The legal fight will go on. The Congressional wrangling will go on. The anger will go on. But the battle to stop telemarketing horrors is over, and the telemarketers have lost. While The Washington Post story yesterday on this emphasized the wrangling, don't forget the key in the lede--telemarketers said they would stop calling those Americans who put their numbers on the list.
Americans have spoken. We're tired of being called away from dinner for some stupid telecommunications or financial offer. We're not buying. And we're not listening. When you call us, you make us mad. The final straw may be this story, from Newsday, showing that top telemarketing executives are themselves on the Do Not Call list. Even they're sick of it. Marketers have heard this, even if the industry hasn't. They have begun to understand that, every time they have someone make a call for them, they take a risk, a future loss of revenue they didn't anticipate before. Marketing will continue. Interruptions will continue. But marketers have been taught a lesson, one I hope they don't forget.
Dana Blakenhorn October 1, 2003