I don't know whether to believe her or
> not about being located in Tulsa! Here's the link:
>
> http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c...BUGB3FPGT01.DTL

Margie

2005-11-17, 5:53 pm

Anne,
I agree completely. But I'm not surprised.

Margie

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 20:34:24 GMT, Anne Vasquez
<annevasquez@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote:
[vbcol=seagreen]
>I don't like jobs being outsourced any better than the next person, but
>that article was really sad. If we're going to fault someone for
>outsourcing from this country, it shouldn't be the people accepting jobs
>that are offered. Especially living in that kind of economy, who
>wouldn't jump on a job that allowed you to live well and gave you an
>opportunity to learn? It sounds like the wrong people are catching the
>abuse, if you ask me.
>
>Anne
>
>
>Margie wrote:

Chuck

2005-11-17, 5:53 pm

I just saw on TV the other week about Bush signing some sort of tax break
thing that actually gives businesses a huge tax break for outsourcing
overseas... I just caught the tail end of it, so I'm not sure if I actually
have this info right.

"Anne Vasquez" <annevasquez@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:kP5ff.17208$q%.8974@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
I don't like jobs being outsourced any better than the next person, but
that article was really sad. If we're going to fault someone for
outsourcing from this country, it shouldn't be the people accepting jobs
that are offered. Especially living in that kind of economy, who
wouldn't jump on a job that allowed you to live well and gave you an
opportunity to learn? It sounds like the wrong people are catching the
abuse, if you ask me.

Anne

Margie wrote:
> I just rented a car and spoke to a very helpful woman with an Indian
> accent. At the end of the call, I asked her politely if she were
> located in India. She said, No, she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I told
> her my reason for asking was that I was reading an article from
> today's newspaper (link below) about Indian call centers and their
> impressions of the Americans who call. She told me she understood and
> that she was an American citizen. We had a nice chat about the fact
> that there are good and bad workers all over the world. I finished
> reading the article, and now I don't know whether to believe her or
> not about being located in Tulsa! Here's the link:
>
> http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c...BUGB3FPGT01.DTL

Gisele

2005-11-18, 12:53 am

> vocal body language is almost subservient.
>

That's what we used to call "polite," not very highly prized in our
country today.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Sandi

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

"Gisele" <Gisele.1yoeug@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Gisele.1yoeug@nospam.com...
>
>
> That's what we used to call "polite," not very highly prized in our
> country today.
>
> Gisele
>
It's polite, but it goes beyond being polite. It's hard to describe, but
even in instant messaging and email you can almost see them bowing as they
back out of the room. It's probably just a cultural thing about their way
of speaking and how it translates, but there is definitely a subservience to
the conversation that goes way beyond politeness.

Also, sometimes with call centers, what appears to be polite, or even
subservient, on closer inspection looks more like canned phrasing for use
when someone either can't understand what you want them to do, or doesn't
have the foggiest idea how to help you. There appears to be some mistaken
belief that if you are polite and sweet enough, the customer won't mind that
his stuff still doesn't work at the end of the call.

Sandi

RaeMorrill

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

No, I don't think it is the same thing. Groveling is not the same as
polite. Kiss XXX is not the same as polite.

Gisele wrote:
>
>
> That's what we used to call "polite," not very highly prized in our
> country today.
>
> Gisele
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

I'd swear sometimes the voice recognition systems that talk to you in an
almost human voice understand you better. You'll get "I'm sorry, I
didn't understand you, did you say ______."

Those people probably just do not grasp how bad their verbal
comprehension is or how tired and frustrated most of us are with long
waits on hold when we're busy and trying to resolve a problem.

Sandi wrote:
> "Gisele" <Gisele.1yoeug@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:Gisele.1yoeug@nospam.com...
>
>
> It's polite, but it goes beyond being polite. It's hard to describe, but
> even in instant messaging and email you can almost see them bowing as they
> back out of the room. It's probably just a cultural thing about their way
> of speaking and how it translates, but there is definitely a subservience to
> the conversation that goes way beyond politeness.
>
> Also, sometimes with call centers, what appears to be polite, or even
> subservient, on closer inspection looks more like canned phrasing for use
> when someone either can't understand what you want them to do, or doesn't
> have the foggiest idea how to help you. There appears to be some mistaken
> belief that if you are polite and sweet enough, the customer won't mind that
> his stuff still doesn't work at the end of the call.
>
> Sandi
>
>

Gisele

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

> Groveling is not the same as
> polite. Kiss XXX is not the same as polite.
>
>

I guess I've never had my XXX kissed over the phone.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Gisele

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

> There appears to be some mistaken
> belief that if you are polite and sweet enough, the customer won't mind
> that
> his stuff still doesn't work at the end of the call.
>
> Sandi
>

When my new Ipod was not working this spring, I called their tech
support and got a very nice Indian woman who walked me through several
tests of the unit, and she decided that it was defective and needed to
be replaced, which Circuit City promptly did. If enough stuff really
does not work at the end of a call, I suspect people would stop doing
business with that company.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Blupencl

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

We have a wonderful Indian restaurant here in Little Rock (well it's the
ONLY one so I guess it's wonderful, lol). I like some of the food a lot,
only thing I don't like is the stuff you think is going to taste salty
and it's sweet.

Anyway. I am so uncomfortable when I go there, because the owner
practically kisses your hands, all the way to the table. It feels
creepy, and I know it's just a cultural difference.
[vbcol=seagreen]
even
subservient, on closer inspection looks more like canned phrasing for
use
when someone either can't understand what you want them to do, or
doesn't
have the foggiest idea how to help you. There appears to be some
mistaken
belief that if you are polite and sweet enough, the customer won't mind
that
his stuff still doesn't work at the end of the call.

--
Blupencl

Sandi

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

"Gisele" <Gisele.1yp86k@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Gisele.1yp86k@nospam.com...
>
>
> When my new Ipod was not working this spring, I called their tech
> support and got a very nice Indian woman who walked me through several
> tests of the unit, and she decided that it was defective and needed to
> be replaced, which Circuit City promptly did. If enough stuff really
> does not work at the end of a call, I suspect people would stop doing
> business with that company.
>
> Gisele
>
Things eventually work....usually. With the company my husband works for,
you get a call center in India, who generally attempts to take information,
but usually only manages to get the name and callback information for the
reporting party. The call is then "escalated" to a second-level support
team, which should actually be called the first-level support team, since
almost every call ends up being referred to them. In essence, instead of
saving money by locating their call center in another country, they have
just added an extra step to the process and it ends up getting handled back
here anyway. In the meantime, the client is waiting....and waiting...and
waiting...

Sandi

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

Margie wrote:
> I just rented a car and spoke to a very helpful woman with an Indian
> accent. At the end of the call, I asked her politely if she were
> located in India. She said, No, she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I told

*chuckle* I usually ask them if they are allowed to tell me where they
are really located or not.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

I couldn't agree more, but seeing as though many people here have the
same (inappropriate IMO) attitude toward telemarketers, are you really
surprised?

Anne Vasquez wrote:
> I don't like jobs being outsourced any better than the next person, but
> that article was really sad. If we're going to fault someone for
> outsourcing from this country, it shouldn't be the people accepting jobs
> that are offered. Especially living in that kind of economy, who
> wouldn't jump on a job that allowed you to live well and gave you an
> opportunity to learn? It sounds like the wrong people are catching the
> abuse, if you ask me.

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-18, 10:53 am

No, not really. Having done a brief stint as a telemarketer in my
younger days, I can't bring myself to be rude to them either. It's a
horrible job.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> I couldn't agree more, but seeing as though many people here have the
> same (inappropriate IMO) attitude toward telemarketers, are you really
> surprised?
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-18, 12:52 pm

They would- if they could find a company that did better. Sadly, all too
many do not care about customer support, so you may well leap from
frying pan into fire. Also may be just dumb luck you occasionally get
the one decent tech support person or service rep they have - and of
course there is no way to get that person again directly.

Gisele wrote:
>
>
> When my new Ipod was not working this spring, I called their tech
> support and got a very nice Indian woman who walked me through several
> tests of the unit, and she decided that it was defective and needed to
> be replaced, which Circuit City promptly did. If enough stuff really
> does not work at the end of a call, I suspect people would stop doing
> business with that company.
>
> Gisele
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-18, 12:52 pm

Why is it inappropriate to resent being interrupted or awakened by
callers trespassing in your home?

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> I couldn't agree more, but seeing as though many people here have the
> same (inappropriate IMO) attitude toward telemarketers, are you really
> surprised?
>
> Anne Vasquez wrote:
>
>
>

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-18, 12:52 pm

It's not, but the actual people making the calls are poorly paid folks,
usually with a supervisor standing over their shoulders, forcing them to
stick to a canned script, with a list of phone numbers to call in
sequential fashion. They're the ones who take all the abuse, and
they're sure not the ones reaping the profits of the operations. I
don't know anyone who has worked as a telemarketer who didn't consider
it almost a job of last resort.

Anne

RaeMorrill wrote:
> Why is it inappropriate to resent being interrupted or awakened by
> callers trespassing in your home?

RaeMorrill

2005-11-18, 5:53 pm

And I feel sorry for them, but my thinking is that if they only got rude
responses they'd give up eventually - the companies that is. Usually now
I just hang up the phone when I realize it is not someone who wants to
speak to me specifically for a reason other than to sell me something I
don't want.

Anne Vasquez wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> It's not, but the actual people making the calls are poorly paid folks,
> usually with a supervisor standing over their shoulders, forcing them to
> stick to a canned script, with a list of phone numbers to call in
> sequential fashion. They're the ones who take all the abuse, and
> they're sure not the ones reaping the profits of the operations. I
> don't know anyone who has worked as a telemarketer who didn't consider
> it almost a job of last resort.
>
> Anne
>
>
> RaeMorrill wrote:
>

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-18, 5:53 pm

RaeMorrill wrote:
> Why is it inappropriate to resent being interrupted or awakened by
> callers trespassing in your home?

It's not inappropriate to resent it. It's just that personally I can
never, EVER see a need to be rude to anybody.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-19, 10:53 am

RaeMorrill wrote:
> And I feel sorry for them, but my thinking is that if they only got rude
> responses they'd give up eventually - the companies that is. Usually now
> I just hang up the phone when I realize it is not someone who wants to
> speak to me specifically for a reason other than to sell me something I
> don't want.

But you don't get it -- the companies NEVER hear the rude responses, so
it doesn't make any difference to them.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-19, 10:53 am

Gisele <Gisele.1yp86k@nospam.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:Gisele.1yp86k@nospam.com:

> When my new Ipod was not working this spring,

Don't you just love your Ipod? I am so happy I ended up getting one.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-19, 10:54 am

Surely their employees complain or quit? I still don't care. I do not
have time to deal with them. If you even try to tell them politely
you're not interested how often do they keep right on going, even if
you've said "no" in a nice way? When I say no and someone does that I
just see red. How DARE they try to insist?

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> RaeMorrill wrote:
>
>
>
> But you don't get it -- the companies NEVER hear the rude responses, so
> it doesn't make any difference to them.

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-19, 12:52 pm

Exactly; it's the lowly person making the calls who gets the responses.
The powers-that-be don't give a rat's foot.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> RaeMorrill wrote:
>
>
>
> But you don't get it -- the companies NEVER hear the rude responses, so
> it doesn't make any difference to them.

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-19, 5:53 pm

I try to break in before they get too far into their spiel, say politely
but firmly, "Thank you, but I'm not interested. Please take me off your
calling list." Usually that's all it takes, and they respond politely
and hang up. If not, I do.

Anne

RaeMorrill wrote:
> Surely their employees complain or quit? I still don't care. I do not
> have time to deal with them. If you even try to tell them politely
> you're not interested how often do they keep right on going, even if
> you've said "no" in a nice way? When I say no and someone does that I
> just see red. How DARE they try to insist?

Gisele

2005-11-19, 5:53 pm

> Gisele <GISELE.1YP86K@NOSPAM.COM>wrote here for all to
> seenews:Gisele.1yp86k@nospam.com:
>
>
> Don't you just love your Ipod? I am so happy I ended up getting one.
>
> 

It is great! I bought it for myself as a graduation present. I have
400+ tunes on there, and I would like to load more, just haven't found
the time. It's great to go for a reallly long walk and be able to dial
up any tune I want, that's just not practical with a portable CD player.
One of these days I will get around to purchasing a podcast of one of
my favorite radio shows, just haven't gotten around to it. The ear
buds that came with it did not work for me, and I ended up getting a
different pair of ear phones that sort of hang over your ears like
glasses, and that did the trick!

Gisele

--
Gisele

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-20, 12:54 am

RaeMorrill wrote:
> Surely their employees complain or quit? I still don't care. I do not
> have time to deal with them. If you even try to tell them politely
> you're not interested how often do they keep right on going, even if
> you've said "no" in a nice way? When I say no and someone does that I
> just see red. How DARE they try to insist?

Just plain hanging up on them is not rude, because it frees them to go
to the next call. Being verbally abusive to them is.

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-20, 10:53 am

That's exactly right. It's worse to go through the whole spiel to a
person who listens politely and then says they're not interested than to
have them simply hang up. It's better to tell the caller to take you
off their call list, though, because otherwise you're pretty much
guaranteed another call from the same company in the future.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
>
>
>
> Just plain hanging up on them is not rude, because it frees them to go
> to the next call. Being verbally abusive to them is.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-20, 12:53 pm

Them I'm rude.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> RaeMorrill wrote:
>
>
>
> Just plain hanging up on them is not rude, because it frees them to go
> to the next call. Being verbally abusive to them is.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-21, 12:53 am

RaeMorrill <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:uoIff.17295$DL6.6837@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

> Surely their employees complain or quit? I still don't care. I do not
> have time to deal with them. If you even try to tell them politely
> you're not interested how often do they keep right on going, even if
> you've said "no" in a nice way? When I say no and someone does that I
> just see red. How DARE they try to insist?

well, then I just simply hang up if that happens. IMO, if you let them get
to you so that you begin getting irate and shreiking profanities, you have
given them too much power over yourself.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-21, 12:53 am

You choice. Makes me feel better. If they are working for these
companies they are also breaking the law. Bet you'd shriek at a sales
person who pushed past you and came into your house. I see it no
diferently. It is common knowledge most people hate this. Yet even if
you try to tell them no they try to push.

Jeannie Wilson wrote:
> RaeMorrill <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote here for all to
> seenews:uoIff.17295$DL6.6837@twister.nyroc.rr.com:
>
>
>
>
> well, then I just simply hang up if that happens. IMO, if you let them get
> to you so that you begin getting irate and shreiking profanities, you have
> given them too much power over yourself.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-21, 10:53 am

RaeMorrill <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:gkbgf.10423$uC3.2805@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

> You choice. Makes me feel better. If they are working for these
> companies they are also breaking the law. Bet you'd shriek at a sales
> person who pushed past you and came into your house. I see it no
> diferently. It is common knowledge most people hate this. Yet even if
> you try to tell them no they try to push.

I don't view telemarketers as breaking and entering, although they are
annoying so I won't even compare those apples to the oranges. However,
when they push, I just hang up. They cannot irritate me if I am not
listening to them. LOL

Gisele

2005-11-21, 12:51 pm

> Bet you'd shriek at a sales
> person who pushed past you and came into your house. I see it no
> diferently. It is common knowledge most people hate this. Yet even if
> you try to tell them no they try to push.
> I just say, I'm hanging up now, don't call this number again, and then
I hang up. If you get this upset, why not have caller ID?

Gisele

--
Gisele

Ed Chait

2005-11-21, 12:51 pm

"Gisele" <Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com...
>
> I hang up. If you get this upset, why not have caller ID?
>
> Gisele
>

Some people enjoy being indignant and upset.

ed

Sandi

2005-11-21, 12:51 pm

"Gisele" <Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com...
>
> I hang up. If you get this upset, why not have caller ID?
>
> Gisele
>
Thanks to one stupid telemarketing machine that calls my house regularly,
this weekend my husband ran a phone line to our DirecTv box so that I don't
even have to go see if it's them.

Sandi

Blupencl

2005-11-21, 5:53 pm

I cannot stand to be intruded upon, Melinda. I don't think that $4.50/hr
telemarketer has any more right to invade my privacy than I have to
invade his.

If that is the only kind of job they can get, and they get tired of
making no sales or connections and are tired of people being rude to
them, eventually, eventually, we consumers can vote with our feet. It
will take a long, long time, but one of these days they'll stop abusing
us this way.

I make a note of any company that calls me. When they do call me,
they'd have to be selling bushels of gold for a quarter before I'd buy
from them. I'll even go to an inferior company to keep from buying from
them.

It is wrong to invade the privacy of citizens. Plain old wrong. No way
around it at all.
They're using horrible manners by making an unsolicited call to me, and
they are depending on my having decent manners and listening to their
spiel.

~~~~
I couldn't agree more, but seeing as though many people here have the
same (inappropriate IMO) attitude toward telemarketers, are you really
surprised?

--
Blupencl

Blupencl

2005-11-21, 5:53 pm

I'm with Rae here. I don't give a hoot about being rude. I love my
friend's solution, which is to just set the phone down, and put the
receiver back in the cradle if you think about it later or when the
lady comes on and squawks "If you'd like to make a call..."

Caller ID doesn't work well for me because I have to break my
concentration and look at the screen to see who's calling.

I have managed to break myself from shrieking at them but it took work.
It absolutely enrages me to get an unsolicited call. They have no right.

-----
Just plain hanging up on them is not rude, because it frees them to go
to the next call. Being verbally abusive to them is.

--
Blupencl

mountain

2005-11-21, 5:53 pm

THE JERRY SEINFELD SOLUTION
In one of the episodes of the sitcom, Jerry got a call from a
telemarketer, and the conversation went something like this --

Telemarketer: Hello, is this Mr. Jerry Sienfeld?
Jerry: Yes?
Telemarketer: Would you like to switch your long distance service to
AT&N?
Jerry: What is your home phone and I will call you to talk about it?
Telemarketer: Ummm, we are not allowed to do that.
Jerry: Now you know how I feel.

(Jerry hangs up phone)

--
mountain

Barbara Carlson

2005-11-21, 5:53 pm

They irritate me that much, too. I work at home and I do not need
unsolicited calls. But, BellSouth has something called Privacy Director.
You have to pay for it, but to me it is worth it. Any call that does not
identify itself for caller ID is answered by Privacy Director--your phone
rings, it give you a choice of 3 numbers--I forget what they all are, but
one refuses to answer, and another is marked as a sales call and refuses to
answer, and I don't remember what the third one is. Usually when a salesman
gets the Privacy Director recording they just hand up--as they figure they
aren't going to get through if someone pays for a service like that.
However the calls that really light my fuse are the recorded calls that do
not disconnect when you hang up. These are clearly illegal, but they come
anyway. Suppose you needed to call for fire or a medical emergency--you
could not do so until it was finished--and some of them go on for a while.

We got Privacy Director when we were having trouble with prank or whatever
phone calls, sometimes 8 or 10 a day from the same person. I was going to
cancel it when it was over, but I really like it and have kept it.

Barb C.
"Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3uefneF10i32oU1@individual.net...
>
> "Gisele" <Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com...
> Thanks to one stupid telemarketing machine that calls my house regularly,
> this weekend my husband ran a phone line to our DirecTv box so that I
> don't even have to go see if it's them.

>
> Sandi
>

Barbara Carlson

2005-11-21, 5:53 pm

I absolute agree! I don't see why one should be polite to an intruder! It
is especially unforgivable for those of us who work at home.

Barb C.
"Blupencl" <Blupencl.1yv3dl@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Blupencl.1yv3dl@nospam.com...
>
> I'm with Rae here. I don't give a hoot about being rude. I love my
> friend's solution, which is to just set the phone down, and put the
> receiver back in the cradle if you think about it later or when the
> lady comes on and squawks "If you'd like to make a call..."
>
> Caller ID doesn't work well for me because I have to break my
> concentration and look at the screen to see who's calling.
>
> I have managed to break myself from shrieking at them but it took work.
> It absolutely enrages me to get an unsolicited call. They have no right.
>
>
> -----
> Just plain hanging up on them is not rude, because it frees them to go
> to the next call. Being verbally abusive to them is.
>
>
> --
> Blupencl

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Well, see we do have caller ID. However, as the plant DH works for has a
phone system that for some reason shows out of area, I still would have
to answer the calls.

Gisele wrote:
>
> I hang up. If you get this upset, why not have caller ID?
>
> Gisele
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

You guys are hysterical.

Ed Chait wrote:
> "Gisele" <Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:Gisele.1yuxrh@nospam.com...
>
>
>
>
> Some people enjoy being indignant and upset.
>
> ed
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Thank you Becky! LOL. Seeing as it is against the law and these folks
try to slip through loopholes, I feel I've ever right to be right ticked
off. They do everything they can to make sure it isn't easy to report
them. When those calls come in that are recordings, if there is a way to
get off their call list you are forced to wait through the whole spiel.
If I do that I'll call their number and get rude again.

Blupencl wrote:
> I cannot stand to be intruded upon, Melinda. I don't think that $4.50/hr
> telemarketer has any more right to invade my privacy than I have to
> invade his.
>
> If that is the only kind of job they can get, and they get tired of
> making no sales or connections and are tired of people being rude to
> them, eventually, eventually, we consumers can vote with our feet. It
> will take a long, long time, but one of these days they'll stop abusing
> us this way.
>
> I make a note of any company that calls me. When they do call me,
> they'd have to be selling bushels of gold for a quarter before I'd buy
> from them. I'll even go to an inferior company to keep from buying from
> them.
>
> It is wrong to invade the privacy of citizens. Plain old wrong. No way
> around it at all.
> They're using horrible manners by making an unsolicited call to me, and
> they are depending on my having decent manners and listening to their
> spiel.
>
> ~~~~
> I couldn't agree more, but seeing as though many people here have the
> same (inappropriate IMO) attitude toward telemarketers, are you really
> surprised?
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Let's see if anyone comments on you being outraged - whoops nebbermind -
you're just enraged, that's different <VBG>

Blupencl wrote:
> I'm with Rae here. I don't give a hoot about being rude. I love my
> friend's solution, which is to just set the phone down, and put the
> receiver back in the cradle if you think about it later or when the
> lady comes on and squawks "If you'd like to make a call..."
>
> Caller ID doesn't work well for me because I have to break my
> concentration and look at the screen to see who's calling.
>
> I have managed to break myself from shrieking at them but it took work.
> It absolutely enrages me to get an unsolicited call. They have no right.
>
>
> -----
> Just plain hanging up on them is not rude, because it frees them to go
> to the next call. Being verbally abusive to them is.
>
>

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

We have something similar with SBC, Privacy Manager. I get very few
sales calls with it.

Anne

Barbara Carlson wrote:
> They irritate me that much, too. I work at home and I do not need
> unsolicited calls. But, BellSouth has something called Privacy Director.
> You have to pay for it, but to me it is worth it. Any call that does not
> identify itself for caller ID is answered by Privacy Director--your phone
> rings, it give you a choice of 3 numbers--I forget what they all are, but
> one refuses to answer, and another is marked as a sales call and refuses to
> answer, and I don't remember what the third one is. Usually when a salesman
> gets the Privacy Director recording they just hand up--as they figure they
> aren't going to get through if someone pays for a service like that.
> However the calls that really light my fuse are the recorded calls that do
> not disconnect when you hang up. These are clearly illegal, but they come
> anyway. Suppose you needed to call for fire or a medical emergency--you
> could not do so until it was finished--and some of them go on for a while.
>
> We got Privacy Director when we were having trouble with prank or whatever
> phone calls, sometimes 8 or 10 a day from the same person. I was going to
> cancel it when it was over, but I really like it and have kept it.
>
> Barb C.
> "Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:3uefneF10i32oU1@individual.net...
>
>
>
>

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

I have to admit, the recordings tick me off, too. Especially the ones
that call you right back if you hang up.

RaeMorrill wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> Thank you Becky! LOL. Seeing as it is against the law and these folks
> try to slip through loopholes, I feel I've ever right to be right ticked
> off. They do everything they can to make sure it isn't easy to report
> them. When those calls come in that are recordings, if there is a way to
> get off their call list you are forced to wait through the whole spiel.
> If I do that I'll call their number and get rude again.
>
>
> Blupencl wrote:
>

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Blupencl wrote:
> I cannot stand to be intruded upon, Melinda. I don't think that $4.50/hr
> telemarketer has any more right to invade my privacy than I have to
> invade his.

Isn't that what caller ID is for? And besides, just hanging up once you
hear it is a telemarketer is not rude compared to verbally abusing them.

> If that is the only kind of job they can get, and they get tired of
> making no sales or connections and are tired of people being rude to
> them, eventually, eventually, we consumers can vote with our feet. It
> will take a long, long time, but one of these days they'll stop abusing
> us this way.

I always tell them that I don't buy from telephone solicitors and so
I'll let them go find someone they can make a sale from and hang up. In
fact, I tell door-to-door sales people the same thing.

Or if I get one of those things where I say hello and nobody replies
immediately but I hear a sales room in the ground, or an autodialer, I
just hang up.

That's about all one can do until such time as it becomes illegal for
anybody to call anybody they don't know, and that's not likely.

I don't let telemarketing calls take up any more of my time than junk
mail, and I don't waste my energy getting angry over them, either.

> It is wrong to invade the privacy of citizens. Plain old wrong. No way
> around it at all.

You lose a certain amount of privacy by having a telephone that you
answer yourself.

> They're using horrible manners by making an unsolicited call to me, and
> they are depending on my having decent manners and listening to their
> spiel.

But it's not bad manners to hang up on them any more than it is bad
manners to walk right past a salesperson at a kiosk in the mall who is
trying to engage you and refuse to talk to him or one of the hawkers at
the state fair who want you to play one of the rip-off row games.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Blupencl wrote:
>
> I have managed to break myself from shrieking at them but it took work.
> It absolutely enrages me to get an unsolicited call. They have no right.

My college psych teacher would say that there is something wrong if you
get that furious over something so trivial.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

I'm not saying you are a bad person for getting furious, Rae. I'm just
saying that it seems to me that it's a major waste of time and energy to
do so.

RaeMorrill wrote:
> Thank you Becky! LOL. Seeing as it is against the law and these folks
> try to slip through loopholes, I feel I've ever right to be right ticked
> off. They do everything they can to make sure it isn't easy to report
> them. When those calls come in that are recordings, if there is a way to
> get off their call list you are forced to wait through the whole spiel.
> If I do that I'll call their number and get rude again.

Ed Chait

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send" <mmeahan@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
message news:4382739f$0$75841$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> I'm not saying you are a bad person for getting furious, Rae. I'm just
> saying that it seems to me that it's a major waste of time and energy to
> do so.

Everybody spends their time and energy as they see fit.

ed, not disagreeing

Barbara Carlson

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

There is no comparison between junk mail that you sit and look at (or toss)
on your own schedule and unsolicited telephone calls that interrupt you at
work.

Barb C.
"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send" <mmeahan@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
message news:438272b7$0$75841$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Blupencl wrote:
>
> Isn't that what caller ID is for? And besides, just hanging up once you
> hear it is a telemarketer is not rude compared to verbally abusing them.
>
>
> I always tell them that I don't buy from telephone solicitors and so I'll
> let them go find someone they can make a sale from and hang up. In fact,
> I tell door-to-door sales people the same thing.
>
> Or if I get one of those things where I say hello and nobody replies
> immediately but I hear a sales room in the ground, or an autodialer, I
> just hang up.
>
> That's about all one can do until such time as it becomes illegal for
> anybody to call anybody they don't know, and that's not likely.
>
> I don't let telemarketing calls take up any more of my time than junk
> mail, and I don't waste my energy getting angry over them, either.
>
>
> You lose a certain amount of privacy by having a telephone that you answer
> yourself.
>
>
> But it's not bad manners to hang up on them any more than it is bad
> manners to walk right past a salesperson at a kiosk in the mall who is
> trying to engage you and refuse to talk to him or one of the hawkers at
> the state fair who want you to play one of the rip-off row games.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Melinda

You are just too nice! That's what it comes down to.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> Blupencl wrote:
>
>
>
> Isn't that what caller ID is for? And besides, just hanging up once you
> hear it is a telemarketer is not rude compared to verbally abusing them.
>
>
>
> I always tell them that I don't buy from telephone solicitors and so
> I'll let them go find someone they can make a sale from and hang up. In
> fact, I tell door-to-door sales people the same thing.
>
> Or if I get one of those things where I say hello and nobody replies
> immediately but I hear a sales room in the ground, or an autodialer, I
> just hang up.
>
> That's about all one can do until such time as it becomes illegal for
> anybody to call anybody they don't know, and that's not likely.
>
> I don't let telemarketing calls take up any more of my time than junk
> mail, and I don't waste my energy getting angry over them, either.
>
>
>
> You lose a certain amount of privacy by having a telephone that you
> answer yourself.
>
>
>
> But it's not bad manners to hang up on them any more than it is bad
> manners to walk right past a salesperson at a kiosk in the mall who is
> trying to engage you and refuse to talk to him or one of the hawkers at
> the state fair who want you to play one of the rip-off row games.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

What is definition of trivial? It varies person to person. I consider it
an invasion of my personal space and I am a loner and very private
person. It's not up to me to explain that to them. Most of them are
violating the law. I do not look at it as much different from them
coming past my no trespassing signs. If you or anyone doesn't agree with
that - well - it isn't your property!

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> Blupencl wrote:
>
>
>
> My college psych teacher would say that there is something wrong if you
> get that furious over something so trivial.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

IF they would offer a number right up front one could call, get a human
who would listen and take you off their list, I might be more in
agreement. The fact there is NOTHING one can do save rape their ears
with profanity - at least gives me that satisfaction of having ruined
their day as they are ruining mine. The fact you, they, or anyone
doesn't think that should be valid means nothing. It means nothing to
them to interrupt me - goes both ways

Ed Chait wrote:
> "Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send" <mmeahan@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
> message news:4382739f$0$75841$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>
>
>
>
> Everybody spends their time and energy as they see fit.
>
> ed, not disagreeing
>
>

Barbara Carlson

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Melinda, when someone interrupts my concentration at work, or steals my
time, I do not consider it trivial. You can't understand our being angry,
but we can't understand your not being angry! I have so little time to
spend on things I really enjoy--like my sewing, my beading, my time with my
animals--that I really resent intrusions on that, as well as my work time.
Maybe you have more personal time than some of us do to be wasted on
unsolicited intrusions.

Barb C.
"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send" <mmeahan@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
message news:43827331$0$75841$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Blupencl wrote:
>
> My college psych teacher would say that there is something wrong if you
> get that furious over something so trivial.

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Well, I have to admit, it sounds as if we're all trying to let them know
we aren't interested in phone sales calls and want them to leave us
alone, each in our own way. I have to wonder how much money there
actually is to be made in that kind of business - is there anyone out
there who actually welcomes such calls? Do enough people really buy
from them to make it worthwhile?

Anne

RaeMorrill wrote:
> IF they would offer a number right up front one could call, get a human
> who would listen and take you off their list, I might be more in
> agreement. The fact there is NOTHING one can do save rape their ears
> with profanity - at least gives me that satisfaction of having ruined
> their day as they are ruining mine. The fact you, they, or anyone
> doesn't think that should be valid means nothing. It means nothing to
> them to interrupt me - goes both ways

Sandi

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

"RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
news:%Wugf.14534$JQ.7666@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> IF they would offer a number right up front one could call, get a human
> who would listen and take you off their list, I might be more in
> agreement. The fact there is NOTHING one can do save rape their ears with
> profanity - at least gives me that satisfaction of having ruined their day
> as they are ruining mine. The fact you, they, or anyone doesn't think that
> should be valid means nothing. It means nothing to them to interrupt me -
> goes both ways
>
Just don't do it when you're visiting in Virginia:
"If any person shall use obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or
indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature,
or threaten any illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce,
intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone or citizens band radio,
in this Commonwealth, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor."

Doesn't say you have to have made the call...

Sandi

Gisele

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

> The fact there is NOTHING one can do save rape their ears
> with profanity One can simply hang up.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Blupencl

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

My college psych teacher is a friend who has spent many hours here. We
all were slaving over a cold ice chest and hot TV in the shop when the
no-call list was on the news.

He tells them to eff off when they call him.

Others in the discussion felt like they were just pitiful and because
they had a sucky job, we should be nice to them.

I vacillate between wanting to scream loud enough to cause permanent
brain damage, call the police, sue them, harrass them mercilessly, or
just hang up. I do not feel sorry for them. If they took that job,
they've bought and paid for what they get.

This home belongs to me. This telephone belongs to me. My time belongs
to me. It is in no way trivial to have my bubble invaded. I would
honestly, quickly, and eagerly vote for a law that put people in prison
for making a telemarketer call to my house. And I am not kidding.

For the people who don't mind the chit-chat, who can afford to stop
looking at their computer screen, break their train of thought, either
answer the phone or look at the caller ID fine. I'm not one of those
folks. You break into my work day, I'm mad. Period. If I didn't give
you my phone number, you better not call me, or suffer the
consequences.

An MCI rep was foolhardy enough to make his calls from his home - with
rap music and screaming kids (another pet peeve) in the
background...and he didn't block his number. He made a couple of
mistakes during that call, and I spent HOURS on the phone with MCI
until I got him busted. You could not understand one word that guy
said, and he was an American, slur-talking, ignoramus.

Yep, it infuriates me. I don't want the job of hanging up on them. I
want them to not call me period.

--
Blupencl

Gisele

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

I get very few telemarketer calls, I am not checking the caller ID
constantly to see who it is. If I don't feel like looking, I just let
it go to message and then check when I feel like. Maybe if I had a
sick relative or something I would feel compelled to look at the ID
every time it rings, but I only do that during business hours, after
that, I don't pay it much attention.

I agree it is intrusive, but I don't get a large number of them, so
they don't really bother me.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Blupencl

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

[vbcol=seagreen]
wish them away.

Not a matter of just "bothersome" to me - I'm glad for you if that's
all it is to you, I honestly am. Wish I were that easy going! Not
trivial to me at all.

--
Blupencl

Gisele

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

> If it bothers me, or anybody else, we ought not have to put up with
> it. There are many things in life that are bothersome, and we can't just
wish them away.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Gisele

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

> Not a matter of just "bothersome" to me - I'm glad for you if that's all
> it is to you, I honestly am. Wish I were that easy going! Not trivial to
> me at all.

I am annoyed when strangers call me, but I just tell them to take me
off their list and simply hang up. My annoyance lasts as long as the
encounter, and then I forget about it and go about my business. If I
felt as strongly about this as you seem to, honestly I would not have a
phone at all! We are connected to the rest of the world in a way that
even our parents could not imagine, and that is not an entirely
positive thing certainly.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

RaeMorrill wrote:
>
> You are just too nice! That's what it comes down to.

I don't think so. I have been treated pretty abominably by people in my
life, and I know what it feels like and don't care to do the same to
anybody else.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 12:54 am

Having a publically-accessible telephone that allows anybody to reach
you if they happen to punch in the right numbers means that you are
allowing your privacy to be invaded.

RaeMorrill wrote:
> What is definition of trivial? It varies person to person. I consider it
> an invasion of my personal space and I am a loner and very private
> person. It's not up to me to explain that to them. Most of them are
> violating the law. I do not look at it as much different from them
> coming past my no trespassing signs. If you or anyone doesn't agree with
> that - well - it isn't your property!

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

No, what I don't understand is why people who don't like being
interrupted don't just screen their calls, get an answering service, or
whatever. And I do not have a lot of personal time myself. It's less
of an intrusion or a distraction for me to just hang up the phone than
it would be to work up a steam and blow up at someone -- talk about
interrupting concentration, that would do it for me.

Barbara Carlson wrote:
> Melinda, when someone interrupts my concentration at work, or steals my
> time, I do not consider it trivial. You can't understand our being angry,
> but we can't understand your not being angry! I have so little time to
> spend on things I really enjoy--like my sewing, my beading, my time with my
> animals--that I really resent intrusions on that, as well as my work time.
> Maybe you have more personal time than some of us do to be wasted on
> unsolicited intrusions.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

Blupencl wrote:
>
> If it bothers me, or anybody else, we ought not have to put up with it.

Well, of course not. But my concern is seeing my friends wasting their
energy on getting angry over things they cannot control.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

Blupencl wrote:
>
> Yep, it infuriates me. I don't want the job of hanging up on them. I
> want them to not call me period.

But Becky, if you are deadly serious about that, there are better ways
of accomplishing that than blowing up at them on the phone. You can get
the call screener thing that my sister has where you either have to have
an unblocked number or punch in a code, you can forward all your calls
to an answering machine and screen them or to a service and put the
special-ring thing for any calls from the answering service and tell
them to only call you with important calls, etc.

Okay, maybe you haven't seen a few of your family members who have
literally ruined their lives by letting anger control them so maybe it
doesn't bother you so much, but I have, and it just hits too close to
home for me to sit and say nothing.

Blupencl

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

Nah, that's going about it bassakards. I shouldn't have a phone because
they intrude on me? That's like not having a door in my house so nobody
can break in.

Nope, we're not going to change each other's mind about this, none of
us. I will never be a serene enough person to let this intrusion not
bother me. You will never be as up-tight and stingy as I am to let it
enrage you the way it does me.

I'm mad about my work being interrupted without my permission, and it
rankles. It doesn't bother you so much.

It all seems to be about personalities. I don't have a very nice one
when it comes to this, and you do.

[vbcol=seagreen]
off their list and simply hang up. My annoyance lasts as long as the
encounter, and then I forget about it and go about my business. If I
felt as strongly about this as you seem to, honestly I would not have a
phone at all! We are connected to the rest of the world in a way that
even our parents could not imagine, and that is not an entirely
positive thing certainly

--
Blupencl

Blupencl

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

Oh, I don't reckon I'm THAT far gone. I don't think about it until
somebody brings it up and doesn't agree with ME that these companies
should not be allowed to do this. I don't get that wrecked over
anything, just talking about it.

I don't think anything controls me. I think I'm OUT of control.
:::maniacal laugh:::

--
Blupencl

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

"Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:3ufeceF10c0gmU1@individual.net:

> "RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:%Wugf.14534$JQ.7666@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Just don't do it when you're visiting in Virginia:
> "If any person shall use obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious,
> or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene
> nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act with the intent to
> coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone or
> citizens band radio, in this Commonwealth, he shall be guilty of a
> Class 1 misdemeanor."
>
> Doesn't say you have to have made the call...
>
> Sandi
>
>
>

My friend's mother is also having to get an attorney as we speak regarding
telemarketing calls. Of course, she's like 80-something and it is tragic
but they are claiming she blew an air horn thingie into the phone when they
called and damaged their hearing, emotional distress, etc. They, of course,
didn't even have an air horn type thing in the house.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

"Barbara Carlson" <bbcarlson@snappydsl.net> wrote here for all to
seenews:sc6dnfGyCKHT5h_enZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@snappydsl.net:

> Maybe you have more personal time than some of us do to be wasted on
> unsolicited intrusions.

In my opinion, it isn't that I have any more personal time than anyone
else. I get interrupted all day long. I wouldn't cuss out my mother or MIL
or husband or best friend for calling and interrupting me during my work
time, even if I didn't care to speak to them at the moment, so I try to
extend the same courtesy to others, even telemarkets which I absolutely
think should be banned. If I let them ruin my day by getting me all fired
up, I have used up way too much of my energy that I _could_ be using on my
favorite personal-time hobbies. I used to get irate when I would get
telemarketing calls and just stew for hours after I had received one. I
_let_ them have that control over me. I _let_ them ruin my day. It was a
fairly long process but since it is something I absolutely cannot control
as long as I have phone numbers, I had to make the decision whether or not
to give them that power over me.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

Blupencl <Blupencl.1ywf8v@nospam.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:Blupencl.1ywf8v@nospam.com:

> somebody brings it up and doesn't agree with ME that these companies
> should not be allowed to do this.

I totally agree that they shouldn't be allowed to do that. Those are two
different issues IMO.

Gisele

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

> In my opinion, it isn't that I have any more personal time than anyone
> else. I get interrupted all day long.

I think that's the key. I just don't think I would like to live in
some sealed bubble where NO one could contact me. I don't like
interruptions to my work, it does annoy me. I don't get many
telemarketer calls anymore, but the few that do go through are either
identified by my phone so that I don't have to speak to them at all, or
if I do unthinkingly pick up the phone, I end the call quickly because I
know there's no chance in hell of me buying something in a situation
like that, so the caller should just get on to dialing the next number.

And I've read that the companies that do this say they actually do make
enough sales to make it profitable. If it weren't, they would stop it.
I realize no one's mind is going to be changed by this discussion, I'm
just saying how it strikes me.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

Minutes after I posted that I don't get very many sales calls, I had one
come through my Privacy Manager last night. It made me so happy to kick
them over to my voice mail! Needless to say, they didn't leave a message.

Blupencl wrote:
>
> wish them away.
>
> Not a matter of just "bothersome" to me - I'm glad for you if that's
> all it is to you, I honestly am. Wish I were that easy going! Not
> trivial to me at all.
>
>

DJGordon

2005-11-22, 10:53 am

I am with the anger crowd, but I really don't see it as wasting my time or
controlling me.

I take off my headphones, pick up the phone, see it's an 800 number, answer,
hang up, and am angry for a total of 15 seconds and then it's gone. I can't
imagine that anyone on here who talks about getting angry over these calls
are sitting and just seething about it and thinking about it more than a few
seconds after the phone is hung up. I think saying it's a waste of time and
energy and that it could be a controlling anger is a little farfetched. It's
that 30 seconds to 3 minutes of being interrupted that I believe we are
angry, no more of a waste than the time we had to take to get the darn
thing.

Dani

"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send" <mmeahan@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
message news:4382c1fd$0$75778$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Blupencl wrote:
>
> But Becky, if you are deadly serious about that, there are better ways of
> accomplishing that than blowing up at them on the phone. You can get the
> call screener thing that my sister has where you either have to have an
> unblocked number or punch in a code, you can forward all your calls to an
> answering machine and screen them or to a service and put the special-ring
> thing for any calls from the answering service and tell them to only call
> you with important calls, etc.
>
> Okay, maybe you haven't seen a few of your family members who have
> literally ruined their lives by letting anger control them so maybe it
> doesn't bother you so much, but I have, and it just hits too close to home
> for me to sit and say nothing.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 12:51 pm

OH brother. ANd you can bet one would be charged with that while the
violators got a smack on the wrist. I find it hard to believe that is
allowed. It's a first amendment issue long as you don't threaten anyone
IMHO. Besides how can you intimidate when they called you. If someone
broke into your home and you told them to get the F out no one care.

I'd nullify if I were on jury charging someone with that. LOL

Sandi wrote:
> "RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:%Wugf.14534$JQ.7666@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>
>
> Just don't do it when you're visiting in Virginia:
> "If any person shall use obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or
> indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature,
> or threaten any illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce,
> intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone or citizens band radio,
> in this Commonwealth, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor."
>
> Doesn't say you have to have made the call...
>
> Sandi
>
>

DJGordon

2005-11-22, 12:51 pm

I once had someone bring me up on harrassment charges over a phone call that
she had made...it stuck and just brought about a no contact order, but it
was crap. She kept calling my mother (trying to find me--I didn't live
there), who had just recovered from a heart attack. She was the new
girlfriend of an ex-boyfriend of mine. She would call and harrass my mom
trying to get in touch with me and one day I happened to be over there and
took the call and told her what I thought about what she was doing and to
leave my mom the hell out of whatever issues she had. She took me to court
for harrassing communications and it stuck. So stupid!!!

Dani

"RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
news:%zJgf.31039$uC3.12594@twister.nyroc.rr.com...[vbcol=seagreen]
> OH brother. ANd you can bet one would be charged with that while the
> violators got a smack on the wrist. I find it hard to believe that is
> allowed. It's a first amendment issue long as you don't threaten anyone
> IMHO. Besides how can you intimidate when they called you. If someone
> broke into your home and you told them to get the F out no one care.
>
> I'd nullify if I were on jury charging someone with that. LOL
>
> Sandi wrote:

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

One could, but it's just as easy and much more rewarding to scream at
them and hopefully ruin their day as they have just ruined mine my
interrupting me.

You can train your friends that they are not to call unless they are
sure no one is sleeping - DH works swing shifts - so we can't even have
a phone in the bedroom thanks to these yahoos.

Gisele wrote:
>
>
> Gisele
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

I hate having to dial in for voice mail and find out it's a hangup or
salesperson.

Gisele wrote:
> I get very few telemarketer calls, I am not checking the caller ID
> constantly to see who it is. If I don't feel like looking, I just let
> it go to message and then check when I feel like. Maybe if I had a
> sick relative or something I would feel compelled to look at the ID
> every time it rings, but I only do that during business hours, after
> that, I don't pay it much attention.
>
> I agree it is intrusive, but I don't get a large number of them, so
> they don't really bother me.
>
> Gisele
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Well whoopie for you. I think it's been established you don't tend to
feel the way most people do about a lot of things.

Gisele wrote:
>
>
> I am annoyed when strangers call me, but I just tell them to take me
> off their list and simply hang up. My annoyance lasts as long as the
> encounter, and then I forget about it and go about my business. If I
> felt as strongly about this as you seem to, honestly I would not have a
> phone at all! We are connected to the rest of the world in a way that
> even our parents could not imagine, and that is not an entirely
> positive thing certainly.
>
> Gisele
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Sorry, don't agree. I'm not paying for an unlisted number. Perhaps they
TMing companies ought to have to pay for these out of their pockets if
it is what it takes to stop them (and I doubt it does when the autodialers).

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> Having a publically-accessible telephone that allows anybody to reach
> you if they happen to punch in the right numbers means that you are
> allowing your privacy to be invaded.
>
> RaeMorrill wrote:
>
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

A) The phone still rings till it goes to voice mail B) Having to check
the voicemail to make sure it isn't important message from family takes
time C) I have family and DH's work whose numbers come in private or out
of area - and my 85+ y/o mother isn't going to remember to unblock each
time and DH's work apparently is just set up that way)

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> No, what I don't understand is why people who don't like being
> interrupted don't just screen their calls, get an answering service, or
> whatever. And I do not have a lot of personal time myself. It's less
> of an intrusion or a distraction for me to just hang up the phone than
> it would be to work up a steam and blow up at someone -- talk about
> interrupting concentration, that would do it for me.
>
> Barbara Carlson wrote:
>
>
>

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Don't be so sure that every area has some of these calling features. I'm
on a private phone company and I don't think we even have that
available, plus I WILL NOT pay extra to protect my privacy.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote:
> Blupencl wrote:
>
>
>
> But Becky, if you are deadly serious about that, there are better ways
> of accomplishing that than blowing up at them on the phone. You can get
> the call screener thing that my sister has where you either have to have
> an unblocked number or punch in a code, you can forward all your calls
> to an answering machine and screen them or to a service and put the
> special-ring thing for any calls from the answering service and tell
> them to only call you with important calls, etc.
>
> Okay, maybe you haven't seen a few of your family members who have
> literally ruined their lives by letting anger control them so maybe it
> doesn't bother you so much, but I have, and it just hits too close to
> home for me to sit and say nothing.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Oh for crying out loud. Now haven't we been told to do this to obscene
phone callers? What is the difference? Both are illegal. I guess if I
had an airhorn thingy I'd be getting rid of it pronto anyway. I'd love
to see that go to trial. The jury would probably acquit and give the
woman a medal.

Jeannie Wilson wrote:
> "Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote here for all to
> seenews:3ufeceF10c0gmU1@individual.net:
>
>
>
>
> My friend's mother is also having to get an attorney as we speak regarding
> telemarketing calls. Of course, she's like 80-something and it is tragic
> but they are claiming she blew an air horn thingie into the phone when they
> called and damaged their hearing, emotional distress, etc. They, of course,
> didn't even have an air horn type thing in the house.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Well, Jeannie, that's you. If you can't accept the fact that some of us
feel differently, it's no different than I can't understand why anyone
thinks you need to be nice to these intruders.

Jeannie Wilson wrote:
> "Barbara Carlson" <bbcarlson@snappydsl.net> wrote here for all to
> seenews:sc6dnfGyCKHT5h_enZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@snappydsl.net:
>
>
>
>
> In my opinion, it isn't that I have any more personal time than anyone
> else. I get interrupted all day long. I wouldn't cuss out my mother or MIL
> or husband or best friend for calling and interrupting me during my work
> time, even if I didn't care to speak to them at the moment, so I try to
> extend the same courtesy to others, even telemarkets which I absolutely
> think should be banned. If I let them ruin my day by getting me all fired
> up, I have used up way too much of my energy that I _could_ be using on my
> favorite personal-time hobbies. I used to get irate when I would get
> telemarketing calls and just stew for hours after I had received one. I
> _let_ them have that control over me. I _let_ them ruin my day. It was a
> fairly long process but since it is something I absolutely cannot control
> as long as I have phone numbers, I had to make the decision whether or not
> to give them that power over me.

Sandi

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

"RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
news:OZJgf.30000$DL6.23434@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Well, Jeannie, that's you. If you can't accept the fact that some of us
> feel differently, it's no different than I can't understand why anyone
> thinks you need to be nice to these intruders.
>
But there's a wide span of behavior between being nice to them and screaming
profanity at them. In order for me to scream profanity at someone,
particularly someone I didn't know, I'd have to be more enraged than I have
ever been in my life. And given some of the events in my life, that would
be pretty mad indeed. Over a telemarketer? Nah...

Sandi

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

RaeMorrill <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:OZJgf.30000$DL6.23434@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

> Well, Jeannie, that's you. If you can't accept the fact that some of us
> feel differently, it's no different than I can't understand why anyone
> thinks you need to be nice to these intruders.

Kindly point me to where I said that I could not accept the fact that
people handle things differently.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

"Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:3uh8qsF110kmmU1@individual.net:

> But there's a wide span of behavior between being nice to them and
> screaming profanity at them.

Exactly. I'm not inviting them to dinner for Heaven's sake, I am just not
screeching profanities like a lunatic at them, giving them the power to
ruin my day.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Pretty obvious when you need to go on for paragraphs about how it
doesn't bother you that much. Fine. If you don't mind it, enjoy. I'll
give them your number when the call me and tell them you don't mind

Jeannie Wilson wrote:
> RaeMorrill <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote here for all to
> seenews:OZJgf.30000$DL6.23434@twister.nyroc.rr.com:
>
>
>
>
> Kindly point me to where I said that I could not accept the fact that
> people handle things differently.

RaeMorrill

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

No, it gives me the power to ruin their day!

Jeannie Wilson wrote:
> "Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote here for all to
> seenews:3uh8qsF110kmmU1@individual.net:
>
>
>
>
> Exactly. I'm not inviting them to dinner for Heaven's sake, I am just not
> screeching profanities like a lunatic at them, giving them the power to
> ruin my day.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

"DJGordon" <danigordon@bellsouth.net> wrote here for all to
seenews:QLGgf.24984$Y82.12415@bignews4.bellsouth.net:

> hang up, and am angry for a total of 15 seconds and then it's gone. I
> can't imagine that anyone on here who talks about getting angry over
> these calls are sitting and just seething about it and thinking about
> it more than a few seconds after the phone is hung up. I think saying
> it's a waste of time and energy and that it could be a controlling
> anger is a little farfetched. It's that 30 seconds to 3 minutes of
> being interrupted that I believe we are angry, no more of a waste than
> the time we had to take to get the darn thing.

People handle it differently and have their own views about it. I think it
is a waste of time and energy to let a telemarketer make me resort to
screaming profanities and ruining my day with the anger. Others say they
feel vindicated but it still ruins their day. In my opinion, it is a waste
of _my_ time and _my_ energy to allow someone who I don't even know to
control my emotions for the day.

Jeannie Wilson

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

RaeMorrill <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote here for all to
seenews:VUJgf.29996$DL6.2983@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

>
> Sorry, don't agree. I'm not paying for an unlisted number.

We have an unlisted number and still used to get them all the time. You do
business with a company, a credit card company for example, who sells your
name and information to someone else, etc.

Blupencl

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com
Lines: 25
Xref: number1.nntp.dca.giganews.com sci.med.transcription:384886

Whoops, Rae. You really are "off" -- because I KNOW I am, and that's
just what I was fixin to say. :D

RaeMorrill Wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> No, it gives me the power to ruin their day!
>
> Jeannie Wilson wrote:
> not
> to

--
Blupencl

Gisele

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

> Well whoopie for you. I think it's been established you don't tend to
> feel the way most people do about a lot of things.
>

You think most people are screaming obscenities over the phone to
telemarketers? I guess it's possible, but if so, I won't worry about
being one of the masses. Keep on screaming if it makes you happy.

Gisele

--
Gisele

DJGordon

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

But who has said that it controls their emotions for a day. First of all,
I'm in the angry set, not the screaming and cussing set, although I have
raised my voice on occasion and given a piece of my mind, but not in an
enraged fashion. Any way it goes, when the phone is hung up it's out of my
mind. I don't even think of it again or dwell on it or anything else, so
it's definitely not a waste of any of my precious time or energy, except for
the fact that they called me and interrupted me--by the way all of mine come
from people I have already told to leave me alone....every single one of
them--so seems like my right to be as angry as I like. I'm an adult, not a 2
yo throwing a tantrum for an hour over some minor transgression. Once the
headset is back on, it's gone.

Dani

"Jeannie Wilson" <jwilson421@comcastspamkills.net> wrote in message
news:Xns971690EC113CDjwilson421comcastnet@216.196.97.136...
> "DJGordon" <danigordon@bellsouth.net> wrote here for all to
> seenews:QLGgf.24984$Y82.12415@bignews4.bellsouth.net:
>
>
> People handle it differently and have their own views about it. I think it
> is a waste of time and energy to let a telemarketer make me resort to
> screaming profanities and ruining my day with the anger. Others say they
> feel vindicated but it still ruins their day. In my opinion, it is a
> waste
> of _my_ time and _my_ energy to allow someone who I don't even know to
> control my emotions for the day.

DJGordon

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Because I was honest to the judge about what exactly transpired. I was
believed, but I still was "mean" to her on the phone. She got the same no
contact I did after it was found out she was also being "mean" but that is
so silly. She calls "me" and I'm the one who gets it for harrassment.

Dani

"RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
news:Y0Kgf.30004$DL6.18232@twister.nyroc.rr.com...[vbcol=seagreen]
> How did she prove she'd actually talked to you? Was she recording?
>
> DJGordon wrote:

DJGordon

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

"Gisele" <Gisele.1yx0ud@nospam.com> wrote in Keep on screaming if it makes
you happy.
>
> Gisele

I'm sure she will. How in the world can one adult tell another adult that
something they're doing is wrong or that they shouldn't do it when it comes
to something that is not legally, morally, or even ethically "wrong"? She
has her way of doing things, why is everyone up in arms about how she runs
her corner of the world. You know, our privacy (what little we have left) is
just about all we have left in this world and it's my (general) right to
defend that with whatever non-criminal means I choose. Sheesh at the
outrage. You (general) gripe about India taking all our jobs, but don't be
mean to them in any way. Someone wants their cake and eat it too it sounds
like. I bet you'd fight them tooth and nail in person or on the phone if
they called you up and said you're fired I've overtaken your accounts.
Anyway, I'm starting to ramble and wander off topic even more so I'll quit
now. But it's really upsetting to see adults telling other adults how to or
not to handle something that's personal like a telemarketing call that they
don't wish to receive.

Dani

Anne Vasquez

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

How about a whistle?

Blupencl wrote:
> Airhorn! Great idea! Thanks, Jeannie! That will REALLY help my throat
> this winter.
>
> :D
>
>

Sandi

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Wow - I never thought I'd see the day, but I actually feel sorry for
telemarketers now.

Sandi (who spent about a week working for Olan Mills once and was afraid to
call anyone but family - and apparently rightly so!)

"Anne Vasquez" <annevasquez@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:tzMgf.23861$Zv5.21499@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...[vbcol=seagreen]
> How about a whistle?
>
>
> Blupencl wrote:

Ed Chait

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

"DJGordon" <danigordon@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:fyLgf.26757$Y82.997@bignews4.bellsouth.net...
>
> "Gisele" <Gisele.1yx0ud@nospam.com> wrote in Keep on screaming if it makes
> you happy.
>
> I'm sure she will. How in the world can one adult tell another adult that
> something they're doing is wrong or that they shouldn't do it when it
> comes to something that is not legally, morally, or even ethically
> "wrong"? She has her way of doing things, why is everyone up in arms about
> how she runs her corner of the world. You know, our privacy (what little
> we have left) is just about all we have left in this world and it's my
> (general) right to defend that with whatever non-criminal means I choose.
> Sheesh at the outrage. You (general) gripe about India taking all our
> jobs, but don't be mean to them in any way. Someone wants their cake and
> eat it too it sounds like. I bet you'd fight them tooth and nail in person
> or on the phone if they called you up and said you're fired I've overtaken
> your accounts. Anyway, I'm starting to ramble and wander off topic even
> more so I'll quit now. But it's really upsetting to see adults telling
> other adults how to or not to handle something that's personal like a
> telemarketing call that they don't wish to receive.
>
> Dani
>

As we go through life, some learn that energy is finite and valuable, and
that battles need to be chosen wisely and carefully.

These people sometimes have expectations that others have done the same.
These people's expectations are too high.

ed

Gisele

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

> But it's really upsetting to see adults telling other adults how to or
> not to handle something that's personal like a telemarketing call that
> they
> don't wish to receive.
>
> Dani
> I told her to do as she wished. Now you can be upset about that if you
like. Everyone is free to get as mad as hell about whatever they want
to be mad about, doesn't mean I have to join them.

Gisele

--
Gisele

DJGordon

2005-11-22, 5:52 pm

Why would I get upset? There's nothing on here worth getting me upset. Just
can't understand what's so wrong with an adult doing something they want to
do, no matter how anyone else feels about it.

Dani

"Gisele" <Gisele.1yx6do@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Gisele.1yx6do@nospam.com...
>
> like. Everyone is free to get as mad as hell about whatever they want
> to be mad about, doesn't mean I have to join them.
>
> Gisele
>
>
> --
> Gisele

Gisele

2005-11-23, 12:54 am

>
> can't understand what's so wrong with an adult doing something they
> want to
> do, no matter how anyone else feels about it.
>
> Dani
> My opinion is that the adult in question is acting like a little child.
I have no control over that person, but I have my own opinion. If you
want to scream into the phone at someone, be my guest.

Gisele

--
Gisele

Barbara Carlson

2005-11-23, 12:54 am

But they are definitely harassing when they call. Why doesn't Virginia
indict them?

Barb C.
"Sandi" <sanditypes@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3ufeceF10c0gmU1@individual.net...
> "RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:%Wugf.14534$JQ.7666@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Just don't do it when you're visiting in Virginia:
> "If any person shall use obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or
> ind