Telemarketers

[Crazyhole]

I get about 10 calls a day from telemarketers. Annoying as hell, but whatever. I'm struggling to understand the business model behind it. Are there actually enough people out there that fall for a cold-call from a person in India that says they can consolidate debt, give you cheaper health insurance, refinance college loans, etc that it's worth paying people to make those calls?

Spoofing phone numbers pisses me off more than anything. Yesterday my phone rang and the number came across being a contractor friend of mine that died 3 years ago. I thought maybe his daughter kept the number so I answered. Nope, just an automated message about consolidating credit card debt. A couple of years ago I got one that used my parents phone number. This crap should be illegal.

 

[KNIGHTTIME^]

I get about 10 calls a day from telemarketers. Annoying as hell, but whatever. I'm struggling to understand the business model behind it. Are there actually enough people out there that fall for a cold-call from a person in India that says they can consolidate debt, give you cheaper health insurance, refinance college loans, etc that it's worth paying people to make those calls?

Spoofing phone numbers pisses me off more than anything. Yesterday my phone rang and the number came across being a contractor friend of mine that died 3 years ago. I thought maybe his daughter kept the number so I answered. Nope, just an automated message about consolidating credit card debt. A couple of years ago I got one that used my parents phone number. This crap should be illegal.

I hope something can be done. I literally don't even pick up the phone unless I know the number. I get stupid messages like my SSN was used in Texas. Please call. Random calls about selling my house.

 

[sk8knight]

I get about 10 calls a day from telemarketers. Annoying as hell, but whatever. I'm struggling to understand the business model behind it. Are there actually enough people out there that fall for a cold-call from a person in India that says they can consolidate debt, give you cheaper health insurance, refinance college loans, etc that it's worth paying people to make those calls?

Spoofing phone numbers pisses me off more than anything. Yesterday my phone rang and the number came across being a contractor friend of mine that died 3 years ago. I thought maybe his daughter kept the number so I answered. Nope, just an automated message about consolidating credit card debt. A couple of years ago I got one that used my parents phone number. This crap should be illegal.

I get the same thing but the worst that I get right now is from the police/troopers/firefighters/veterans support charities. I gave some money to one of those, only about $20 mind you, and now I get at least a call a day from multiple of them. The interesting thing is that it is often the same guy and then numbers are out of South Florida. I've verified the charities look legit, so I'm guessing they use the same call center or they're all run by the same few people.

 

[Crazyhole]

I get the same thing but the worst that I get right now is from the police/troopers/firefighters/veterans support charities. I gave some money to one of those, only about $20 mind you, and now I get at least a call a day from multiple of them. The interesting thing is that it is often the same guy and then numbers are out of South Florida. I've verified the charities look legit, so I'm guessing they use the same call center or they're all run by the same few people.

I get those constantly. Asking if I would be willing to advertise on a refrigerator magnet. Sorry dude, I'm not interested in getting work from people who find an electrician off of the fridge.

 

[fried-chicken]

I get about 10 calls a day from telemarketers. Annoying as hell, but whatever. I'm struggling to understand the business model behind it. Are there actually enough people out there that fall for a cold-call from a person in India that says they can consolidate debt, give you cheaper health insurance, refinance college loans, etc that it's worth paying people to make those calls?

Spoofing phone numbers pisses me off more than anything. Yesterday my phone rang and the number came across being a contractor friend of mine that died 3 years ago. I thought maybe his daughter kept the number so I answered. Nope, just an automated message about consolidating credit card debt. A couple of years ago I got one that used my parents phone number. This crap should be illegal.

If only someone had the power to regulate the telecommunication industry.

 

[UCFKnightfan08]

10 a day. I'll screw with them if I have time. I've talked to one guy at least 3 times about adding a 3 year warranty to my car (that I haven't owned in like 7 years) and after a few minutes he remembers talking to me, curses at me and hangs up. I wonder if he'll call back for round 4?

 

[firm_bizzle]

I don't pick up the phone for numbers that I don't know but then these dumb ass boomers want to "hop on a quick call" to discuss something that could have been put into an email. I end up playing phone tag with them all damn day as I try to dodge the telemarketers.

 

[sk8knight]

I don't pick up the phone for numbers that I don't know but then these dumb ass boomers want to "hop on a quick call" to discuss something that could have been put into an email. I end up playing phone tag with them all damn day as I try to dodge the telemarketers.

OMG! Human interaction. The HORROR!

 

[firm_bizzle]

OMG! Human interaction. The HORROR!

Human interaction is for personal time, bar, ballgame, significant other, etc. If it is something that you want me to remember or need to reference to later, then written communication is ALWAYS best.

 

[sk8knight]

Human interaction is for personal time, bar, ballgame, significant other, etc. If it is something that you want me to remember or need to reference to later, then written communication is ALWAYS best.

Not so fast, my friend. There are many, if not a majority of, work situations, human interaction is best (starting with face-to-face) for a number of reasons and can be always be followed up with written communication to cement the output of the conversation/meeting.

 

[firm_bizzle]

Not so fast, my friend. There are many, if not a majority of, work situations, human interaction is best (starting with face-to-face) for a number of reasons and can be always be followed up with written communication to cement the output of the conversation/meeting.

If I "jumped on a quick call" with everyone who wanted to, I would be on the phone all day. Face to face is fine if we are already in the same place. If either of us has to travel, that is a waste of time.

 

[sk8knight]

If I "jumped on a quick call" with everyone who wanted to, I would be on the phone all day. Face to face is fine if we are already in the same place. If either of us has to travel, that is a waste of time.

May I ask what you do for a living?

 

[firm_bizzle]

May I ask what you do for a living?

I'm a doctor.

 

[ucfversusbcs]

Are there actually enough people out there that fall for a cold-call from a person in India

 

[ucfversusbcs]

If only someone had the power to regulate the telecommunication industry.

View embedded media

In fairness to Bill Clinton, only 3 percent of Congress voted against the Telecommunication Act of 1996. It was widely lobbied for and was considered a successful bipartisan effort. In the House, a mere 16 U.S. representatives had the foresight to vote against it, seeing its potential to allow for the building of a corporately controlled mainstream media, which they said would be destructive to both democracy and free speech.

One of those 16 U.S. representatives happened to be a certain someone from Vermont.

Indeed, Bernie Sanders was among the only 3 percent of all of the members of Congress who voted against the legislation. The bill was intended to deregulate the industry to allow for more competition, but in deregulating it, the industry was vulnerable to massive buyouts and mergers. Bernie Sanders and a few other lawmakers saw the writing on the wall and opposed the legislation at a time when almost everyone supported it.


https://www.inquisitr.com/3042921/c...d-the-way-for-corporate-control-of-u-s-media/

 

[goodknightfl]

The world is full of people who think Socialism/Communism and Comrade Bernie is a smart thing, so not surprising they buy into telemarketing schemes.

 

[sk8knight]

I'm a doctor.

Interesting. I suppose that it makes sense if collaboration isn’t really necessary for your job. But email is nearly the least efficient manner of communication that you have at your disposal.

 

[Crazyhole]

I'm a doctor.

What kind of doctor? I honestly didnt expect that. No offense, because you seem like a pretty smart guy but I just didnt picture you being a doctor.

 

[firm_bizzle]

Interesting. I suppose that it makes sense if collaboration isn’t really necessary for your job. But email is nearly the least efficient manner of communication that you have at your disposal.

-in person
-email
-app
-on the phone
-text
-snail mail

What am I missing?

 

[sk8knight]

-in person
-email
-app
-on the phone
-text
-snail mail

What am I missing?

Video conference. But your order is messed up. Any voice communications are better than email because you can distinguish vocal inflection and you’re communicating in the moment.

Text is a push mechanism, so at least with that you get a notification on a device that you’re carrying all the time and are apt to look at right after its sent.

Email is a push-pull system which means that your email client pulls it from the server only when your email client is running. So it’s possible you don’t even see the email for hours or days. Adding to that, we all have huge amounts of unread and unanswered emails in our inboxes. Then think about your response, which is subject to the same delays. With voice, you say something and the reply is immediate. With email, it’s who the hell knows how long.

Apps can run the gamut so we’ll eliminate them as a category.

So the only thing in your list less efficient than email is snail mail.

The order of efficient communications goes:
- In person
- Video Conference
- Voice conference or phone call or voice chat
- Instant Message or Skype or Text or collaboration tool like MS Teams, Mattermost, or Slack
- email
- snail mail
- smoke signals

 

[Sir Galahad]

I get at most one to two a day. I do enjoy ****ing with them though. If I do answer, I just accept the call and don’t say a word. After 20 or so seconds they start talking. The first thing I say is “this is a recorded line.” They hang up pretty quickly.

 

[UCFKnight85]

-in person
-email
-app
-on the phone
-text
-snail mail

What am I missing?

I pretty much use WhatsApp for most work comms now, the Middle East guys use that almost exclusively and prefer it. We only call eachother if there's a big matter to discuss or someone is driving and it can't wait.

Even email is reserved for the "formal" communication. If we discuss something on WA and I need to send it to a bunch of people, I'll ask for a sanitized formal email to forward.

 

[goodknightfl]

Some jobs can be done on the phone or by Email, ect. but many are hands on things that can not be done that way. Let me see you weld over the phone, or be an Electrician, or Plumber, or Mechanic, Carpenter,

 

[firm_bizzle]

Video conference. But your order is messed up. Any voice communications are better than email because you can distinguish vocal inflection and you’re communicating in the moment.

Text is a push mechanism, so at least with that you get a notification on a device that you’re carrying all the time and are apt to look at right after its sent.

Email is a push-pull system which means that your email client pulls it from the server only when your email client is running. So it’s possible you don’t even see the email for hours or days. Adding to that, we all have huge amounts of unread and unanswered emails in our inboxes. Then think about your response, which is subject to the same delays. With voice, you say something and the reply is immediate. With email, it’s who the hell knows how long.

Apps can run the gamut so we’ll eliminate them as a category.

So the only thing in your list less efficient than email is snail mail.

The order of efficient communications goes:
- In person
- Video Conference
- Voice conference or phone call or voice chat
- Instant Message or Skype or Text or collaboration tool like MS Teams, Mattermost, or Slack
- email
- snail mail
- smoke signals

I didn't put them in any particular order. I also include Skpe, MS Teams, Slack, WhatsApp in the "App" category, basically a 3rd party platform.

For staff, I use an internal messaging system, in person communication or text. Each staff member has their own familiarity and level of comfort with technology. Most won't download a 3rd party software in order to communicate with the team, "I don't know how that works!" Although, I'm in some support groups for my profession and the younger (mid-30s) love Slack. My staff ranges from late 20s to early 50s and most are traditional, you have to communicate in a platform that they are already using.

For patients, it's in-person first, followed by email (which they hate) and text (office software and Google voice) if we need an immediate response "nudge nudge". The problem is that everyone has these dramatic life stories that are ever changing. Video or voice conference would be exhausting and would still need to be transcribed. Sometimes they ask the same questions every 2-3 months, and I can just refer to a previous email for the answer. If their health history changes, then I read through their story at work or home anytime of the day. I've actually reduced my stress level expanding the hours of availability from the traditional 40-50 in office per week to 168 through email and text per week. If I'm eating at home on the weekends, before work or when I get home , I can respond to patient's emails instead of letting them pile up for hours and dealing with them at work. They all have my person cell (Google voice) but very few (5-10/year) use it.

 

[firm_bizzle]

What kind of doctor? I honestly didnt expect that. No offense, because you seem like a pretty smart guy but I just didnt picture you being a doctor.

I'd rather not say. I have patients on here.

 

[UCFWayne]

proctologist

 

[sk8knight]

I didn't put them in any particular order. I also include Skpe, MS Teams, Slack, WhatsApp in the "App" category, basically a 3rd party platform.

For staff, I use an internal messaging system, in person communication or text. Each staff member has their own familiarity and level of comfort with technology. Most won't download a 3rd party software in order to communicate with the team, "I don't know how that works!" Although, I'm in some support groups for my profession and the younger (mid-30s) love Slack. My staff ranges from late 20s to early 50s and most are traditional, you have to communicate in a platform that they are already using.

For patients, its in-person first, followed by email (which they hate) and text (office software and Google voice) if we need an immediate response "nudge nudge". The problem is that everyone has these dramatics life stories that are ever changing. Video or voice conference would be exhausting and would still need to be transcribed. Sometimes they ask the same questions every 2-3 months, and I can just refer to a previous email for the answer. If their health history changes, then I read through their story at work or home anytime of the day. I've actually reduced my stress level expanding the hours of availability from the traditional 40-50 in office per week to 168 through email and text per week. If I'm eating at home on the weekends, before work or when I get home , I can respond to patient's emails instead of letting them pile up for hours and dealing with them at work. They all have my person cell (Google voice) but very few (5-10/year) use it.

Makes sense. I think the most important part is that you’ve found a system that works for you. Thanks for the information, I’m always looking for things that I can learn from to enrich our work environments.

I’m an Agile development “expert” and advise a number of teams. The dynamics of teamwork fascinates me. Especially in different industries as I think we can all learn from one another. So, things like a daily standup where you put everyone together at the start of the day and spend not more than 15 minutes total talking about what you’re working on to try to identify opportunities to collaborate for efficiency. Works great for engineering. Not sure if it works in your model.

Anyways, thanks again for sharing.