Harrassing Collection Calls......need advice

What is the name of your state? Indiana

Hi everyone! Thanks for your help with my previous posts.....I have an off the wall question...but I just know that you all will have some advice for me.


My profession.....is switchboard operator (for large factory 1000+ associates). I love this job! But there is just one downfall...and that is the collection calls for employees. I would say that about 70% of my calls per day were for creditors trying to reach employees on the floor. We have as very strict policy on employees recieving calls regarding personal or financial matters. It has to be a family emergency before we will get a message to the supervisor. Don't get me wrong here, I can hold my own....but these people treat me like it's my debt!!!!

What usually happens is they call in, ask for the associate....I then say (politely) " I am sorry John Doe is an employee on the floor and not allowed to recieve calls or messages". 15% of the time that line works but then there are the ones that yell and scream at me, and tell me that I am ignorant or ask me what "my capacity is" . Sometimes if I am not sure it's a creditor I will ask if the call is regarding a personal business matter. It's amazing what they will say to get you to send the call through...but I don't fall for it. I wasn't born yesterday. I have a solution for those people...and that is the disconnect button. But then, then keep calling back again, and again and again. Today I had a lady call back 20 times. With her supervisor on the phone too! I was being double teamed!

Is there anything that I can say to make them back off when they call? It's not my debt, and when the call is finished I feel like crap.

Thanks so much for you advice....it's been a long day...I could sure use it!


Erin

I feel for you. I have been guilty of making some smart comments to switchboard operators. Unfortunately I don't have a magic answer for you.

I understand what you're going through. I used to be a Collector myself for 3 years and called many businesses. I can only suggest is to ask for a supervisor, if you have problems with that one then you ask for that supervisors supervisor.
If nothing else, tell them they have to remove your company phone # from their data base. Then if they call back you can get them into legal trouble. Besure to log the calls and what company they are calling from. If they refuse to tell you then tell them you can't help them and disconnect the call.
Different collecters have different policies, we had to remove the phone # if the company told us not to call back, that was due to legal issues. Check with your state laws, some states don't allow collectors to call a business also.

[Ladynred]

Per the FDCPA, if a collectors KNOWS that a 'victim' is not allowed those types of calls at work, then they MUST cease calling there. The law doesn't stipulate that the DEBTOR has to tell the CA that calls are not allowed !!

"§ 805. Communication in connection with debt collection [15 USC 1692c]
(a) COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONSUMER GENERALLY. Without the prior consent of the consumer given directly to the debt collector or the express permission of a court of competent jurisdiction, a debt collector may not communicate with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt --

(3) at the consumer's place of employment if the debt collector knows or has reason to know that the consumer's employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such communication. "

So, once YOU inform them that their victims are not allowed those types of calls, then the CA has "reason to know' and are REQUIRED to cease calling there. The law also doesn't state that such notification regarding an employer's policies HAS to be in writing.

I'd read these bozos that part of the FDCPA and then tell them they have been duly notified and by law they must not call there again - then use your DISCONNECT button !!

As for the screaming and abuse, you may want to read what the FDCPA has to say about that !!

[url]http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm#806[/url]