TPS Registered

[Gillie]

Having just taken for the second time in two days on what is my personal line, a call from a home improvement place that tells me I have won a voucher, when I ask them why they are calling a TPS number I was told that it has to be renewed every year.

Anyone know if this is right, as I find it very hard to believe??

 

[dp0848]

I thought that once you'd registered with TPS or MPS you were on the register until such time as you asked for your name to be removed.

 

[Gillie]

Yep thats what I thought, however, this wonderfully aggressive woman assured me 'love' ... don't you just hate being talked down to by strangers ... that being in the business she would know, so thought I would ask!

 

[dp0848]

Just found this on the FAQ part of the TPS website:

16. Do I need to renew my subscription with the TPS?

If you have registered a residential number or a number belonging to a sole trader or (except in Scotland) partnership, you do not need to renew. However, if you have registered a number on to the Corporate TPS belonging to a Limited company, Plc or other large organisation, you are required to renew annually. In this case TPS will send you an e-mail each year to notify you of this. Failure to renew will result in your number(s) being removed from the CTPS data file. Please be aware that if you change your telephone package, obtained broadband or change telephone line service provider for example, we may receive notice from your current/old line service provider that your line has been made inactive. In this case your number would be removed from the file as the service is only intended for live numbers.

 

[AdamJ]

Businesses on TPS have to register anually, personal lines for individuals don't. They're presumably mixing up your business and home.

 

[Gillie]

Business aint TPS registered, as I enjoy sales call baiting, but the personal number is and has been for over 4 years!

 

[KM-Tiger]

..... as I enjoy sales call baiting.......

My guess is you are in the Premier League.

Any tips?

 

[dp0848]

My guess is you are in the Premier League.

Without a doubt. I almost feel sorry for the sales people who have to call Gillie.

 

[Gillie]

My guess is you are in the Premier League.

Any tips?

Depends which character you want to play that day!! Blonde (yes I am one ish) works wonders sometimes or other times I act cruel and send them other peoples way, so depends who has annoyed me that day ... three guesses though where I usually send em!

 

[Jheath]

It's gaulling that as a business the TPS won't register a number permanently. I know it's a simple annual job to renew, but it *really* annoys me that it's one more thing to do. If they can register numbers permanently for individuals or sole traders then why not for businesses? As if we don't have enough to do with running a business without that. Sorry if that sounds like a moan. Well I guess it doesn't just sound like a moan - it is a moan!!!!!

 

[wecandobiz]

It's gaulling that as a business the TPS won't register a number permanently. I know it's a simple annual job to renew, but it *really* annoys me that it's one more thing to do. If they can register numbers permanently for individuals or sole traders then why not for businesses? As if we don't have enough to do with running a business without that. Sorry if that sounds like a moan. Well I guess it doesn't just sound like a moan - it is a moan!!!!!

I guess because one person can register a business with CTPS, but people come and go and a company's position on this may change.

By the way, to all those sales call baiters, it is not uncommon practice for a sales floor to put details of the "tw*ts" on a white board and when someone in the team gets an idle moment they call them back for fun. Beware!

Really, if you don't want sales calls then register with CTPS (yearly!) and then take the full details of anyone who calls you and say you'll report them to the ICO. That is the only way to stop them happening. And it's nicer for the individuals concerned who are only doing their job.

Sales people have families to feed and feelings too you know! I don't know what all the bad blood is about. Sales people don't cold call for kicks. It's their job and it's never going to stop, but if you don't want to be party to it then opt out and help to ensure it is enforced. That does EVERYONE a favour.

IH

 

[maxine]

Thanks for that IH and referring to this ....

By the way, to all those sales call baiters, it is not uncommon practice for a sales floor to put details of the "tw*ts" on a white board and when someone in the team gets an idle moment they call them back for fun. Beware!!IH

... it's called "training"

 

[JElder]

It's gaulling that as a business the TPS won't register a number permanently. I know it's a simple annual job to renew, but it *really* annoys me that it's one more thing to do. If they can register numbers permanently for individuals or sole traders then why not for businesses? As if we don't have enough to do with running a business without that. Sorry if that sounds like a moan. Well I guess it doesn't just sound like a moan - it is a moan!!!!!

As was said earlier - business change faster than individuals, and a new owner/buyer/office manager may not be aware they are on CTPS, and miss out on things they want to get.

Calls at work can be interruptions, especially if you do not have a PA, admin assistant or tea boy to answer for you - but it is the way most smaller businesses generate sales.

Your average small business does not have the marketing budget to place adverts, even in specialist trade, and only telemarketing/telesales gives you immediate feedback on the product. You could place loads of ads and get no sales, but with half a days calling you could find out that your product was too expensive, the wrong colour and not as good as a competitors.

There will be products out there that are of use to you that you do not know about - and unless they managed to get some decent PR, you may never find out about - so a simple call is the simplest way to let you make an informed decision.

Jonathanhttp://www.synergyconnections.co.uk

 

[Gillie]

No thanks Ian, I like getting sales calls to my business line hence not being CTPS and those that are treated with disdain are those who are told originally no thanks, yet ring back and again and again ... they are the ones I play with, as afterall, the first person cannot mark on the database such, its his colleagues that need to get at him not me!!

But yes I have reported this company now that called my private line, after all, it is ex directory and I never give it to anyone other than 'specials' so thats why it irritated me quite a lot!

 

[wecandobiz]

I cold call myself, have done since my first day with "sales" in my job title 20 about 18 years ago.

My first day I was told to ensure the reseller database was up to date as the contact details had been allowed to lapse. Remembering my background was tech -- I knew all about the product -- it was daunting to have to call people I didn't know rather than take calls from people who wanted help.

My first ever sales call then and the phone rang at the other end for a while before a chap answer.

"Company Blah" he said (not saying who they are, but they were and are a very big computer reseller)

Me: "Hello, I wonder if you can help, it's Ian Hendry here from Torus, you are a resellers of ours. I have just inherited what I believe to be an outdated database and I wonder if you would help me? I have Paul Rodgers down as the product manager for network products, is that correct?"

Him: "You tell me, shouldn't you know?"

Me: "Yes, but we don't. That is why I am asking for your help please"

On it went in a similar vein. I was polite, he wasn't. It turned out the MD had answered the phone as he passed reception as the girls were busy. Just my luck, but it taught me a few important lessons:

1) Expect people to be rude and always be polite in response; people will speak to you how you speak to them (this also includes being too technical -- if you are they'll just delegate you down to a techie)

2) Prepare yourself as well as you can speak to the people at the other end, because they'll punish you for ignorance or if you don't know their business

3) The guy who answered the phone on that occasion was, and probably still is, an utter tw*t

18 years on I rarely have a bad conversation on the 'phone now when cold calling, maybe 1% of them are bad. But then I elect to do it myself rather than put a spiv or div on the phone who is needlessly pushy or clueless. And if anyone isn't interested I make a note and move on to the next one. I can't afford to spend 10 minutes trying force something down someone's throat when they aren't prepared to disclose a need.

I wouldn't say there is an art to cold calling, but you need to understand why you are doing it and why people would be interested in dealing with a stranger. You can make it work for you, but you NEED to make it work.

Sorry I have gone on, but just wanted to give this discussion some perspective from the other side.

IH

 

[Chippie]

By the way, to all those sales call baiters, it is not uncommon practice for a sales floor to put details of the "tw*ts" on a white board and when someone in the team gets an idle moment they call them back for fun. Beware!

That's great because it gives me another "baiting opportunity"!...... unless I'm busy of course in which case I simly put the phone down as soon as they begin their patter anyway. The worst at the moment are a company called BT Easystreet or something like that. Very persistent but that just prolongs their pain not mine.