Another topic covered in module 3 is telemarketing. It has happened to us all that we have just sat down to dinner with our family and the phone rings. When answered we are greated with a solicitation for a contribution to a charity or political campaign. I hate these. There has been quite a bit of legislation passed in recent years regaurding telemarketing. The book mentions that there are two basic types of telemarketing. These types are outbound and inbound. With outbound telemarketing the seller calls the account and with inbound telemarketing the account calls the seller. Outbound telemarketing includes the afore mentioned charity call as well as calls from credit card companies, carpet cleaners, and pest controll services. An example of inbound telemarketing is calling the phone number on a postcard that advertises timeshare property. Also worth mentioning here are autodialers. These are machines or recently computer programs that dial a series of phone numbers one after the other and play a recorded message. These can be effective for a telemarketing campaign because it eliminates the need to pay a person to make the outbound calls.
Many people do not like being disturbed by telemarketers. There recently has been laws passed that allow for do not call lists. These lists place restrictins on telemarketers that call individuals on the list. Here are links to both the national list and the Texas list.https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
I hate telemarketers calling me at home during my private time. My phone rings constantly when we are not on the computer. Many times I leave the computer online just so no one can call. My husband and I both have cell phones so if someone really needs to contact us they can call our cell phone. If I didn't need our home line for an online connection (we live out in the country where DSL is not available) I would not even have a home phone. I dread the day the telemarketers get our cell phone numbers but I know it will likely happen some day.
Posted by: Denise Nabers | February 19, 2007 at 10:26 AM
I think we all hate telemarketers and geesh they're calling my cell phone, but at least the marketing department have been able to adjust to finding new ways to get to people. For example, when a person at the cash register ask for your home phone or your zip code. It's not that they will call you, but it's because they want to know what area people are from that are coming to their stores. A lot marketing ploys actually do help the customers out. Shoot, if I have to drive 30 mins to a Kohls and so are everyone in my neighborhood, with enough people they can actually open one up closer to me.
Posted by: sakounta | February 25, 2007 at 08:36 PM