Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Why I Hate Sales People...

When I worked at Eurotunnel I had no interest in selling things to people who didn't want them. I'd offer them things, insurance and upgrades, but if they said no I'd move right on. This actually lead to me selling the most insurance on my team as I took way more calls than anyone else, which meant that if I could have earnt commission (just a temp!) I would have earnt more than anyone else too. In your face!

Why am I telling you this? Because I got my first ever sales call on my mobile today! I know... I've been very good at not getting the calls to the point I thought there must be something wrong with me. Why was everyone else getting these calls and not me?

Over the weekend, during a particularly bored moment, I applied for hundreds and hundreds of competitions for such prizes as meeting Matt Damon or a holiday in Austria (ooo...) or a laptop. Most were simple "Give us your email address (here's my spam address...) and we'll let you know". But some were more along the lines of "We'll call you to give you a quote for.... and we'll give you the chance to win...". So I got my first quote today for electricity and gas from Powergen.

The bloke on the other end of the phone was very nice, but as he waffled on about the time he and his flatmate got Powergen and how it changed their lives through to his parents prefering to pay quarterly I got a tad bored. I listened politely to all his waffling, and to the fact I could save OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS, and then told him that I wasn't interested...

"But you could save OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS".

"That's wonderful... but I'm not interested. I'll bear it in mind though, thanks"

"So you're just going to turn down OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes I am. Thanks very much"

"But... it's OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS!" His thick Geordie accent couldn't disguise his disgust and disbelief that someone could so willfully turn down OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS.

"I know. Thanks for the offer and all."

"Thanks for you time Mr Kay" he growled menancingly before cutting me off before I could even begin my goodbyes.

He called me! How rude. Sheesh... these people are all about commission this and commission that. Only an idiot would buy from someone who's pint after work depends on getting you to buy something.

On the work front we had a branding meeting today. Next thing you know we'll be a proper company and everything!

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:49 pm

    Well, perhaps you DO meet Matt Damon...and it all will be worth it in just one small moment

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  2. Anonymous4:50 am

    They get rude like that here in the States too.

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  3. Given that the premiere of Bounce Ultimatum is tonight and I still haven't got a phone call to say I've won, I'd say the chances of meeting him are minimal... But if I did... oh... I'd probably faint!

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  4. Not bounce, Bourne... something about Matt Damon just makes me think... bouncy... mmmm....

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