Telecalling!

by Mr Kapil Mehta

A common topic of discussion now-a-days is harassment by telecallers. Everybody has a good laugh when they hear about the CEO who is being chased by calls from his own company. However, in my view the issue is no longer funny. Here are some personal experiences that explain my frustration:

1. The sheer number of calls is overwhelming. I must have received atleast 30 phone calls from insurance companies when my car insurance came up for renewal. About 2 to 4 calls a day is the average and weekend afternoons, when one is enjoying a siesta, are the worst.
   


2. The quality of telecalling is abysmal. Here are some sample conversations that I have had:
   
   Telecaller: Good Afternoon Sir, I’m calling from Reliance Bank
   Me: Reliance does not have a bank
   Telecaller: Oh. I’m sorry Sir. I’m calling from ICICI Bank
   I bang the phone down
   
   Telecaller: Good Afternoon Sir, I’m calling from ABN Amro bank. We can give you a loan at a really low 2 per cent
   Me: What is the annual interest rate?
   Silence. Telecaller checks with supervisor
   Telecaller: 25% Sir
   Me: Isn’t that a ridiculously high rate given that your bank will give me a loan against shares at 10%?
   Telecaller bangs the phone down
   
   Telecaller: Good Afternoon Sir. Am I speaking to Mr. Durga Das Sachdev?
   Me: That’s my grandfather. He passed away last year
   Telecaller: We have an excellent new ife insurance policy
   Me: My grandfather is no more
   Telecaller: You only have to give Rs 2000 each month
   I bang the phone down
   
   Telecaller: Good Afternoon Sir, We would like to offer you an ICICI Bank credit card
   Me: What’s my name?
   Telecaller: Ramesh?
   Me: No. Try again
   Telecaller: Ajit?
   Me: No. Try again
   Telecaller: Actually Sir. We are given only numbers and no names
   I bang the phone down
   


3. All banks have a Do not Disturb option on their website. I have registered on all sites but it seems to have no effect. The right hand does not know what the left is doing. I’ve received multiple calls from the same bank on one day. No matter what you do the calls just keep coming in.
   

Clearly there is lot of work to be done to eliminate this menace. Here are my suggestions:

Telecom Regulators

• Penalize companies for telecalling when a person has registered for the ‘Do not Disturb’ facility
  


• Ensure that companies need to take a specific approval from customers prior to calling i.e. the default should be registration for ‘Do not Disturb’
  


• Ensure telecallers call from pre-assigned numbers that identify the company
  

Phone Companies

• Don’t waste good money on telecalling. It spoils your brand and the few customers you acquire are not worth the ill-will generated

Individuals

• Do not pick up unrecognized numbers. Activate your voice mail and let these calls go into that.
  


• In case you do pick up a call, politely decline and express no interest in the product. Do not bang the phone down because then your lack of interest is not registered in the database. Don't be abusive. If it becomes too much for you to handle then hand over the phone to your 3 year old child when that call comes. There is a lot you can learn from the calm manner in which your child handles the call.
  

Technology companies

• Manufacturers should develop mobile technology that automatically forwards unrecognized numbers to the voice mail
  


• A phone that has different ring tones for different types of callers will be very helpful