ESL Podcast 375 - A Call from a Telemarketer
lady of the house - the female head of the household; the woman with the top position in the family, usually the wife and/or mother
Maria had spent many years being bossed around by her parents and older sisters, and was happy to get married and finally become the lady of the house.
what is this regarding? - a formal way to ask what something is about; a polite way to ask why someone is calling
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting a call from the police," she said, "What is this regarding?"
cable company - a company that provides cable TV service that gives people access to additional movie, sports, and other TV stations for a monthly fee
I need to call the cable company tomorrow so that we will be able to watch the boxing match on TV this Saturday!
bundle - group; a package deal; two or more services for one price
I pay $19.99 a month for a bundle of services on my cell phone, including text messaging and unlimited calls.
to sign up - to officially agree to do something; to commit to paying a company; to sign a contract
Ling wanted to exercise more so she signed up for a three-month gym membership.
no extra charge - for free; to give away one item or service with purchase of another
When I bought my new camera, the salesman gave me batteries for no extra charge.
to switch - to change; to stop using one company's services and start using another's; to stop doing one thing and to start doing another
I told my mother that she should switch to a cheaper way to heat her home after she received a $500 bill last month.
do-not-call registry - created in 2003 by the US Federal Trade Commission, it allows people who do not want to get sales phone calls to add their name to this list and it bans (or does not allow) telemarketers from calling them
I haven't received one telemarketing phone call since I added my name to the do-not-call registry last year.
to take off - to remove; to erase; to delete
Olivia asked that her address be taken off the public message board.
call list - list of phone numbers used by a telemarketing company to make sales calls; a list of potential customers used by a telemarketing company
On his first day at his new telemarketing job, Jorge was given a call list with 30 names and telephone numbers.
prior relationship - contact between two people in the past; a relationship that happened before the present
I did not have a prior relationship with the lawyer, but I trusted him because my friend had used his services for years.
telemarketers - people who are paid by a company to call other people by phone and sell a product or service
I used to work as a telemarketer, but I quit because I didn't like the way people reacted to me when I called them at home or at an inconvenient time.
sales pitch - the way a person tries to sell something; the words and actions used by a salesperson to try to get you to buy a product
The knife salesperson's sales pitch involved cutting through a thick piece of wood to show the high quality of her products.
to demand - to insist; to require someone else to do something; to ask in a very strong and impolite way
When her mother came home and saw her messy room, her mother demanded that she clean her room right away.
do I make myself clear? - a stronger, more forceful way to ask, "Do you understand?", usually used when making a demand or insisting that someone do what one says
"You are not allowed to see that boy again," said Tanya's father, "Do I make myself clear?"