I myself did a stint in a telemarketing center once.  It was definitely the worst job I ever had (2 hours there felt like 8 washing dishes in a crappy restaurant), imagine saying the same shtick every 15 seconds for 12 hours straight.

Well I can imagine that, because I've done it!

Agreed!  Worst job ever! 

Actually the first time I went "live" it was fun.  LMAO!  But then it became sooooo tedious.  Most of the managers we're always on your ass.  And get this - there would always be little games that we played, for example if you made a sale you would enter your name in a draw to gain 5 minutes off the hook, and some where if you got a sale you would get quized and if you got the right answer you get 5 minutes.  Anyways at one point some day I think everyone was talking and not working 100% so the managers said "If you don't focus we'll take away your games!"  like we were in kindergarden.  I just laughed.  limukaka, a few coworkers and I weren't into the whole cigarettes and break time lol, instead there was this one guy that was very comedic.. and thus he was our comedic relief guy, and we played cards to pass the break time.

This one time, I was planning on going on a vacation on the weekend, so I had to do TWO  DOUBLE shifts in a row.  Wednesday 9am-12pm and Thursday 9am-12pm.  Oh boy!  That was the worst experience, so bad that I barely remember it - although during a double shift (since I didn't have any supervisors!)  I ended up talking people.  I talked to one guy for about 20 minutes on how the bank system was a scam.  He was a very intelligent man too - seemed to be in the know and gave me some good advice "Why are you working there?  Do you like your job?  You're young, get out and live!"
A real inspiration.  So because I had this one supervisor who - for no reason other than energy draining - disliked me (always listening in on my calls, trying to write me up and get me fired.  So after my "third warning" lol, and thinking about what that guy had told me I comtemplated going up to her and pulling an Office Space line "Ummmm, yeah...  I don't like this job sooo, ummm, I'm just not gonna come in anymore"

I was so close to doing it!  But I ended up sleeping in one day then calling in and saying I quit.  Only lasted a month.

About the whole rebuttal thing, that was the worst.. we had to do a minimum of three.

I hope I didn't call anyone on this site!   I felt bad for working there.. calling and invading someone privacy trying to sell them a scam!  Glad its over.

Wow it's that bad over there too?

The lady was probably visualizing you and your wife sitting at a table playing checkers with a clock ticking in the background.....

LMAO haha

lyra wrote:

They're not like us......

Well, though playing a couple off eachother seems to be going a bit far, I myself did a stint in a telemarketing center once.  It was definitely the worst job I ever had (2 hours there felt like 8 washing dishes in a crappy restaurant), imagine saying the same shtick every 15 seconds for 12 hours straight....

I can't imagine that.  I would never do it. 

And that's why they're not like me!    haha

Well, though playing a couple off eachother seems to be going a bit far, I myself did a stint in a telemarketing center once.  It was definitely the worst job I ever had (2 hours there felt like 8 washing dishes in a crappy restaurant), imagine saying the same shtick every 15 seconds for 12 hours straight.  I really needed the money (ok wanted it, it was a summer job, and I had a full year of party supplies to earn) and didn't really have any options.  I am much more sympathetic to them now, because I know they most likely have a manager listening in on their calls, and if they don't continue to rebutt you and argue at least 4 times (thats the minimum, but they encouraged as high as 16 rebuttals) they get fired.  That is why they are such persistant a-holes.  The scary ones are the ones who like the job.  It was also the job that got me smoking cigarettes, cause believe me, on that 10 minute break, you'd better have a cig or two or your gonna go nuts (I thought a joint would be nice, but that makes it way harder to sit through the rest of the day)

LIE. And tell them you are moving ;-)
They'll never give ya any grief over that!

The lady was probably visualizing you and your wife sitting at a table playing checkers with a clock ticking in the background.....

"What ever will they do with themselves? I must try and save these poor souls who no longer wish to worship the Cathode Ray Master!
For it is my duty."

Gadzukes what next? They gonna send someone over to give you both a pschiatric evaluation?

"We need to be sure you are of sound mind when making a life- changing decision such as this....."

Pferck is currently working on a revolutionary new medication for you shunners-of-TV. The pills look like a miniature remote control.......

                                                     J

Ya, right!

Another lady came on saying "I understand you want to cancel".  Yes, I said.  She wanted to know why.  I told her we no longer watch TV...

The phone went very quiet...

Then she said "Well...what...what do you do with all that time in the evenings?"  I explained to her that we felt TV had nothing worthwhile on and that we had plenty of other things to get on with.  She again wanted to speak to my wife for confirmation.  She said to my wife..."Your husband tells me you don't watch TV anymore...is that correct?"  Obviously my wife confirmed that it was...and again received the shocked reaction.

Oh Jesus God......!   This takes the cake for the most absurdly stupid reaction from anybody regarding TV I've ever heard!   What a buncha maroons!   If every non-TV watcher had a dollar for every time we were asked "What do you DO with yourself if you don't watch TV?!?"  then we'd be rich!  Seriously.   I can't even get upset about it I guess.   THESE are the puppets we're always talking about.  The fill-in background characters who act on behalf of the MCS.   Maybe they're "real" and souled, but who knows.  They may as well not be based on the way they are.   Auendove wondered how they live with themselves and sleep at night when this is what their job is.........trust me, they have no problem.  They're not like us.   That's exactly how they can get up day after day and do this for a living, and do it easily, without qualms.   They're not like us.   That's all there is to it.   We just have to remember that.   Pretend you're literally talking to a robot when you encounter this on the phone, or out in public.  "Robot...out of my way......Robot, incoming, at 10:00.........Robot, spouting programmed scripts to try to keep me in line.......Robot.......out of my way!...."

Sheesh.  Anyway, thanks for the story Marcus.   Quite an eye opener.

3)  Shortly we will no longer be receiving a TV signal into the house.  But under UK law, because we have receiving capabilities...i.e. a TV - we still have to pay the TV license fee which is  £10 per month ($17 - $20).

Well, maybe not. According to 'The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004' (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040692.htm) a license is issued to "install and use television *receivers*" whreas a television receiver is defined as "any apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving...any television programme service, whether or not it is installed or used for any other purpose". That is to say, you have to pay the license fee if you're using a TV set for the purpose of receiving a TV programme service regardless of the fact that you might be using it for other purposes as well. Now, wouldn't this imply that if you have a TV set you don't use "for the purpose of receiving any television programme service" at all but instead as, say, a computer/VHS/DVD monitor you don't pay the fee?

After reading your post I initially wanted to say that the regulations are very same in Poland (that would make two stupid countries)--as it's commonly believed that everyone who owns are TV set has to pay the fee regardless of what he/she is using it for. Yet as I dug into the regulations I've found that "a television set which is not, either permanently or temporarily, connected to an installation allowing for reception of a television programme service or used as a monitor" is not considered to be a TV receiver.

Apparently common beliefs may be misleading, so it's always better to check at the source. Or maybe I've made some errors interpreting those regulations or haven't taken some provisions into account? If so, please correct me.

theres only one answer...

http://www.trashyourtv.com

Another lady came on saying "I understand you want to cancel".  Yes, I said.  She wanted to know why.  I told her we no longer watch TV...

Oh jeez, this has happened to me too, the question "why"... hmmmpphhfff, the times this happened with me I swiftly asked back, "Why does it matter to you? I want to cancel. Period." I become very chilly. Yeah, and this seems to be shocking for the questioner that someone would react other than compliant.

And that playing you and your wife against each other is just ugly... how do they do this for a work shift, day after day, and sleep at night? I would feel like a jerk doing this... well actually, I just wouldn't have a job like this.

Wow! I was going to write here that USians would have a bloody fit if they were required to pay something towards a service they don't use, but the truth is there are so many added taxes and fees on services--phone, cable, electricity, gasoline--here in the US, and I don't think they are all applicable to the particular service being taxed and fee'd.

Marcus, you're not alone, I got one too.

And yes what an incredibly ridiculous fee to pay.

Anyway we have had Sky for a number of years now...but slowly watched less and less.  About 2 years ago we got TiVo which recorded the few programs we actually did watch.  The blessing being we have been witness to only a handful of TV ads over the previous 2 years.

Well, slowly the amount of TV we have watched has dwindled down to nothing.  So for us having Sky is a total waste of time.  The few programs we do watch (which I have mentioned elsewhere; Carnivale, Deadwood, 24 I tend to download of the 'net).

So we phoned up the Sky company wanting to cancel the subscription.  First thing was the obvious automated machines...then came the call centre.  The woman wanted to confirm my wife’s ID (she was the one making the call).  She was asked for house number, phone number, bank account number...and...mobile phone number.  My wife didn't know her old mobile number...so initially the woman refused to help.

Finally when it was made clear we wanted to cancel, the call was put through to yet another person.  Meanwhile whilst on hold, I took for phone for a bit.  Another lady came on saying "I understand you want to cancel".  Yes, I said.  She wanted to know why.  I told her we no longer watch TV...

The phone went very quiet...

Then she said "Well...what...what do you do with all that time in the evenings?"  I explained to her that we felt TV had nothing worthwhile on and that we had plenty of other things to get on with.  She again wanted to speak to my wife for confirmation.  She said to my wife..."Your husband tells me you don't watch TV anymore...is that correct?"  Obviously my wife confirmed that it was...and again received the shocked reaction.

Anyway to cut it short (yeah I am rambling) we finally managed to cancel the subscription.

Three points came out of this:

1)  The woman’s reaction was bloody funny

2)  They don't like you cancelling.  Why should we have to give reasons?  And why all the questions from them?  They want to run a business I can understand that.  But their tactics are very underhanded; attempting to play me and my wife of against each other.

3)  Shortly we will no longer be receiving a TV signal into the house.  But under UK law, because we have receiving capabilities...i.e. a TV - we still have to pay the TV license fee which is  £10 per month ($17 - $20).

Stupid country.