How to Handle Political Telemarketing? 275
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."
How about... (Score:4, Interesting)
Call Him Back (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Easy (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The calls are the least of your problem (Score:5, Interesting)
I never said he did. It might well be Joe "bought-and-paid-for" Lieberman. Or Hillary "screw defending the constitution I have to look tough and centrist even if it means selling out (and think of the children)" Clinton. Or Jane "I heart defense contractors" Harman. Or dozens of others.
Republicans don't have a patent on selling us out, they just happen to be doing so more efficiently at the moment. If the inside the beltway, big donor fueled DLC Democrats could get their heads out of their polls I'm sure they could do just as well.
Likewise, all the parties seem to have a smattering of honest, intelligent, hard working people who will stand up for what they believe in and do the job we sent them for (until somebody makes them an offer they can't refuse, or they die in a small plane crash).
--MarkusQ
Re:Do what I did (Score:5, Interesting)
She never got fired - I guess the GOP isn't particularly strict about overseeing their most obnoxious "campaigners". But I bet she persuaded far more people not to vote Republican than than any Democrat telemarketer could have!
Re:Do what I did (Score:3, Interesting)
A good friend of mine turns these calls into what he terms the "How Long can I String Them Along Game" in which the goal is to see how long you can keep the idiot making the call on the line. The technique works like this:
Caller: Hi, I'm calling in regard to Senator Joe Congresscritter's campaign. Do you have a few moments to discuss the very important issues that Senator Congresscritter believes need to be addressed by the government?
Callee: Sure. I'd love to discuss those issues. Can you hold on for a minute, you caught me preparing dinner and I've got to get something out of the oven?
Caller: OK.
Callee: (goes off and does things he wants for 3 to 5 minutes then returns) Sorry, now where were we? Oh, right, you want to talk about politics.
Caller: Yes, Senator Congresscritter is very concerned about the future of this great nation of ours and wants you to know that he's worried about the future of Social Security. In fact, he has put together a plan for...
Callee: Oh, just a moment...my cat needs to go out (goes away and does other things for 3 to 5 minutes...comes back) Now, about Social Security...
This process is repeated for however long it takes for the telelmarketing idiot to realize that he's being played. Mark's record is somewhere around an hour now, though I think that was with a commercial telemarketer, for whom this game is also appropriate. Don't get annoyed...get even.
Just my $.02,
Ron
Re:Why is our political system like it is? (Score:1, Interesting)
Why is the country going to fuck - continously ruled by ever increasing extremism on both sides? Because people don't want to be involved.
If you don't want to choose between the scum sucking, communist, tax-and-spend democrats or the barely literate, bible thumping, closet homosexual, republicans there is no place for you in American politics. Don't vote. It just encourages them. American politics makes me vomit.
a word from an insider (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Re:a word from an insider (Score:1, Interesting)
And if it were you alone, it wouldn't be an issue, even for reclusive
Freedom of speech is given to everyone, and from my perspective, there are a lot more speakers than listeners. I really don't have time to listen to what each of my 300,000,000 fellow citizens has to say. Why do I waste my time? You won't even listen to me: communication with the politically active is strictly one-way.