Every time a salesman calls I tell myself the best thing to do is to keep the conversation short, that I should cut them off and tell them I'm not interested. However, as more marketing firms outsource their staff to India, I can't resist giving them a chance to pitch their sales so I can challenge them back. This time is no different.
The call started with the presumably junior staff pitching their mobile phone plan to me. She asked me how much I spend on mobile phone each month. My answer was $10-15. She then elaborated on the plan, which costs $22 per month and includes a free Motorola V3x RAZR. Words came out of her one syllable at a time and at regular intervals, which made her speech as natural as Ananova.
She also didn't listen. Right after she finished reading the plan, she transferred me to her supervisor, who immediately began to sign me up by asking for my name. I told her I didn't commit to any purchase. She replied the deal was beneficial because I am currently spending $30 on my phone. Huh? I corrected her and assured her I have never spent more than $20 a month in the past four years, which is a fact. I also informed her politely the free phone is of no value to me -- I had to restrain myself from telling her the RAZR is sooooo 2005. Realising she had ran out of reasons for converting me, the supervisor hung up.
Now for the analysis/rant.
Persuading me to buy anything I don't really need is certainly one hell of a task, but I doubt I am alone. I think my generation is more wary of salesmen and their pitches because we have experienced their naggings since we were kids. We are also better educated so it is harder to mislead us. We know that if a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Based on the above it is a bad strategy to outsource call centres to India because the staff there has poor English skills and little motivation. If I pick up the phone to a telemarketer who cannot communicate effectively and doesn't care enough to initiate a sincere, two-way conversation with me, what would I think about the company that hired the person? Do I really want to transact with that company?
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