|
Next to oil company executives, telemarketers may be the most hated people on the planet. Despite their tendency to call during dinner or -- even worse -- "American Idol," some customers do buy. Although the percentage isn't large, it's enough to justify the industry (unfortunately). According to this 2002 article from the Washington Post, telemarketers made 24 billion calls that year. Each American received around 300 calls, and on average, 3% of said calls resulted in a sale. Of course, that was before the Do Not Call Registry rescued us from these annoying hucksters. Currently, 76% of Americans are signed
up, meaning the number of victims a tele-intruder can bother, er, sell to, has fallen drastically. In fact, 87% of those who registered report getting fewer calls. Telemarketers will never completely disappear, but you can fight back. The Federal Trade Commission offers tips on how to put "cold calls on ice," and this anti-telemarketing counter-script makes for amusing revenge.
|
