Outsourced Support, Now Outsourced Telemarketing?

Sir_Dill asks: "I was a little skeptical of the whole chicken-littlish sky is falling attitude about outsourcing to India, that is until it hit home. Over the last couple of days I have started to receive at least two calls a night from an unknown telemarketing company. First it was discovercard and tonight its a mortgage company called Parsec (whose webpage doesn't work in Firefox). Each time they ask for the person whose name is associated with my phone number in Google (an entirely different story altogether). When I inform them that they have the wrong number, they read the same script each time and each time I ask them to take me off their lists. Its getting old and I am feeling a little helpless in regards to this...and the worst part is...it is not an offer I can't refuse...it is one I can't understand. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you handle it and does the National Do Not Call list even apply?"

Comments

Outsourcing runs rampant in U.S. corporations

[Anonymous Coward]

MCI has outsourced most of its U.S. residential sales, customer service and repair service to Client Logic, RMH and another company I forget right now. Their call centers primarily operate out of three Canadian locations and Manila, where the telemarketers are. Business customers, for the moment, still enjoy the privilege of speaking to actual MCI employees right here in the U.S.A.

If you're a residential MCI customer, and wind up speaking to someone who's in the U.S., you are extremely fortunate. Only high spending residential customers are routed to U.S. representatives.

If they are calling you anyways...

[turtled]

You should ask them to repeat the informtaion. Give them some hassling, ask them a bunch of questions... act like you are interested (if you have time and aren't already frustrated). Ask them if they know what fungus is on your feet. Keep them on the phone, then just hang up. You get a quick laugh... I don't have telemarketers calling (yet). I have had Vonage for 6 months and haven't really given out my number.

National Do-Not-Call list

[LouCifer]

What do you mean "..does the National Do Not Call list even apply?"

Of course it does. If the company they're calling for does business inside the U.S. then they're in violation of the DNC list, regardless of where the actual calls are coming from - the company placing the calls are an extension of the comapny they're representing.

Immediately file a complaint at https://www.donotcall.gov/Complain/ComplainCheck.a spx for each and every call you've received from this place.

AFAIK, you don't have to warn them or ask them to remove you from the list - its not your responsibility to tell them you're on the list. Its their responsibility to check the list against the numbers they're dialing. They fail to do so, then its their problem they get hit with the fines.

I've had to do this with at least three companies. I lodged complaints all of three times apiece. I've not got a single call from them again. IIRC, the fine is $500 each call.

Re:National Do-Not-Call list

[tacocat]

I'm a company.

I hire a company in some other country to manage my Marketing or at least a portion of it.

They hire a spam/telemarketing company that is also outside of the US.

Since I'm not my contractors subcontract keeper I'm in the clear. I have plausible deniability of the behaviour of the third company and as such, am not liable under the DNC rules

Wake Up America!

Just tell them you died.

[toygeek]

When they ask for whoever it is they want, just say "I'm sorry that person passed away last week... "

Parsec's reply on Do Not Call lists:

[stuckatwork]

From their FAQ:

"6. How do you handle Do Not Call Legislation? PARSEC Interact has implemented a rigorous program that ensures full DNC compliance.

"As required by law, we ensure that all of our clients are properly registered for the states in which their programs are scheduled to run. This is required before the program can run. The process of registering is relatively painless, and we will walk you through every step.

"Once the list is procured, we scrub not only against the National DNC Registry, but also against state and local DNC lists that are pertinent to the campaign.

"All of our telemarketing agents are trained on how to handle customers who request to be put on the DNC Registry. They are also trained on which practices are acceptable, and which are not acceptable.

We take DNC compliance very seriously, and we are proud of the proactive steps we have taken to ensure compliance. For detailed information on how PARSEC handles DNC compliance, ask your PARSEC representative about our DNC Compliance Guidelines."



So, shouldn't you be able to make a claim against them?

https://www.donotcall.gov/Complain/ComplainCheck.a spx

Re:Real live people?

[toygeek]

I've started getting (here in the UK) recorded messages, in an American accent, apparently from Florida.

Thats silly. Americans don't have accents!

Re:Just hang up without expliantion

[j-turkey]

Just hang up on them the moment you realize what is going on. You both will be better off.

Actually, to make a difference, I'd go the other way around. When they ask for you, or the homeowner, or whomever, ask them to hold on while you find that person. Put the phone down, and walk away to do something else. If they hold for 10 minutes or more, you'll get a good laugh out of it.

This may tie up your phone line, but you're wasting their time (better than them wasting your time). Advertisers have to pay them, and you're decreasing their sales effectiveness. If enough people do this, telemarketing may be perceived as less effective.

Alternatively, politely and calmly ask them for their name, and the name of their firm (rather than being aggressive or letting them know what your intentions are). Then file a DNC complaint ASAP.

Hello?

[AtariAmarok]

Ringgg!!! Ringgg!
[drop dinner fork and answer] Me: Hello?
Outsourced Telemarketer: Xddeedxx dffrt
Me: What?
Outsourced Telemarketer: Wuddub xuxvvux zazzxue!
Me: Oh?
Outsourced Telemarketer: Dferguh Zuul. Juju fvuv.
Me: Why, of course! I'll buy a hundred!

DNC aoolies to overseas calls too

[j-turkey]

From the National Do Not Call Registry FAQ

33. Are telemarketing calls from overseas covered?

Yes. Any telemarketers calling U.S. consumers are covered, regardless of where they are calling from. If a company within the U.S. solicits sales through an overseas professional telemarketer, that U.S. company may be liable for any violations by the telemarketer. The FTC can initiate enforcement actions against such companies.

I guess it would make sense that people doing business in the US are still accountable to US laws and regulations. Get their name and number -- file a complaint. It will do us all a favor.

Here is their contact info

[sfjoe]

PARSEC Interact, Inc.
2672 Bayshore Parkway # 703
Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: 866-9-PARSEC(866-972-7732)
650-960-1884
Fax: 650-960-1881
Email: info@parsecinteract.com

Probably a mail drop

DNC applies to company being represented

[crimethinker]

The do not call list applies whether they have their own employees making the calls, "independent sales representatives," or they contract out to another shop, even one overseas. If the HQ is here, DNC applies.

Sue the companies whose services are being sold. After all, they are paying someone else to hassle you, and so they are ultimately responsible.

I haven't had a discover card for almost 9 years now, and I don't miss it one bit. Crappy customer service, accepted almost nowhere compared to Visa and BastardCard, and higher interest rates, too.

-paul

No no no!

[WSSA]

Don't say "take me off your list", they'll just add you back again. Say "put me on your do-not-call list".