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How to Handle Political Telemarketing?
TheOtherChimeraTwin writes "Slashdot has touched on telemarketing in the past. The No Call lists work pretty well for me except for a flood of political calls. They guys use automated dialers with recorded messages and use bogus caller id information, calling back multiple times. Political surveys are done by real people, but they hang up on me if I stray from answering their questions. Does anyone have a solution better than just hanging up on these slime? I'd just vote for their opponent, but sometimes I'm getting called by both sides. The distraction of these calls is annoying and the problem is only going to get worse."
Join the libertarian party ... they don't have enough money to telemarket.
The calls are the least of your problems.
In addition to making annoying phone calls, they are also bilking you (and every member of your household) out of tens of thousands of dollars (each) to pay for foreign entanglements (wars, giving weapons to loonies, etc.) to stroke their half baked dreams of empire, selling your rights to the highest corporate bidder, who pay them back with booze and hookers (at your expense of course) and lying to you every chance they get. Oh yeah, and spying on you, paying newscasters to lie to you (again, your tax dollars at work), letting their corporate masters override you and your doctor's decisions about your health care, and hundreds of other things.
Plus that, they are being such jerks in the world at large that people you've never met hate you enough to kill you, just because they represent you.
But if the phone calls are the straw that breaks your camel's back, so be it.
--MarkusQ
I normally just make crap up.
I want my flying car, a county wide monorail system, holoTV that bring hot girls into your living room like on Logans Run, domed cities and a discount on soylet green crumbs.
And masturbation in public to be LEGAL.
Hi, this is Kimberly from the [Republican | Democratic] National Committee...
Hi Kimberly, my wife and I don't make any donations whatsoever over the phone, and we don't answer poll questions either.
Sure, I can understand that. We would like to send you a free brochure with our platform on it, but we need to have some level of commitment from you. Could I put you down for $25?
(It turns out she actually can't understand what I said). I'm sorry. Like I said, we don't make contributions over the phone. Good luck in November.CLICK. BZZZ...
---
For the record, any political contributions we make go to PACs. We figure that the money will be better distributed to the candidates that actually support our positions, than if we gave to the national parties.
Human being (n.): A genetically human, genetically distinct, functioning organism.
What the hell are you doing still using a land line, anyway?
Cancel your land line and get a cell phone (and remember to put a text-messaging block on it). You won't receive ANY telemarketing calls.
Moderator hint: a comment is neither "Flamebait" nor "Troll" if it is true.
If you don't mind being rude try this:
If you are busy ask them to hold on for a while- e.g. "Please hold on, I'll be back".
Then finish doing whatever it is you are doing (dinner, shower etc) and if there's nothing else more urgent/important to do, come back and answer their questions.
This way you also delay them from pestering the next person.
A perfect example of the fundamental problem with American democracy. The two major parties both stink, but you won't even consider voting for anybody else, to the point where you actually forget other parties exist. Both sides? You really think there are only two candidates? Go ahead and vote for Kodos.
Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
I got a telemarketing call from one of the major parties the other day. I politely thanked the caller, said that I understood how important fundraising was to a candidate, then mentioned that I was a member of the Green Pary and asked if the caller like to make a contribution. THEY hung up on me!
I'm volunteering locally (Idaho's 1st District) for the Democratic Party. A few nights ago I called people for the first time after having only gone door-to-door beforehand. Let me share my perspective...
First, I'm not doing any fundraising, over the phone or in person. I am doing polling, and if people are inclined to vote Democratic or they don't know about our candidates we're going to send them some mail and ask them to vote for our candidates. If the people are Republicans and will vote for the Republican nominees--we don't want to waste our time and money. I'm a political science major and I could get into some hardcore theoretical stuff but it's late.
Anyway. So I'm not doing fundraising. Our lists aren't bought from shady Internet types, or Radio Shack, or tire companies, or credit card companies--they're from public voter registration data. Voters need not include phone numbers when they register, and some don't.
I hate to be an elitist, here. But to suggest that a good fuck-you answer when you're contacted is to tell the person you're going to vote for the other party, to say that out of spite, I don't want your vote, anyway. I haven't been paid $1, in this land of $3/gal gasoline and my beat-up `89 Ford Tempo averaging 22mpg city. I have free minutes after 7pm but I'm paying $50/month for those free minutes. I am an unpaid volunteer working because I believe in the party. Have you no decency, sir? Are you so jaded that you refuse to believe anybody is ever acting in anything other than purely their own self-interest? Do you think that whoever's calling you, paid or not, asking for money or not--do you think you're really getting back at them if you vote for their opponent?
I can only speak for myself but if someone strays from the questions I ask (which are purely "do you usually vote Democratic or Republican," "do you usually vote a straight ticket," "are you inclined or disinclined to support [candidate] for [office]," and if they're giving enthusiastic positive answers I'll ask if they'd like lawn signs for free) I respectfully acknowledge them with "that's fine" or "I understand." Sometimes I'll get people who want to talk my ear off, and I sometimes have to resort to a courteous "I'm afraid we're only doing polling on these specific questions tonight." Because we are. I have about eight lines, each with a name and the numbers 1-5. That's how I can put down your answer. I don't hang up on people, though I have been hung up on. I was once introducing myself and then somebody started talking over me and said "I'm not interested in donating any money." Before I could tell her I'm only doing polling--which, sincerely, I am--she'd hung up on me. Who's the asshole, here? The asshole who is asking Americans about their political beliefs or the asshole who's hanging up on somebody without letting the other person finish? It's no skin off my back. If someone tells me they don't vote, I'll thank them for their time and get off the phone.
There's a particular set of bills that was passed a long time ago, these couple of amendments to the Constitution, and they guaranteed some freedoms: freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of speech, some others. I'm getting in touch with my fellow Americans because I believe in the candidates and the platforms the Democratic Party of Idaho supports. I respect the beliefs of those who disagree. But it's my right and, I feel, my duty to support political candidates who I feel will do a better job. That's why I don't vote a straight ticket when I vote. Forgive me, but I personally believe that voting and being politically involved is virtuous.
The solution to problems that freedom brings isn't less freedom, it's more. If you have no political convictions then I suggest you courteously tell them as much and ask to not be called anymore. If they insist then you can progress or hang up as you'd like. If you have political convictions, though, maybe you can just tell them you'd like to keep them confidential. I really don't know what to tell you. If you think they're slime then this is probably falling on deaf ears.
I'm on a road shaped like a figure eight; I'm going nowhere but I'm guaranteed to be late.