2008年ESL之购物 06 A Call from a Telemarketer

06 A Call from a Telemarketer

GLOSSARY 1

lady of the house – the female 2 head of the household; the woman with the topposition in the family, usually the wife and/or mother* Maria had spent many years being bossed around by her parents and oldersisters, and was happy to get married and finally become the lady of the house.

what is this regarding 3? – a formal way to ask what something is about; a politeway to ask why someone is calling * “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting a call from the police,” she said, “What is this regarding?”

cable 4 company – a company that provides cable TV service that gives peopleaccess to additional 5 movie, sports, and other TV stations for a monthly 6 fee* I need to call the cable company tomorrow so that we will be able to watch theboxing match on TV this Saturday!

bundle 7 – group; a package deal; two or more services for one price* I pay $19.99 a month for a bundle of services on my cell phone, including textmessaging and unlimited 8 calls.

to sign up – to officially agree to do something; to commit to paying a company;to sign a contract * Ling wanted to exercise more so she signed up for a three-month gymmembership.

no extra charge – for free; to give away one item or service with purchase ofanother* When I bought my new camera, the salesman gave me batteries for no extracharge.

to switch – to change; to stop using one company’s services and start usinganother’s; to stop doing one thing and to start doing another* I told my mother that she should switch to a cheaper way to heat her home aftershe received a $500 bill last month.

do-not-call registry – created in 2003 by the US Federal 9 Trade Commission 10, itallows people who do not want to get sales phone calls to add their name to this list and it bans (or does not allow) telemarketers from calling them* I haven’t received one telemarketing phone call since I added my name to thedo-not-call registry last year.

to take off – to remove; to erase 11; to delete 12* Olivia asked that her address be taken off the public message board.

call list – list of phone numbers used by a telemarketing company to make sales calls; a list of potential customers used by a telemarketing company* On his first day at his new telemarketing job, Jorge was given a call list with 30names and telephone numbers.

prior 13 relationship – contact between two people in the past; a relationship thathappened before the present* I did not have a prior relationship with the lawyer, but I trusted him because my friend had used his services for years.

telemarketers – people who are paid by a company to call other people by phone and sell a product or service* I used to work as a telemarketer, but I quit because I didn’t like the way peoplereacted to me when I called them at home or at an inconvenient 14 time.

sales pitch – the way a person tries to sell something; the words and actions used by a salesperson 15 to try to get you to buy a product* The knife salesperson’s sales pitch involved cutting through a thick piece ofwood to show the high quality of her products.

to demand – to insist; to require someone else to do something; to ask in a very strong and impolite way* When her mother came home and saw her messy room, her mother demandedthat she clean her room right away.

do I make myself clear? – a stronger, more forceful way to ask, “Do youunderstand?”, usually used when making a demand or insisting that someone dowhat one says* “You are not allowed to see that boy again,” said Tanya’s father, “Do I makemyself clear?”

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  What does a telemarketer do?

a)  Sell things over the phone.

b)  Work at the check-out counter in the supermarket.

c)  Fix television sets.

2.  Why is Doris so unhappy to receive this phone call?

a)  She doesn’t like to watch cable television.

b)  The telemarketer asked her a personal question.

c)  She had asked to be placed on the do-not-call registry______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

bundleIn this podcast, the word “bundle,” refers to a group of individual services that areoffered at one price: “The new company has a bundle of services, which includes Internet, phone, and cable services for $50 a month.”  A bundle can also be anumber of things tied together: “Uwe untied 16 the bundle of newspapers to look foryesterday’s business section.”  A bundle is also a slang 17 term for a large amountof money: “Going out to dinner and a movie can often end up costing a bundle!” Many American parents will refer to their small child as a “little bundle of joy”: “My little bundle of joy will celebrate his second birthday next week!”  To say someone is a “bundle of laughs” is to say that they are generally happy and easy to get along with: “Everyone just loves having Natalia around.  She is a realbundle of laughs.”

To switchThe phrase, “to switch,” in this podcast means to change from using onecompany’s services to using the services of a different company: “Mr. Kimswitched phone companies just last month and has already saved $20.”  Toswitch can also mean to change or exchange something very suddenly: “Thetwins quickly switched name tags 18 to confuse their teacher.”  A switch can also bea small device 19 used to turn something on and off, most commonly lights andelectronics: “Could you turn on the light?  The switch is by the door.”  Or: “I can’tfind the switch to turn on this radio.”  A switch can also be a thin stick used to hitpeople or animals as a punishment: “In the story, when the boy behaved badly,his father hit him with a switch.”

CULTURE NOTETelemarketing is a sales “technique” (way something is done; method) used by many American companies to “promote” (sell; make known) their products orservices.  Telemarketing, or sales by phone, is an industry that “grosses” (earns)over 200 billion dollars a year in the U.S.

Traditional businesses are not the only ones who use telemarketing; many othertypes of organizations in the U.S. also use this powerful tool to their advantage. “Charities” (organizations that make no profit) use phone calls as a way to raiseboth money and “awareness” (making something known) for their “cause” (whatsomeone believes in and works 20 for).  Political parties and “candidates” (a personwho runs for a political position) also use telemarketing to raise “campaign funds”

(money for a candidate 21 to advertise, travel, pay employees, etc.) so that they canbe elected or re-elected.  Often, “market research firms” (companies that makemoney researching what people like and dislike) will also call customers at homeand ask them a series of questions known as a survey; however, these calls donot involve the sale of a product or service.

Businesses and organizations, while very different, all use similar telemarketingtechniques.  Most calls made by telemarketers are made by “predictive dialing,”

where a computer, rather than a person, dials a phone number.  After a fewrings, the computer will “turn the call over” (give the phone) to an availabletelemarketer.  The telemarketer will then ask to speak to the head of thehousehold, and the call will go forward from there, with the telemarketer oftenimmediately “launching” (starting; beginning) into his or her sales pitch.

Because many Americans are annoyed by “unsolicited” (unwanted) calls, thereare a few rules governing telemarketing practice in the U.S.  Telemarketers mustgive their name and the name of their company if the person on the other endrequests that they do so.  Telemarketing calls can only be made between thehours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., which unfortunately still does not prevent theunwanted phone call in the middle of dinner!

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – a; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 375: A Call from aTelemarketer.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 23 375.  I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

You can visit our website at eslpod.com to download a Learning 24 Guide for this episode and all of our current episodes 25.  You can also visit our ESL PodcastStore, which has additional courses in English you may be interested in.

This episode is called “A Call from a Telemarketer.”  A “telemarketer” is someonewho calls you on the telephone to sell you something.  Let’s listen.

[start of dialogue]

Doris:  Hello.

Telemarketer:  Hello, may I speak to the lady of the house?

Doris:  What is this regarding?

Telemarketer:  I’m calling from Cheetam Cable Company and we have a very special offer.  This month only, you can get a bundle of services for the low, lowprice of $69.99!  This offer...

Doris:  Thank you, but I’m not interested.

Telemarketer:  But that’s because you haven’t heard the rest of the offer yet.  Ifyou sign up today, you will get at no extra charge, all of the equipment you’llneed to switch to our cable company. Doris:  As I said, I’m not interested.  I’m also on the national do-not-call registry and I want to be taken off your call list. Telemarketer:  If you’re on my list, it means that you have a prior relationship withour company and telemarketers are allowed to call you.  Now about that specialoffer...

Doris:  I don’t want to hear your sales pitch.  I demand to be taken off your calllist and I don’t want to get any more calls from your company.

Telemarketer:  Is that a “no” on the special offer?

Doris:  Yes, that’s a “no” on the special offer and a “no” on getting any more calls from your company.  Do I make myself clear?

Telemarketer:  Yes, very clear.  If you’re not interested in our special offer, I cantell you about our other services...

Doris:  No you can’t!  [Hangs up the phone]

[end of dialogue]

Doris answers the phone by saying, “Hello.”  The telemarketer says, “Hello, may Ispeak to the lady of the house?”  “The lady of the house” would be the femalehead of the house or the family.  Usually the wife and/or mother, that would bethe lady of the house.  Sort of an old-fashioned 26 expression now, but you will stillhear it.  The opposite would be “the man of the house,” which would be thehusband or father, or head of the house who was a man.  Not all houses havelady and man of the house present.

Doris says, “What is this regarding?”  This is a formal way of asking for theperson to tell them what they are calling for.  It’s a polite way of asking why areyou calling: “What is this regarding?”  The telemarketer says, “I’m calling fromCheetam Cable Company and we have a very special offer.”  A “cable company”

is the company that brings cable television that gives you many differenthundreds of channels to watch.  “This month only,” the telemarketer says, “youcan get a bundle of services for a low, low price of $69.99!”  A “bundle” (bundle),here, means a group or a “package,” two or more things for one price; so, abundle of services.  Maybe you’ll get sports and movies and other types oftelevision all for one price; that would be a package or a bundle.  Thetelemarketer says, “This offer,” trying to continue to sell Doris.  Doris says,“Thank you, but I’m not interested.”  This is a polite way of telling someone whocalls you that you don’t want to talk to them anymore, that you are not interestedin buying what they are selling.

The telemarketers don’t give up easily, however.  This one says, “But that’s because you haven’t heard the rest of the offer yet.  If you sign up today, you willget at no extra charge, all of the equipment you need to switch to our cablecompany.”  “If you sign up (if you become a member – if you agree to buy this) today, you will get at no extra charge (meaning for free) all of the equipmentyou’ll need to switch to our cable company.”  “To switch,” here, means to change,to stop using this company and start using a different company’s services.  Boththe expression “to switch” and “bundle” have additional meanings in English; takea look at our Learning Guide for some of those explanations.

Doris says, “As I said, I’m not interested.  I’m also on the national do-not-callregistry and I want to be taken off your call list.”  The “do-not-call registry,” or list,was created by the U.S. federal government in 2003 to allow people to say tobusinesses “I don’t want you to call me,” and if a business calls someone whoasks not to be called, they can be “penalized,” they may have to pay a fine to thegovernment because it is against the law for them to call you if you asked not tobe called.  So you call up the government, or you go on the website, and you putyour telephone number in, and any company that uses telemarketers – uses salespeople 27 who call by telephone – has to check that list first to make sure thatyour name is not on it.  Most Americans, I think, or a very high percentage ofAmericans now have their telephone numbers on that list; I know I do. Unfortunately now, we have a new problem, which is spam.  But that’s at leastone thing we don’t have to worry about: telemarketers.  Doris says, “I want to betaken off (or removed) your call list,” the list of people that you have that you callto try to sell things to.  You can use that expression “take me off” also to requestthat someone remove your email address from their list: “Please take me off ofthis list” – please remove me, delete my email.

The telemarketer then says to Doris, “If you are on my list (my call list), it means that you have a prior relationship with our company and telemarketers areallowed to call you.”  One of the exceptions 28 to the rule about the do-not-callregistry is that if you have a business or other relationship with the company, thecompany can call you, even if you are on the do-not-call registry.  So forexample, your telephone company, you have a relationship with them – you pay them for your telephone service – they could call you and try to sell you things. Now usually if you tell the company “I don’t want any more phone calls,” they willtake you off even that list so you won’t get any more calls, at least sales calls. So, a “prior relationship” is some contact in the past between two people. Telemarketers, we’ve already mentioned, are people who are paid to call you tosell you things.

Doris says, “I don’t want to hear your sales pitch.”  The “sales pitch” (pitch) is theway that someone tries to sell you something.  It’s the speech that they use – thewords that they use to try to get you to buy something.  Doris then says, “Idemand to be taken off your call list.”  “To demand” means to insist, to requiresomeone else do something; that is “to demand.”  

“I don’t want to get any more calls from your company.”  The telemarketer says,“Is that a ‘no’ on the special offer?” meaning “so you don’t want to buy the specialoffer?”  Doris says, “Yes, that’s a “no’ on the special offer and a ‘no’ on gettingany more calls from your company.”  She’s getting a little angry here (Doris). Doris says, “Do I make myself clear?”  This is a very strong, more forceful way ofsaying “do you understand me.”  Usually it’s made when you are, perhaps, angry with someone, or you are making a demand on someone, or insisting thatsomeone do what you are saying to them.  “Do I make myself clear?” is something a parent might say to a child, for example, or you might say to somesalesperson who was bothering you, and that’s what Doris is doing here.

The telemarketer says, “Yes, very clear.  If you’re not interested in our specialoffer, I can tell you about our other services.”  So, the telemarketer wants tocontinue to try to sell her things.  Doris says, “No you can’t,” meaning “I will notlet you,” and she hangs up the phone.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Doris:  Hello.

Telemarketer:  Hello, may I speak to the lady of the house?

Doris:  What is this regarding?

Telemarketer:  I’m calling from Cheetam Cable Company and we have a very special offer.  This month only, you can get a bundle of services for the low, lowprice of $69.99!  This offer...

Doris:  Thank you, but I’m not interested.

Telemarketer:  But that’s because you haven’t heard the rest of the offer yet.  Ifyou sign up today, you will get at no extra charge, all of the equipment you’llneed to switch to our cable company. Doris:  As I said, I’m not interested.  I’m also on the national do-not-call registry and I want to be taken off your call list.

Telemarketer:  If you’re on my list, it means you have a prior relationship with ourcompany and telemarketers are allowed to call you.  Now about that specialoffer...

Doris:  I don’t want to hear your sales pitch.  I demand to be taken off your calllist and I don’t want to get any more calls from your company.

Telemarketer:  Is that a “no” on the special offer?

Doris:  Yes, that’s a “no” on the special offer and a “no” on getting any more calls from your company.  Do I make myself clear?

Telemarketer:  Yes, very clear.  If you’re not interested in our special offer, I cantell you about our other services...

Doris:  No you can’t!  [Hangs up the phone]

[end of dialogue]

The script 22 for this episode was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We’ll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 29 2008.