Occasionally, I'll answer the home phone given the area code be right and I can somewhat recognize the party's name.
When the caller i.d. reads "Carolina," sometimes I mistakenly think that it's my doctor's office or something like that.
BUZZ! Wrong answer! This is the second time I've fallen for that dupe. It's the Carolina Phoneathon - current Carolina students who get paid to call alumni to extricate money out of their cool, clammy clutches. It's not exactly telemarketing, but it's not really a warm call either. I don't know any alumni who'd cuss some kid out for calling - we all expect to be called by the Phoneathon, but damn it if they don't keep trying.
The last time they called, I guess it was six months ago, I told the guy, "Look, I just don't have it right now. I've already given a lot of money to WUNC this year." I don't fault him for asking. It's his job after all.
Today when the chick called, they always verify your address and such to catch you off guard. "Are you still at XXXX blah blah, Durham?"
Me: "Yep."
She: "Oh, okay. And Carolina would love to know what alumni are doing with their degrees."
Me: (nonchalantly) "Oh, I'm unemployed."
She: "Oh-kay, that's understandable. Now...(insert spiel about overseas educational opportunities for students and need for funding). Can you find $100 in your budget to support student programs?"
Me: "Uh...no, not rigt now."
She: "I see. Well, any little bit would help. Would a $10 or $20 donation be doable?"
Me: "Uh...no, not with the unemployment and all."
I know they're following a script, but geez. There's got to be a little button they can push when people say "I ain't got no job" that'll bring up a prompt on the screen saying "Thank you for updating your information with Carolina and your time," or some such crap.
Eh, kids.
Posted by Tiffany at September 11, 2006 05:44 PM | TrackBack