Less doorstep selling: more cold calls
18/08/2011
Energy doorstep sellers are under threat as consumer groups are calling upon the companies to stop door to door sales. Once energy companies are prohibited from promoting their services via doorstep selling, it has been predicted that a rise in telemarketing calls will come as a result.If companies are prevented from fulfilling their direct marketing activities, it doesn’t take an expert to forecast a boost in alternative areas of direct marketing; i.e. cold calling.
This news comes as a result of a study that suggested only four per cent of households remained positive about energy door step sales. A shocking 50 per cent of householders, who signed up for a product or service at the door and later changed their mind, admitted they only agreed because they felt pressurised by the sales person.
The calls can be particularly discerning for people in later life. Those who suffer from mental illnesses, Alzheimer’s and memory loss are often targeted because they are ‘easy’ sells. Canvassers have been reported for taking advantage of the vulnerable and it has become a serious problem of late.
Appointments are often made by cold callers via the telephone, perpetrating to be from social services, a hospital or Help the Aged. Consumers are being told false information about products and charged unnecessary extortionate fees. Charges have been known to exceed 1,326 per cent over the recommended retail price.
Nearly half of those surveyed receive several calls in just one day and a third of consumers receive more than ten calls a week. An estimated 1.5 billion nuisance calls are estimated to be received by UK households every year.
Nuisance calls have serious consequences on the mental welfare of the elderly. One in ten people aged 60 to 74 in UK households have mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression and phobias. These figures suggest maintaining a healthy mental attitude is vital in maintaining the welfare of older generations. Companies preying on the elderly are inhibiting this philosophy.
Around 29 per cent of older adults in the UK report experiencing age discrimination more than any other form of prejudice. Their vulnerability makes them susceptible to pushy sales tactics and sometimes even charities play on their compassion by convincing them to donate money.
A spokesperson for CPR Global, an organisation committed to preventing telemarketing calls said “The elderly who are preyed upon by sales people should be aware of these criminals and they should consider taking the necessary precautions.”
Persuasion often leads to mis-selling and deception as householders are most likely not to want the canvassed product as they did not seek it in the first place. Sales people start to use high pressured sales tactics through no fault of their own as it is often their only means of getting paid.
Companies are realizing how doorstep selling is only a short term solution to gaining sales, as the rate at which sales people are using deceptive and misleading tactics is hard to control.
Whilst precautions have been taken to prevent bogus callers and rogue tradesmen knocking at your door, i.e. no cold calling zones; the telephone lines remain unprotected. Cold calling via the telephone is potentially as daunting as door to door canvassers, as householders can be lured in to making a huge purchase with the charm of an over enthusiastic sales person. Many cold calls often result in a home appointment and once they have your attention, you are at a greater risk.
For years the advice has been to simply hang up the phone but we all know now that this just postpones the problem, leaving the consumer open to persuasion at a later, more vulnerable time. Although the elderly grew up at a time when hanging up the phone was considered rude.
Research indicates that the 62 per cent of those who make unsolicited phone calls, contact potential customers on up to four separate occasions. Twelve per cent of those callers contact potential clients on more than ten occasions. These figures indicate the relentless of some cold callers and the reasons to why some people may be hounded more than others.
To prevent an onset of telemarketing calls, consumers should be taking extra precautions this summer to prevent being overwhelmed with unsolicited calls from energy salesmen trying to switch their provider.
CPR Global is an added value service to the TPS and is fully committed to dramatically decreasing the amount of unsolicited calls for their customers.
For £39.99, CPR Global works on behalf of customers to take their telephone numbers off both UK and international calling lists. In the unlikely event that calls come through after registering, CPR Global handles reports of the offending companies and sees that they are dealt with accordingly.
To register your details with CPR Global, please visit their website below where a wealth of information and advice is available on stopping the nuisance phone calls that plague our UK households.