Cold Calls and Solicitation, how do you handle them?

[mspecperformance]

I get plenty of cold calls throughout the day soliciting 1 thing or another. They are a colossal waste of time and I have resorted to hanging up right away without even saying anything other than the automatic greeting. I do feel bad sometimes, after all the poor guy on the other end is just trying to do their job. I also get a lot of outsourced calls (Indians and Filipinos) also bugs the crap out of me (outsourcing, ugh).

 

What are your thoughts?

[nmikmik]

If it makes you feel any better:

a. It is their job to call, when they call, they know there is going to be a very small percentage of "conversions" i.e. people that are willingly going to talk to them.

In a way, you are doing them a favor by hanging up immediately, so they can switch to the next call and don't waste any time with you - someone that is never going to buy in whatever they are selling.

b. In our business (i suspect even more than most other business) "Time is money", I know it sounds and is a cliche, but really.... How many times you are leaving for the day and say to yourself "Darn it, if I just had another 30-45 minutes today". When you hire a receptionist and the service writer it will be their responsibility to hang up, so you won't even have to worry about that

c. As far as outsourcing goes (bugs the hibigeebies of me as well), as soon as I hear the accent, I just say "Sorry don't speak English" with a very thick accent, luckily not that hard for me to produce hehe

[ATLAuto]

I have recently gotten very involved in the online review sites (namely Yelp and Google+). There are salespeople that will call your shop asking you to use their services to bolster your shops reviews. I have seen first hand instances of shops in our city hanging up on these guys and immediately receiving a negative review on Yelp.

 

They made the salesperson so upset by their hangup that he went online and left a negative review that they could not remove. Just a heads up.

[xrac]

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[FROGFINDER]

I ask them where they are calling from. If they are in my city I invite them in for auto service check up explaining that we like doing business with customers. If the are out of town I say thanks but no thanks and they are one call closer to a sale, then I hang up.

[nmikmik]

I have recently gotten very involved in the online review sites (namely Yelp and Google+). There are salespeople that will call your shop asking you to use their services to bolster your shops reviews. I have seen first hand instances of shops in our city hanging up on these guys and immediately receiving a negative review on Yelp.

 

They made the salesperson so upset by their hangup that he went online and left a negative review that they could not remove. Just a heads up.

Isn't it kind of illegal? To leave the review for a business that you have never been to? I think there is a law suit, going on right now against the companies placing reviews randomly. I am not planning on listening to everyone's c*ap just because they may be from Google.

Thanks for the heads-up though Wes

[ATLAuto]

Isn't it kind of illegal? To leave the review for a business that you have never been to?

 

Illegal or not, the internet is a paradise of anonymity. This is why I try my best not to offend anyone, even if they deserve it.

[phynny]

I answer the phone and say, "good afternoon the is Charles at S & M Auto Repair". Then they start their sales pitch and I calming say, "no ablo English" and wait for the confusion to set in and the hang up.

 

 

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[Jeff]

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[ATLAuto]

I answer the phone and say, "good afternoon the is Charles at S & M Auto Repair". Then they start their sales pitch and I calming say, "no ablo English" and wait for the confusion to set in and the hang up

 

That is hilarious. Would love to see the look on his face.

[alfredauto]

"hi can I speak with Alfred please?" (The Alfred Auto name is based on our location near Alfred, NY, not my name) I usually say "the initial consultation with the owner is $150 how will you be paying? Visa/MC or Amex?" they always hang up. Not to say I don't get frustrated if I'm answering the phone and I stop a job and run to get it for one of these save money on my electricity jokers.

[Shopcat]

I like to get off of the list, otherwise they will call again & again. Here are a few ideas.

If the caller asks for someone spicific by name, ask if that person is expecting the call? If not what what can I tell them this is regarding?

if its the free Goodyear air hoses, answer " we only use hand tools"...

if its the copier ink deal, tll them you still use 3 part carbon paper forms only.

This gets the call overwith , and gets you off the list at the same time....Better than hanging up.

[mspecperformance]

I've never known these cold call jokers to take us off any lists even after requested.

[xrac]

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[CARMandP]

I got on amazon and bought a call blocker. Cost me about $100 and the first time the number calls and they either hang up or are trying to sell something my secretary hits the block button and it never rings my phone again. Has cut back on a lot of wasted time answering calls about crap I don't need. You won't loan me 250k, you won't save me money on my credit card company and I get my office supplies where they are cheapest. LOL

[ncautoshop]

We route our calls through Google voice which has a spam filter and a block feature. Bit more work than pushing a button to block but it's free and allows us to forward calls to cell phones and view voice mail from our cell phones. Also allows me to call out without anyone getting my cell number

 

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