On 2/28/2009 1:15 AM, andrel wrote:
> If you do you are paying to disturb another couple of hundred innocent people.

Very few companies call random numbers straight out of the phone book - 
it would be extremely inefficient.  As with all marketing strategies, 
the key is to locate those people most likely to need or want your 
product or service; as a result, telemarketers aren't interested in the 
phone book, but in specific calling lists (for instance, home owners 
with >20% equity in their homes are a great demographic for windows and 
siding).

I'm actually a big fan of targeted advertising.  I'd much rather view 
ads (and receive phone calls!) about products that interest me.

> for who this unskilled labour is

If you think it's unskilled, you've never tried it yourself :)

> OTOH they get paid to annoy people

Those are the ones that give the whole industry a bad name.  Believe it 
or not, there are professionals out there who do NOT annoy (that's bad 
business, you know).

> It is an unethical job at best

Companies do the same thing to other companies all the time. 
Unsolicited sales calls are a part of the business world, and quite 
necessary.  Imagine if you started a new business, and you were 
expressly prohibited from telling people about it until they asked you. 
  You'd go broke within a month, and never make a profit!

Before any sale can be made, a relationship must be established between 
the buyer and the seller.  This can be done through a variety of methods 
(print and media advertising, word of mouth, product placement, etc) and 
telemarketing is just one of the tools a successful company may employ.

> and when the methods employed are illegal

The problem is NOT telemarketing (which can be, and is quite often, used 
responsibly), but those who employ illegal (or even just annoying) 
practices.

-- 
...Chambers
www.pacificwebguy.com

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