Direct Marketing Execs Sign Up for Do-Not-Call List

fognugen writes "Here's a funny twist to the ongoing battle in the US over the government sponsored "Do Not Call" list. It turns out that many of the top executives at the companies which are fighting to stop this list have actually signed up for it themselves. The list, which is supposed to go into effect today, is aimed at curbing unsolicited telemarketing."

Comments

Eighth deadly sin

[PD]

The sin of not eating your own dog food.

Re:Eighth deadly sin

[4of12]

Exactly.

Some of the PR folks would have greater credibility if they and all of the upper management were committed [1] to their words.

A couple of examples come to mind that have been a local problem:

• cell phone company execs living in houses with views compromised by tall towers
• Walmart execs living close to one of their stores
• upper level government execs undergoing constant drug testing, polygraphs, filling out forms to accomplish anything, etc.
• HMO execs getting their health care through their own "service", getting put on hold, getting claims denied after an eon, etc.

[1] In the "Bacon and egg breakfast" sense. The chicken was involved while the pig was committed.

Why is anyone surprised by this?

[Ophidian P. Jones]

Do spammers like junk mail? Do garbagemen swim in their own trash? We already hold these people to pretty low social standards, so I don't understand why we'd expect them to practice what they preach.

What's so ironic?

[Tom7]

Seriously. Do you think that spammers sign up for all sorts of mailing lists, on purpose, because they love spam? In the court case, both sides agreed that the calls were unwanted (read the brief!), as did the judge (who was also on the list). So why would we expect them to stay off the list?

For what it's worth, I think Nottingham made the right decision. It would be easy to fix the DNC list to block all unwanted calls (not making a special exception for political or charity groups), and that would probably end the first amendment problems. But things that limit a senator's ability to campaign are going to be a quite a bit less popular...... so who're the hypocrites here?

Re:It's all a scam

[Kizzle]

Those lists already exist. They are called "phone books".

I just don't get it...

[jbarr]

I know this may be a bit off topic, but I just don't get it. I provide a validated name and phone number to master list that is made available to every telemarketer to use. They HAVE to have access to it, otherwise, how will they know who NOT to call?

So, one of these telemarketers calls me. According to the Do Not Call complaint instructions, I must now talk with the telemarketer to get the company name, and phone number (which aren't always available on Caller ID.) I must then log this information along with the date on a web site to file a complaint. Then, if enough people complain (because my single complaint will NOT be heard) then the agency running the program MAY consider taking further action against the telemarketers. And even then, there are so many exceptions to the program that I will STILL get calls. So, I have to waste my time answering the phone, talking to a telemarketer, logging information, and logging a complaint. Seems to be counter-productive.

Currently, anyone who calls my house, (unless I recognize their number on Caller ID) goes right to the answering machine. If they want to talk to me bad enough, then they'll leave a message. If I recognize them while they are leaving the message, and *I* want to talk to them, then I'll pick up. And isn't that the whole point...to talk to only those people with whom *I* want to talk?

Can someone please explain just how this list can work. I think it assumes that too many people will actually play by the rules.

Alternative incentive plan

[drfrank]

The market isn't doing anything for their stock, so:

1. Add self to DNC
2. Call self from work
3. Write off expense as DNC foul-up
4. Profit!

This is what privacy is all about

[evilad]

If I had sunk so low as to need a job similar to the ones these people are doing, I would

a) Have a responsibility to my employer which would probably mean campaigning against the DNC list, and

b) Still really hate getting calls at dinnertime, and

c) Expect that my presence on that list would be sufficiently private that I could sign up without fearing for my job.

WHY THE HELL ISN'T THIS LIST PRIVATE?

Something else you might find interesting

[ivanmarsh]

The majority of (reputable) telemarketing companies are going to impliment the ndnc list regardless of its current status. The Direct Marketing Assoc. has also urged companies to comply.

Telemarketing companies get paid per conversion not per sale. There's no point in calling someone who has already stated that they won't be buying anything, it cuts into your profit margin.

I'm sure everyone is still going to receive calls about the great new toner cartridge technology that has three times the capacity of a normal cartridge (read reputable above).

DNC works in Colroado

[mmchenry]

Lots of discussion of if the federal DNC will do any good. My folks live in Colorado with a state DNC in place for some time and their unsolicited calls have effectively stopped. I believe that the threat of substantial penalties is enough for most legitimate companies to behave themselves. Sometimes I have stopped whatever I've been doing in the past few weeks and, sadly enough, my mind has fantacized about being under the warm, fuzzy blanket of the DNC list. I receive a number of work-related unlisted calls during the day, but the majority are unsolicited bulk telemarketers. I've found the phrase "it is our policy not to accept any unsolicited offers" highly effective in terminating these calls. That or talking like the adults in Charlie Brown's world.