PROJECT ON ROLE OF TELEMARKETING

CONTENT

Chapter No. Name

1. Introduction
 History

Regulation

2. Review of literature

3. Research Methodology

Objective

Sample Size

Data Collection Method

Limitations

Scope Of Study

4. Telemarketing Service

Telemarketing services in India

Inbound Telemarketing Service

Telemarketing in different service sector

Non voice call center service

In-house Vs. Outside service bureaus

5. Telemarketing Frauds and Measures to prevent frauds

6. Telemarketers

7. Analysis of Research

8. Conclusion and recommendation

9. Bibliography
10. Annexure

Chapter 1- Introduction

Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits

prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a
subsequent face to face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.
Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches programmed to be played over the
phone via automatic dialing. Telemarketing has come under fire in recent years, being viewed
as an annoyance by many.
Telemarketing is especially useful when the customers for a small business's products or
services are located in hard-to-reach places, or when many prospects must be contacted in
order to find one interested in making a purchase. Although some small businesses operate
exclusively by telephone, telemarketing is most often used as part of an overall marketing
program to tie together advertising and personal selling efforts. For example, a company
might send introductory information through the mail, then follow-up with a telemarketing
call to assess the prospect's interest, and finally send a salesperson to visit.
Telemarketing can be either inbound or outbound in scope. Inbound telemarketing consists of
handling incoming telephone calls—often generated by broadcast advertising, direct mail, or
catalogs—and taking orders for a wide range of products. Representatives working in this
type of telemarketing program normally do not need as much training as outbound reps
because the customer already has shown an interest by calling in.
Outbound telemarketing can be aimed directly at the end consumer—for example, a home
repair business may call people in its community to search for prospects—or can be part of a
business-to-business marketing program. Representatives working on this side of the industry
generally require more training and product knowledge, as more actual selling is involved
than with inbound operations.
Major applications of business-to-business telemarketing include selling to existing accounts,
outbound new account development, inbound order processing and inquiry handling,
customer service, and supporting the existing field sales force. As the costs of field sales
continue to escalate, businesses are using telemarketing as a way to reduce the cost of selling
and give more attention to marginal accounts. Telemarketing programs can be either handled
in-house by a company or firmed out to service bureaus. Operations range in size from a one-
person in-house staff member at a small business to a major corporation or service center that
may have as many as 1,000 telephone stations.
One of the advantages telemarketing has over other direct marketing methods is that it
involves human interaction. Used correctly and by professionals, the telephone is a very cost-
efficient, flexible and statistically accountable medium. At the same time, the telephone is
still very intimate and personal, one person speaking with another.
Although telemarketing has been the center of some controversies—ranging from scams run
over the phone to a number of legal issues that have been the center of debate at both the state
and national levels—the industry continues to grow. In fact, the American Telemarketing
Association found that spending on telemarketing activities increased from $1 billion to $60
billion between 1981 and 1991. By the mid-1990s, telemarketing accounted for more than
$450 billion in annual sales. This increased use of telemarketing resulted in an unexpectedly
strong backlash and for telemarketing firms the landscape in the early 21st century has
changed dramatically.
History

Some people believe that in the 1950s, Dial America Marketing, Inc.
became the first company completely dedicated to inbound and outbound telephone sales and
services. The company, spun-off and sold by Time, Inc. magazine in 1976, became the
largest provider of telephone sales and services to magazine publishing companies. The term
telemarketing was first used extensively in the late 1970s to describe Bell System
communications which related to new uses for the outbound WATS and inbound Toll-free
services.
Regulations
In some countries telemarketing is subject to regulatory and legislative controls
related to consumer privacy and protection.

United States of America

Telemarketing law in USA covered by the TCPA (Telephone consumer protection act 1991)
and telemarketing sales rule (TSR).

In industry and companies ruled applied “Do not call”: barrier for a telemarketer to contact
their clients. There are penalties on company which call anybody on these listings.

US – FTC (federal trade commission) has implemented “Do not call” registry to avoid
unwanted calls from the telemarketing company.

Companies that use telemarketing as a sales tool are governed by the United States Federal
regulations outlined in the TSR (amended on January 29, 2003 originally issued in 1995) and
the TCPA.

September 1, 2009, FTC regulations banning most robo calls went into effect.

Telemarketing methods are progressively used in political drives. That’s why many states
controlled political robo calls.

Telephone consumer protection act relates to US corporations that no phone calls allowed in
before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm, company must keep the record of clients and not to called
again to the same client if he/she is not interested with product n services offered to him/her.
Telephone monitoring and recording are controlled in each states of USA for the purpose of
the regulation.

Canada

Telemarketing is controlled by Federal Government (Canadian Radio-television and

Telecommunications Commission) in Canada.
Australia

Telemarketing in Australia is controlled by AFG (Australian Federal Government) and

ACMA (Australian Communications and media authority).

In Australia also there is “Do not call registry” for Australia inbound telephone numbers.

Europe

European Union adopted Directive 2006/24/EC which mandated member states with respect
to telemarketing law. By the use of this directive police and security agencies request to
access IP address and time of use of every email.

India

Indian Regulatory Regime

The Telegraph Act and Rules, which contains provisions that prohibit and penalize unlawful
interception of communication. Furthermore, licenses issued to telecom service providers
(TSPs) under this Act require TSPs to take actions to protection the privacy of their clients
and privacy of communications.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued various guidelines to TSPs many of
which pertain to privacy.

The Consumer Protection Act provides customers with an avenue of redress in case of
violation of their privacy.

The Indian Telegraph Act and Rules

This act is enacted in Oct 1885, includes different communications like telephone, fax and
internet etc.

Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951. The Central Government made the following
rules to amend the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951. 10 (1) these rules may be called the Indian
Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2007. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their
publication in the Official Gazette.

Chapter 2- Review of literature

The American Telemarketing Association reports that more than $55 billion is spend on
Telemarketing operations. Telemarketing sales are increasing at the rate of 20 percent a year
and the sales revenues for the early 90s are nearing 500 billion. Part of this growth has been
due to the simplicity by which a sales contact can be made over a phone versus other methods
such as personal selling. Many sales organizations are using phone as their chief vehicle by
which they are reaching their potential clients. This trend has lent to may replacements of
many field sales representatives.
The recent growth of telemarketing has been seen by everyone who is using a phone.
However, the research of examining characteristics and skills of a successful telemarketing
associates has been very limited. The lack of research in the telemarketing may explain why
organizations who use telemarketing still don’t understand how to get most of their
telemarketing associates. If a Firm is using telemarketing it should be well known of all its
pros and cons and study the industry properly and only then it can train its associates to its
fullest and get the maximum out of them. Hence, training plays a very important role in this
sector. A good telemarketer should have the following skills

1) Good communication skills

2) Soft spoken
3) Good negotiation skills
4) Understanding the customer
5) Being calm no matter what

Telemarketing is a very easy task if the associate has been given proper knowledge about the
industry and the products and services. He can only convey the idea if he is clear about the
idea otherwise wrong information is passed on to the client which is very dangerous for the
company and the executive both.

Telemarketing fraud is a type of mass marketing fraud. Mass marketing fraud involves the
use of mass communication devices and technologies like email, telephone, internet etc. to
initiate contact with victims, conduct the fraudulent transaction and to transfer the profits
associated with the frauds to another party such as a bank. Telemarketing generally involves
a plan, a program or a campaign which is conducted to induce purchase of goods and
services, or a charitable contribution, donation or gift of money or any other thing of value,
by use of one or more telephones and which involves more than one interstate telephone
calls.

Frauds occurs when the telemarketer uses deception or misinterpretation to convince the
consumer to provide money or information such as credit card number or ban account
number to the caller for a charitable contribution or in exchange of goods, services or some
sort of prize. There are many reports against frauds when the customer has paid the money on
account of receiving the goods or certain services or he pays the money thinking that the
money goes to the charitable trust.

Chapter 2 – Research Methodology

2.1 OBJECTIVES

Any task without sound objectives is like Tree without roots. Similarly, in case of any
research study undertaken, initially the objectives of the same are determined and accordingly
the further steps are taken on. A research study may have many objectives but all these
objectives revolve around one major objective which is the focus of the study.
The basic idea for this project is:

1. To study whether telemarketing is increasing the sales or is just a mere waste of resource.

2. To get to know the frauds taking place in this sector and how to fight it back.

3. To know how the telemarketers are treated in their work place.

2.2 SAMPLE SIZE

This project is a mixture of theoretical as well as practical knowledge.

It is an observational type of research where a sample of 100 respondents were used which
included my family and friends.
2.3 DATA COLLECTION METHOD:

Primary data

I have taken a survey & asked some common questions to some sample of 100
respondents which included my family and friends. That’s how I got to know how people
respond to and perceive telemarketing companies when they call them up and what are the
response that they get from the telemarketers when they call them up for some queries.

Questionnaire design

As the questionnaire is self-administered one, the survey is kept simple and user friendly.
Words used in the questionnaire are easily understandable for all the respondents. Also
technical jargons are avoided to ensure that there is no confusion for the respondents.

Secondary data

Secondary data is collected from various means like the internet, newspapers various
magazines & also articles. I surfed many sites on telemarketing to know more about it, the
statistics used in the project have been taken from internet

2.4 LIMITATIONS
1. Past data included.

2. Even in the books there were only partial knowledge about the topic mostly was taken
up by website.

3. While doing the survey people weren’t showing that much interest and
weren’t much concerned.

2.5 SCOPE OF STUDY

  Use In-bound Telemarketing to:
Receive calls when customers see your phone numbers in catalogs, direct
mail, emails faxes, print ads, on websites and in TV/radio spots to generate orders
and leads. Your telemarketing call center will receive these calls, answer questions,
and sell your product.
 Use Outbound telemarketing to:
Call customers and prospects to sell products and services, generate and qualify leads,
prompt them to visit stores and showrooms and set appointments. Your telemarketing
call center can also notify current customers of special sales and promotions.
 Use business to business telemarketing to:
acquire customers, qualify prospects and pass hot leads to sales reps and deal
closers. Your telemarketing call center can keep other businesses aware of your latest
products and services.
 Use Business to Consumer Telemarketing to :
notify people who depend on your outbound telemarketing and inbound telemarketing
programs to buy goods and services. Present special offers to prospects and existing
customers with outbound telemarketing calls.

CHAPTER 4 - TELEMARKETING SERVICES

4.1 Telemarketing services in India

With the availability of skilled manpower and quality output, telemarketing services from
India are being outsourced globally. Telemarketing is in fact, one of the key services that is
being offered to clients across the world by talented call center consultants working round the
clock at international standards.
Outsourcing telemarketing’s services have helped companies get high quality services, but
have also saved a lot on the costs that might have incurred if they had utilized telemarketing
services from elsewhere. They get the access to intelligent, patient and technically advanced
team of professionals with good presentation and communication skills.

By outsourcing telemarketing services from India, you also get the benefit of keeping a check
on the team that is working for you. You can track and record their conversations and also
record their movements by watching them on an in-built camera. Apart from this, you can be
sure that the best security measures have been taken to ensure that the details about your
company are in confidential hands.

Telemarketing services involve outbound calls made by BPO consultants to potential

customers to sell wireless services maybe for a telecom provider, to retail households to sell
leisure holidays, to existing customers to sell a new rate card for a mobile service provider or
to sell credit or debit cards etc. These calls are made to generate interest to promote and cross
sell to an existing customer base or to complete the sales process online.

Apart from the above, India 's offshore telemarketing solutions include Telemarketing lead
management, Lead Generation / Qualification of telemarketing lead lists, Decision Maker
Contacts, Appointment Scheduling, Debt Collection Services, Database Selling, Market
Intelligence Services, Product Promotion, Research Surveys and Polling, Customer
Satisfaction, Telephone and Web Based Business Development, Up Sell/Cross Sell
Campaigns, Direct Mail Follow-up, Seminar Population.

Call centers in India follow a planned strategy for each of their clients to ensure optimum
productivity. Every outsourced telemarketing project is preceded by a thorough briefing and
intensive audio and video-based training to all the members in the team. Everyone is given
complete knowledge about the product to prepare them for any kind of queries from the
customers. They are also familiarized with the accents and the environment of the potential
customers they will be calling to ensure success of the telemarketing campaign.

India is becoming the destination of choice for offshore call centers. Large multinational
companies have demonstrated their growing confidence in India as an outsourcing hub by
signing multi-million-dollar, long-term BPO contracts with trusted Indian outsourcing service
providers.

3.2 Inbound telemarketing services

As mentioned earlier Inbound telemarketing consists of handling incoming telephone calls—

often generated by broadcast advertising, direct mail, or catalogs—and taking orders for a
wide range of products. Let’s get into detail about the same.

Broadcast advertising

Broadcast advertising is radio and television commercials. Broadcast media reaches a broad
audience. Radio and television broadcast advertising is known as mass marketing since
national or even worldwide audiences can be reached. Advertising is one of the components
of marketing. Marketing promotes services, products and ideas through specific channels.

Broadcast advertising persuades consumers of the benefits of advertisers' brands.

Organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) monitor television and radio
commercials to make sure advertisers and broadcasters aren't making false claims that may
mislead consumers into buying their products. Radio and television stations must ensure
commercials meet FTC standards before broadcasting them.

Advertisers pay broadcasters for a spot. An advertising spot is typically 30 seconds on both
radio and television, although occasionally it may run up to 60 seconds. Although
most broadcast advertising is paid, free public service announcements are typical
broadcasting fare on television and radio. Broadcasters allow non-profit groups and the
government a limited number of free spots to promote messages and information for the
general safety of the public. Public service announcements may include anti-drug messages
or information about what to do in an influenza outbreak.

The widespread use of broadcast advertising dates back to the 1920s. Radio shows and then
television programs began to be popular. Companies that sold products began to sponsor the
programs by paying broadcasters to spread their promotional messages to consumers. Early
on, the advertiser's name was often used with the show's title to signify the broadcast time
they had purchased for their promotion such as the 1920s and 1930s radio show "The
Champion Spark Plug Hour."

Today, broadcast advertising agencies create and produce radio and/or television ads
for broadcast. Their clients are companies with products or services to promote. In general,
larger rather than small businesses tend to advertise on television or radio. This changes for
local channels however. Broadcast advertising agencies consult with clients to advise them if
local or national broadcasting would be the best marketing strategy for the client’s product
and budget. Budget is a main concern in broadcasting commercials. Businesses often hire
marketing consultants to determine the return on investment (ROI) possibilities of spending
on television or radio advertising spots. Advertising market researchers may run sample
commercials for test audiences to determine their response to ads before the client chooses
to broadcast them.

Radio advertising

People love the radio. Not only because that's where it all began for them, but because
listeners love radio. Around 80% of listeners say the station they listen to is 'aimed at people
like me'. As at 2008/09:

90% of the UK population listen to the radio

67% of radio listeners tune in on a daily basis

31% of listeners listen to the radio via the internet

28% have a radio on their mobile phone

13% listen via their TV set

Radio Advertising - % Exposure to the Broadcasting Market Place (2009))

Television advertising

Mobile advertising
 Mobile advertising is a form of advertising via mobile (wireless) phones or other
mobile devices. It is a subset of mobile marketing. Some see mobile advertising as closely
related to online or internet advertising, though its reach is far greater - currently, most
mobile advertising is targeted at mobile phones, that came estimably to a global total of 4.6
billion as of 2009. Notably computers, including desktops and laptops, are currently
estimated at 1.1 billion globally.

It is probable that advertisers and media industry will increasingly take account of a
bigger and fast-growing mobile market, though it remains at around 1% of global advertising
spent. Mobile media is evolving rapidly and while mobile phone will continue to be the
mainstay, it is not clear whether mobile phones based on cellular backhaul or smartphones
based on Wi-Fi hot spot or WiMAX hot zone will also strengthen. However, such is the
emergence of this form of advertising, that there is now a dedicated global awards ceremony
organized every year by Vision gain.

Teleshopping
Teleshopping is another name for Direct Response Television (DRTV) shopping, a concept
that originated in the US in the mid- 1980s. in 1990s two types of info commercials were
used. Some featured celebrities using products and benefiting from it scheduled between TV
programs and at the end flashing a telephone number.

In other method there were ‘in studio’ production with live audience showing that it was not a
mere commercial luring customer
 Turnover of teleshopping industry in India

450
400
350
300
250
teleshopping
200
150
100
50
0

Teleshopping customer profile Year 2010

male

female

In the above figure it is clear that in the year 2010

10% male and 90% female were found to use teleshopping service
3.3 Telemarketing in different service sectors

 Banking

The largest bank in Louisiana doesn't wait for customers to come into its branches to
open accounts, apply for loans or learn about new bank offerings. Hibernia National Bank,
ranked one of the top five in the United States by U.S. Banker, is making 20,000 outbound
calls a week to existing and potential bank customers.

The results' Hibernia's telebanking center is outselling the bank's 201 branches
combined in many products -- after only six months of operation.

Telebanking is not new; Hibernia and many banks offer customers 24-hour access to
their accounts and to bank services via automated inbound call centers. For example, bank
customers can call in to get checking account balances or transfer money from one account to
another. Some banks sell credit card services through outbound calling campaigns. However,
telemarketing bank products, such as checking accounts, loans, CDs and other investment
opportunities to consumer and business accounts is new - and Hibernia is doing it. More than
30 trained tele-bankers on 78 phone lines are following Hibernia's customized eight-step
sales process. This process, coupled with sophisticated inbound, outbound and blended call
center technology, is producing results far exceeding original projections.

Hibernia's Revenue-Building Process Ellis credits this operation's success to two

other critical elements: excellent tele-bankers and Hibernia's reputation. "Our tele-bankers are
highly trained, highly paid banking and sales professionals who know how to listen and how
to assess needs." he said. "These professionals are offering to add to or improve services for
our customers, such as offering a better interest rate. Or they're offering a product or service
to someone who does not yet bank with us. Either way, it's relationship selling -- building on
an existing relationship or trying to start a new one. And our name recognition and reputation
in Louisiana and Texas give us a critical edge; people are more receptive to the call when
they hear the Hibernia name."

Telemarketing to existing and potential customers adds to Hibernia's ability to serve

customers while significantly increasing revenue. Telebanking has not replaced face-to-face
contact in the branch; customers who want to discuss bank products and services in a branch
building can do so. However, the telebanking call center is acquiring and serving customers
without creating the need for new branch buildings (at a cost of more than $2 million per
branch building) to accommodate the rapidly growing new business and client base.

 Insurance
 Insurance telemarketing has been a staple part of the telemarketing services industry
for decades. However, in order to actually sell insurance over the phone telemarketing
services agents need to have insurance licenses. There are essentially two different types of
telemarketing agents in the insurance world a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 agent. Tier 1 is licensed and
Tier 2 is unlicensed.

In the beginning many telemarketing firms would simply generate leads for insurance
agents. While this is still the case, additional telemarketing services providers have taken this
practice a step further by actually offering the insurance sales over the phone, eliminating the
need for an agent. Telemarketing agents are actually licensed at the telemarketing service
provider’s facility and trained to make the insurance sale right over the phone. Although
leads can still be sent to agents, the industry has managed to move to more successful
methods.

Insurance telemarketing will also work well in conjunction with Credit and debit
cards. For example, a person can get certain credit card and in a few weeks expect to receive
a telemarketing call for a telemarketing services provider. The agent will be a Tier 2
telemarketing agent and without a license, however, they will essentially sell the insurance
with their telemarketing pitch. Once the customer has agreed to parts of the insurance the
telemarketing agent will then “Live Transfer” the telemarketing call to another agent in house
or in another facility that is a Tier 1 or licensed telemarketing agent. The interesting thing to
note here is that the Tier 2 agent was allowed to call the customer because of an existing
business relationship as a result of the debit card. In addition, when the buyer agrees to
looking at the information of signing to the insurance policy than that telemarketing customer
can get billed on the card that the telemarketing call originated from.

 Airlines
 Indian outsourcing vendors such as Wipro (NYSE: WIT), WNS (NYSE: WNS)
and Tata Consultancy Services are setting their sights high, with global airlines’ outsourcing
to India on the rise. Wipro has been in talks with Singapore Airlines to relocate the airlines’
call centers handling reservation services from four existing locations – in the US, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand – to India. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recently won a
multi-year US$90 million deal with Qantas Airways for application development and
support.

3.4 Non voice call center services

The title is a sort of an oxymoron because we associate the BPO desk with
voice calls and answering service. However, in the recent times, the phone answering agents
have broken away from the mound that we had slotted them in. A call center agent is not
content with just taking calls. An agent can contribute to other call center services as well and
many of these have nothing to do with voice calls. In fact, the traditional methods of lead
generation and telemarketing that made use of voice calls have alternatives in the non-voice
BPO services as well. Let’s pick up each of the call center services and find out their non-
voice alternatives.

Let’s begin with the customer care department. Answering service agents are
known to receive and process calls from enquiring customers and callers. In the non-voice
system, the phone answering agents do not talk on the phone. They answer emails and
comments written by the users on the client’s websites or other corporate pages. To bring
those users to the client’s website, search engine optimization (SEO) is carried out by the call
center agents. When the interested viewers look for certain keywords, they are directed to the
client’s website. The users read the content and sometimes leave a comment. The comments
are tackled by the inbound call center team. The users also leave emails that the BPO agents
can answer. This provides them an opportunity to highlight the products/services without
intruding on the privacy of the callers.

Now let’s shift to lead generation. BPO agents are depending on social media
and websites for lead generation. Telemarketing is still an effective option. There are plenty
of results coming in through telemarketing services but no call center would like to leave out
the very lucrative online scenario. With the coming of the social media, sales lead generation
has become easier for the BPO units. Agents can create profiles and post updates about their
products and services on these networks. With the right kind of people as friends and
followers, the call center service can amass quite a few leads without relying on the phone
calls. This is a method that is fast catching up. Clients are also becoming conscious about
their corporate website. Many of them are commissioning the BPO service unit to build them
a website that suits their needs. SEO on websites have brought healthy results because of the
growing usage of the internet to hunt for information and services.

The use of the non-voice methods by call centers proves a point. It proves that
BPO units are always trying to innovate and look for alternatives. In an age when
telemarketing stands threatened because of the Do Not Call lists and other legal impositions,
the non-voice methods of lead generation will certainly offer a breather to these agents.
Clients also find a way out that can get them to have new subscribers on board. The business
growth should not stop because of the hurdles on the way. Fueled by this desire, business
process outsourcing is now ready with Plan B.

We lay equal stress on both voice and non-voice call center methods. Our clients decide
what kind of a BPO effort they want.
3.5 IN-HOUSE VS. OUTSIDE SERVICE BUREAUS

When establishing a telemarketing program, a company has the option of setting

up the operation in-house, or subcontracting it to an outside service bureau. Both have
advantages and disadvantages. In-house programs usually are better if products and/or
services require extensive technical expertise to explain. They also can be better for firms
making a long-term commitment to telemarketing. Service bureaus, on the other hand, can
help firms that need around-the-clock coverage for inbound programs, are supporting
television ad campaigns, or are running a seasonal marketing program.

Service Bureaus

One of the main advantages of service bureaus is that they likely can offer lower
costs. By grouping programs from several different companies, service bureaus can generate
sufficient volume to reduce labor and telephone costs, which make up a majority of total
costs. They can also get a program started more quickly because they have experienced
telephone reps on staff, along with necessary equipment.

When 24-hour coverage is needed on an inbound telemarketing program, it

probably is more cost-effective to go with a bureau. When setting up an outbound program,
the experienced managers at a bureau can help a company avoid making mistakes and often
can accurately project call volumes and sales per hour. Service bureaus also can help with
testing new programs and have a greater ability to handle demand peaks.

On the downside, several client companies often must compete for a service
bureau's attention, and for firms that share service with a broadcast advertiser whose response
rates are underestimated, that can be a decided drawback. Stability of service bureaus has also
been a problem at times.

In-house Operations

The main reason companies decide to run their own telemarketing campaign is that
they can maintain total control over all facets, including hiring and firing, scripts and
presentations, budgets, advertising, and compensation and incentive policies. When
telemarketing programs are kept in-house, phone reps have ready access to company
information, so they can confirm delivery, authorize credit, and suggest alternatives to out-of-
stock items.

Since in-house reps are trained on individual product lines, they can handle
highly technical calls no service bureau likely would attempt. Such technical expertise also
helps companies maintain effective customer service programs through observation (such as
via call monitoring). In addition, it is easier to gain company loyalty from actual employees
than from people employed by an outside bureau. The biggest drawback to taking a program
in-house is the large capital investment needed to get a telemarketing program started. It
involves hiring and training new personnel, purchasing new communication equipment, and
dealing with a process that is unfamiliar to business.

3.6 Telemarketing is a boon.

Telemarketing is an important and effective way for your business and it also increase
your returns.

1. Human interaction: One of the advantages telemarketing has over other direct
marketing is that it involves human interaction. It provides a more interactive and
personal sale service.

2. Small businesses: Telemarketing can be a mainly effective tool for small

businesses, it saves time and cash as compared to personal selling, but offers many
of the same profits in terms of straight contact with clients. It creates an instant
relationship with your clients.
 3. Customer service: Construction of a faithful client base is an important issue in
starting a long- term business success and increasing the worth of the company. It
can gain repeat orders and increase the penetration of the customer base.
Telemarketing has the advantages of bringing outstanding customer service. In this
we can explain technical issues more clearly.

4. Reduces cost: This is the way to reduce the cost of selling. It is also easier to
interconnect with clients.

5. Flexibility: It is the flexible form of direct marketing. In this we can understand

that what customers want or what is customer is Survey can be conducted
customers are looking for, the product or service, the brand, etc. Achieve outcomes
that are calculable and we can maintain a sheet for all customers.

6. Response measurement: Response measurement is possible by knowing the

effectiveness of publicity. The results can be compared with the ones previously
established, and the future plans can be based on such results.

CHAPTER 5- TELEMARKETING FRAUDS AND MEASURES TO PREVENT

FRAUDS
Telemarketing fraud in Jan-Sept.2000

The most common scams, the amounts of money victims were losing, and other aspects of
telemarketing and Internet fraud that changed in some important respects which was based on
complaints made to the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information
Center/Internet Fraud Watch programs. Statistics from the first nine months of 2000 provide
some interesting insights, especially in the methods of payment in connection with certain
fraud categories.

8.1 Telemarketing Fraud

Work-at-home scams had been fallen since attaining the status of #1 telemarketing fraud
last (1999) year. Prizes and sweepstakes topped the list in 2000. While telephone billing
scams such as slamming and cramming had also declined, complaints about bogus offers for
credit cards and credit card protection plans were rising. Reports about charges for buyer’s
clubs that consumers never agreed to pay for and Nigerian money offers were also increasing;
in 1999 neither of those categories were in the top ten. Complaints about buyer’s clubs had
more than tripled, from an average of four per month in 1999 to nearly 14 per month in the
first nine months of 2000. Nigerian money offers had increased six-fold, from two per month
to more than 12. The good news, however, is that in both telemarketing and Internet fraud,
none of the consumers who received the Nigerian money offers actually went far enough to
lose money in the schemes. The top ten telemarketing scams and percentage of total reported
are indicated below:

1999 Top 10 Frauds Jan.-Sept. 2000 Top 10 Frauds

Work-At-Home 16% Prizes/Sweepstakes 18%
Prizes/Sweepstakes 15% Magazine Sales 14%
Telephone Slamming 15% Credit Card Sales 12%
Advance Fee Loans 11% Work-At-Home 9%
Magazine Sales 10% Telephone Slamming 7%
Telephone Cramming 9% Advance Fee Loans 7%
Credit Card Offers 5% Credit Card Loss Protection 4%
Travel/Vacation 3% Telephone Cramming 3%
Credit Card Loss Protection 2% Buyer’s Clubs 3%
Investments 2% Nigerian Money Offers 2%

8.2 Methods of Contact

Consumers fall prey to telemarketing fraud in a number of ways, but con artists
most frequently solicit them by phone, mail, or in print advertisements. Telephone
solicitations have increased significantly as indicated below:

1999 Solicitation Method Jan.-Sept. 2000 Solicitation Method

Mail 52% Phone 50%
Phone 30% Mail 35%
Print 11% Print 9%

Methods of Contact

More seniors are being victimized by telemarketing fraud. In 1999, 26 percent

were age 60 and older, but that age group was increased to 36 percent of victims in
the first nine months of 2000.
Money Lost

Consumers were losing more money to telemarketing fraud, an average of $1,425

per person so far in 2000 compared to $975 in 1999. While the most common method
of payment is still by cheque, there has been a dramatic increase in payments by credit
card and debits from consumers’ bank accounts. Those increases were due in part to
the rise in complaints about credit card loss protection plans, buyer's clubs, credit card
offers, and magazine sales scams.

The top five methods of payment for all telemarketing frauds and percentage of all
payments are as follows:

1999 Top 5 Payment Jan.-Sept. 2000 Top 5 Payment

Check 36% Check 24%
Telephone Bill 23% Credit 23%
Money Order 15% Bank Account Debit 15%
Credit Card 12% Telephone Bill 14%
Bank Account Debit 6% Money Order 10%

When the top telemarketing frauds from January through September 2000 were
examined individually in terms of the top methods of payment in each category, stark
differences appear. Nigerian money offers are not included since no payments were
made:

Telemarketing Fraud Method of Payment

Prizes/Sweepstakes Check 36%
Credit Card 18%
Wire 16%
Money Order 11%
Cash 7%
Magazine Sales Check 44%
 Credit Card 39%
Bank Account Debit 11%
Money Order 3%
Debit Card 2%
Work-At-Home Money Order 60%
Check 13%
Credit Card 10%
Bank Account Debit 5%
Cash 3%
Credit Card Offer Bank Account Debit 60%
Check 13%
Money Order 10%
Credit Card 5%
Debit Card 3%
Work-At-Home Money Order 31%
Check 30%
Credit Card 19%
Bank Account Debit 9%
Cash 6%
Telephone Slamming Telephone Bill 93%
Check 3%
Bank Account Debit 2%
Advance Fee Loans Money Order 44%
Wire 18%
Check 12%
Cash 11%
Bank Account Debit 5%
Credit Card Loss Protection Credit Card 86%
Bank Account Debit 7%
Debit Card 3%
Check 2%
Telephone Cramming Telephone Bill 88%
Check 2%
 Buyer’s Clubs Credit Card 65%
Bank Account Debit 16%
Checks 6%
Debit Card 6%
Check 2%

From the information taken in connection with telemarketing fraud reports, it is not
possible to determine how many victims gave the companies their bank account or
credit card numbers and how many of those companies already had that information.
However, at a workshop held by the Federal Trade Commission in July to discuss the
Telemarketing Sales Rule, industry representatives acknowledged that there is a
growing trend toward marketers having "pre-acquired account information" about
consumers.

That information is obtained from the consumers' banks or from other companies
with whom they have done business. Pre-acquired account information makes it easier
to conclude a sales call quickly because the consumer does not have to provide that
information. But it also makes it easier for fraudulent vendors to make credit card
charges or withdrawals from consumers' bank accounts even if those consumers never
agreed to pay. Credit card charges are especially high in reports about fraudulent
credit card loss protection plans and buyer’s clubs. Bank withdrawals also rank high
in several categories, particularly in bogus credit card offers and buyer’s clubs.

It is interesting to note the percentage of consumers who wire their payments in

prize and sweepstakes scams and advance fee loan offers. This is likely due to the
sense of urgency that con artists in both schemes create. It is also alarming to see that
cash is being sent in some categories: prizes and sweepstakes, work-at-home, and
advance fee loans. Payment by cash, often using courier services, helps fraudulent
telemarketers get their money quickly and conceal their crimes, and makes it difficult
for consumers to document that the frauds occurred.

8.3 Measures to prevent/fight fraud calls

 Since the number of frauds were increased in 1999-2000 there has been measures brought
up by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to prevent or to fight such fraud calls.

 REPORTING A SCAM OR FRAUD CALL.

Many phone sales pitches are made on behalf of legitimate organizations offering
genuine products and services. Unfortunately, scammers also use the telephone to commit
fraud. That's why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) encourages you to be skeptical when
you hear a phone solicitation and to report it if you think the call may be fraudulent.

Your complaint counts! Fight telephone fraud. Report telephone scam artists to the FTC and
to your state Attorney General. When you report phone fraud to the FTC, your complaint is
entered into a secure database that is available to hundreds of civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. By reporting telemarketing fraud, you are
providing important information to help law enforcement officials track down scam artists
and stop them.

THE THINGS YOU NEED TO NOTE DOWN BEFORE REPORTING A COMPLAINT

 Where to report: If you get a call you suspect is fraudulent, report it to the
FTC and to your State Attorney General.
 What information to provide: When you report telemarketing fraud, your
information may help local and federal law enforcers investigate the
scammers. Provide the telemarketer's name or phone number, as well as the
date and time of the call.
 Why: Your complaint is entered into the FTC's Consumer Sentinel system: a
secure, online database used by more than 1,000 civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies.

 THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you an opportunity to limit the telemarketing
calls you receive. Once you register your phone number, telemarketers covered by the
Telemarketing Sales Rule have up to 31 days from the date you register to stop calling you.
You can register your number by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the number you wish
to register. Registration is free.

Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing
calls, but not all. Calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone
pollsters are still permitted.

Organizations with which you have an established business relationship can call you for
up to 18 months after your last purchase, payment, or delivery - even if your number is on the
National Do Not Call Registry. And companies to which you've made an inquiry or submitted
an application can call you for three months.

If your number has been on the National Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days and
you receive a call from a telemarketer that you believe is covered by the National Do Not
Call Registry, you can file a complaint at the registry's website or by calling the registry's
toll-free number at 1-888-382-1222 (for TTY, call 1-866-290-4236). To file a complaint, you
must know either the name or telephone number of the company that called you, and the date
the company called you.

This is explained further in detail.

 DANGEROUS TEXT MESSAGE SCAMS FROM FRAUDULENT

TELEMARKETERS

Fraudulent drug companies recently started sending text messages to random cell phone
numbers, claiming to offer discounted drugs without prescriptions. The contact info connects
the victim with an imposter website asking for credit card information. These are especially
dangerous when directed to mobile phones of minors. Opening the message will incur a
charge as only a few cell phone models allow text messages to be deleted without first
opening them. Advise minors not to respond to messages from unknown numbers, often
appearing as "Withheld" or "Unknown" on mobile screens.

 HANG UP ON TELEMARKETING SCAMS

Both the FTC and Phone busters advise consumers responding to a call to hang up if the
telemarketer insists on an advance payment for a service or product. Any telemarketing calls
asking for banking info or received before 8 am or after 9 pm are against the law. A "service
scam" occurs when telemarketers pose as mortgage or loan officers, soliciting low interest
rates, advance free loans, or offers to repair consumer credit for an advance fee to start the
service. Legitimate credit repair and credit services do not ask for payment in advance of
services.

 SECRET AGENTS OR SCAMMERS?

Another cell phone scam became prevalent towards the end of December 2009. Someone
posing as an FDA or FTC agent offers to retrieve money lost by the consumer in a previous
scam and insists on verifying credit card or banking info to "solve" the case. Consumers
should ask the "agent" for contact info, then hang up and report the callers number to Phone
busters or the FTC. The "prize" or "sweepstakes scam" has also resurfaced for 2010.
Consumers are asked to make a purchase to receive a "free" prize. Check the origin of a
number through websites like 800Notes.com. Note number and report it.

 GRANNY SCAM PLAYS ON EMOTIONS

The "emergency" phone and email scam became prominent in the last two months and plays
on the emotions of its victims. The caller or email poses as a family member or family friend.
They make a frantic appeal for help, suggesting they are in an emergency, an accident, or
legal complications in a foreign country. The consumer is asked to wire money to a foreign
city and is warned not to contact other family members for fear of embarrassing the "victim".
This scam is usually played on the elderly with the caller posing as the friend or traveling
companion of a grandchild. Wary consumers should insist on verifying the identity of the
caller or simply hang up and report number to Phone busters or the FTC.

Anyone with a mobile or smart phone is subject to telecommunications fraud and online
scams, but the informed consumer insures that telemarketers do not call once phones
are registered and violators are reported.
CHAPTER 6- TELEMARKETERS

Telemarketer is the one who carries out the activity of telemarketing. A

telemarketer is the one who is the executor of the plan prepared by the company for selling
the product s to the customer. It’s the telemarketer’s skill of persuading the customer to buy a
product.

The way the telemarketer interacts with the customers gives an idea to the customer
about the company and its product. If a telemarketer of a company forces its customer to buy
a product or is rude to the customer or doesn’t respond properly to the complains made then
the customer will definitely have a wrong image of the company and its product whereas
even if the product is not good and the telemarketer has a good vocabulary, is pleasing and
looks after all their queries and complaints the customer will automatically be influenced to
buy the product.

Telemarketing is a science that applies personal attention combined with time tested
techniques to provide you with unique business solutions. Time-tested sales skills combined
with innovative technology provide your telemarketing campaign with a unique advantage
over your competition. Telemarketing is not as easy as it looks. Telemarketing involves
talking on the phone to someone you do not know and trying to convince them to buy a
product, use a service, or sign up for a special offer.

Many times, telemarketers fail because they are not doing the job properly.
Speaking is a skill, and there are techniques that can be applied to speaking that will help
anyone become a successful telemarketer.

9.1Telemarketers follow the below steps to improve their skills:

1. Be Clear When Cold Calling
Successful telemarketing begins with knowing your purpose before you initiate
the call. Are you trying to find out the name of the decision maker? Do you want to send
information? Do you want an opportunity to pitch your product or service? Are you
conducting a survey? If you know your purpose in advance you'll communicate the right
message in subtle, subconscious ways. You'll be more confident and everyone knows that
confidence wins mindshare, which is what sales is all about.

2. Be Prepared for Each Cold Call

One of the best kept secrets of telemarketing is to know your script. Cold calling is a
numbers game and the only way to skew the numbers in your favor is to be prepared.
Confidence in your purpose and control of your message shows your prospect that you are a
professional and that your product or service is of value.

3. Be Efficient While Telemarketing

Even if the message is welcome it's an interruption to what your prospect was doing
before they answered your call. Show them that you respect their time and yours.

4. Make the customer feel important

During the call, it's important to make your prospect feel like they're the most
important person in the world to you. Take the time to really understand their needs and
match your pitch to the issues they face.

5. Be Interested and Interesting During Cold Calls

Prospects are used to the sales pitch. In fact, they've all-but become immune to it.
When you call, grab their attention with power words that provoke interest, then try to get
them talking about themselves. Take notes, then use what they said as you relate the reason
for your call. People will care what you know when they see clearly how it applies to their
life. Remember that people don't buy products, they buy results.

6. Ask questions
By asking questions, you're showing an interest in your prospect and encouraging
them to talk about themselves. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you like. Make
sure you ask a good proportion of open questions, i.e. those which require something other
than a "yes" or "no" answer. It might help to make a list of such questions to refer to when
you're on the phone

7. Smile as you dial

When cold calling, always put on a positive and friendly front. Your prospects do
not have to listen to you and will not if you're not enigmatic and engaging. A calm and
confident manner will yield far better results, and your success will breed further success.

8. Perseverance
Cold calling can feel like an uphill struggle sometimes, and it can make you want to
give up. By persevering, you will learn more about what appeals to customers, and hone your
technique to improve your results.

9. Maintain the initiative

When finishing your call, suggest a time to get back in touch. And make sure it's
you that calls them back. Your call will be more welcome if you agree a time to call back and
stick to it.

10. Close the deal

Once you have established some interest in your company and/or products, it's
time to close the deal. Consider what you need to secure the order i.e. a visit in person or a
signed order form and don't be afraid to ask for it, once you're sure your buyer is keen.

11. Be Someone They Want to Call Back

Voicemail isn't a dead end. Too many telemarketers lose opportunities by not leaving
messages for their prospects via voice messaging systems. To catch attention on voicemail,
begin with the end in mind. You want them to call you back so leave your name and number.
Tell them to write that down. People write numbers when they are dictated anticipating that
the information might be necessary. Use that to your advantage. Next state a compelling
reason why you're calling and an even more compelling reason for them to call you back.
Project confidence but don't sound slick. Finally leave your name and number again in case
they didn't get it.
12. Motivation

One of the most important things in telemarketing is motivation. Someone has to want
to do the job. The overall motivation will determine how they speak to people. So, successful
telemarketers are very motivated to do the job.

13. Product knowledge

In order to successfully speak about a product or a service, the telemarketer must

know about the product or the service. Customers will ask questions before they buy or sign
up for something, so the telemarketer should be able to answer the questions. Knowing the
product or service will help the telemarketer make a successful deal.

14. Know the call format

The telemarketer should have a call format or a call plan. They should know the order
of the call: the introduction, the description of the product, the price, the value of the product,
how to order, and the closing. Many companies will have a script to follow. A successful
telemarketer will know the script and use it to their advantage.

15. Attitude

Attitude is evident on the phone. When someone' happy and excited, those emotions will
palatable, even on the phone. Angry, upset, or frustrated telemarketers are usually not
successful. So, the successful telemarketer will have a positive attitude while doing their job.

16. Know the customer

A good telemarketer will know the customer. Know when it is a good time to call.
Calling during dinner, early in the morning, or late at night will not be successful. If you call
at a bad time, ask the customer when a better time to call would be. Know what they are
looking for. Do not try to sell them something they are not interested in. This will create
hostility. Listen to what the customer has to say. Their comments and input can help you
guide the direction of your call. Respect the customer's feelings and comments. Knowing the
customer is a successful technique for any telemarketer.

17. Visualize your success

Many telemarketers receive bonuses or rewards for a job well done. A successful
telemarketer will visualize his or her success. They set goals and work towards those goals.
Having a vision of what you want to get out of this job will help create a successful
telemarketer.

18. Enjoy the success

A successful telemarketer will always take the time to enjoy the fruit of their hard
work. They will be proud of their successes and will continue to strive for future success.

9.2 HUMAN ISSUES IN CALL-CENTER INDUSTRY

Stress

For many employed in the call center sector, "the daily experience is of repetitive,
intensive and stressful work, based upon Taylorism principles (breaking down an activity,
job or task into small simple segments which can be easily analyzed and taught), which
frequently results in employee "burnout". Brown, more vividly, characterizes the work as
"repetitive brain strain". These descriptions are hardly surprising, in a way, given that call
centers are established by organizations to "create an environment in which work can be
standardized to create relatively uniform and repetitious activities so as to achieve economies
of scale and consistent quality of customer service". This means, in other words, that
workplaces are organized in ways that weaken employee autonomy and enhance the potential
for management control, and "a loss of control is generally understood to be an important
indicator of work-related stress".
 There is almost universal consensus that call center work is stressful. Even in
studies that report the observation that some staff actually enjoys their work, mention of
stress is still the norm, and a significant portion of the call center literature is devoted to
detailing the sources of stress in call center work.

Four Key stressors

1. 'Can we get off the phone for a while?'

The primary source of stress reported is inherent to the nature of the job: spending all
day on the phone dealing with people one after another, day after day, is difficult. Doing it
under constant pressure to keep call volumes up, with no time between calls to "recover from
an awkward call or from 'customer rejection'" is even more difficult. And doing it with "very
little authority or autonomy to rectify problems" that arise is perhaps the most difficult of all.
Many studies report agents as wanting to 'just get off the phones'. For example, Belt and
colleagues note "agents in all three sectors [financial services, IT, and third-party services]
spoke of the phenomenon of 'burnout', caused by the pressure of working exclusively 'on the
phones'". In the same study, the authors mention that the issue of 'burnout' was also
recognized by some managers: "It was pointed out that managers face an inherent conflict
between the need to reduce staff boredom and labor turnover, and the pressure to concentrate
staff energies on telephone based work".

"The question of how call center employees deal with stress is an important one,
particularly in view of evidence that a build-up of stress leads to illness, absenteeism and
turnover," writes Hooligan. Many authors agree, and there are a variety of individual coping
mechanisms described in the literature. Tricks to circumvent control mechanisms, such as
those discussed above are sometimes mentioned as attempts at stress reduction, although they
are unreliable in this role as they may also increase stress. Others mention social interaction
squeezed into brief moments--Callaghan and Thompson describe agents using humorous (or
rude) gestures towards the phone, or making faces at colleagues to defuse stress over angry or
abusive callers, and making jokes to combat the tedium of the day. Lank-shear and Mason
describe a similarly social approach to reducing tension in one of the sites they observed,
where staff often laughed and joked with one another in intervals between calls, with
management's approval. More formally, some call centers include stress management as a
component in training programs, and many have, or claim to have, team de-briefings which
permit staff to vent frustrations while discussing difficult calls or dissatisfactions with
elements of work.

Knights and McCabe take a different approach to stress in the workplace. They
note that although much organizational analysis and most of the call center literature tends to
conceptualize stress as an individual problem, it is actually located within "a framework that
emphasizes the interrelationships between structural relations of power and the subjective
interpretations and actions of employees". This more nuance positioning may provide more
insight into call center conditions, as it allows a researcher to consider the response of
employees "forced to interpret the often contradictory demands management place upon
them" including "contradictions…over service quality versus the quantity of work output".
"Clearly," these authors write, "staff face some fundamental contradictions over unity versus
conflict, uncertainty versus certainty, quality versus quantity and these are at the heart of the
reproduction of stress, resistance and control". This focus on the "contradictory" nature of
demands strikes at the heart of the second inherent sources of stress in (primarily inbound)
call center works: the quality/quantity conflict.

2. Quality/Quantity conflict

Typically, organizational rhetoric in inbound call centers is concerned with

'customer care', or 'keeping customers happy' (providing quality service), yet these goals are
juxtaposed with an ongoing pressure to keep call times down and call volumes up. Hooligan
describes the difficulty concisely:

Call centers are rooted in contradictory tensions and structural paradoxes, and
confront a number of trade-offs on that basis. These set a context for attitudes towards the
organization and can impose conflicting role requirements on agents. A core example is that
of the pressure for quantity versus the aspiration for quality, the guiding logic of which is the
conundrum of trying to get closer to the customer while routinizing, centralizing, reducing
costs and prescribing standards.
 The dichotomy is not completely straightforward; it is important to note. Part of
providing quality service from a management perspective is making sure customers do not
wait too long for their calls to be answered, even though the push to keep queue waiting times
short is typically categorized as part of the pressure towards quantity. As Bain points out,
"efforts to attain what is perceived to be the desired balance between the quantity and the
quality of calls presents a perennial challenge".

The practice of ongoing work practice modification and target revision as

management swings from one side to another of the quality/quantity debate is a major source
of stress for call center agents. As Hooligan notes: "The practice of putting a 'drive' on
particular targets for improvement (for example, the collection of renewal dates, the up-
selling or cross-selling of products, the quality of data input, or the intensity of sales push)
and continual reprioritization means that the 'goalposts' are constantly shifting". Virtually all
of the call center authors who write about work conditions mention the difficulty of dealing
with these competing goals. Kaczynski and colleagues suggest that this dilemma is
particularly difficult for front-line workers because they may be likely "to identify with
embodied individual customers, for interactions with specific customers may be an important
arena for meaning and satisfaction within the work". They contrast this customer-as-
individual orientation to the managerial goal of balancing customer orientation with
efficiency, which they suggest leads management to prefer workers to identify with a generic
category, 'the customer', since "such a disembodied image of the customer will encourage
workers to deal with individual customers efficiently because they will be conscious of the
concerns of other customers waiting in a queue".

3. Intensity
The third central stressor in call center work is its intensity. As Bain (2001)
argues, "far from being either in terminal decline or on the wane, Taylorism-in
conjunction with a range of other control mechanisms-is not only alive, well and
deeply embedded in the call center labor process, but its malevolent influence appears
to be spreading to previously uncharted territory". There is widespread consensus that
"call centers are a new, and particularly effective, manifestation of the increasingly
capital intensive 'industrialization' of service sector work, and work performed in
them is highly intensive and routine".
 Buchanan and Koch-Schulte quote one call center worker who describes the
constant pressure graphically: Ellen: It's almost like the army. It's very regimented. You
punch in with a time clock. You come in and you sit down, and the numbers are all
computerized. As soon as you finish a call, the minute you hang up another call comes up just
this constant, all day, repetitious…constant sort of like beating on a drum, but day after day.

The pace of work is determined by the combination of technologies that deliver

calls to the headset and account details to the screen, and workers often have no control over
this process.

Descriptions such as "exhausting," "robotic," "controlled," and agents discussing the

nature of their work often use "machine-like". Hooligan expands on the idea of controlled,
machine-like agents by suggesting that this is in fact exactly the way that the organization
conceives of them:

Call centers are information handling organizations. As currently characterized, the

job of the agent is to be the voice of the organization, interfacing with the client or customer.

The organization rehearses the things it wants said and feeds them through the
agent. The agent is largely constructed as a mouthpiece rather than as a brain.

Buchanan and Koch-Schulte spoke with a call-center worker who articulated her
feelings about the organization's expectations of its agents in very similar terms: Rosa: You
are standing waiting to be used by the technology, and it's a physical embodiment of that.
You are standing, waiting until that call comes in to use you to make money. And you are
simply another part of that machine.

When this feeling of being a cog in a machine which never stops as it grinds on,
repeating the same actions over and over again, is combined with "the cumulative emotional
demands presented by the interpersonal nature of the work", stress is inevitable.

 Targets
There is a fourth feature of some call center work that may engender stress:
performance targets. There are various types of targets, which may vary between inbound
and outbound centers. Inbound centers typically have targets for call duration, 'wrap time',
 and daily call volume. Outbound centers often also have sales or 'completion' targets,
which are closely monitored and upon which pay may be partially based. In addition, in
some sectors, inbound call centers are attempting to introduce the practice of cross
selling, where agents attempt to sell additional products to the customers who call in for
another purpose. In these centers, sales targets similar to those in outbound centers are
often in place.

Taylor and Bain argue that particularly in the financial services industry in the UK,
targets are a significant source of stress for workers as more and more importance is placed
upon meeting them in an increasingly competitive business environment.
Sales targets, in particular, are difficult to accept, or meet, for staff who often consider
themselves as service personnel, particularly when they are set centrally and implemented
locally: "Cross-selling is seen by employees, not as an opportunity to engage in creative
work, but as an additional and acute source of pressure". This is especially the case when
sales targets are parachuted in on top of service targets set originally when there was no
pressure to produce sales.

As a CSR in Taylor and Bain's study emphasizes: "When somebody phones in for a
balance you have to try to get a sale or get them interested as well as turning the call round in
155 seconds".

Even in centers that claim not to prioritize targets, researchers have found that staff
often feels significant pressure. Targets simply intensify the stress produced by the
quantity/quality debate, or, as one agent is quoted as saying, "They say that they're not really
interested in numbers. They say that they are more into quality. Well, that's a lie. They're
usually more into numbers than anything". It is important not to over generalize however.
While most call centers do have some targets, they are a source of stress that is directly under
management control. Some call centers are managed in such a way that targets are set to
realistically reflect local conditions, are interpreted in light of other, more subjective
information, and are not used punitively or to intensify work. In some they are even used
effectively to motivate and encourage staff. For example, Lank-shear and Mason describe a
series of conversations with managers in their call center site where management consistently
conceptualized their performance reports (for example, one commented that it's 'human
nature' for productivity to drop before and after a holiday), and used their stats as an excuse
to praise good performance and coach those who consistently had difficulty meeting targets:
"Our best bet is to develop the people we have got" one manager is quoted as saying.

6.2 Other Health Issues

The result of intense, stressful work may be an effect on workers' health. There are
often high rates of absenteeism and sick leave reported in the literature, although there is
relatively little exploration of these issues, particularly when compared to turnover. Most
often, authors provide a brief list of known health issues. For example, Richardson, Belt and
Marshall write that "Health concerns have been expressed, including tension, sleeplessness,
headaches, eye-strain, repetitive strain injury (RSI), voice loss, hearing problems and burn-
out", but they do not develop the point. More detailed descriptions of the causes and effects
of these ailments can be found in industry and trades union reports. For example, the Trades
Union Council (TUC) in its brochure targeted at call center workers, cites the main illnesses
to which call center staff are prone: "back strain and RSI, stress, eyestrain, and voice and
hearing loss".

Also in the UK, regulators have been proactive in their examination of the industry,
with the Health and Safety Executive issuing a bulletin on call center regulations, health risks
and best practices in December 2001. They looked specifically at health issues including
stress, noise levels, musculoskeletal disorders (such as back problems) and voice loss, and
also at display screen issues, working environments, requirements for work stations, daily
work routines, training, organizational working practices and shifts.

 Sleeping Disorders
No prizes for guessing the most severe ailment afflicting people working in Indian call
centers. Since this is a unique Indian problem, again, no solution appears in sight.
Obviously this affects first timers more severely, as they take time to acclimatize their
 biological clocks, but even experienced people or managers are not able to completely
escape from it. Some call centers are looking at devising innovative mechanisms like
flexible shifts with sleeping arrangements in the office premises as possible solutions.
 Digestive System Related Disorders
Working long and odd hours without any sleep, and eating food supplied by external
caterers every day, has led to 41.9% of the respondents suffering from digestive
problems. Especially for the large number of girls working in the industry, the problem is
even more severe. Many call centers are now taking additional care to ensure their
caterers supply hygienic food; besides stipulating strict conditions to maintain the quality
of the food they serve.
 Depression
In last year's survey, this was not among the top disorders, but this year it has climbed up
the chart, affecting nearly one-fourth of the respondents. Not surprising, since, as the
industry matures, the initial glitz and glamour wears away and the real problems come to
the fore. Not only are there several health related issues, but, on top of that, the gradual
realization that there is limited scope in developing a career owing to fewer growth
opportunities is increasing the frustration levels. Coupled with growing mental fatigue
and increasingly punishing physical environments, depression is the obvious end result.
Some call centers have now devised different stress management programs mainly to
counter depression.
 Severe Stomach Related Problems
Continuing digestive problems lead to severe stomach disorders like gastroenteritis, as
endorsed by more than 24% of the respondents. Even doctors in major cities agree-in
recent times many of the patients with various stomach ailments are from call centers.
 Eyesight Problems
Globally call center industry employees are considered a high-risk group for eye-related
problems. While the quality of monitors might impact these disorders, sitting continually
without adequate breaks seems to be the truer reason. The number of people affected
seems to be on the rise-last year only 19% complained; this year it has gone up to 23%.
At some point of time, this problem might also afflict the IT services industry, but for the
call center industry, no remedy seems to be in sight.
 Ear Problems
More than 16% of the respondents inform that they have hearing problems. Again, no
 surprises here, since a call center job involves taking calls throughout the shift, sitting
with headphones. While quality of headphones does make a difference, it would not be
correct to completely wish the problem away by thinking that changing headphones will
solve it.

9.3some other Human Issues, in Call-Centers, which need Immediate Attention

Personal habits
The young executives are getting more than five figure salaries per month in an early age.
They tend to develop certain bad habits such as alcohol, smoking etc. It is not easy to identify
such individuals. It is also very sensitive to talk to them. The professional counselors can
conduct group-counseling, workshops, educative film shows in order to create awareness on
effects of bad habits. Such actions will enable individuals to realize the importance of good
habits and they could seek one to one Counseling sessions to solve their problems.
Discipline and behavioral issues
Call centers provide excellent working environment, free food and transportation. There is
always a situation where individual or group of youngsters tend to commit mistakes and
abuse the freedom. They start behaving like in college campus where they have more
freedom. However, the call center executives have more responsibility and accountability,
they need to follow discipline and do well in the job. The most common behavior is misuse of
food, behave erratically in vans, and smoke in public places, misuse of telephones and other
resources of the company. The supervisors always concentrate on performance and achieving
targets. They do not have time or interest to go deep into these matters and find out the
reasons for such behavior. The professional counselor can play a major role in educating the
youngsters on discipline; provide advice to erring executives. The counselors with their
wisdom and experience can tackle such issues tactfully and bring change within the
individuals.

As said earlier, to majority of them this is the first employment and they are fresh out of the
colleges. Few tend to behave differently and they have the "do not care" attitude. Such
executives will not take their job seriously, they indulge in teasing, and joking, talking over
mobile phones, have friction within the team. These aspects may go noticed or unnoticed by
the supervisors.

The fact remains that such unacceptable behaviors will cause disturbance to others and
overall it affects the productivity. Sleeping while on duty, reading novels and playing games
on the computer during working hours brings down productivity and quality suffers. The HR
representatives and professional counselors jointly have a role to bring behavioral change
starting from the training days. Continuous education and Counseling will help to mitigate
such problems and it is possible to prevent serious problems.

Inter-personal relationship and friendship

Executives develop friendship quickly and sometime the friendship breaks and
there will be misunderstanding among the team members and naturally affects the team
performance. The supervisors and counselors can play a major role to sort out the
interpersonal relationship and develop team spirit. Healthy relationship among the team
members has always helped the team to outperform. When the relationship fails the
individuals will also break down mentally. They either absent for duties or fall ill or the
performance will come down. It is also true that due to misunderstanding and break in
friendship they change jobs quickly.

Love affair and marriages

Few of the boys and girls fall in love quickly. They maintain the healthy
relationship, behave in a matured manner, plan the future course of action and such persons
have got married with the consent of their parents. They work together in the same
organization for longer duration. There are instances, where lovers fall apart, start disliking,
creating troubles to each other and vitiating the atmosphere. They are immature, take instant
decisions to break or unite and sometimes go to an extent of damaging others reputation. The
professional counselors can play an important role in explaining the importance of marriage,
preparation required for marriage, how to enter the institution of marriage, which is
acceptable to both parents and society and about the new role and responsibility after getting
married. Counseling services can definitely give emotional support to individuals.

Absenteeism
Absenteeism is very high in calls centers. Employees tend to be very irregular to
the duty due to various reasons. The professional counseling services to such irregular
employees on one to one basis will help to bring down the absenteeism. The counselor can
educate and explain the importance of attending duties to earn the salary and also to meet the
organizational goals. Each individual is unique and the problem they face are also different in
nature. Only the professional counselors can understand, analyze and provide long lasting
solutions for the individuals.

Higher education and part time jobs

It is possible to do higher education while working in BPO units. Few
organizations encourage and offer support services to pursue higher education. However, the
time management by the executives is crucial to go forward in education as well as to
maintain the performance and career growth. Programs on time management, tips to study,
tips to keep fit and such other programs can be offered. These steps would help to seek the
loyalty of employees to the organizations and helps greatly for the retention of employees.

Organizations do not grant permission to pursue part time jobs while working in
BPO units. In order to make quick money and to have options open to change the jobs in
future will drive the employees to do part time work. Human body does not permit to stretch
beyond one's capacity. The executives need to take sufficient rest in the daytime so that
energy levels are maintained. Either due to lack of experience or due to compulsions, the
executives keep their one feet in call center and another in part time jobs. In the long run this
would affect individual’s health. The HR executives must identify such persons and offer
professional Counseling services to them.

6.4 Remedial Measures for Stress Management

Understanding that the "Stress" is a major concern for all Call-Center Employees, it
is a duty of HR-heads of Call-Centers to address it properly. Some of the common signs and
symptoms of stress Although we all experience stress in different ways, there are certain
signs that are most frequently reported. These signs fall into two major categories;
physical/behavioral signs and emotional signs. If we become aware of our own stress
symptoms, we will be more effective in dealing with them sooner rather than later. What
follows is a list of some of the most experienced symptoms of stress.

The physical/behavioral symptoms include; muscular tension, muscle spasms and

tics, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and high blood pressure, cold hands and feet,
backaches, headaches and neck aches, stomach problems, indigestion, irritable bowel and
ulcers, feeling fatigued, irritable, decreased ability to concentrate, insomnia and changes in
eating behavior. Since these physical symptoms may be related to physical problems, you
should consult with your medical doctor before you assume that your symptoms are purely
stress-related.

The emotional symptoms include; anxiety in a variety of situations not limited to

the stressful situation, depression, hopelessness and a strong urge to cry without specific
incident, withdrawal from social interactions and avoidance of previously enjoyed activities,
powerlessness and decreased self-esteem, hostility, anger and resentment, fears, phobias and
unwanted thoughts.

Learning to become more aware of your own stress symptoms is the first major step
in the stress management and healing process. It is often helpful to monitor your daily
symptoms in a stress diary where you match the stressful events with the symptom
experienced. For example; you made find that if you are stuck in early morning traffic you
may experience irritability and headaches. In this case it will be important to use these
symptoms as a cue that you have to begin managing that stress more effectively when it
happens.

9.4 What are the consequences of unmanaged stress?

We all know that stress is something that doesn't feel good to us physically and
emotionally. What is even more compelling is what happens below the surface each time we
experience stress. Stress researcher Hans Selye, determined what happens internally each
time we experience something as threatening or stressful. According to Selye, when we
perceive a threat in the environment the thinking part of the brain sends an alarm message to
the nervous system via the hypothalamus. The nervous system then makes changes in the
body that prepare you to handle the perceived danger ahead. These changes include increases
in heart rate and blood pressure as well as pupil dilation. In addition, there are hormones and
chemicals secreted such as adrenaline, that give the body the necessary push to be able to
manage the threat ahead. Although there are situations in which these adrenaline surges are
very helpful in helping us mobilize, the constant adrenaline surges due to repeatedly
perceived threats, have a toxic effect on the body. For example, recurrent adrenaline surges
inhibit some of the other important functions in the body including growth and tissue repair,
digestion and the immune response.

Just as the thinking part of your brain is responsible for turning the stress response on,
you can turn it off by changing the threatening appraisals you are making. Once you are able
to determine that a threat does not exist or that it can be effectively managed, your thinking
brain stops sending panic messages to the nervous system. As a result of this reappraisal, the
hormones and chemicals cease to be released and the body returns to normal.

Bringing the body back to an "un-stressed" state is very important since almost every
system in the body can be damaged by stress. Although our bodies are adaptive and can
recover from periodic stressors, chronic stress has serious consequences. We experience the
consequences of stress on three important levels; physically, emotionally and behaviorally.
What follows is a description of the specific consequences in these three categories.

Physically, the body is likely to develop a stress-related disease as a result of the

stress toxins that are released. For example, chronic stress can lead to cardiovascular disease
by elevating blood pressure, damaging the heart and arteries and increasing blood sugar.
Respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis can result from stress-triggered changes
in the lungs. When stress inhibits the body's digestive functions, diseases such as ulcers,
colitis and chronic diarrhea can occur. In addition, stress contributes to inhibited growth of
tissue and bone which can lead to decalcification and osteoporosis. The immune system is
also inhibited by the reduced efficiency of the white blood cells, making the body more
susceptible to disease. Increased muscle tension, fatigue and headaches are additional
consequences of chronic stress.

The second category of consequences of chronic stress is the emotional

consequences. Depression can result from chronic stress due to the constant release and
depletion of nor epinephrine. What also contributes to the depression is the thought that life is
terrible and that it is never going to get better. What then results is a feeling of helplessness
and ineffectiveness, feeling like a failure and a reduction in self-confidence. Individuals who
are depressed are also likely to withdraw from relationships and isolate themselves which
often increases the intensity of the depression. In addition, anxiety and fearfulness are
commonly felt emotions if someone constantly perceives threats around the corner. In
addition, individuals who are chronically stressed are likely to exhibit increased cynicism,
rigidity, sarcasm and irritability since they believe that their situation is not likely to improve.

Chronic stress also has significant behavioral consequences. The behavioral

consequences often result from the innate survival urge we have to seek relief, to fight or to
flee. Unfortunately, these relief-seeking behaviors eventually become problematic. For
example, "addictive behaviors" can result from the repeated efforts to soothe or escape the
painful stress. Alcohol, drugs, smoking and overeating are often seen as tools to help manage
the stress even though their effects are short lived and the consequences of chronic use are
destructive to the body and mind. Unfortunately, the mind's ability to deny the long-term
consequences in order to fill the short-term need to escape perpetuates the problem and
increases the excessive use behavior. Similarly, procrastination, poor planning, excessive
sleeping and the avoidance of responsibility are examples of behaviors used by stressed
individuals to temporarily flee from the pain. What is most significant about these behaviors
is their ability to generate additional problems that are as severe as the original stressor. For
example, procrastination or avoidance of the management of a stressor only serves to increase
anxiety and exacerbate the stress experience.
 The stress consequences reviewed above suggest that in addition to being physically
and psychologically distressing, they reduce the likelihood of effective goal reaching. The
rationale for properly managing and coping with the stress is for health protection in the
future as well as making the present more productive and satisfying.

9.5 Managing Stress

Since stress is an inevitable fact of life that we can't always prevent, our efforts need
to be focused on coping with stress more effectively. What follows is a description of a three
pronged approach to stress management which includes behavioral/practical techniques,
relaxation techniques and cognitive/thinking techniques.

The behavioral/practical approaches to stress management include exercise and

eating a healthy, balanced diet, which includes selections from the basic food groups. In
addition, it is recommended that one avoid the excessive use of alcohol, caffeine and sugar,
which contribute to fatigue and vulnerability to mood swings. It is also important to allow the
body to rest and replenish to help inoculate the body against future stress. Building this stress
resistance also includes scheduling time for leisure and pleasure, which provides for a more
balanced, fulfilling life. Anticipating and preparing for recurrent stressors by managing time,
setting priorities and limits, delegating responsibility, and not procrastinating are helpful
stress reducing strategies. These techniques are effective stress management tools because
their utilization is within our control.

The relaxation approaches to stress management include a variety of techniques

designed to help you effectively manage the body/mind tension. Progressive muscle
relaxation is an active form of relaxation where you individually contract the major muscle
groups of your body for about five seconds and then you relax the individual muscle groups
for a five second holds. The contrast experienced by this exercise relieves muscle tension and
relaxes the body. Some of the more passive relaxation approaches include listening to music,
reading and using saunas and hot tubs to relieve tension. Techniques used to relax the mind
include meditation and visual imagery. Meditation teaches you how to clear the mind of
stressful and distracting thoughts by focusing the mental energy on positive coping thoughts.
Visual imagery is designed to help the individual visualize him/herself coping effectively
with a stressor that was previously experienced as overwhelming. The behavioral and
relaxation approaches described above are necessary but not sufficient conditions for stress
management. The third prong to stress management, the cognitive or thinking approach, is
essential to effective coping with stress.

The cognitive or thinking approaches are an integral part of coping effectively

with stress and now the primary focus of many stress management programs. Since it has
been determined that we can turn off the stress response by changing our
threatening/dangerous event appraisals to appraisals that help us view these events as
manageable challenges, we have a direct link to controlling the stress response. The first step
in the cognitive approach is to identify our thoughts or internal dialog that is negative,
perfectionist, black and white, rigid and demanding. In other words, you are more likely to
experience stress if you believe that you, the world and other people "should or must" behave
in a manner consistent with your demands and standards. For example, you are likely to
experience stress if you believe that the world and your life should be stress free and that you
do not have the resources to handle stress if it does occur. In addition, demands of perfection
on yourself and on others important to you, increases the chance of feeling stressed since
these expectations are unrealistic and rigid. After identifying your stress producing thoughts
you are then able to move onto the second step in the cognitive approach; recognizing the
consequences of this negative, rigid dialog.

The motivation to change the stress-producing dialog comes from the

determination that there are serious consequences that result form these negative, rigid
thoughts. When you talk to yourself in a defeated, pessimistic or rigid way, you deny your
ability to cope and are not likely to manage situations effectively or meet goals you set. In
addition, perfectionist demands are experienced as appropriately unrealistic and contribute to
a "why bother" attitude. This attitude reduces the likelihood that you will address these
demands since it is a realistic fact that no one or nothing is ever perfect. Once you are
convinced that the dialog is negative and counterproductive, you are ready to move on to the
third step in the cognitive approach; challenging and replacing the negative internal dialog
with a healthier, more productive internal dialog.

This important step in the reappraisal process requires that you challenge your
rigid dialog by asking yourself a series of questions about that rigid dialog. For example,
"Why must I perform perfectly in order to believe I am a valuable human being?" In addition,
"Does that demand for perfection increase my anxiety and reduce the likelihood that I
perform well at all?" "What would I feel like and would I be more motivated if I changed my
demand for perfection to a desire to do well?" Another example of this reappraisal process
can be seen in the area of criticism and rejection. A negative internal dialog that would create
stress in this area is "I am worthless because I was rejected and this proves that no one will
ever love me." A healthy challenge to this belief would be, "How does the opinion of this
person reflect my personal worth?' "How does it follow that this rejection will lead to future
rejections?" It is also important to add, " Even if I were to get rejected repeatedly, could I
work to make desired changes in my personality without condemning myself or feeling
worthless?" By replacing the negative, rigid dialog with more realistic, flexible dialog, you
are more likely to feel healthier emotionally and behave more rationally and productively.

The behavioral, relaxation and cognitive techniques described above have been
determined to be effective ways to manage and cope more effectively with stress. The
techniques give the control back to the individual and empower him/her to manage the
inevitable stressors that will occur in life
 In 2003, the popular uproar against telemarketing calls grew so loud that
legislators in Washington took notice and took action. Following the lead of several states,
federal legislators passed a law in 2003 that made it possible for people to register to have
their home phones included on a do-not-call list and by so doing "opt-out of telemarketing."
The law is the Do-Not-Call Registry Act of 2003. This act authorized the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), under sections of the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse
Prevention Act, to implement and enforce a do-not-call registry to be established and run by
the commission. The registry is nationwide in scope, applies to all telemarketers (with the
exception of certain non-profit organizations), and covers both interstate and intrastate
telemarketing calls. Commercial telemarketers are not allowed to call a number that is on the
registry, subject to certain exceptions.

Organizations not covered by the law include nonprofit organizations, political

campaigns and companies that have an existing business relationship with a call recipient.
The goal is to eliminate cold calls for all those who chose to "opt-out" of telemarketing, it is
not designed to keep companies from calling their customers for repeat sales. As of early
2005, the FTC reported having close to 65 million numbers in the do-not-call registry with an
additional 150,000 added monthly. Under the law, telemarketers are required to purchase a
copy of the list for the area codes they wish to call and then remove from their call lists all
numbers that appear on the FTC list. Those companies that fail to comply with this law face
the imposition of heavy fines. In late 2005, the largest fine to-date was imposed on the
satellite television company, DirectTV. The fine charged DirectTV was $5.3 million. The
underlying complaint named as defendants DirectTV, five firms that tele marketed on its
behalf and six principals of those telemarketing firms. "This multimillion-dollar penalty
drives home a simple point: Sellers are on the hook for calls placed on their behalf," said FTC
chairman Deborah Platt Majoras in an article in the magazine Brand week.

Although solid numbers are hard to find, one commonly accepted estimate is that
the do-not-call regulation had cut the number of telemarketing calls by half during the first
two years in effect. Telemarketing firms report seeing their lists cut from 35 to 55 percent.

The industry is still adjusting to the new reality that has been created by the do-not-
call registry. They will continue to search for ways in which to generate new telephone lists
that include potential clients that are not on the do-not-call list or clients who by virtue of
signing up for a sweepstakes event have created for themselves a "relationship" with the
seller. Companies with whom a person has done business or with whom a person has signed
up for a drawing are allowed to call that individual whether or not his or her phone number is
on the do-not-call list. Consequently, companies that use telemarketing are researching ways
to go about rebuilding their calling lists.

Although much reduced during the first years of the 21st Century, telemarketing is
still an option for some types of businesses. In particular, business-to-business telemarketing
is still a useful tool within a larger marketing strategy for companies that sell to other
companies.
Selling

Telemarketing can either supplement or replace face-to-face selling to existing

accounts. It can complement the field sales effort by reaching new customer bases or
geographic markets at relatively low cost. It can also be used to sell goods and services
independently, with no field sales force in place. This method often is used for repetitive
supply purchases or readily identifiable products, though it can be effectively applied to other
products as well.

The inside sales force can be used to replace direct contact for marginally
profitable customers. A general rule of thumb in business says that 20 percent of customers
account for 80 percent of sales, so conversely the remaining 80 percent of customers generate
just 20 percent of sales. But businesses must keep in mind that marginal does not necessarily
mean unprofitable. And the existing customer base is perhaps the most important asset in any
business; increases in sales most often come from current accounts, and it generally is less
costly to maintain current customers than to search out new business, particularly with the
reduction of access resulting from the FTC do-not-call list. Telemarketers can give these
reliable customers the attention they deserve. The reps can phone as often as needed,
determine the customers' purchasing cycles, and contact them at appropriate reorder times.

Lead Generation

Through telemarketing, a company can compile and update lists of customer

prospect leads and then go through these lists searching for sales leads. Telemarketing can
screen the leads and qualify them according to priority, passing the best leads to the field
sales force for immediate action. The inside sales force also can identify the decision maker
with the buying power and set up appointments for the outside sales force.

Gathering Information

Telemarketing can provide accurate information on advertising effectiveness,

what customers are buying, from whom they're buying, and when they will buy again. It is
also commonly used in conducting surveys.

Improving Customer Service

Studies show it costs five times more to win over a new customer than to keep an existing
one. By using telemarketing as a main facet of customer service, companies can go a long
way toward keeping customers happy.

In addition, when used in conjunction with current computer technology, a telemarketing

program can be analyzed in terms of costs and benefits, using quantitative data on the number
of contacts, number of presentations, total sales, cost per sale, and income per sale

THE TELECRAPPER 2000

Description

The Tele-crapper 2000 (TC2K) is a computerized system designed to intercept

incoming Telemarketing calls on the first ring, and then carry on a virtual conversation with
the telemarketer. Here's how it works:

First the TC2K computer (any standard PC) is connected to the phone line via a
Caller ID modem or serial Caller ID device. The user creates a setup text file (called a "hit
list") that declares all of the Caller ID strings (numbers and/or names) he considers
"annoying" and wants intercepted on the first ring. When a call on the users "hit list" arrives,
the computer intercepts the call and picks up the extension. This feature alone is very
valuable. It gives the ability to identify legitimate calls anywhere in the house by simply
waiting to hear a second ring.

As if that feature wasn't enough, the TC2K then plays a wave file over the
extension for the telemarketer to hear. The user can declare a list of wave files, in a specific
order, that he wishes to be played to calls on his "hit list". The first wave file is played
immediately after picking up the extension, the TC2K then waits for the telemarketer to
respond, then the TC2K waits for silence (for the telemarketer to finish speaking), then plays
the next wave file on the list. The cycle of play wave file, wait for response, wait for silence
is repeated for each wave file the user has declared in his setup text file. This way the TC2K
can carry on a "virtual" conversation with the telemarketer and the content of that
conversation is completely up to the user. All the user needs to do is record his own set of
wave files to be played and declare them in a setup file.

Perhaps best of all, the "virtual" conversation between the TC2K and the
telemarketer is recorded for the user to enjoy and share with other TC2K users. I will try to
maintain links to as many TC2K conversations as possible from this page.

Productivity:

Americans have an aversion to telephone solicitation. Because of the pace of

American life, productivity is constantly sought after and guarded. Phone solicitors are
particularly annoying then because they steal our productivity. We spend time with them that
we would otherwise use for more productive purposes.

The telemarketing corporations on the other hand have very sophisticated

computer technology on their side to insure maximum productivity from their telemarketers.
Computers do all the dialing and interfacing and only engage a human on their side of the
telephone when they're sure they're talking to a human on our side.

No-Call Lists and gadgets like the Tele zapper only shift the telemarketing call
traffic around. Telemarketing is no less attractive to advertisers because their technology still
works the same ... only the numbers dialed have changed. Only the TC2K has the capability
to turn the tables on the telemarketing industry. With similar computer technology on OUR
side, we can reduce the productivity of the telemarketers and make the entire enterprise less
attractive. The more TC2K devices in use, the less productive every telemarketer becomes.
They will spend more and more time talking to OUR computers and less and less time on
potential sales.

CHAPTER 7: ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH

It was a very tedious job to roam around distributing and collecting the
questionnaires to and from all the people selected for the survey. Only a few people agreed
readily to give their opinions and the rest required a little convincing. Once the sample was
decided, asking the people questions about the research also was difficult at times as they did
not understand the questions properly; some did not even entertain due to certain reasons.

1. A question was asked to the consumers whether they have used telemarketing or no
and the following are the results.
 100%
90%
80%
70%
60% Yes
50% No
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

ATTRIBUTES No. OF RESPONDENTS

Yes 95
No 5

2. A question was asked to the consumers to know how helpful was telemarketing.
 60%
50%
40%
Yes
30%
No
20%
10%
0%

ATTRIBUTES No. OF RESPONDENTS

Yes 45
No 55

3. A question was asked to the consumers to know whether the telemarketers reply to
their queries or no.

60%

50%

40%
Yes
30% No
20%

10%

0%
 ATTRIBUTES No. OF RESPONDENTS

Yes 60
No 40

It was a very tedious job to roam around distributing and collecting the
questionnaires to and from all the people selected for the survey. Only a few people agreed
readily to give their opinions and the rest required a little convincing. Once the sample was
decided, asking the people questions about the research also was difficult times as they did
not understand the questions properly; some did not even entertain due to certain reasons.

CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Telemarketing has been a big headache for customers since they either do not
provide any information when asked for or provide more information when it isn’t required.
Telemarketer call up at odd times which irritates the customers the most.

Also telemarketing frauds are increasing day by day but simultaneously there are
companies and the country itself coming up with more of security when it comes to
telemarketing. At times people fall prey to such frauds but now even they have become more
aware about these things.

To many people, telemarketing clearly is a "bad word". Nonetheless, telemarketing

still remains a very valuable component of the entire mix of marketing tools, and it shouldn’t
be discarded merely because of the negative image created by the "won’t take ‘no’ for an
answer" practitioners. Used correctly, telemarketing offers some unique, valuable benefits not
necessarily found in other marketing tools, such as instant sales results and valuable sales
leads.

Bibliography

While making this project I visited some of my relatives and friends who work
in a call centre and asked for their feedback regarding the services provided by their
company.

To give my project a support I used books such as:

 Telemarketing tips from A to Z by Nancy J. Friedman.

Newspaper and magazines:

1. Economic times.
2. Business today.
3. Times of India

Web-biography

Websites which helped me out were:

En.wikipedia.org

www.shodhganga.com
www.marketing.com

www.tmone.com

www.buzzle.com

www.scribd.com

Chapter 9 – Annexure

1. Have you ever used a telemarketing service?

100%
90%
80%
70%
60% Yes
50% No
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Yes. No.

2.Was it really helpful?

 60%
50%
40%
Yes
30%
No
20%
10%
0%

Yes.
No.

3. Do the telemarketers respond to your queries in the right manner?

60%

50%

40%
Yes
30% No
20%

10%

0%

Yes. No.

4. Do you get frequent calls from telemarketers?

 100%

80%

60% Yes
No
40%

20%

0%

Yes. No.

5. What is the frequency?

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Once in a Once a Once in 2 once in 3
month week weeks months

Once in a month. Once a week.

Once in two months. Once in three months.

6. Do you give good response when you receive a call from them?
70%
60%
50%
40% Yes

30% No

20%
10%
0%

Yes. No.

7. What time of the day do they call you?

50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Morning Afternoon Night Evening

Morning. Afternoon.

Night. Evening.

8. Do you find it a nuisance?

 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Yes. No.

9. How long was your last conversation (approximately)?

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
10 mins 20mins 30 mins more then
30 mins

10 minutes. 20 minutes.

30 minutes. More than 30 minutes.

10. Have you ever been scammed by anyone who claimed to be a telemarketer?
 90%
80%
70%
60%
50% Yes
40% No
30%
20%
10%
0%

Yes. No.

11. Do you think telemarketing should be banned?

50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
Yes
25% No
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%

Yes. No.