Unusual Phone Calls (Received; Incoming)
- Thread starter MrSnowman
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GNC
King-Sized Canary
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We were plagued with "silent" phone calls about ten years ago. One afternoon the phone started to ring again and when I answered the prank caller started playing a recording of the loud music I'd just been listening to down the phone at me. It was then I realised the prank caller was our next door neighbours! Unfortunately, by the time we got the police involved they'd stopped. Tch.
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2002
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- 136
I love this thread! Imagine, with the countless millions of telephones, switches, central offices, mobile phones and voice mail systems, what weird stuff can happen on the telephone network every day. Not just people scamming people, but just totally random strange things! There must be millions of calls in process at any given instant, all over the planet.
Probably 'road safety camera units' aka unmarked, mobile speed cameras.Tin Finger said:
Often in unmarked (apart from some small text not readable from any distance) white or red vans, and usually sitting stationary on top of bridges over motorways and dual carriageways, or in laybys. They might either take pictures, or radio a waiting police car further along the road.
They'd presumably normally either have the side door open with a camera/detector inside, or have it on a tripod next to the van.
Some of the web sites for police in different areas have lists of where these vans will (probably) be located on any given day.
Steve.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Like everyone, I've had some downright weird calls. Latest ones:
3 weeks ago I had a call from a female who mumbled her intro so badly I couldn't tell
who she was or even if she was a friend or relative.
Me: Sorry, I can't understand you. Could you repea...."
Her: "Yeah? What part can't you understand?"
I assumed she was from a telemarketer but also could have
been from the bank/council/workplace personnel etc so I asked her politely to repeat
who she was calling on behalf of.
Her, shouting: "CAN I SPEAK TO (MY NAME)?
Me: Who are you, please? ( now convinced dealing with a t**t.)
Her: CAN I SPEAK TO -------------- ------------------?"
Me: You're not going to get very far shouting. Tell me who you're calling from, please.
Her: (mumble)Is this 52 ----------------- Close?
Me: Who are you again?
Her: IS THIS 52 ---------------- CLOSE?
Me: Sorry, you've got the wrong number.
Whoever she was she was so downright rude and unprofessional it was clear she couldn't
be calling
from anywhere "respectable". Yet Telemarketing companies should be no different.
After all, so much of our information, including name and address, comes up on the
seller's screen that their employers really ought to be careful who is privy to it all. I don't
care if she's had a bad morning; if she's paid to man the phones she should be polite or
simply find another job. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who can be so aggressive at such
slight provocation should have such personal info at their fingertips.
A few years back a man phoned from a well known High Street company, with whom I'd
never had any dealings. I was on my way up to the lav so I said: "Not interested" half-way
through his spiel and put the phone down.
What happened the rest of the day and for the following day was close
to 50 silent calls, all with the number with-held. What I believe, and I may be wrong, was that
this man was so insecure and vengeful that he jotted down my number and decided to play
silly buggers for the next 48 hours. If he did that to a lot of people it's very unlikely he'd be
caught. Who goes to the police about such a short campaign?
My mother had a really disturbing call a few years ago. She answered the call and a man
asked her what type of knickers she wore. The thing is, my mother has a very squeaky voice.
People joke about it often. She's called me at work before and people assume she's a child. She
phoned up for a pizza once and the staff wouldn't take her order unless her "Mummy came
to the phone". So this perv may well have assumed she was a child answering the phone. My
brother was in the house at the time and he dialled 1471 and discovered it was a number that
had the same area code. He phoned up and unexpectedly a woman answered. He asked
to speak to her husband and she said he'd just "gone back out to the garden". My brother,
perhaps misguidedly, told her that if her husband ever made another dirty phone call, he'd
*$£$£$ %$£$)($£ )($£$)($£$£$£.
The poor woman went totally silent. After all, it wasn't her fault. One can't help but feel sorry
for her having to suffer for having a pervy husband.
3 weeks ago I had a call from a female who mumbled her intro so badly I couldn't tell
who she was or even if she was a friend or relative.
Me: Sorry, I can't understand you. Could you repea...."
Her: "Yeah? What part can't you understand?"
I assumed she was from a telemarketer but also could have
been from the bank/council/workplace personnel etc so I asked her politely to repeat
who she was calling on behalf of.
Her, shouting: "CAN I SPEAK TO (MY NAME)?
Me: Who are you, please? ( now convinced dealing with a t**t.)
Her: CAN I SPEAK TO -------------- ------------------?"
Me: You're not going to get very far shouting. Tell me who you're calling from, please.
Her: (mumble)Is this 52 ----------------- Close?
Me: Who are you again?
Her: IS THIS 52 ---------------- CLOSE?
Me: Sorry, you've got the wrong number.
Whoever she was she was so downright rude and unprofessional it was clear she couldn't
be calling
from anywhere "respectable". Yet Telemarketing companies should be no different.
After all, so much of our information, including name and address, comes up on the
seller's screen that their employers really ought to be careful who is privy to it all. I don't
care if she's had a bad morning; if she's paid to man the phones she should be polite or
simply find another job. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who can be so aggressive at such
slight provocation should have such personal info at their fingertips.
A few years back a man phoned from a well known High Street company, with whom I'd
never had any dealings. I was on my way up to the lav so I said: "Not interested" half-way
through his spiel and put the phone down.
What happened the rest of the day and for the following day was close
to 50 silent calls, all with the number with-held. What I believe, and I may be wrong, was that
this man was so insecure and vengeful that he jotted down my number and decided to play
silly buggers for the next 48 hours. If he did that to a lot of people it's very unlikely he'd be
caught. Who goes to the police about such a short campaign?
My mother had a really disturbing call a few years ago. She answered the call and a man
asked her what type of knickers she wore. The thing is, my mother has a very squeaky voice.
People joke about it often. She's called me at work before and people assume she's a child. She
phoned up for a pizza once and the staff wouldn't take her order unless her "Mummy came
to the phone". So this perv may well have assumed she was a child answering the phone. My
brother was in the house at the time and he dialled 1471 and discovered it was a number that
had the same area code. He phoned up and unexpectedly a woman answered. He asked
to speak to her husband and she said he'd just "gone back out to the garden". My brother,
perhaps misguidedly, told her that if her husband ever made another dirty phone call, he'd
*$£$£$ %$£$)($£ )($£$)($£$£$£.
The poor woman went totally silent. After all, it wasn't her fault. One can't help but feel sorry
for her having to suffer for having a pervy husband.
A
Anonymous
Guest
In response to Intaglio's interesting post, I've had lots of calls with foreign-accented people asking personal details. I know that if you ask the person which company they're calling from, they are legally bound to tell you, unless the rules have changed. However, many of these callers do nothing of the sort. Some even try to do anything to avoid telling you who they work for. I wonder if call centres from another country don't have to conform to the same rules as ones based here, even if they're calling people here?
I recently had a foreign telemarketer who got very angry when I wouldn't confirm if So and So lived at my address. He shouted something un-English and undeniably angry or insulting down the phone before hanging up. Back to the drawing board for that dazzling, natural-born salesman....
I recently had a foreign telemarketer who got very angry when I wouldn't confirm if So and So lived at my address. He shouted something un-English and undeniably angry or insulting down the phone before hanging up. Back to the drawing board for that dazzling, natural-born salesman....
Stormkhan
Disturbingly familiar
- Joined
- May 28, 2003
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- 8,507
Yes, telemarketing people are paid on results. Yes, they get a lot of abuse which, as a sensitive person, they shouldn't endure. Yes, many are students earning enough money to pay for their books etc. Yes, many more are from foreign parts so spontaneous ad-libs are hard to come by.
But ...
One - You called me up. Unwanted and unexpected. You don't get sympathy.
Two - You've had a bad day? Tough! You want money from me - not the other way around.
Three - Why pay for expensive computer systems when you can pay a pittance for some cretins who can't get another job to read a pre-prepared script and no interest in the product, sales or even living.
In the UK, many people get annoyed by telemarketing. Many more realise that if the only job they can get is in telesales, then life is bad. Thus big companies "farm out" the jobs to third world countries where, for a pittance, people will be so grateful for a job they'll take any abuse.
I know it isn't the "poor" telesales people's fault but big deal. Just like a traffic warden - you take the job, you know how popular you're going to be. It may be much better than being on the dole ... but expect no sympathy.
But a tip to telesales operators about to leap down my VDU with righteous indignation. I don't know what they tell you in training but if you get a rude reply to the start of your script - hang up! The person, being so rude, will not be swayed by any words written by idiots in management who don't have to listen to the bull they make you say!
My bile being expended, I sit back in humility and await fair criticism.
But ...
One - You called me up. Unwanted and unexpected. You don't get sympathy.
Two - You've had a bad day? Tough! You want money from me - not the other way around.
Three - Why pay for expensive computer systems when you can pay a pittance for some cretins who can't get another job to read a pre-prepared script and no interest in the product, sales or even living.
In the UK, many people get annoyed by telemarketing. Many more realise that if the only job they can get is in telesales, then life is bad. Thus big companies "farm out" the jobs to third world countries where, for a pittance, people will be so grateful for a job they'll take any abuse.
I know it isn't the "poor" telesales people's fault but big deal. Just like a traffic warden - you take the job, you know how popular you're going to be. It may be much better than being on the dole ... but expect no sympathy.
But a tip to telesales operators about to leap down my VDU with righteous indignation. I don't know what they tell you in training but if you get a rude reply to the start of your script - hang up! The person, being so rude, will not be swayed by any words written by idiots in management who don't have to listen to the bull they make you say!
My bile being expended, I sit back in humility and await fair criticism.
A
Anonymous
Guest
On dealing with pesky telemarketing people calling during dinnertime: A friend of mine either loudly yawns into the receiver while they're talking or just slams it onto the cradle. I find this a bit rude, but as a native-born Scottish Canadian with very few emotions he is probably doing the right thing. 
Anyhow, what I've learned to do here is quickly fake a thick foreign accent and say something like: "Sorry. No understand Engilish." Works great, 99% of callers politely apologise (!) and hang up. There was only one guy who was keen to know what language exactly I might understand so they could have someone from their Chinese or Punjabi staff to call me back. Like I told them ... 
Anyhow, what I've learned to do here is quickly fake a thick foreign accent and say something like: "Sorry. No understand Engilish." Works great, 99% of callers politely apologise (!) and hang up. There was only one guy who was keen to know what language exactly I might understand so they could have someone from their Chinese or Punjabi staff to call me back. Like I told them ...
A
Anonymous
Guest
Tell him 'Latin'.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Or find out where their office is then nip round and give 'em laldy with a Browning .50. That usually puts them off their stroke.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Re: telesales
An effective (if slightly childish) thing to do to telemarketers is to just set the phone down and walk away. The American phone system won't disconnect a circuit unless one of two things happens: Both parties hang up the phone, or one party hangs up for a minimum time, typically 10-12 seconds (it varies a bit by system).
Telemarketers are generally using autodialers that try within five or so seconds for a new connection after their end is dropped. Eventually the marketer will realize that no-one's listening, and hang up on his end. The autodialer will pick that line up again in five seconds, renewing the circuit with your unmanned phone. You've effectively put one of their lines out of service until someone resets it manually by overriding the autodialer.
An effective (if slightly childish) thing to do to telemarketers is to just set the phone down and walk away. The American phone system won't disconnect a circuit unless one of two things happens: Both parties hang up the phone, or one party hangs up for a minimum time, typically 10-12 seconds (it varies a bit by system).
Telemarketers are generally using autodialers that try within five or so seconds for a new connection after their end is dropped. Eventually the marketer will realize that no-one's listening, and hang up on his end. The autodialer will pick that line up again in five seconds, renewing the circuit with your unmanned phone. You've effectively put one of their lines out of service until someone resets it manually by overriding the autodialer.
Telesales
If you have no time then, pitiful voice, "Sorry but I'm a bankrupt" or "Sorry, I'm on benefit" will keep them quiet.
If you have time congratulate them on the presentation, say how well scripted it is then, eventually, add (nice voice) "Now as your company is in breach of the Telecommunications Act I need to speak to your supervisor because I wish to report your company to the regulator". If you do speak to a supervisor complement the marketer but refuse to say how they are in breach ("I don't need to tell you that") and demand the name of the department, the parent company, the address and phone number of the parent company. If they refuse you can report them to the regulator. If they comply they will have an unholy couple of weeks
That way you are nice to the person at the coalface but nasty to their boss
If you have no time then, pitiful voice, "Sorry but I'm a bankrupt" or "Sorry, I'm on benefit" will keep them quiet.
If you have time congratulate them on the presentation, say how well scripted it is then, eventually, add (nice voice) "Now as your company is in breach of the Telecommunications Act I need to speak to your supervisor because I wish to report your company to the regulator". If you do speak to a supervisor complement the marketer but refuse to say how they are in breach ("I don't need to tell you that") and demand the name of the department, the parent company, the address and phone number of the parent company. If they refuse you can report them to the regulator. If they comply they will have an unholy couple of weeks
That way you are nice to the person at the coalface but nasty to their boss
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What you do is this:
When they call say "I'm a bit busy right now but why don't you give me your home phone number and I'll maybe call you sometime to talk about it - though I don't know when.....what's that? Don't want to do that? ....neither do I"
Then hang up.
When they call say "I'm a bit busy right now but why don't you give me your home phone number and I'll maybe call you sometime to talk about it - though I don't know when.....what's that? Don't want to do that? ....neither do I"
Then hang up.
This is from breaking news. Please note that this scam is not true
but ...
If you get a call from someone, who asks you to input figures and the "#" do not do so. Engineers do not need you to dial at all.
The problem here is that it may be possible to comandeer your phone line so that calls made by a remote number are charged to you. Last I heard BT were tryng to fix the bug
but ...
If you get a call from someone, who asks you to input figures and the "#" do not do so. Engineers do not need you to dial at all.
The problem here is that it may be possible to comandeer your phone line so that calls made by a remote number are charged to you. Last I heard BT were tryng to fix the bug
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2001
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- 18
I've found the best way is to register with the Telephone Preferencing Service (TPF). This has stopped 99.9% of unwanted calls on my number.
Not quite as much fun as some of the ideas above but very effective!
For details in the uk go to: http://www.dma.org.uk
if you can't find the right section let me know and I'll dig it out.
Rick
Not quite as much fun as some of the ideas above but very effective!
For details in the uk go to: http://www.dma.org.uk
if you can't find the right section let me know and I'll dig it out.
Rick
Beakmoo
Justified & Ancient
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2001
- Messages
- 2,964
Stormkhan, that was just nasty. What should telesales people do? Kill themselves? Some of us have crap jobs because of our mental health history you know, nowhere decent will have us.
Get yourself on the telephone preference thing like Rick says, and try to find some charity in your soul.
Get yourself on the telephone preference thing like Rick says, and try to find some charity in your soul.
Stormkhan
Disturbingly familiar
- Joined
- May 28, 2003
- Messages
- 8,507
beakboo said:
I'm sorry to offend you. The telephone preference thing is new to me, so I have learned something. I feel humbled. But without knowing the individuals personal circumstances (of which I may have some sympathy with), telemarketing is an intrusive and annoying sales method - on par with spam (but telesales are more expensive to employ for companies). It is true that it isn't the operators fault that the company they work for employs cold sales or tele-marketing.
Perhaps I should just hang-up and then no hurt feelings on either side.
:blush:
A
Anonymous
Guest
I think it's worth pointing out that I worked briefly for a call centre a few years ago
and even us staff are well aware of how irritating it must be for us calling, even though
we were temporarily manning the phones for a High Street bank. We had buzz
sessions venting our worries and it seems 99% of us were only too aware of how
annoying our calls were, even though we were calling customers who legitimately
wanted and needed us to call. Even my superivisor, who admittedly had bats in the
belfry, advised her own mother to blow a very loud whistle down the phone when
she gets a call. WTF?
Beakboo - Mental health history? I don't know if that's a joke? If not, then I apologise
sincerely. But
I'm sure everyone will agree that there's a marked line between depression which is
fairly common and downright paranoid psychosis. Many of my call centre colleagues were
students, or Bohemians, "resting" thespians, budding backpackers, Aussies and
South Africans visiting the Mother Country for a working holiday and thoroughly nice
drinking buddies. In fact, I'd say that as a group, they were more intelligent, confident,
and outgoing than most other staff-groups I've worked with. There was only one person there
whose mental health history was undoubtedly dodgy. He was a young man alienated
from society, he was sullen, unsociable and gun-obsessed and spent his time doodling
apocalyptic pictures and writing how great his God was. The fact that he could switch
a bright telephone manner on and off so easily but continue to be so aggressive to his
workmates was scary. But by and large, call centre staff don't have the job as a last resort.
Some love chatting. Some are using the job as a stepladder. Some funding their escape
from the 9 to 5. Believe me, everyone I knew was extremely conscious that calls in the
middle of sex/dinner/Meridian news was a p*sser. And everyone, apart from the
aforementioned loony, was wasted there. As are most people in every other job!
and even us staff are well aware of how irritating it must be for us calling, even though
we were temporarily manning the phones for a High Street bank. We had buzz
sessions venting our worries and it seems 99% of us were only too aware of how
annoying our calls were, even though we were calling customers who legitimately
wanted and needed us to call. Even my superivisor, who admittedly had bats in the
belfry, advised her own mother to blow a very loud whistle down the phone when
she gets a call. WTF?
Beakboo - Mental health history? I don't know if that's a joke? If not, then I apologise
sincerely. But
I'm sure everyone will agree that there's a marked line between depression which is
fairly common and downright paranoid psychosis. Many of my call centre colleagues were
students, or Bohemians, "resting" thespians, budding backpackers, Aussies and
South Africans visiting the Mother Country for a working holiday and thoroughly nice
drinking buddies. In fact, I'd say that as a group, they were more intelligent, confident,
and outgoing than most other staff-groups I've worked with. There was only one person there
whose mental health history was undoubtedly dodgy. He was a young man alienated
from society, he was sullen, unsociable and gun-obsessed and spent his time doodling
apocalyptic pictures and writing how great his God was. The fact that he could switch
a bright telephone manner on and off so easily but continue to be so aggressive to his
workmates was scary. But by and large, call centre staff don't have the job as a last resort.
Some love chatting. Some are using the job as a stepladder. Some funding their escape
from the 9 to 5. Believe me, everyone I knew was extremely conscious that calls in the
middle of sex/dinner/Meridian news was a p*sser. And everyone, apart from the
aforementioned loony, was wasted there. As are most people in every other job!
Beakmoo
Justified & Ancient
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2001
- Messages
- 2,964
I wasn't joking no. "Mental health history" covers everything from depression to psychosis. It's very difficult to get a job if you have a history of breakdowns and depression. I was very lucky and sneaked into the civil service somehow. If i was leaving school now I wouldn't be so lucky, i would be on disability benefit, which no one in their right mind would want (joke!). As it is I'm doing a job which everyone admits is way below my intellectual level, but i have no choice. The same can be true for people with physical disabilities.Paradise Garden said:
(I have both, what a wreck!
)- Joined
- Sep 22, 2002
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- 1,189
Beak, we love you peteen
Rnating and raving? Slamming the phone down? Whatever happened to good old politeness? Although BEN was hassling me bad-style, I was still polite with him. Likewise with call centre people who like to call me, it's just "sorry, I'm not interested, but thanks, bye bye!".
God, we're getting so American over here." GODAMMIT DON'T CALL ME AGAIN YOU SOBS GODDAMN MFing SOB etc etc". These people are only earning a living, just the same as you!
God, we're getting so American over here." GODAMMIT DON'T CALL ME AGAIN YOU SOBS GODDAMN MFing SOB etc etc". These people are only earning a living, just the same as you!
There's two sorts of call centres...
1. those who only (usualy) only take calls from people wanting something; many of whom seem incapable of answering simple friendly questions such as "do you know your customer number?", or if that fails "can you tell me your postcode?". If a still polite but now strained request for their name results in a stream of abuse and/or demands to speak to the manager then is any wonder that one's finger slips to the disconnect button?
2. those who call you without your permission. Whilst I admit that it is not the fault of the poor minimim-wage sod at the other end, it still annoys me that LOA (a made up company name), for example, calls me regulary to offer me broadband even though my computer and location means I can't access it . It annoys me. It really does. I'm still polite though (I just can't help myself)
Jane.
1. those who only (usualy) only take calls from people wanting something; many of whom seem incapable of answering simple friendly questions such as "do you know your customer number?", or if that fails "can you tell me your postcode?". If a still polite but now strained request for their name results in a stream of abuse and/or demands to speak to the manager then is any wonder that one's finger slips to the disconnect button?
2. those who call you without your permission. Whilst I admit that it is not the fault of the poor minimim-wage sod at the other end, it still annoys me that LOA (a made up company name), for example, calls me regulary to offer me broadband even though my computer and location means I can't access it . It annoys me. It really does. I'm still polite though (I just can't help myself)
Jane.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2002
- Messages
- 1,189
beakboo said:Do you? What brought that on?
Is it the drink?
No, tis the comfy aul chair I have my fat aul ass sat in ... I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy
Before I signed up to the phone preference thingy, I'd always be polite when telling them I wasn't interested. Doesn't hurt me or take me any longer to say "sorry, not interested".
I did get frustrated (but not rude) with some however who wouldn't take no for an answer, and who if I said I wasn't interested, demanded to know why not and trying to insist I'm missing out on some special offer. If I am, that's my problem.
I don't blame the telesales people, more the people in charge who should ensure that the callers respect the wishes of the people who they've just disturbed. It can't help productivity to try and twist the arm of someone who's already said no when they could be moving onto the next target.
One of my friends did consider feigning interest in one call and if he'd had more time might have agreed for a salesperson to call round, just to see exactly how they were proposing to fit a conservatory to a 1st floor flat.
Steve.
I did get frustrated (but not rude) with some however who wouldn't take no for an answer, and who if I said I wasn't interested, demanded to know why not and trying to insist I'm missing out on some special offer. If I am, that's my problem.
I don't blame the telesales people, more the people in charge who should ensure that the callers respect the wishes of the people who they've just disturbed. It can't help productivity to try and twist the arm of someone who's already said no when they could be moving onto the next target.
One of my friends did consider feigning interest in one call and if he'd had more time might have agreed for a salesperson to call round, just to see exactly how they were proposing to fit a conservatory to a 1st floor flat.
Steve.
Stormkhan
Disturbingly familiar
- Joined
- May 28, 2003
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- 8,507
Hey, sjwk, we received one of those too! I did wonder if we'd have to pay extra to have it added on to the balcony and if the council would mind.
I've never advocated being rude or swearing at the operator. Firstly, it's pointless, since they can just hang-up and think "Yet another a**hole!". Secondly, it automatically puts you in the wrong.
We have had operators who wouldn't take no for an answer and kept asking of our personal circumstances.
We: I'm sorry, we don't want it.
They: Can't you afford it? We do have a range of inexpensive ...
We: No, we aren't interested.
They: What if I tell you it comes with ...
and so on.
At least we can put the phone down if they don't seem to understand that they are wasting our time and theirs. The door-to-door utility sales are worse because sometimes you get to the point where you have to threaten to get the police. One day, we had four callers, each working for the same Utility company asking us to "switch" to them. By the fourth, my missus was getting paranoid - wondering if the company was trying to wear her down. To this last caller, she explained that a)We didn't want to b) We'd already received more than one visit and c) One more visit and she'd call the police who'd expel them from the block and d) She'd initiate a complaint against the company. The callers stopped.
Although this doesn't apply to all sales (either door-to-door or telephone) many are paid commission. So to earn a good commission, one has to call many people on the offchance that a couple buy. This, naturally, encourages hard-sell techniques.
Oh ... and today I received my fifth "Nigerian Money-laundering Con" SPAM in one week. Do I get a medal or something?
I've never advocated being rude or swearing at the operator. Firstly, it's pointless, since they can just hang-up and think "Yet another a**hole!". Secondly, it automatically puts you in the wrong.
We have had operators who wouldn't take no for an answer and kept asking of our personal circumstances.
We: I'm sorry, we don't want it.
They: Can't you afford it? We do have a range of inexpensive ...
We: No, we aren't interested.
They: What if I tell you it comes with ...
and so on.
At least we can put the phone down if they don't seem to understand that they are wasting our time and theirs. The door-to-door utility sales are worse because sometimes you get to the point where you have to threaten to get the police. One day, we had four callers, each working for the same Utility company asking us to "switch" to them. By the fourth, my missus was getting paranoid - wondering if the company was trying to wear her down. To this last caller, she explained that a)We didn't want to b) We'd already received more than one visit and c) One more visit and she'd call the police who'd expel them from the block and d) She'd initiate a complaint against the company. The callers stopped.
Although this doesn't apply to all sales (either door-to-door or telephone) many are paid commission. So to earn a good commission, one has to call many people on the offchance that a couple buy. This, naturally, encourages hard-sell techniques.
Oh ... and today I received my fifth "Nigerian Money-laundering Con" SPAM in one week. Do I get a medal or something?