Enterprise Directories
Adding an enterprise to the free business directories listed here, and the many others that are not, offers potential customers an addition to their choice of goods or service provider BUT it also offers other business to business (B2B) goods or service providers. It will also attract telephone calls from the directory owners themselves offering the commercial service. They will try hard, will Always Be Closing, have fantastically effective techniques and will use them on you like a violinist and his bow, with you being the violin.
Firstly, DON’T PANIC, listen and learn, they are very skilled and are a great way to study style and technique. Notice the parts that please you and the parts that anger you, and listen to the responses you are being guided to make.
Find the button on you telephone that allows you to record a call so that when the call comes you can press it right away. Listening back is an amazing experience as it lets you hear the call for what it is which is 100% technique with 0% normal human interaction. Of itself this isn’t bad as the knowledge of how to exploit (provide a lower quality at a higher price of goods and services) and how to empower (provide a higher quality at a lower price of goods and services) is not the issue. The issue is regulation, socialisation, enforcement, market forces, education and good people doing something.
The market in the UK is regulated and these regulations are enforced so that hidden charges, even charges that are just hard to read or to locate, are illegal. Most purchases include a 7 day period available so that the customer at no cost to them can change their decision, but there are some unhelpful exceptions to be very aware of:
- A new service that starts immediately - for example, paying for access to a website
- Something where the trader has informed you before finalising the contract in writing or email that you will not be allowed to cancel once the service has begun.
It is worth stating a couple of times that you should never buy anything at all and never buy anything from people that approach you first. If the goods or service are interesting then just have a look at their website and call them back or do it all online.
One final issue is the frequency of fraudsters and scams. You may have a caller state that you owe money and that the bailiffs are on their way over to seize you property, including vehicles and that an immediate payment will sort the situation out. For proof they will email you an invoice with all your details on it and call back a couple of times. Report this and any other attempt to rob you by email or telephone to the National Fraud Reporting Centre. Ganging up or fraudsters is a great feeling and everybody hates them, so feel free to really stick the boot in.