NFIB

How to Handle Unwanted Solicitors' Phone Calls
04/ 03/ 2002


If you work at home, and if your phone doubles for home and business, the chances are very good these days that you receive frequent phone calls pitching anything from charge cards to charitable causes. These calls can become a nuisance when you're in the middle of work (or having dinner in the evening), but today's Workshop, written by Jeff Moses, shows specific ways that you can get off the phone quickly, and even discourage repeat calls.

Many times a cold call will start out with a moment of silence after you've identified yourself. Then the caller may come on line and ask for you by name, even if you've already said it. This momentary silence is caused by the mechanism of the phone system used by phone solicitation companies. Many operations have a 'boiler room' consisting of dozens or even hundreds of callers. The phone equipment that they use randomly dials many numbers at the same time, and a solicitor comes on line only when someone picks up and begins to speak.

Often you may hear your phone ring (day or night),only to have the line go dead as soon as you pick up. This could be because someone else answered before you, and no solicitor was free to come on line to respond to your call. This is a highly impersonal method of contacting people. To the companies doing the calling, it's a 'numbers game.' They simply keep calling until someone answers.

For this reason, you can forget about having to feel obligated to take time speaking with the caller. If you don't care to speak with them, politely but forcefully tell the person that you're not interested in what they're selling, then simply hang up.

If you're working at home when solicitors call, you can end the conversation quickly and help eliminate future calls by asking, 'Are you aware that this is a business?' Usually the caller will quickly apologize for disturbing you. You can then ask to be removed from their list.

Because many people who work at home also receive their credit card billing and other financial information at their home address, they're especially likely to be targeted by cold callers. If you're getting unsolicited calls, your name, address and phone number are being sold to lists. Whenever you purchase anything (in stores, through catalogues, online, etc.), try to check a box that requests that your name and contact information not be sold. If such a box is not included on your purchase form, make a point to personally ask a representative that your name not be sold. Companies are required by law to honor such requests, although it's not clear how many actually do.

Get a phone that allows caller I.D. This will show the caller's number before you pick up. Most of the time, solicitors calls can't be traced and therefore won't show up on caller I.D. When your phone rings and no number appears, you can prepare yourself in advance for a solicitation call.

Never ask solicitors to call back if you really don't want them to. This will just encourage them. Simply tell them that you're not interested, and ask them to take you off their list.

Don't ask for additional details to be sent by mail. This also encourages callers and makes it more difficult for you to be removed from their lists.

You may discover that being taken off an organization's list doesn't mean that you won't receive any more calls from them. I have asked at least five times to be taken off the calling list of a large bank selling credit card add-ons like insurance, special trips, etc. The larger calling organizations have numerous calling sites around the country, and your name might be on each of these lists. If you're being contacted by a single company again and again, ask to speak with a supervisor. Tell them your difficulty and insist that they take your name off their list. Also ask for a central number you can contact to have your name removed from all their lists. Even if you call this central number and a supervisor says he or she will remove your name, you still might get calls. This may be interpreted as harassment, and can serve as the basis for legal actions if you choose to pursue such a course.

If you are interested in what the caller is selling, but don't want to take much time away from your work, just ask, 'How long will this conversation take?' Don't allow the call to continue past the designated amount of time. If you're truly interested, ask them to call at a more convenient time.

Some people are receiving so many unsolicited calls that they have begun monitoring their phone calls through their answering machine before picking up. As a result of the growing inconvenience caused by these large-scale calling organizations, many states are now considering legislation to make unsolicited sales calls illegal. Until that happens, following the above points can help you save time during your busy workday.

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