Are Telemarketing Service Agencies and Market Research Firms Disappearing?
As you know, I’ve been working in call centers on and off since 1983. I have worked as an outbound telemarketer, market research interviewer, telephone fundraiser, call center operator, and customer service representative. I just lost my last job as a part-time telephone agent back in July. I had worked for a company that supplies sample (numbers to dial) to market research firms. I have tried to apply for a part-time day job as a telephone interviewer, but the companies that I’ve contacted are either not hiring at all, don’t hire telephone interviewers, hire for night only, they’ve closed up, or the call centers are now out of state. Don’t get me wrong now. Prior to my last job, I worked at a market research firm for four years as a telephone interviewer, and I was a darn good one. But most of the work there was at night, and there’s limited public transportation in the area after 9 o’clock at night; which is mainly why I quit. Ditto for the telemarketing service agencies. They were a
