Telemarketing

Sometimes people you don't know telephone you and ask you to buy something that they sell over the phone. They may ask you to change your electricity or phone company. They may tell you that the company you deal with now charges you more money. They say that if you sign up with them, you will save money. After you sign up with them over the phone, you may find out that you will pay more money. This can make you feel angry or upset.

Welcome to the world of telemarketing. Telemarketing is one way companies use to attract new customers. We get telemarketing phone calls while we are having dinner or when we are watching our favourite TV shows. We may be in the middle of doing something important and get distracted by a phone call from a marketing company. Some of the people who call you may be in a different country. Companies in Australia use them because they don't cost much money like TV and newspaper ads. Telemarketers may work odd hours to save the company a lot of money. Many companies in Australia use telemarketers from India.

People who do telemarketing try to get you to sign up for the service they sell in different ways. They push very hard because they get money from their company if they sign up new customers. They may take advantage of you if your English is not good enough. They may ask you to do a voice recording and keep saying "Yes" to what they say on the phone.

There is a web site that you can use to stop getting phone calls from companies that do telemarketing. The web site is called Do Not Call.You can use the service by visiting www.donotcall.gov.au. The web site has some information to help you stop getting calls from telemarketing companies.

There are other things you can do if you get a call from a telemarketing company. You can use one of the following tips:

1. Answer the person back in a language other than English. 
2. Keep saying "Hello". 
3. Say "I can't hear you" several times. 
4. Ask them for their contact details.
5. Say "I don't understand your English". 
6. Ask them to send you a hard copy of the contract they talk about so you can take a good look at it.
7. Tell them that you do not intend to change the company you are using at all. 
8. Keep saying "No English". 
9. Ask for their telephone number so you can call them back after you consider their offer. 
10. Politely tell the person that you don't want the service they are offering.
11. Keep pressing buttons on your phone to get an annoying sound.
12. Say that you are really busy and can't take their phone call. Make it very short and hang up. 
13. Do not insult them. They are trying to do their work. 
14. If any of them starts insulting you, hang up at once. Do not insult them back. 

Listen to your classmate and fill in the gaps: 

Sometimes people you don't know telephone you ................... ask you to buy something that they sell over the phone. They may ask you to change your electricity .................... phone company. They may tell you that the company you deal with now charges you more money. They say ....................... if you sign up with them, you will save money. After you sign up with them over the phone, you .................. find out that you will pay more money. This can make you feel angry or upset.

Welcome to the world of telemarketing. Telemarketing is .................. way companies use to attract new customers. We get telemarketing phone calls while .................. are having dinner or when we are watching our favourite TV shows. We may be in the middle ................. doing something important and get distracted by a phone call from a marketing company. Some of the people who call you ................. be in a different country. Companies in Australia use them because they don't cost much money like TV .................. newspaper ads. Telemarketers may work odd hours to save the company a lot of money. Many companies .................... Australia use telemarketers from India.

People who do telemarketing try to get you to sign up .................. the service they sell in different ways. They push very hard because they get money from their company if they ................... up new customers. They may take advantage of you if your English is not good enough. They ................... ask you to do a voice recording and keep saying "Yes" to what they say on the phone.

There is a web site that you can use to ..................... getting phone calls from companies that do telemarketing. The web site is called Do Not Call.You ................... use the service by visiting www.donotcall.gov.au. The web site has some information to help you ..................... getting calls from telemarketing companies.

There are other things you can ................... if you get a call from a telemarketing company. You can use one of the following tips:

1. Answer the person back .................. a language other than English. 
2. Keep saying "Hello". 
3. Say "I can't .................. you" several times. 
4. Ask them ..................... their contact details.
5. Say "I don't understand ..................... English". 
6. Ask them to send you a hard copy ..................  the contract they talk about so you can take a good look at it.
7. Tell them that you do not intend to .................... the company you are using at all. 
8. Keep saying "No English". 
9. Ask for their telephone number so you ................ call them back after you consider their offer. 
10. Politely tell the person that you don't .................. the service they are offering.
11. Keep pressing buttons on your phone .............. get an annoying sound.
12. Say that you are really busy and can't ................... their phone call. Make it very short and hang up. 
13. Do not insult them. They are trying to .............. their work. 
14. If any of them starts insulting you, hang up at once. Do .......... insult them back.