Alyssa's ramblings...

Really, I'm not interested.

Help me! I have a serious problem. I am sick of the way I handle telemarketers. Case in point:

Him: Have you heard of So-And-So Printers & Toners?
Me: No.
Him: So you don’t read your junk mail?
Me: Sometimes. (thinking: there’s a reason they call it ‘junk’ mail!)
Him: (kind of accusingly) But you just gloss over the printer and toner section?
Me: Umm, well we’re actually pretty happy with the toner company we use at the moment.
Him: (defensively) I didn’t say you weren’t!

Even after this, I just listened patiently, answered all of his questions truthfully, and stayed on the line when he put me on hold.

Another guy came on the phone after I was on hold for a couple of minutes, saying he had more expertise with the printer we have. He kept going on and on about the toner (for about ten minutes!), giving examples of companies who used their products. But in the end, instead of him trying to convince me why I should get the product, I had to try my hardest to convince him why I didn’t want it. It was really frustrating. Every time I said I’m not interested, he’d ask why. When I told him, he’d find some reason why my point wasn’t important.

He was like “I know we’re more expensive, and you can just walk into your local stationery shop and get the toner you want for a cheaper price, but ours lasts longer! Instead of needing six toners in a year, you’ll only need four or five!” Woopdedoo.

Even after all the explaining of why I didn’t want them, he’d say “So when I send the pack of six toners, should I attention it to you?”

They were just so persistent, and even though I didn’t give in (I would never, EVER give in to a telemarketer, even if they had the best product in the world. You just don’t know what you’re getting over the phone. And it’s a principle thing, too), I felt like such a failure. Like I couldn’t stick up for myself, say ‘Not interested’, and hang up on them. Like I have to waste my time listening to some guy blabber on about something I don’t care about, just because I’m worried about possibly offending them (even though I’ll probably never speak to them again in my life).

I need to change. Right now. Next time a telemarketer calls, my finger is going to the ‘hang up’ button quicker than you can say “How many can I put you down for?”

posted by Alyssa @ 11:24 AM