The Discussion topic Options

[Myst]

Hellsing is an okay anime. The whole Nazi thing turned it off for me.

[X-M-O]

I always bring crossword puzzles on longer journeys, but usually end up listening to my iPod as I read a book. ^^

[Sparrowsmith]

reading while moving...

I'm sure I'll think of something. Probably just sleep, much to the dismay of those within earshot.

[Albino Parakeet]

You could bring a Gameboy/DS and play Pokemon. It's usually the only time I can sit down and play Pokemon for more than 10 minutes. I bring it every time we travel.

[X-M-O]

I usually don't have a problem reading whilst moving. I use a bookmark to keep my place.

Yeah, playing Pokémon is also a good way to spend that time, lol.

[Kaust]

The ipods a travellers best friend, look out the window and it feels like a montage

Yeah whole Nazi thing in Hellsing is what I was talking about the story getting out of control, especially since it seemed to come from nowhere, but I'm still gna see it through.

[X-M-O]

I'm that way too, I watch things from start to finish even if I don't like them. XD
I don't know if that's weird or not, but if it is then we are weird together! >:3

[Rast]

Yeah...The whole Nazi story really pulled me away from the series. It's half the reason I still prefer the original anime(with Incognito, the one that didn't follow the true manga storyline). The other half is the music, which I thought was a lot better.

If you haven't seen it, I suggest Hellsing Abridged, done by Team Four Star. Good stuff.

[TheBen]

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This post has been edited by TheBen: Feb 25 2012, 05:21 AM

[Sparrowsmith]

So I just reminded myself this place exists and, before its sudden end, I thought it had a lot of potential. So I'm just gonna kick off some new discussion.

For anyone just joining this, you can discuss anything here. This place is for discussing stuff that is pretty low key, like a cross between The Tavern and the spam topic. You're expected to post stuff that is worthwhile, but you're allowed to go as far off topic as you like.

So how does everyone feel about telemarketers? I just got a job recently working the phones for a home improvement company (I won't say which, and I apologise if I've rang anyone here). I'm just a little curious about people's reactions. Some people are a pleasure to talk to, even if they're not interested at all, and some people act like a 40 second phone call is the worst thing in the world
So yeah, how do you guys respond to sales calls, and why?

and if you'd rather talk about anything else, that's cool too

[Kaust]

Their an annoyance. End of.
I don't doubt its an unpleasant job that the workers receive a lot of undeserved abuse for (as it is, at the end of the day, just a job for most) but if I'm interested in a product I'll buy it, I don't need them ringing to convince me (if its a good product I'll undoubtedly hear about it through other means). Its a perverse form of advertisement because it very actively penetrates my home (as opposed to the passivity of tv adverts that are relatively easy to avoid, mostly because I dont watch much tv).
Also, they just don't go away, and they ring at all hours. My house has been getting cold calls from some foreign marketers several times a day for several years. Even if I answer I get little or barely understandable responses. So why do they call?!

[Rast]

Some people are a pleasure to talk to, even if they're not interested at all, and some people act like a 40 second phone call is the worst thing in the world huh.gif
So yeah, how do you guys respond to sales calls, and why?

The issue for me isn't the call length. It's that said marketing company even has my number in the first place. I recently got a new cell phone(my old one broke), for example, and not a day after getting it active with a new number I was already getting calls from telemarketers.

As for how I answer, if I don't recognize the number and suspect a telemarketer(only friends, family and work have this number), I'll probably answer in German. While I love finding creative ways to tell people to stop advertising me(such as sending one company's coupons to another using the prepaid envelope the other company mailed me), I find answering in another language is the best way to drive them off without offending them. It's their job, after all, as much as it may annoy me.

Of course, there's that awkward moment when they actually speak the language you answer in..

[Sparrowsmith]

see I can understand that being annoying.
I don't mind when people just hang up, or are adamant about not being interested. It's when people blatantly lie or actually prolong the conversation by being assholes (happens very little, but still annoying). I don't actually try to sell anything, I just book appointments. I've only booked two so far, one to a couple who weren't aware they could have double glazing (they live in a conservation area) and one to a man who agreed almost instantly to get a door.
So yeah, the job is really about convincing people that what they're considering already is a good idea, or informing them what their options are.

If you're getting several cold calls a day then you should look into being put on a no call list, because that seems like a ludicrous number of calls.

I'll be honest, I don't know where the numbers come from, but there's nothing heinous about it. A lot of the time people opt-in to sales calls without realising it. But, as i've pointed out above, that's actually helpful for some people.

[Magical_RuNE_Kni...]

So yeah, how do you guys respond to sales calls, and why?

i usually just don't answer, or i do answer and try to have a nice conversation w/ them.
i don't answer because... most of the time i just don't feel like answering the phone lol. i try to talk to them occasionally though, because i feel bad for them sometimes...

i remember when it was -40oC once and these two people from Jehova's Witness came to my door. They looked so cold, and they were the only people i saw walking around outside that day... their faces were so pink.. '-' i went out and talked w/ them for half an hour, to see if i could brighten their day.
... Of course, i remember another time when a foreigner guy called and i had to keep asking him to repeat words. Eventually, he starting screaming and said "Do you understand English?! Are you stoopid? You have guardian I can speak to? Why you don't understand miss?! I am trying to sell you something!". I actually ended up laughing lol. I couldn't believe what he was saying. o_o

Just act... civil though, yeah. Or if u really don't want to be called, just don't answer or be put on a no-call list.
I mean, they're just doing their job, and i'm pretty sure the world could always use a few less stooges. :p

[Sparrowsmith]

So yeah, how do you guys respond to sales calls, and why?

i usually just don't answer, or i do answer and try to have a nice conversation w/ them.
i don't answer because... most of the time i just don't feel like answering the phone lol. i try to talk to them occasionally though, because i feel bad for them sometimes...

i remember when it was -40oC once and these two people from Jehova's Witness came to my door. They looked so cold, and they were the only people i saw walking around outside that day... their faces were so pink.. '-' i went out and talked w/ them for half an hour, to see if i could brighten their day.
... Of course, i remember another time when a foreigner guy called and i had to keep asking him to repeat words. Eventually, he starting screaming and said "Do you understand English?! Are you stoopid? You have guardian I can speak to? Why you don't understand miss?! I am trying to sell you something!". I actually ended up laughing lol. I couldn't believe what he was saying. o_o

Just act... civil though, yeah. Or if u really don't want to be called, just don't answer or be put on a no-call list.
I mean, they're just doing their job, and i'm pretty sure the world could always use a few less stooges.

You are exactly the kind soul I most enjoy talking to.
That and the really eccentric people, they're cool too.

I would never get mad at someone. I get that most people aren't interested. I just listen for openings and try to expand them.
Recently called someone who is looking to buy a conservatory, just gotta ring them back when the husband is back in town. My job isn't evil, despite what some people think does suck a bit though.

[X-M-O]

I'm too polite to be upset by phone advertising. I don't get that many though.
They're usually relieved to hear someone not complaining at them for calling, lol.
Of course, there was this one time where I answered my phone (not knowing who the caller was) by saying, "thanks for joining me for dinner, I'd love to chat but I don't talk with food in my mouth". They thought it was funny and laughed, of course they knew I didn't know who was calling either. XD

Sometimes it's not the perfect time to get a call, but it doesn't really bother me. After all, if we only talked with the people we knew, we wouldn't really know much of anyone.


Whilst this next bit isn't exactly about advertisers, it is similar.
One year I volunteered to hand out voter registration pamphlets at the college I worked for, and I never really feel comfortable handing out things that people haven't asked for, but I did it anyway. You get the casual "not interested" responses, or people just "grab 'n go", but sometimes you have interesting conversations and it helps pass the time standing there feeling awkward and bored. XD

[Magical_RuNE_Kni...]

@Sparrow: Thanks XD
My mom used to do some telemarketing stuff too. She said it wasn't the worst thing in the world either-- you prolly can't call something necessarily evil or horrible anyway. It wasn't that fun a job though, yeah. She said she was thrilled when she left.

@XMO: Same! Something like that happened to me recently. i volunteered at a local festival in early May and had to hand out pamphlets.
The worst part though was the fact that i had to approach little children and offer them the papers... i was volunteering at an activity booth for kids, and a staff member at the festival tried to make me recruit kids to play games. It felt very creepy lol; i sorta-kinda-slightly just ended up giving the pamphlets to the parents instead.

[X-M-O]

I get along with children pretty well, though I'd have to say that it'd be a lot easier for them to accept something from you if you are dressed as a mascot, lol.
(Unless they are younger than 5 years old, because most mascots make them cry at that age, lol.)

[zacheatscrackers]

I'm generally fine with kids. I get along very well with my cousins in particular and most of the kids at my school (though my junior year just ended so 3 months to myself yay).

However, obnoxious pseudo-intelligent kids that're like 4-7 years old annoy the SHIT out of me. I've had to deal with dozens of them in my lifetime, and sometimes they just make me want to throw a boulder. At a crowd of pedestrians.

Jesus.

[Magical_RuNE_Kni...]

i kinda wish that i'd get along better w/ my cousins. Most of them live in foreign countries though, and it's especially hard when there's like a 12 hour time difference. The only ones that live near me are all about 10 years older than me too, lol.

Can't wait until i leave high school. : p i mean, i get along w/ people and it's ok, but there's too many druggies at mine and too many of the younger kids really act/dress... too much.