I'm tired of this....is anyone else?
It's no exageration to say that EVERY single day, I expect at least one cold call from someone claiming to represent EDF, asking me if I am the proprieteur of my home. Sometimes it happens five times per day. This alone is worth whingeing on about, because I have asked at least half a dozen times now, if the caller can please make sure that my number is wiped from potential client lists, due to the fact that I am not the owner.
Despite my requests, no such thing occurs.It's pointless.
The second complaint is the rudeness, leading to racism, displayed by these cold callers. I have noticed a pattern.
If I say I am not the proprieteur, they cut the call. No polite excuse, no apology for disturbing me, just "click" line dead, as soon as they hear the words 'je ne suis pas le proprieteur' or 'je suis locataire'. I would say this is from about 80 percent of callers. It isn't a few isolated calls. It's nearly all of them.
If I decide, however, as I did today, that lo and behold, yes please I would definitely like to speak to anyone from EDF (because I have been online 15 times this week, actually trying to get EDF to call me),so I need to ask them to slow down a bit, because they invariably speak as quickly as possible in order to try and sell you something, besides it's usually a long schpiel around asking if I am the proprieteur.
Any way, as soon as I say ' Oui, je voudrais parler avec vous. Mais s'il vous plait, je suis anglaise et je voudrais que vous expliquer un peut plus lentement', again "click"...dead line. Every time. No response, not a word said, just a rude, racist ignorant lack of respect; results in me left hanging on the ethernet, frustrated, insulted and irritated. I find this intolerable. It's not just rude and racist, it's intrusive and harassing, because of the frequency of the calls.
Is there any point complaining to EDF? I suppose I shall have to.
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I have looked again at the definitions of xenophobia and racism and yes, I do mean racism. Xenophobia is more about irrational hatred and I don't feel irrational hatred, just casual discrimination based on the fact that I am less fluent in their main language, hence 'racism'.
XENOPHOBIA. deep-rooted, irrational hatred towards foreigners (Oxford English Dictionary; OED), unreasonable fear or hatred of the unfamiliar.(Webster's)[7]
RACISM. According to the United Nations the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.[21]
So, to sum it up, racism is the practice of discrimination by someone who is able to exert a malign or negative power over another, based on their nationality or cultural grouping. Contacting someone in their own home and ignoring them as soon as it becomes apparent they are of a separate culture, that's racial discrimination.
When the cold caller calls me, it makes no difference that their job is poorly managed or that they are bullied by their managers into behaving in a racist fashion. I may need their services. I want a solar panel. I might be desperate for double glazing.
I feel a huge empathy for their terrible lack of decent employment but equally, I have a right to know why I am being contacted. I have the right to be treated with respect and patience if I have difficulty with communicating, be it because I am foreign, deaf or ill. The fact remains that they are treating me differently and in particular, negatively,(discrimination) because of my language and that is being racist. This is institutional racism. EDF are the biggest players in this as most of them claim to be calling from EDF. Even if the cold callers are lying, where is the statement from EDF saying they are co-operating with the police to try and stop this practice?
I complained to EDF (see below, I complained in French but the reply came in English) and received this nice reply, but the nuisance calls still continue.
Same for everyone, it seems. Perhaps if the majority of us go ex-directory, and complain in bigger numbers, these companies will have to stop doing it because there will be so few fish in their sea.
Ex-directory is my next move.
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Dear xxxxxxx,
I do apologise for the trouble you had regarding a lot of commercial calls you receive. I have made a complaint in order to signal your problem to my manager.
Thanks to your email, I have blocked all commercial contacts you could receive. Therefore, you should not receive any call since the next week.
Regarding the unpleasant behavior of these commercials, I have also signaled it. And, on behalf of EDF, I do apologise.
If you need further information, please feel free to contact us on 0562164908 from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 6:30 pm.
xxxxxxxx,
Your EDF advisor.