Should I feel sorry for these people?

I don't want anyone to lose their job, but to me the greater good for society comes from protecting working families from the harassment of evening telemarketing calls. For many families this time is scarce and valuable. Also, this is not exactly an industry known for it's honesty and candor. While I place most of the blame for that on the executives of these companies, I cannot absolve the footsoldiers of these enterprises either. In any event, the greater outrage amidst all of the marketing companies' Johnny Come Lately concern for the welfare of their employees is, why are these employees forced to take jobs like this? Why don't they receive any benefits.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/935441.asp?0cv=CB20

CHICAGO, July 6 — As Sara Paduano settles into her cubicle for another day of cold calling, the 55-year-old telemarketer worries that her next call might have to be to the unemployment office. Paduano, a widow for 14 years, has been a telemarketer at Aegis Communications Group Inc. for 4-1/2 years, but her job might be among the 2 million the industry fears losing as a result of the national “do not call” list.

I telemarketed for 7 weeks for my sins. Now I know better, and to keep my self-respect, I'd rather go on Welfare, if push came to dial tone. :)

And they REALLY hate it. However, I'm not sure those currently employed by it would be able to easily find another job if they got layed off.

Couldn't these easily be transferred overseas? The jobs, I mean. I do feel sorry for anyone who cannot find a job. Even if it is boring, it's a job that the disabled can do; so, for that reason I am sorry about the "Do not call list". We use privacy directory on our phone to screen our calls. The telemarketers no longer call us. I am sorry that these jobs will be lost.

:thumbsdown:

I've been getting more calls from India lately. Alot of the tech support centers are over there now too.

a while ago to tell us that he just got a tech support job working for Sun Microsystems.

They offer intensive slasses over there to help the ts employees mask their accents.

I feel bad that they are losing their jobs. At the same time, though, I do think we should be able to be put on a do not call list.

I pay those monthly phone bills to keep in touch with family and clients, not for advertising! Telemarketers should be made to credit my phone bill account a dollar for every time they use my paid for line of communication to try and sell their crap.

Also I have read that the GOP was outsourcing some of their telemarketing to India and other overseas calling houses.
True or not you know those Greed Oppressive Pirates would rather save a $ than pay an American an honest wage

These people are just like you and me. I can't believe that some people are glad that others are out of work. These folks have families and children to take care of. I don't like being called by telemarketers, but I am not going to celebrate someone losing his or her job.

the entire telemarketing industry losing their jobs as much as I would celebrate one caller losing his or hers.

Their profession is an intrusion, it's ineffective marketing, and I, as the consumer, have the discretion to say "Do not call me again."

I hope they all lose their jobs of cold calling and go on to sell hotdogs or cheesesteaks out of streetcorner imbiss stands. At least they won't be bugging me when I'm at dinner, with my wife, or just having "me" time.

Good riddance to a worthless industry.

B

Again I agree that you have the right to be on the do not call list. But you are being very callous to celebrate people losing thier jobs. I don't think it's cool that some DUers are celebrating the fact that many people are going to be without jobs in this tough economy.

they can get on the "do not have a job bus" right behind me. I haven't had one in almost 2 months, but I will not ever join an industry that relies on invasion to sell it's product.

Do they call you at 2:00 PM? No! Why not? You're not home...being an employed person.

When do they call you the most? Between 8:00 and 9:00 PM, local, when you are home, getting ready for your next day of toiling at a meaningful job.

I say those people should quit (or wait until they get fired, I don't care) and then find a job that requires some mental skills...or any skills for that matter, to be successful.

B

I'm sure many of those telemarketers would kill for a meaningful job. The problem is, there aren't enough to go around. Some people have to do telemarketing, some people have to go to Iraq and get shot at.

I really can't believe that you are being so callous to people who are losing their jobs. I really expected to see better attitudes on a "progressive" bulletin board.

I could not give a flying f**k what happens to these people when they lose thier jobs. Yes, that's callous, but it's my right to be so.

If they can find a job making phone calls, they can find jobs elsewhere.

I routinely get about 20-25 calls, per day from telemarketers. I have caller ID, so I don't pick up most of them. I look forward to the day when they stop bothering me, other people, and you.

It is sad that you are celebrating job loss. I don't want to be called either, but I do feel bad for people who are not going to be able to make ends meet.

It is just sad that mentalities like yours all too common place on a board that is "progressive".

judge, jury, and executioner.

Just because I could not give a sh*t what happens to their jobs does not mean I am not a progressive.

That's a great argument, BTW....Superfly disagrees with me....he must NOT be a progressive! Run away! Run away!

to the fact that people are out of work. I think it's cruel that you are taking pleasure in people not having an income any more.

That's how conservatives think.

I refuse to have sympathy for these people. They willfully joined an industry that is invasive, intrusive, and offensive. I will not have sympathy for them

I will also not derive pleasure from it, as you allege.

They should all ask this question of themselves:

"It's 8:30 in the evening....would I want somebody to call me right now to pitch a credit card?"

And stop with the veiled indications of conservatism. I am not, have not ever been, and will not be. So...
_|_

I hate to tell you--jobs aren't plentiful. Maybe that was the only job they could find. Losing a job is not something to celebrate.

I have no job right now. How I manage to stay afloat is my business and a miracle.

I will never, ever, ever join and industry that is more harmful than helpful as is this one.

F-'em.

I will celebrate when they lose their jobs, the whole lot of them. That means I can be on the deck drinking a Mai Thai and not have to hear the constant ringing.

Heaven!

That's all I have to really say. That you think someone losing their job is an event to celebrate really is cruel.

then I am Mr. Callous 2003. Where's my sash?

F**k them for preying on me, f**k their entire industry, I hope they find better jobs that don't involve bugging people when they don't want to be bugged.

That you celebrate people losing their jobs is cruel. It really is.

being a drug dealer is a job.

Being a telemarketer is a job.

I would love to see all three out of thier current businesses and in something that is a little more MEANINGFUL to SOCIETY...like selling hot dogs and cheesesteaks!

And celebating someone's job loss is just plain wrong.

for me, it feels oh so good. I look forward to the day when I don't have to clean out my answering machine with telemarketer's "beep---beep---beep". They don't give one shit about you when they are dialling the phone, just as I don't give a shit about them when they lose their jobs. Is that hard to understand?

In the last 2 days (Thurs and Fri), I have received 96 calls. 2 were from my mom, 1 from my brother, 1 from my cousin's wife, and 2 from her dad. The rest are ALL telemarketing calls. That, Mr. Jiacinto IS JUST PLAIN WRONG.

They need to make ends meet. Celebrating their job loss is just callous.

I don't think you should be harassed--okay, I agree with you there. But there is nothing to celebrate when people lose thier jobs.

do you think, that for just one millisecond, before a telemarketer hits the button on the "Dial-a-matic 3000" he or she thinks: "Hmm...Mr. Superfly and his family might be sitting down to dinner. Why don't I just call back tomorrow?"

And because they don't do that, I will not feel any sympathy for them. Sorry, that's just me. What can ya do?

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

and there was no need for the personal attack.

I don't pick up the phone. I let it ring, and ring, and ring...4 times before my machine picks up. Then you hear the beep from their machine and *click.*

Their industry is currently legal, but it doens't make it right. It's invasive, intrusive, and interruptive. To sit and have a quiet fucking meal with my wife one night is all I want, but I get 20-30 calls per fucking day. I received 88 calls on thursday and friday of this week from telemarketers alone. How callous is that.

I cannot wait until they all lose their jobs, that means they won't be calling me.

On edit...removed response to personal attack and added:

When I say lose thier jobs...I mean the ones in telemarketing. I hope they find success quickly in other industries.

the brunt of the animosity for telemarketing calls whcih are a corporate decision. I am sorry that these people will now need to seek poorly paying jobs in an ever shrinking poorly paying job market since their poorly paying job will soon become unavailable.

I do resent calls and will welcome the opportunity to be on a do not call list. For years I have had an unlisted number, so to be assaulted in my house by my phone which I pay for is more than annoying to me.

The more important question we need to be asking as Dems if we wish to take charge of the situation is WHAT KIND OF GOOD JOBS CAN WE REPLACE THIS one with.

BTW, do not call is not anything new. Fact is a few years back people could expect a DO NOT CALL to be honored.

But I do think that celebrating people losing their jobs is unfair. That is creul and callous.l

but not miss the activity from which they survived.

Frankly, we need to focus ON GOOD JOBS FIRST. Being a telemarketer is NOT GAINFUL employment. We need to create GAINFUL employment for people.

Their employers will be busy moving into junk mail and popups which still requires lots of manpower.

90 telemarketers? No wonder you're celebrating. I'm generally polite to telemarketers because I feel sorry for them but I must admit that my compassion would wear thin after the 3rd or 4th call. 90! Jesus!

it's understandable. Remember, however, that some people are actually employed sending out massive spam attacks. My point is that getting paid to harass people is not exactly what you'd consider a "good" job. It does more damage than it does good.

Drug dealing is a job. I'd like to see them all out of work, though. I don't think that makes me a bad person....

Silky the Pimp, if all his girls left him and he couldn't afford his purple velvet zoot suits anymore?

The little 10-year old down in the hood who lost his $400-a-week job as a look out for the crack dealer because the dealer got burnt?

Ken Lay, if he really did become destitute, and not just having to sell the 3 houses he never visited anyway?

Of COURSE you wouldn't.
So why feel sorry for the people who work the boiler rooms?

I find it very hard to believe Sara hasn't been able to fin anything else in almost 5 years. Maybe she likes mindless, unskilled work?

There's gotta be SOMETHING out there better...

I realize that people often hold the callers responsible for the irritation that telemarketing causes, but I've never related to that attitude. Maybe because I've had telephone jobs and I realize how much it sucks.

The do not call list just eliminates the smart people who wouldn't fall for their spiel anyway. So then they would have to make fewer calls for the same sales. Unfortunately that also means fewer employees are required since they won't be making so many unecessary calls. But that's always the way of progress.

Maybe it's because I'm currently unemployed and know for an absolute fact that the job market is awful, but I feel bad. I feel bad for anyone who loses a job. Period. We need to remember that these are low skill jobs and there are few opportunities for these people. Personally, if you support yourself and your family, I think the any job is meaningful~ will digging a ditch change the world? No, but it is a valid and meaningful source of employment.

And please, comparing a legal telemarketing job to pimping or dealing drugs is just silly.

you don't want anyone to lose their job, so you are showing compassion.

You also have the right to not be bothered with unsolicited sales calls.

I did some inbound telemarketing and it really sucks, so that makes me empathize with them somewhat; I am always polite but forceful.

I can't even imagine how awful being an outbound telemarketer must be.

This is more a general response than to you. I wonder if we are in Dickensian England or on DU. I worked this type of job early in my sobrieity and it was no fun let me tell you. But unlike some of the people there I didn't have kids to support. I remember one woman who worked there who was on SSI due to a severely ill child and her being ill. This was the only job she could take to supplement her income. She was very good when she could come in. Frankly I feel a little sorry for her but maybe I just am a soft touch.

for a lobbying group. At least, our clients gave us permission to occassionally call to keep them informed of the current issues. One of the women who worked there had a skin disorder which was so horrific, I can't imagine her getting any other type of job.

Telemarketers must have already cut their human employees drastically, judging by the burgeoning percentage of automated messages as compared to real live persons making sales pitches recently.

Plus with all the devices to block out unwanted calls, people don't _have_ to pick up the phone and listen to them anymore.

I suspect fewer people will lose their jobs because of the donotcall list than the industry says.

I worked in a telephone survey center for a few days. A step up from actual telemarketing, and yet it was the worst job I've ever had.
Everybody I've known who has done telemarketing has hated it. Sometimes losing a bad job that you feel you can't afford to quit can be a blessing in disguise. Not to be a Pollyanna or anything--I myself am just coming off almost a year of unemployment (got "reorganized" out of a job I liked). The job I have now is temp work, and boring. Still it's a hundred times better than doing telemarketing. I told the temp agency telemarketing was the one job I WOULDN'T do.

There may be a few people who don't mind doing such work, but I'll bet they're a tiny minority. Hopefully anybody who loses a job there will go on to work that's better for their income and their spirit.

"Telemarketers must have already cut their human employees drastically"...if they have, then they must have cut them out of every other city in the nation and moved them to Virginia Beach, VA.

On Thurs and Friday of this week, I received 88 calls from telemarketers...be it machines or people. That's just wrong.

Edited: spelling

but boss would hire people for the telemarketing room from local halfway houses for the sole purpose of helping them get a foothold at least somewhere. So i can definitely see the pros of telemarketing.

Having people join up on a do not call list will hurt sales, but if it wasn't for shady practices perpetrated by their managers and pompous ass sales people reading an equally as pompous script, there wouldn't be a do-not call list.

but don't let the spammer lobby or their pr campaign commandeer your sympathy.

As for the workers, show some heart. You know they don't make the rules. They're just reading the script, doing what they're told in order to get a paycheck. And you know it's not much of a paycheck. So go ahead and absolve them. It won't cost you anything.

Are you trying to convince yourself that there is some justice here? Forget about it. You'll wind up pitting one group against another, while the real perps are laughing all the way to the bank, or off on their next get-rich-quick-fleecing-the-old-folks scheme. The basic unfairness is in the way workers are treated in all service sector jobs. No rights, no job security, no benefits, low wages and not a lot of choice of whom to work for.

We've got the highest unemployment rate in years. Get riled about that. We've got an OSHA that doesn't care enough about worker health and safety. We've got a bill just passed that will force low wage workers to work overtime without receiving compensation. Get riled about that. We've got vital government services going bye bye so that a gaggle of Bush's cronies can collect dividend income without paying their fair share of taxes. Get riled about that. Get riled about the government dropping the estate tax.

Damn, this country is expensive. Low-wage workers pay the payroll taxes and various sales and excise taxes and local taxes and what do they get for it? Free health care? A quality education? College for their children? No. This government is promising to protect them from the boogie man, and that's about the extent of it.

Let's rail about the injustices that matter.

Your compassion is precious, damn it. Don't let these telemarketing leeches abuse it.

</speechify>

I paid for my phone, it is mine and they are intruding on me. If they lose their job they will just have to get another one. I used to do housecleaning for a living, I cleaned toilets and I would tell anyone who whined about losing their job to find a cleaning job. :nopity:

Quite possibly the most anoying thing on the planet and all of them know it. I would go homeless before i took a job as a telemarketer. They should be ashamed of themselves

lose their jobs.
Telemarketing is very annoying but if it is the difference between
someone being able to feed their family or starving, I would rather be annoyed by the phone ringing. If they lived of Welfare then they would have an even bigger stigma.
Many of the UK firms are going to India, so people in the UK are loosing their jobs. We still get people selling things by phone though.