Actually they produce [generate] huge amounts of sales for the companies they represent. How long does it take any of you to figure out how lucrative this business is? Millions of people purchase from telemarketers... check out the annual reports of these companies. We don't call that productive where I work, but I'll accept your definition. Nevertheless, its pretty telling that you would support the practice of using people's private telephone to exercise deceptive and coercive selling practices on people that just don't want to be bothered.
I honestly don't give a flying rat's backside what the annual report of these companies say. They are a public nuisance. I suppose that thieves and robbers have quite an impressive annual report as well. They also are a public nuisance. Both tend to separate people from their hard earned cash and generally give that person nothing of value in return.
I could actually give you quite a list of things young people did before telemarketing... ushers at movie theatres, pumping gas and cleaning windshields at gas stations, carrying groceries home from supermarkets in wagons, summer jobs at US Steel that more than paid for college so parents did not need to second mortgage the house, etc. Lots of things that aren't around any more.
There's a whole want-ad section in the sunday paper that is full of jobs that need filling. Most of these jobs don't involve harassing people in their homes.
Just because people can do other jobs doesn't mean that telemarketing wasn't a decent position for some people. Suppose they would like to have another choice than slinging burgers at Mickey D's? You find them annoying, but they are employed people, young, middle-aged, and elderly... all making a buck and spending a buck... paying taxes... contributing to our capitalistic society.
Hit-men are employed people too, as are drug runners. But both share a common thread with the telemarketer - they are a burden on the innocent people that want nothing better than to have peace and quiet in their own homes. I don't desire to contribute to the employment of any of those groups.
"...I honestly don't give a flying rat's backside what the annual report of these companies say. They are a public nuisance. I suppose that thieves and robbers have quite an impressive annual report as well. They also are a public nuisance. Both tend to separate people from their hard earned cash and generally give that person nothing of value in return..."
And you know what? Those telemarketers that are scumbags, they're really going to honor the "Do Not Call" list, aren't they?
"Hit-men are employed people too, as are drug runners. But both share a common thread with the telemarketer - they are a burden on the innocent people that want nothing better than to have peace and quiet in their own homes. I don't desire to contribute to the employment of any of those groups"
Since when do hit men and drug runners pay taxes?
Why don't you separate the company from the employees? In my original post I stated that I did not support telemarketing as a fun enterprise, but that it was insulting to say that the employees of said companies were non-productive citizens.
Personally, I get maybe one or two telemarketing calls a week because I have taken the time to ask to be put on a do not call list.
But this is a lucrative business for the owners of said companies... even more lucrative for the agent who matches up a client with a telemarketing company. The money in this industry is astounding, and the money is there simply because people answer their phone and purchase the merchandise. You may personally be annoyed and most of the people here may be annoyed with the phone intrustion. But enough people are not annoyed to make at least one telemarketing company on the list of Fortune 100...