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The Phonex Times Issue Number Eleven Contents:
When telemarketers call (Part 2) There was such a great response to our article about telemarketers in last months newsletter, that it seemed to be a good idea to have a sequel. Here are the Top Ten most favorite things to do when telemarketers call, as submitted by our readers. 1. Answer the phone. As soon as you realize it's a telemarketer, set the receiver down and scream in horror, "Please don't!" and then hang up. 2. If they want to loan you money, tell them you just filed for bankruptcy and you could sure use some money. 3. If they start out with, "How are you today?" say, "I'm so glad you asked, because no one seems to care these days. My arthritis is flaring up, the kids are acting crazy, my dog just died . . . " 4. If the company cleans rugs, whisper: "Can you get out human blood? Because there is a lot of blood here..." 5. After the telemarketer gives his or her spiel, ask him or her to marry you. When they get flustered, tell them that you can't just give your credit card number to a complete stranger. 6. Tell them it is dinner time, but ask if they would please hold. Put them on your speaker phone while you continue to eat at your leisure. Smack your food loudly and continue with your dinner conversation. 7. Tell the telemarketer you are on "home incarceration" and ask if they could bring you some beer. 8. Insist that the caller is really your buddy Joe, playing a joke. "Come on, Joe, cut it out! Seriously, Joe, how's your momma?" 9. Answer the phone, then hand it to your wife/husband and say, "It's for you." 10. If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up for the Family and Friends Plan, reply, "I don't have any friends, would you be my friend?" Send your favorite tips to phonex@sbcglobal.net, and I'll include them in next months newsletter. Internet Sales Taxes Legislation has been introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) to extend the moratorium on internet taxation until 2006. Titled, "The Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act", it has been offered so that the federal government and the states have the time to come to an agreement on the terms and percentages of taxes. Since the current moratorium expires in October of this year, this legislation is being closely watched by many in the field. Update on Free PC Phone Calls Free PC phone sites have had trouble turning profits from advertising dollars, so a few have resorted to charging for calls. Deltathree.com, who recently won praise from the media for it's ease of use and free services, have begun to charge one cent per minute of pc to phone calls. Phonefree.com now charges two cents per minute. Both Phonefree and Deltathree continue to offer free PC to PC calls, however. As it is in many cases, offering the services for free allowed the opportunity to sell fee-based services, such as internet phone devices and calling cards. However, it has always been a common practice not to have an advertising model as the sole revenue for a business. Deltathree and Phonefree realized that and moved to a fee per minute model. There are two holdouts in the free PC phone call arena, Dialpad.com and Net2Phone.com. Although it is unclear how long Net2Phone will offer free calls, Dialpad has made statements indicating that they will offer the free call service indefinitely. Click here for more on Free PC Phone Calls. I'd like to teach the world to CING To help promote it's new slogan, "What do you have to say?", Cingular Wireless allowed it's employees to post qoutes and photos to a 28,000 square foot thin plastic wrap that covered part of the exterior of the company's new Atlanta headquarters. Cingular Wireless is the joint venture of SBC Communications and BellSouth. In addition to the title of this section, other qoutes included, "I'm tired of standing up all day," and "I can see clearly now," apparently in reference to the 1970's hit song. The 12-story building wrap is best viewed from a mile away. Company officials are looking into posting a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. Headsets: Personal Use vs. Commercial Grade First, some definitions... A "personal use" headset is one that is designed for occasional use in the home, or under certain conditions, in the office. They all tend to have the same features: Personal headsets are made by most of the major manufacturers and can be found at office supply stores. Although these are less expensive than commercial grade headsets, they tend to have short life cycles and therefore cost more in the long run. "Commercial grade" headsets come in a variety of styles to suit every user, and are designed for moderate to heavy headset usage. This is based on thicker cordage and stronger components for durability. In addition, commercial grade headsets tend to be lighter and more comfortable than personal use headsets, and include longer warranties. Examples of commercial grade headsets would be the Plantronics, ACS and GN Netcom brands. So, how do we choose which is best? The environment, such as in the home or the office, is the key. Unless you have an office in your home, chances are that you will use a headset less often, and durability is not as big of an issue. In the office, headsets are used much more often, and daily usage takes it's toll on headsets. Thus, commercial grade headsets are appropriate in the office, for the sake of comfort and durability. Although Plantronics and GN Netcom offer personal use headsets, I have been reluctant to offer them on our website. I feel it would cause confusion (based on price alone) to most of our visitors. In other words, people who need commercial grade headsets may opt for a personal use headset since it's cheaper, and lose out on the durability of the better headsets. Tell me what you think: Joke of the day Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when, all of a sudden, the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs. "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE... His older brother leaned over and nudged him, whispering, "Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn't hard of hearing." To which the little brother replied, "No, but Gramma is!" Thank you for reading The Phonex Times! Your input is very important to me. If you have any articles or information that you would like to share, please contact me. |
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Updated April 16, 2002 ©1999-2002 Phonex Communications, Inc.