Phone company trying to sell you stuff?

[BondiBlue]

This is a great way to respond to a phone company trying to sell you some stupid long distance program:

ME: Hello.

AT&T: Hello, this is AT&T ...

ME: Is this AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T .

ME: This is AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T ....

ME: Is this AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr. Bautista, please.?

ME: May I ask who is calling.?

AT&T: This is AT&T.

ME: Ok, hold on.

At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting.

ME: Hello.?

AT&T: Is this Mr. Bautista?

ME: May I ask who is calling, please.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T .

ME: This is AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T ...

ME: The phone company.?

AT&T: Yes, sir.

ME: I thought you said this was AT&T.

AT&T: Yes, sir, we are a phone company..

ME: I already have a phone.

AT&T: We aren't selling phones today, Mr. Bautista. We would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

ME: Now, that's 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day?

AT&T: (getting a little excited at this point by my interest) Yes, sir, that's right! 24 hours a day!

ME: 7 days a week.?

AT&T: That's right.

ME: 365 days a year.?

AT&T: Yes, sir.

ME: I am definitely interested in that! Wow!!! That's amazing!

AT&T: We think so!

ME: That's quite a sum of money!

AT&T: Yes, sir, it's amazing how it adds up.

ME: Ok, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560; and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance.?

AT&T: Excuse me.?

ME: You know, the 10 cents a minute.

AT&T: What are you talking about.?

ME: You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1008 per week and $52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making payment.

AT&T: Oh, no, sir. I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10 cents a minute.

ME: Wait a minute , how do you figure that by saying that you'll give me 10 cents a minute, that I'll give YOU 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of subliminal telemarketing scheme.? I've read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know.

AT&T: No, sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for .

ME: THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please.?

AT&T: Sir, I don't think that is necessary.

ME: I insist on speaking to a supervisor.!

AT&T: Yes, Mr. Bautista. Please hold.

At this point, I begin trying to finish my dinner.

SUPERVISOR: Mr. Bautista?

ME: Yeth.?

SUPERVISOR: I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents a minute program.

ME: Is This A T & T.?

SUPERVISOR: Yes, sir, it sure is.

ME: (I had to swallow before I choked on my food. It was all I could do to suppress my laughter and I had to be careful not to produce a snort.) No, actually, I was just waiting for someone to get back to me so that I could sign up for the plan.

SUPERVISOR: Ok, no problem, I'll transfer you back to the person who was helping you.

ME: Thank you.

I was on hold once again and managed a few more mouthfuls. I need to end this conversation. Suddenly, there was an
aggravated but polite voice at the other end of the phone.

AT&T: Hello, Mr. Bautista, I understand that you are interested in signing up or our plan.?

ME: No, but I was wondering - do you have that "Friends and Family" thing because I'm an only child and I'd really like to have a little brother...

AT&T: click........

[Captainmorbid]

Heh hheh! I must try that. .

[Audrey]

I feel sorry for telemarketers. The people doing it tend to just need jobs; it's the companies that are the annoyance. My words are always "Do not call list."

This is a joke though, yes I get it.

[BondiBlue]

Originally Posted by Audrey

I feel sorry for telemarketers.

I don't. There are jobs out there, although perhaps menial, where you can be productive or help people instead of annoy them. My guess is that it's people who like to just sit on their butt because they don't like actual work who decide on telemarketing as a "career" path. No sympathy from me whatsoever.

[cabo]

I feel sorry for some of them not all, there are some that actually get it when you say i'm not interested, others go on and on and on I just end up hanging up cus they don't give you time to respond. The annoying ones, are already used to it and don't really care, the ones who care understand and let you go.

Nice write up, I was trying not to laugh at work lol

[Cobra348]

We don't get telemarketers ... all our phones are in the opt-out lists and get renewed periodically. Saves a lot of hassle.

[Audrey]

Originally Posted by BondiBlue

I don't. There are jobs out there, although perhaps menial, where you can be productive or help people instead of annoy them. My guess is that it's people who like to just sit on their butt because they don't like actual work who decide on telemarketing as a "career" path. No sympathy from me whatsoever.

My boyfriend was a telemarketer for a while, but he's worked plenty of more physically and mentally challenging jobs too. He's not one to sit on his bum all day :b as you suggest. The telemarker job he had was not advertised as such, but as a "remote phone support call center" which ended up as telemarketing. -.- At the time he needed a job and fast, so he was stuck there for a few months. Right now, not everyone has the luxury of being picky either. Don't be so quick to judge.

[BondiBlue]

Originally Posted by Audrey

The telemarker job he had was not advertised as such, but as a "remote phone support call center" which ended up as telemarketing.

Job "titles" get churched up all the time. You just have to read through the crap during the interview process. Examples:

Frieght relocation specialist = Truck driver
Financial analyst = Spreadsheet updater
Underwater ceramic decontamination technician = Dishwasher

etc.

Originally Posted by Audrey

At the time he needed a job and fast, so he was stuck there for a few months. Right now, not everyone has the luxury of being picky either. Don't be so quick to judge.

I've had to do that as well. However unless you live in a third world country, I don't think the job choices are so few that you need to get paid to annoy and invade people's home lives as opposed to doing something a bit more meaningful.

I suppose I did judge, though it was an informative judgement based on local experience. One such job I held was near one of these telemarketing facilities and whenever seeing employees enter/exit they generally had the appearance of a lazy stoner. I've also known people who worked there who were....less than motivated.

[Norm201]

It's easy to judge a person by the kind of job they have. We all tend to do it. But it's wrong. Most people are much deeper than they appear by their job.

My Dad was a rough truck driver working for the food terminal commission houses here in Buffalo, NY. He had just a few years of high school. But at home he was very well read in English literature and played classical music as well as popular piano. My daughter had to work in a call center and as a launder at a hospital. She has since become a veterinary doctor.

I have had several well paid "office" type jobs including management positions, but I enjoy my current store clerk position more than any previous job I had. Too bad the pay is low and most people figure I can't handle anything better.

Oh! I forgot to put why I posted the above ramblings. The point being is that I also despise phone solicitations, but I would never hassle the caller. Just hang up if you don't like it. Most of these call center people don't like it either. They're just doing their job. Why hassle them?

That all being said, I still think its funny. I know, 'm twisted.

[BondiBlue]

Originally Posted by Norm201

That all being said, I still think its funny. I know, 'm twisted.

I agree. Chances are I'd never do this. I just hang up. I found it on another forum and found it to be amusing is all.