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From: rjn@hpfcla.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Re: Phone calls selling stuff
Message-ID: <34800003@hpfcmp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 13:49:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfcmp.34800003
Posted: Mon Oct 14 13:49:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Oct-85 06:42:33 EDT
References: <242@drutx.UUCP>
Organization: 14 Oct 85 11:49:00 MDT
Lines: 40

re: telephone solicitation

* If the caller asks  permission to speak with you, respond "Yes" or "No" as
  you please and add, "I never respond to telephone solicitation."  I answer
  "Yes, but I never ..."  and they always say "Thank you" and hang up.

* If the caller does not ask permission to speak with you, and just launches
  into his/her pitch, INTERRUPT them.  They have already  interrupted you by
  calling, and this rude behaviour  demonstrates  that they don't care about
  what they have interrupted.  Say something like "Stop.  ....  You have not
  asked for my agreement to listen to this.  Goodbye."

Many people feel compelled to attack the caller.  This does not serve anyone.

* By creating  outrage  within  yourself,  you are  placing  yourself at the
  emotional "effect" of this anonymous person.  Don't give them such control
  over you.  It is possible (and OK) to be assertive without getting angry.

* Attacking people rarely causes them to change their behaviour.  Instead of
  focusing on the  "valuable  insights"  you are sharing  with them, they go
  into defense mode,  justifying  to  themselves  why what they are doing is
  "right" and why you are "wrong".

* 99.9763%  of  telephone  solicitors  are down and out folks who would much
  rather  have  almost  any other  job.  Trying to make them feel bad  about
  themselves  probably won't materially affect the telemarketing  biz.  What
  will affect it is low sales.  Don't buy stuff from any caller.

* The  other  0.0237%  of  solicitors  are the  pros who run the  stock  and
  commodity  scams.  The best thing to do with these  folks is to share with
  them that you suspect that they are crooks, that you feel invaded by their
  call, and is that the kind of  effect  they  really  want to have in their
  lives....  You  probably  won't get the  chance.  They don't want to waste
  their time on  anything  but  separating  you from your  money.  So, waste
  their time - prevent them from  calling  someone  else for a few minutes -
  quietly leave the phone off the hook and go about your business.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland                                            3404 East Harmony Road
hplabs!hpfcla!rjn                                     Fort Collins CO  80525