Letters to the Editors
[Re: Loose Cannon: The Most Dangerous Profession, Direct Newsline, Oct. 20, 2003]:
I think there are several factors that contributed to the current backlash against telemarketing. In my opinion, had the telemarketing industry taken steps years ago to regulate itself and to set service standards, I think the backlash could have been prevented.
More often than not when I get a telemarketing call at home and I say I don’t have an interest I am met with a pushy “but you really NEED this item” pitch. I have even been told I was stupid for not taking up them up on the offer. That is if the offer even applied to me — there seems to be a lack of any demographic research on the part of some telemarketers. Personally I have no use for herbal Viagra, life insurance for children (of which I have none) or a time-share in Florida. As for those prerecorded messages, I think those should be done away with altogether. They are just too impersonal.
If only there were service standards set up to treat every call as though it were to a current customer. After all, this is the beginning of a potential customer relationship. Be polite, ask how to pronounce some one’s name before vocally slaughtering it, if some one says they don’t have time now, instead of being pushy ASK if one can call back, be ready to offer to send information in print if it is requested or give a website address.
Had service standards been set up, the DMA could have had an agreement that all members had to sign that would have helped regulate how calls were handled. It would also have given people some sort of recourse should a marketer behave in an offensive manner. We currently ask for permission for email marketing and so do many other companies – why did no one think to do this with phone numbers?
The TV or radio can be turned off, a mail piece left unopened, a page in a magazine turned or a pop up ad closed. People have control over what advertising they choose to pay attention to or to ignore in these mediums. The phone, however, in most cases must be answered when it rings and once picked up there is no avoiding at least the initial pitch. Is it any wonder that some times people feel that is invasive?
I also think that some of the responsibility lies with the companies that hire telemarketers. It is pretty standard practice for telemarketers to allow their clients to listen in on calls. These people are representing your company to the consumer, after all. Why would you not choose to do this? Had more people done this then the ‘bad’ marketers could have been weeded out.
I work in marketing myself and we do use telemarketing for subscription renewals and our fall gift program. We manage it very carefully, though, to make sure we are getting good representation from the company we hire. We had customer complaints about pushiness and rudeness with one marketer a couple of years ago and we no longer use them.
Finally, I think how the employees of this industry are treated should be taken into account. They are given minimal base pay and work generally at a pretty low commission rate. Most positions are part time without benefits. The turnover rate is huge. Had the industry in general treated its employees as an asset and invested in keeping people on for the long haul, I think it would make a difference in how those making the calls treated those who answer.
Joy J. Grandbois-Gallup
Portand, ME