Agents that hang up before speaking to you

[EddieNambulous]

I've noticed a puzzling pattern developing with some pimps...sorry, agents, over the past few weeks.

I have an automated call-screening service that insists on someone giving their name before it then forwards the call to me, replays their name and asks if I want to accept it.

Over the past few weeks I've had a steady number of them, give their name and then promptly hang up as soon I accept the call and say hello.

Anyone else get this?

At first, I thought these people were just called away at the moment of the call. But I don't believe any of them have ever called back later.

So it makes me wonder if they are checking if the number is legitimate or perhaps they're just trigger-happy...they dial while reading the CV and then realize I don't do whatever it is they are after and hang up immediately.

Or maybe in the current climate, anyone that doesn't answer within a specfied time limit gets an automatic rejection?

Had this call service for about 12 years now - mostly just to give out to agents and filter out the annoying ones, so it's not as if I haven't had time to notice this behaviour before.

[pzz76077]

I've noticed a puzzling pattern developing with some pimps...sorry, agents, over the past few weeks.

I have an automated call-screening service that insists on someone giving their name before it then forwards the call to me, replays their name and asks if I want to accept it.

Over the past few weeks I've had a steady number of them, give their name and then promptly hang up as soon I accept the call and say hello.

Anyone else get this?

At first, I thought these people were just called away at the moment of the call. But I don't believe any of them have ever called back later.

So it makes me wonder if they are checking if the number is legitimate or perhaps they're just trigger-happy...they dial while reading the CV and then realize I don't do whatever it is they are after and hang up immediately.

Or maybe in the current climate, anyone that doesn't answer within a specfied time limit gets an automatic rejection?

Had this call service for about 12 years now - mostly just to give out to agents and filter out the annoying ones, so it's not as if I haven't had time to notice this behaviour before.

Your system is keeping them online too long when they have 1000's of other prospects to call.
Many agents be be on the next call if you dont answer within 3 rings.

PZZ

[Fred Bloggs]

Maybe they have daily targets to meet to get bonuses and they are just dialling to meet their bonus targets?

[NotAllThere]

They're unlikely to have heard the message properly, and probably think they're talking to you already. When the line goes click as you pick up, they think the lines dropped.

[MPwannadecentincome]

Your system is keeping them online too long when they have 1000's of other prospects to call.
Many agents be be on the next call if you dont answer within 3 rings.

PZZ

so why did they leave their name then?

[EddieNambulous]

so why did they leave their name then?

Well, the service asks for their name up-front and then goes hunting for me, rather than asking for their name afterwards.

What's puzzling is why do they wait until I answer to put the phone down?

This happened today quite annoyingly (hence leading to my posting) when some woman rang, left her name, and then it felt like she slammed the phone down when I answered.

I'm pretty sure there was a definite pause for effect before the aforementioned slamming down of the phone.

I guess it could be, as NotAllThere suggests, that they think me answering is actually the line going dead.

[HeadOfTesting]

There are various possibilities including that they take exception, especially in this candidate-laden market to what, in their eyes, might be considered to be a rather pompous and self-indulgent barrier between you and them. I suspect there would be more than a few agents who would abort part-way though having concluded that they don't need/want to adhere to such a system.

I'm not saying I'm on the side of any such individuals - just that it's a distinct possibility that doesn't seem to have been acknowledged on the thread.

[EddieNambulous]

in their eyes, might be considered to be a rather pompous and self-indulgent barrier between you and them.

A perfect match for my personality then.

Yeah, my personal suspicion is that it is annoyance-related. Funny that I've never had that type of reaction before in the past decade or so of using it.

Must say alot about the state of the market - one agent who called me recently claimed he had 300 other candidates to phone.

[jmo21]

what an odd thing to have, I've never heard of that before.

time is money to these caaants, no what I mean guvna!

They probably got bored waiting

[Not So Wise]

If i was them would hang up too, those systems are annoying as hell and considering how many alternative contractors agents have to pick from at the moment you are automaticlly sending yourself to the reject pile

Just get a PAYG sim, put that on cv and only turn it on when looking for roles. Otherwise keep it off (just remember to use it once every 6 months or so to keep it active)