telemarketer loses the plot

Thursday 19 June, 2003 at 11:26PM (Nereus) :: permalink :: comments (8)

Something I just read on DenverPost.com. Apparently a telemarketer from Salt Lake City-based Teleperformance USA was making calls to sell Qwest long-distance service (telecommunications). He called one guy and did his sales pitch, then the guy asked the telemarketer if he could sell Qwest high-speed Internet service because the service had not been available in his area previously. The telemarketer said only Qwest itself could sell DSL, so the guy asked him not to call back until he could sell DSL, and then hung up. No worries you'd think, right? Wrong.

Minutes later, the guys wife listened to the voice mail on the couple's home line and heard an angry message riddled with curses and a threat:

"Yeah, did you understand that?" the caller said. "(Expletive) hanging up on somebody like that again. (Expletive) I'm coming in your (expletive) house, you (expletive). What the (expletive) you gonna do? I'll (expletive) kill you."

Nice huh. The telemarketer has been fired and police are considering harassment charges as well. Qwest has dropped their contract with Teleperformance USA, so I'd imagine that probably means all the other Teleperformance USA employees there are going to be out of work soon too.

Personally telemarketers piss me right off, specially the ones who don't listen at all and just talk over you - I just hang up on them now before they even get started. A demoralizing job though, one of them had to snap sooner or later I guess. No excuse though.

comments (8)

Colleen
June 20, 2003 2:00 AM [link]

i hate those telemarketers too!

Ghosty
June 21, 2003 11:08 AM [link]

I used to work for Teleperformance out of Atlanta. God, what a pricky company - more corporate boot-lickers per capita than any other firm I've worked for. No wonder the guy snapped. BTW, Teleperformance does a lot of political polling every election year, usually for the Republican party as they can afford Teleperformance's outrageous fees. Unafraid to alter the questions to get answers that make the client happy, they are... Thank God I'll never do this kind of work again.

Nereus
June 21, 2003 11:38 AM [link]

*ack* sounds like it couldn't happen to a nicer company hehe.

Doughboy136
November 10, 2003 1:42 PM [link]

Before you make gereral assumptions like that, how about you look at the facts. I use to work for Teleperformance. Yeah, we were taught that we needed to get our message out quickly and clearly, but you would be amazed at how many people bought items. Telemarketers are people too, most of them have families, kids in school, and even (WoW) a college degree. These aren't idiots that will snap sooner or later. Some have been working at that company for years. I might not have liked working as a Telemarketer, but I respect those who do it. Give them a break will yeah, after all they will lose their jobs soon anyway with the Do Not Call list out now.

Nereus
November 10, 2003 3:12 PM [link]

True enough Doughboy, in fact the job I start in a week or two is essentially telemarketing, but I only talk with business CEO or CFO's. Gotta make a living somehow, right? I heard that the do not call list has been put on hold again thanks to some judge ruling that blocking people calling you is unconstitutional (something along those lines anyway).. personally I think it goes against my right to privacy, but I guess both sides of the coin have their legal rights.

Sorry if the post offended you, but it's just ridiculous here in NYC - our phone line is tied up on the internet much of the time, but whenever we disconnect we get a telemarketing call within 2-3 minutes and one every 5 or 10 minutes after that, right from early morning into late evening. When we're being harassed at that level, then I think we have every right in the world to be pissed off. My grudge really isn't meant to be against telemarketers personally, but against the companies who run this sort of business. All citizens should have the option to stop this sort of harassment if they so wish. If I had received the abusive call detailed in this post, I would be sueing the company for everything they've got, and pushing for personal litigation against the company directors for making death threats as they are ultimately responsible for the actions of the company and its employees.

Really there is no assumptions here though, having a degree does not equal mental stability.

Tina L
April 16, 2005 3:57 AM [link]

I just finally quit Teleperformance after 4 years. Since the DNC regulations came out we have been auto dialing the same people over and over again. I am truely sorry for any inconvience that I have caused anyone, but it isn't the TSR's fault, we dispo the calls as refusals/deceased, whatever and they get recycled right back into the system. It is harassment, pure and simple. Now all I have to do is figure out how I am gonna feed my kids, but I just can't do this anymore.

Jenna
May 14, 2005 1:38 AM [link]

I have just started telemarketing last night. I have got the easy end of the stick, raising funds for the Australian Red Cross and the Leukemia foundation (+ it is renewals) but even then I couldn't beileve how many awful people their were. I am still at school and it is the only job that pays well enough to help support my family in the hours I need. I already hate it. I came home near in tears the other night because I couldn't help but take a few of the things personally. I am already stressed about coming back on Monday it is a really hard job. I wish people would just give telemarketers a break, or just be polite.

Nereus
May 14, 2005 4:23 AM [link]

I've been there Jenna, and there will be times when even the most staunch pacifist would seriously consider beating the living crap out of some of the people you will have to deal with. It's just a matter of letting the crap flow over you and not paying any attention to it (or just not caring) that will get you past that kinda shit. It can be a bit of an eye-opener sometimes to realize there are people out there that barely qualify as human (and I imagine Aussie would have some particularly mouthy assholes), but know that you're the better person and pity them for the scum they are and you'll be fine. It's a job, you have to survive somehow. It's rare that I'd defend telemarketers - consider yourself privileged :)