Telemarketers are people with feelings who are just doing their jobs. It is the telemarketing companies who are really harassing you, not their employees. The best way to deal with these calls is to know your rights and fight the company, not the voice on the phone. Try to be a bit nicer to them when they call, even if they call during dinner.
Step 1
Prepare yourself before answering the phone call. If you have caller ID, you may know that a telemarketer is calling before you pick up. If that's the case, try and be as polite as possible right from the start (if you know you can't be nice, just don't answer).
Step 2
Allow them to say their whole initial speech; cutting them off before they are finished is very rude. The least you can do is hear them out.
Step 3
Tell them you aren't interested. A good way to do this is simply by saying, " No, I'm sorry but at this time I am not interested in your product/services."
Step 4
If they are persistent, be stern with them, but remain polite. Say, "I'm sorry, I've told you, I am uninterested."
Step 5
' Let them know they are not welcome to call you in the future.
- "Thank you for your offer and your time, but I would appreciate it if you remove me from your calling list, I will not be needing your products/services in the future."
- Make sure they provide you with a "Do Not Call Confirmation Number". They are required to do this by law.
- Write this down as it ensures that they will have added you to their list and will not be calling you back.
Step 6
Register your number on-line with the Federal Do Not Call List (http://www.donotcall.gov). By law since 2005, telemarketers are required to register their lists here and check their lists against consumers who have used the list to opt-out.
Step 7
Hang up if they refuse to end the conversation.
Step 8
Take it a step further and learn your rights. Learn more about it from the external links below, or write your own wikiHow article on the subject!
Tips
- If you get a rude marketer, remember you can call the police on the person if he or she calls back three (3) times. After the third attempt, it is harassment and is illegal.
- Answering and saying something rude can actually make them want to call you again. Being polite will make not only you, but the caller, feel better and if you make any requests while being polite they are more likely to be taken seriously.
- Part of the marketer's job is to prune their calling lists. Tell the marketer that they are calling a "data phone" or "fax line" and they should remove that number from their lists. The same is true of cell phones. If a telemarketer calls you on your cell say "I'm sorry, this is a cell phone", and hang up.
- If you believe a telemarketer has violated the law by calling you report them to the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Warnings
- Do not threaten or say anything else inappropriate on the phone, as this can subject you to prosecution, even if they called you and no matter how rude they may be.
