T … Telemarketing

telephone

Telemarketing is rude. It is rude by design, not by accident. It is rude whatever the alleged merits of the telemarketing company or organization may be. There are no conceivable circumstances in which it is not rude. Have I made my position clear?

A home is a private place. It is a place where you should not be disturbed except by explicit invitation or in dire emergency. Intruders are unwelcome. Someone who breaks a door or a window to enter is called a criminal. For some reason, telemarketers act as if they have some right to intrude where no one else has a similar right. Even the police require a warrant to enter, unless you invite them in by your own behavior.

Telemarketers seek gain at your expense. Some are relatively legitimate, simply extending their other product marketing techniques. But those other techniques are carried out in public places, or in ways that you can choose to avoid. Even crying your wares in a pubic marketplace, however noisily, allows the potential customer to choose not to go there in the first place. He can choose to switch off TV or switch channels. He cannot choose not to be in his own home.

Others, a large proportion, are pure scams directed at vulnerable populations. “Buy my snake oil…” “You owe the IRS money, send it to me now…” And worse.

Some are for worthy causes. But charitable giving should be un-forced, un-prompted. Calls that push particular causes are demanding that other equally worthy causes be set aside; there is only so much that any individual can donate. Givers have the right to make up their own minds, without pressure or guilt-inducing tactics, on who to give to. Telemarketers treat people with contempt when they do not respect that right. And much, often very much, of the money raised goes towards the costs and alleged expenses of professional fund-raising corporations. Professional beggars should not be encouraged.

Some are for political purposes. They preach to the converted. Sometimes they are downright offensive. They are never necessary. Politicians have many other ways to spread their message without interrupting the sanctity of the home. And those interruptions are as often counter-productive as not.

How many times have you hung up on an unwanted caller, returned to your now-cold dinner, and vowed never to vote for/contribute to/ buy what was thrust in your ear?

“But those poor people in the call centers are only doing their jobs, they need the money.” They probably do need the money. So do hired assassins. There are honest jobs to be found elsewhere.

Telemarketing is evil. My diatribe for today is over.

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Also find these older posts…
A … Angst
B … Brag
C … Clowder
D … Down
E … Errors
F … Folly
G … Global
H … Huh?
I … Immigrants
J … Jet
K … King
L … Lunch
M … Moby
N … No!
O … Once
P … Pundit
Q … Quibbler
R … Robot
S … Sillivization