ROB ROSE: Rise of the robocalls
Robocalls aren’t just infuriating, they may well do far more damage than companies think. Take the case of Affinity Dental ...
It’s a business strategy that should be looking for a quiet corner to die. Just when you think it makes no sense that consultants like McKinsey charge companies to tell them how not to alienate customers, we have the rise of "robocalls" — unsolicited phone calls that feature a pre-recorded Vulcan-like voice asking if you’re satisfied with your insurance. This week, I got a call from one such cyborg, assuring me my dental insurance wasn’t up to scratch. Fearing Hal9000 may be right, and that ignoring the message might be akin to vetoing the Beatles or ignoring bitcoin, I hit option #1. Soon, I was speaking to a sales agent for Affinity Dental. Research reveals that Affinity is run by Murray Hewlett (43) who, it turns out, was once listed in the "spamming hall of shame" by the Internet Service Providers Association. (Apparently, his lawyers got involved, so that list no longer exists.) Hewlett, company records show, is a director of 50 companies, including 24 bearing the Affinity name...
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