consultant firm calling

[Starae23]

Hello all!
Normally I would not be posting any of this right now I would be busy getting Thanksgiving centerpieces out the door, but this is interesting.
So this guy calls from a group called Boston Consulting and wants to know if I would take a 5-10 minute phone survey. I am somewhat reluctant to take part in anything like this over the phone, especially when they call and ask to speak to the owner. But as manager, I take those calls. So this guy wants me to fax him all of my wire service statements (we are in three), so that they can review them and get a picture of the florist (wire service) market. I ask him who he is working for and he tells me he cannot disclose that information. I ask him why he wants the statements themselves and why I could not just give him estimates. He says he needs them to back up their data. I told him I would not be able to talk with him right now and that he could call me back later. He restated that it would be great if I would go ahead and fax him those statements so that he could analyze them prior to our phone conversation. Oh and he told me I would get compensated with $50.00. I do not feel good about this and I really don't think I am going to talk to him when he calls back. Anybody else have this happen? Let me know what you think.

 

[Rhonda]

Sounds like someone trying to get code numbers...maybe been a florist employee in the past, new scammer!! I would never, ever, fax to anyone who wouldn't tell me who they are working for and probably not even if they did. Wash your hands of the entire thing (get a name and call back number and investigate or give to the cops)

 

[fairfield]

At the very least, it sounds like a large company (the one that hired the consultants) is trying to figure out how they can get more money out of a floral shop.

 

[carol]

or... if you do enough wire out business then your's would be a prime market to advertise in to capture that business..
If all he wanted was percentages such as clearing house is 7% or 8 or 9% and rebate amounts etc than it might be a real survey for a wire service..but it would be something I would pass on..
I've even stopped doing the Fed's surveys unless required by law because it takes 30 minutes and once you are on their list you are stuck there for a year or better and it doesn't help me..it only helps them compile some sort of data which I fear might give them more incentive to invent a new tax...
right now I have someone calling saying I must fill out this Fed Survey but they can not give me the law # or info and the form says "please, it will help us collect needed data for the GNP numbers" no where does it say I must.. I did get hit by the census this year and it is a MUST DO BY LAW but the rest of these calls seem bogus. Just data collect firms that sell that data to companies.. nothing in it for me!

 

[designingdime]

Oh and he told me I would get compensated with $50.00. I do not feel good about this and I really don't think I am going to talk to him when he calls back. Anybody else have this happen? Let me know what you think.

There's your first clue right there that he is full of it. I have never had anyone pay me money for anything like this unless they could get even more $ out of me in the future. Imagine if he was actually giving out $50 bucks to every florist that took the survey...I can't even begin to imagine how his company would be in business for longer than a week. That much cash just for a little info? C'mon, nothing in life is free and that goes double for business! Companies never give out $ unless they expect something in return.....YOUR $!!

I got endless amounts of telemarketers calling me daily until I put my business # on the Do Not Call list. Now I get only a handful a week that seems to not care about violating the law. Go to the website, register and save yourself a headache www.donotcall.gov. I used to get a company calling every week saying that they needed me to update my info for Dun & Bradstreet, and when I informed them that I am registered online and any updates needed come to me via email, they promptly hang up on me!

I can not stress enough to any business or person, that you absolutly DO NOT give any info about yourself or business to anyone you don't know over the phone! Not even your address! Even though it seems a minor thing, these people have ways of getting you! Even a "harmless" conversation can lead to big problems. Sometimes all they want is for you to say the word YES and they got you. When a telemarketer calls and asks if you are the "manager or owner" always respond with "speaking". Never "yes". It's a hard habit to break, but once you get taken.....

The only time I give out sensitive info about my business ( statements ) is to my bank or accountant. No one else needs them!! If a business wnats to do a comparision to try to offer me better terms our discounts than the company that we are presently dealing with, I ask the new company to fax over or email me a listing of their pricing, terms, etc... and then I do the comparison myself!

 

[Connie]

I can not stress enough to any business or person, that you absolutly DO NOT give any info about yourself or business to anyone you don't know over the phone! Not even your address! Even though it seems a minor thing, these people have ways of getting you! Even a "harmless" conversation can lead to big problems. Sometimes all they want is for you to say the word YES and they got you. When a telemarketer calls and asks if you are the "manager or owner" always respond with "speaking". Never "yes". It's a hard habit to break, but once you get taken.....

Yes! We've been caught twice by someone here simply answering, yes, to a caller with a "survey" or to "verify the address." Both times caused an additional charge on our phone bill until I could get it cleared up. In each case, the offending company had a recording of a staff person simply answering, yes, and that answer seemingly placed at the end of agreements to use a service that we did not need or want.

We try very, very hard to keep from answering yes to any question unless we know the caller or if it's for an order. As Designingdime said, it's a hard habit to break, but absolutely necessary to learn another answer. The worse time for slipping on this one is during the busy holidays when a temporary employee is brought in to answer the phones. Now just might be the right time to write a phone-answering-policies sheet for thoses temps.

 

[Kristine]

That "yes" thing is very hard.

We no longer give out any information over the phone. The one that ticks me off are the one who call and ask if you take credit cards. You never know if it's a company or customer asking. But the minute you say you do within a couple of days, here come the call: some person will be in your area to look at your card statements to see if they can better your rates! NOT>

If I ever answer the phone - and I do alot - I quickly become just the lowly phone receptionist - not the guy in charges.....

Oh boy sorry for the soap box rant.......

 

[Rhonda]

Experion.......they call every few weeks. Their telemarketing division does anyway - most don't speak very good English either -
It's now to the point where I tell them, nothing has changed. Do Not Call Again. Hmm...four days later, again. They argue with you....."it will only take a few minutes to update your informationi".........Guess they don't understand much English either like "Nothing has changed".....sheesh....
Oh and Verizon doesn't like it when you say "Correct" instead of yes!!