Hard Sell, And Dinner

Telemarketers.

I don't really hate them (since they also have a job to do) but there are times when I just feel like reaching into the phone and strangling the bloke on the other end. Case in point, this morning. The telemarketer who called me claims he is working for a certain global financial institution that I shall not name, since it's rather closely affiliated with a certain friend I have down south. In any case, since the conversation was in Malay I reproduce it as best I remember, here.

Him: En. A******, selamat pagi. Saya ni dari S_________k, nak tanya abang ni ada kad kredit tak?

Me: Ya, saya pakai kad J_________k (another banking institution) *

Him: Dah berapa lama pakai kad tu?

Me: Adalah dalam 3 tahun.

Him: Ha abang, saya ni sebenarnya nak promote kad baru S__________k, bang ada 2 tahun free lepas tu dapat free gift lagi.

Me: Tak apalah, saya tak berminat, lagipun saya memang dah gunakan perkhidmatan J________k tu.

(This is when it gets interesting)

Him: Alaaa bang, ambik lah bang, 2 tahun free ni haa. Ada free gift lagi!

Me: Tak apa, saya betul-betul tak berminat, terima kasih lah.

Him: Alaa bang tolonglah saya bang, kenapa abang tak nak, ni..ada free gift bang, tolong lah bang ambiklaaah..

(At this point I was really, really getting annoyed)

Me: Mana awak dapat nombor saya?

Him: Oh, itu saya tak tau bang, itu kerja orang marketing, diorang ada kumpul banyak banyaak, lepas tu bagi saya, orang marketing kita memang cekap bang, abang itu memang betul diorang cekap.

(Rrriigght. I asked for a simple answer, not a treatise on your marketing people)

Me: Okaylah, saya rasa awak tak payah buang masa lah, saya memang tak ada rancangan nak apply -

Him: Ala baang, tolong lah bang tolonglah ada free gift ni bang, lagi dua tahun free...

Me: Tak apa. Cukup takat tu. Terima kasih.

And with that, I hung up. Now if anyone doesn't understand what went on, let me put it to you nice and simple. That conversation was nowhere near professional. For God's sake, the guy was wheedling for my custom. I've had my fair share of people calling me up to sell everything from get rich schemes to direct selling to other credit cards, but so far this one takes the cake for being the single most unprofessional call I've ever had the displeasure to take. Any well trained operative would see the opportunities to explain the strengths of their product over others, instead of whining like a baby.

Makes one wonder what kind of training S______k Malaysia gives its telemarketers, if at all.

Anyway, since that's over the rest of the day went rather well. There was a surprise invite for a very nice dinner at the Sheraton in Subang where I got to meet some really interesting people (and also someone I'd not seen in almost a year, hee hee), strike up some interesting conversations and generally have a good, fulfilling time (appetite and intellectual-wise).

Now if you'll all excuse me, there are some hilarious exam sheets to mark.

Cheers!

----------------------

* names have been changed to protect privacy