public reaction to the new FTC regulations, The

Customer Inter@ction Solutions, Mar 2003 by Tehrani, Rich

My last two High Priority! columns have generated many comments from our readers - thanks to all that responded. Following are some examples of the letters I have received. The High Priority! column for February, "The FTC Is About To Eliminate 3-5 Million Jobs," discussed changes to the Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule that will have a profound impact on telemarketing in the United States. If you have not read it, I urge you to. As part of our continuing coverage of this important legislation, in our April issue we will run personal stories from agents who will be affected by this legislation. Please see the sidebar for an example of one of these stories. I also wish to remind you that if you have not let your voice be heard on this issue, please go to http://capwiz.com/aim/home/ (a site sponsored by The Direct Marketing Association's Association for Interactive Marketing) and let your elected officials know how you feel about the elimination of millions of American jobs that will show up in other countries.

On a lighter note, my January column, "Cl Baggage, Where Art Thou?" struck a chord with many of my fellow frequent fliers. I have included a few of those letters as well.

Dear Rich:

I just read your article "The FTC Is About To Eliminate 3-5 Million Jobs" and I am certain if you listen closely you can still hear me applauding. I manage a branch office for Circulation Development, Inc., a newspaper telemarketing agency. I have used the same statistics and the same points in addressing my sales floor, my assigned clients and even in a published rebuttal in our local newspaper to a columnist who insisted telemarketers should be executed I just wanted you to know that the office I run and the company I work for emulates the "professional and proud" description of outbound telemarketing that you so accurately portray.

After reading your article, I asked myself, what can I do? I WILL use the links to contact my elected officials, but I know I have more to offer. I recognize that telemarketing sales office managers like myself are the link to the over three million hard-working telemarketers holding those jobs soon to be lost. To publish your article on my sales floor would scare the "Be Jesus" out of the sales reps. (The top sales people will head straight for the local used car lot, not yet under government attack.) To rile them to action would be possible, but how do I get them to communicate Internet comes to mind but most on my sales floor don't have access. Petition? Who? I have 58 people at this site who could be made to understand the current legislation. I just don't know how to turn them loose.

There have to be others like me. We have a voice. I was hoping you could tell me how to use it. Again, wonderful article. It moved me.

Sincerely,

Susan Wesa

Rich Tehrani replies:

Dear Susan:

Thank you for you comments. I would suggest you write letters to the Congressional Representative from your district, as well as your two Senators and the FTC. You can find the address for your Congressional Representatives at www.house.gov and for your Senators at www.senate.gov. The Web site for the FTC is www.ftc.gov. Contact information for the White House can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. If this legislation is enacted, you can always express your opinion at the polls on the first Tuesday of November 2004.

Dear Rich:

Congratulations on the terrific letter to President Bush. As a long time member of the telemarketing industry, past President of the ATA, past Chairman of the TMC and contributor to one of the very first issues of Telemarketing magazine, I wanted to say thanks. We need more people to stand up and fight this unnecessary intrusion of Big Government. I believe yours is the first rve seen to cover all of the important points that the Bush Administration has missed.

Jon Hamilton

JHA Telemanagement, Inc.

Dear Rich:

Let's hope he gets the word and can stave off this possible hindrance to our economic recovery.

Ragards,

C. Don Gant

Iwatsu America Inc.

Dear Rich:

Read your letter today in the Call Compliance newsletter. Excellent! Lets hope he [President Bush] and other wise men and women around him do the same.

Paul Glancy

Dear Rich:

I kindly invite you to my house from 6 to 9 every evening to answer the phone. 11 even give you dinner. If my putting my name on a "do not call list" puts several million people out of work, they did not have a meaningful job anyway. Besides, I make a point out of never buying from someone that calls me at home. This goes for the phone companies, credit card companies, stock brokerage companies, insurance companies, and all the other intruders to my peace. By putting my name on a do not disturb list, I will probably increase their efficiency, because I refuse to deal with them.

Regards,

Dave Borgeson

g3NOVA Technology Inc. "O Baggage, Where Art Thou?"

Dear Rich:

I enjoyed your article addressed to airline executives. As a frequent business traveler, I have experienced much of the same poor service issues you have. I used to be a loyal flier of two airlines (one I have flown almost 1,000,000 miles on). I am no longer. I look to the airline with the best price - a few of the reasons I do this are: