I work for Special Data Processing AKA "National Magazine Exchange" as the entry level job: Subscription Sales Associate. I won't waste time repeating what numerous other posts have said from employees other than that: Yes; we lure people to call us with a "million dollar sweepstake" ($25,000 in Texas) mailer and use a creatively worded script to
1.) obtain your phone # for resell to telemarketing companies needing leads, and
2.) attempt to sell you magazines.
Other than the not disclosing our intended use of your phone # (whether or not you have a credit card or even buy anything or not) I don't see this company as ripping people off. We sell magazines for publishers who want to up their circulation numbers so they can legitametly increase their prices to advertisers who advertise in the magazines. That's why you'll never see us offering mega-popular magazines like "Oprah", "Newsweek" or "Entertainment Weekly" as those magazines are SO popular they don't need a clearing-house company to help their circulation numbers.
I'm not happy I've sunk so low as to moonlight for SDP but it's easy morning work and supplements my main nightly bartending job.
The main problem I want to let everyone know about is a new script my team is testing for future replacement. It increases sales apparently but the wording to me seems a little tricky and deceiving with it's use of the word "free" before a final quick mention of the price.
First, the Standard script most of you hear which is fairly straightforward:
"Now it gets even better _, because you've been selected to receive 3 nationally published magazines from N.M. E for a rate of only $1.29 a week, That's not for each one, but for all 3 together. And you can choose one of 3 gifts absolutely free when you take part in our promotion today! Now for the magazines you can pick from..."
Then the customer picks 2 and I add a 3rd cheap magazine then:
"_, you get all 3 for a rate of only $1.29 a week.in Addition, your package includes a free membership in our Reader's Exchange program. This exclusive service allows you to change any or all of your selections at any time at no extra cost to you and we'll send a list of our most popular magazines as well, so if you do see somehthing you'd rather have, call us and we will change it for you... Now I need to transfer you to my supervisor...
This current script, they say, doesn't push the value of the "readers exchange program" enough and also since the most widely chosen "free gift" is a crappy diamond chip watch: here's the "new" wordy script:
"Now it gets even better _, because N.M. E has selected you to receive a genuine diamond quartz watch when you agree to our Reader's Exchange program. You have your choice of a men's or ladies model. It's very attractive, the watch has a black face with a real diamond at the 12:00 setting. Yours FREE, just for participating in our exclusive Readers Exchange Program. You'll receive 3 nationally published magazines and the ability to change them as often as you like during your service for a rate of $1.29 per week. That's not for each one, but for all 3 together and you can choose from...
Then the customer picks 2 and I add a 3rd cheap magazine then:
"Now I need to transfer you to my supervisor..."
From the amount of people who now ask me if the magazines are free just before I transfer them to the Billing supervisor (since using the new script), I feel this new script pushes the "free" out there too much and now only quickly mentions the real cost of "$1.29 a week" only once instead of twice like the old script. Although the billing supervisors still repeat the amount again and have to obtain 16 digit credit card numbers from the customer to complete the sale, I feel like my part of the job is more sneaky with the new slippery wording and overemphasis on the word "free" what do you think?
FYI: my two weeks notice is in. I'm leaving N.M.E/s.D. P for Citifinancial's call center in Tampa
Gina
St. Petersburg, Florida
U.S.A.
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