Are Cold Callers Becoming More Aggressive?

I can honestly say I haven't received any aggressive calls, but there has definitely been a surge in calls.

You can't really blame people for pushing for sales at this time of year..shame they have to be so annoying.

I think it is true, I received a couple of cold calls in the last few weeks which were fairly bad tempered. When I said to one that I was not interested, they said 'why did you waste my f***ing time then'

Anyway, I am a cold caller myself, and I am still being nice to everyone I speak to... so there is hope

I wont tolerate sales or "survey" calls at home, we're TPS and I just put the phone down on any of them.

But business wise, I'll put up with cold calls, I'm always civil, and will politely say no thanks. But I agree, I've had a lot more aggressive type calls over the last few months.

My biggest annoyance is the high volume stuff farmed out to Asian call centres, who start with the standard "can I speak to the person responsible for the telephone bill/elecy/gas" etc. The minute they don't get the right response, they just put the phone down.

No doubt times money and they have strict quota's, but in this day of Reputation management, and review based culture, I wonder if these firms that outsource and use aggressive tactics do more long term damage to their customer service image than the quick short term gain?

As soon as I said I had yet to receive an aggressive call...

Looks like I spoke to soon.

Oh yes the cold calls, day and night, but as its business I listen and decided on the service or product is worth the merit, but it has started to take up my time a little. The sad part is that they have now start to call though on my 0800 number which cost me money.. I have had to stop a few in mid opening sentence and say "if you want me to listen to your pitch please call my 0844 number". Come to think of it, I might put in a premier number that makes me money and let them all call that, at least I ll still earn as they chat..

lol now theres an idea

Don't forget to TPS your number to cut down on most cold calls for home and business.

Google 'tps online'


Those that ignore it and still ring get told we are TPS'd and most of those then get the hint and apologise, but some dont even know what it is and I tell them they can be fined for not cleansing their data for TPS'd numbers. Most are quick to get off the line...

Same for MPS with junk mail. Just write MPS on the envelope and put it back into the post box and let Royal Mail deal with it.

TPS is an odd one, it certainly does stop 90% of home cold calls, though the "survey" rubbish seems to be on the increase to get round it.

But the TPS itself seems to be a toothless agency. The perceived threat of a fine seems to work versus the reality of actually getting fined

Clive went through the process a while back, trying to make a complaint. You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork and hoops you have to go through. Eventually he gave up in frustration Unless they've now streamlined (aka sacked everyone) the process...

I find its only the non-genuine type that ignore TPS/CTPS.

Keep getting scam calls from the 'meter registration department' saying our premises are still on an 'emergency tarriff' since we moved here back in July.

I keep telling them the landlord pays the bill for the whole (quite big) building and our rent is inclusive of utilities.

On Googling them, I find they are a scam company (this one in Manchester) ringing round with the same scam, hoping people sign up to their electricity tarrif. The first call sounded almost plausible as it was literally a few weeks after we moved in. Not sure how they get that info as they never called me before then. Have since had 4-5 calls and the last one a couple of weeks ago got a short, sharp shock threatening to report her to the police for fraud and harrassment and I hung up on her. She hasn't rang me back yet.

On the second or third call when I had wised up to who they were, I asked them for a number for our accountant to call them back as "they deal with all that stuff" I told them. He said he was ringing from a mobile but would give me a 0845 number. Oddly enough when I rang it later, it was a number not in use.