What would you do with a rude business?

[Elaina]

I'm not sure where to put this at, but I work as one of the dreaded telemarketers. I call a lot of businesses and get used to the rudness. Question is, would you do business with vintage sellers who were over the top rude (or any business really) when you were working? (Even if they had no idea you ordered in the past) or let it go as a nature of the job?

Did that make sense even?

 

[Paisley]

As I read it, you are calling certain businesses for work, they are rude to you, and you are wondering if you should give them your patronage. Correct? I wouldn't.

All they have to say is "I'm sorry, but we don't take sales calls. Please put us on your do-not-call list." At that point, the telemarketer should should say "Sorry to have bothered you," and hang up.

 

[Elaina]

Yes, that's it in a nutshell. People get psycho when they realize it's a sales call (no I don't take it personally) but it certainly makes me wonder what customer service they have.

 

[Lady Day]

Funny this question should come up.

Ive called my deceased Mother's insurance company because she took out a policy for my brother and I in 1994. Now that she has passed (in 2005), Im having to find out info on the policy. I should have been sent the policy a LONG time a go, but no.

I called FOUR times in the last couple of weeks and left message (very professional I may add) after message. I dont understand how a business can operate from only 830 to 1pm! No return call. I called again today saying "I guess I will have to contact the BBB." and within the hour, I get a return call.

So needless to say, I will be terminating the policy and putting the money in an IRA or CD or someting.

How rude.

LD

 

[Elaina]

Well, what sparked the question was a run of vintage resellers I had called. One was nice, listened and said "thanks but no" and the rest thought I was Satan's spawn crawling rhrough the line. One flipped and screamed at me.

Since it WAS vintage (and mostly clothing) I thought of posting here.

It still didn't bother me, but just amazes me they forget telemarketers have friends and do business too. (I've got some horror stories let me tell you.)

 

[Paisley]

I have had calls from telemarketers who were very persistent in trying to get through to the partner or principal in charge. Nevertheless, I've never lost my patience with one. But it is easier to be respectful with someone who is respectful towards me.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

I report them to the BBB and include all correspondence between me and the business in my file to the BBB.

If it is a telemarketer, perhaps there is a website where you can go and report it. In PA, we have a specific website that I used to have to use quite a bit and I was reporting bill collectors seeking someone who must have had the phone number prior to me. Every time I would get a message on the machine, I would write everything down, and go right to the website each time.

I wound up having action taken against them, as they were then warned by the authorities and it nearly got to the point where I could have filed a lawsuit against them...but they stopped calling.

I thought it would have been quite amusing to have a lawsuit against a bill collection agency.

Prien

 

[Elaina]

Well, I happen to be the telemarketer.

To be honest, I'm not pushy. Most of the services I call about are good ideas and useful, and it's no skin off my nose if you don't want it. I do well at the job, and I've found thethe less pushy I am and the more professional I sound the more likely I am to actually get to where I need to go.

I get them at the house being pushy. Usually I telemarket them and get an "Oh. You do this too," (Well, yeah, and I bet a darn sight better.)

 

[Paisley]

That's true. Going for the kill isn't a good sales tactic.

 

[patrick1987]

Hi, how are you today?

The telemarketer is calling uninvited, not to purchase something but to sell something, interrupting the business day. That may be considered rudeness. The business person doesn't feel the need to act professionally because that part has been taken out of the equation by the telemarketer ("when they realize it is a sales call", why aren't they told at the get-go?).
No, I wouldn't boycott doing business with the vintage reseller who was rude when surprised because you weren't calling them as a person who shops there but as a telemarketer.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

Hello,

Sorry I misunderstood you at first - but I get it now.

I used to be a telemarketer myself, though not that I wanted to do it. It was simply a lack of jobs in the area, and my age which found me doing simply 'a job' to earn money.

The computers randomly dial numbers. Yes, I've gotten yelled at, etc. I've never pushed though - even though they taught us to do so. If they didn't want anything I simply said my -ok have a nice day- type of closing. Well, due to my high moral standards, my job didn't last very long as I saw the end coming and decided to try to take a course in college and left.

But like the post that is prior to this one - I wouldn't stop doing business with them either.

Prien

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I wouldn't either. When I ask if I can post or leave a flyer for my business and they say no, rudely or politely, ok, no problem, I'm asking them. I'll stay their customer. Of course, I would and have stopped doing business with someone if they were rude to me when I was a customer.

 

[Paisley]

We don't keep rude, obnoxious clients where I work. High maintenance ones, yes, but jerks, no. One of the benefits of having a thousands of clients.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I didn't mean I had any rude customers. If I had I would probably keep them, though, as I own a small business and only have a few customers, unless it was just too stressful.

 

[Paisley]

Understood. I try to avoid doing business with people who are rude to me in any capacity. If I were their customer, how would they handle a return or a dispute? Maybe people who treat cold callers with disdain nevertheless act as though the customer is always right, or maybe they handle complaints as badly as they do telemarketers.