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American Morning
Off The Hook
Aired September 25, 2003 - 09:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We know telemarketers are the callers we love to hate, but comedian Tom Mabe doesnt stop there. He lives to torment telemarketers, and he's turned revenge into a bit of a cottage industry for himself.
Here's a sample.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
TOM MABE, "WAKE-UP CALL FOR TELEMARKETERS": Hi, this is Tom Mabe from Sleepy Sleep Aids with a special offer of a sleeping pill that guarantees a great night's rest. Ma'am, how are you doing this evening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
MABE: Ma'am, do you often find yourself unable to sleep at night?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous! Don't call people this early!
MABE: Ma'am, it's 4:00 a.m.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in the morning.
MABE: If I could just get your credit card number.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you!
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HEMMER: I think I'd be ticked, too.
Tom Mabe's new CD, "A Wake-Up Call for Telemarketers," is with us now for his take on this national "do not call" registry list.
Nice to see you.
MABE: Hi. Good to see you.
HEMMER: A year later.
MABE: It's a year later.
HEMMER: The last time we were together was across town.
MABE: Yes.
HEMMER: It's a dark day for telemarketers, isn't it?
MABE: Oh, yes, man. It's sad. You know, it's like its not going to last. People hate telemarketers. And by the way, I was pretty upset that the guy from the DMA wouldn't wear my shirt. I was talking to him in the Green Room. "If you can read this, you're overqualified for telemarketing."
HEMMER: How did he take that, by the way?
MABE: He's a big fan, actually.
HEMMER: Yes.
MABE: He's got all of my CDs -- no, he doesn't care for me.
HEMMER: Go back to your history, quickly. You were in Louisville, Kentucky.
MABE: Working out of my house.
HEMMER: There was some sort of convention going on, and this is what dragged you into this.
MABE: Yes, this last call you just played, that was at a telemarketing convention in Washington, D.C. You know, I work third shift. I sleep during the day. And they keep on calling me and waking me up. And I say, "Put me on your 'do not call' list," but that translates into calling me three times tomorrow.
So, I found out about the convention in D.C. I went there and checked in the same hotel. And I found out what floors they were on and what rooms they were in. At 3:00 in the morning, I started calling them and waking them up, trying to sell them stuff.
HEMMER: Why do you hate these guys so much?
MABE: Oh, they won't let me do my job. I mean, for years I was nice. Hey, man, like I work out of my house, I'm sleeping, don't call me. And I got tired of being victimized.
HEMMER: It's safe to say you've never bought anything from telemarketers?
MABE: Never, never, never.
HEMMER: When you ask them to take yourself and your family off the list, does it happen?
MABE: No. It literally translates into calling me three times tomorrow. I get more calls I guess because I work out of my house.
HEMMER: Yes. Listen, we have another sample here. We want to play it for our viewers. Back to the CD now.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.
MABE: Hi, this is Tom Mabe calling from G&A Long Distance Services. How are you doing this evening, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sleeping.
MABE: Sir, do you often find yourself awake at night worrying about your long-distance phone bill?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, it's after 3:00 in the morning.
MABE: Sir, I'm sorry. I would never call you this late. We must be in a different time zone. It's only like 2:15 here. But let me make up for it. What if I told you that I could save you up to $5 a year on your phone bill?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HEMMER: Five bucks a year.
MABE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: Explain who is on the other end of that line, by the way?
MABE: That's a telemarketer sleeping at a telemarketing convention in Washington, D.C. at 3:00 in the morning.
HEMMER: Weren't they grateful to hear from you, huh?
MABE: Oh, man. You know what they're doing now? They've got the reverse telemarketing.
HEMMER: Which is?
MABE: That's if the law passes -- any time you call customer service, at the end of the call they try to sell you something. I mean, what's next? You call 911, someone's breaking into my house. Well, I have to tell you about this new home security system. I mean, it's getting bad.
HEMMER: Hey, listen, good luck to you, Tom.
MABE: Thank you.
HEMMER: It's always a pleasure speaking to you.
MABE: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thanks for coming to New York.
MABE: Good to see you. HEMMER: Watch those t-shirts. The folks down in D.C. would love to get one. See you later.
MABE: Thanks, Bill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 25, 2003 - 09:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We know telemarketers are the callers we love to hate, but comedian Tom Mabe doesnt stop there. He lives to torment telemarketers, and he's turned revenge into a bit of a cottage industry for himself.
Here's a sample.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
TOM MABE, "WAKE-UP CALL FOR TELEMARKETERS": Hi, this is Tom Mabe from Sleepy Sleep Aids with a special offer of a sleeping pill that guarantees a great night's rest. Ma'am, how are you doing this evening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
MABE: Ma'am, do you often find yourself unable to sleep at night?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous! Don't call people this early!
MABE: Ma'am, it's 4:00 a.m.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in the morning.
MABE: If I could just get your credit card number.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you!
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HEMMER: I think I'd be ticked, too.
Tom Mabe's new CD, "A Wake-Up Call for Telemarketers," is with us now for his take on this national "do not call" registry list.
Nice to see you.
MABE: Hi. Good to see you.
HEMMER: A year later.
MABE: It's a year later.
HEMMER: The last time we were together was across town.
MABE: Yes.
HEMMER: It's a dark day for telemarketers, isn't it?
MABE: Oh, yes, man. It's sad. You know, it's like its not going to last. People hate telemarketers. And by the way, I was pretty upset that the guy from the DMA wouldn't wear my shirt. I was talking to him in the Green Room. "If you can read this, you're overqualified for telemarketing."
HEMMER: How did he take that, by the way?
MABE: He's a big fan, actually.
HEMMER: Yes.
MABE: He's got all of my CDs -- no, he doesn't care for me.
HEMMER: Go back to your history, quickly. You were in Louisville, Kentucky.
MABE: Working out of my house.
HEMMER: There was some sort of convention going on, and this is what dragged you into this.
MABE: Yes, this last call you just played, that was at a telemarketing convention in Washington, D.C. You know, I work third shift. I sleep during the day. And they keep on calling me and waking me up. And I say, "Put me on your 'do not call' list," but that translates into calling me three times tomorrow.
So, I found out about the convention in D.C. I went there and checked in the same hotel. And I found out what floors they were on and what rooms they were in. At 3:00 in the morning, I started calling them and waking them up, trying to sell them stuff.
HEMMER: Why do you hate these guys so much?
MABE: Oh, they won't let me do my job. I mean, for years I was nice. Hey, man, like I work out of my house, I'm sleeping, don't call me. And I got tired of being victimized.
HEMMER: It's safe to say you've never bought anything from telemarketers?
MABE: Never, never, never.
HEMMER: When you ask them to take yourself and your family off the list, does it happen?
MABE: No. It literally translates into calling me three times tomorrow. I get more calls I guess because I work out of my house.
HEMMER: Yes. Listen, we have another sample here. We want to play it for our viewers. Back to the CD now.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.
MABE: Hi, this is Tom Mabe calling from G&A Long Distance Services. How are you doing this evening, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sleeping.
MABE: Sir, do you often find yourself awake at night worrying about your long-distance phone bill?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, it's after 3:00 in the morning.
MABE: Sir, I'm sorry. I would never call you this late. We must be in a different time zone. It's only like 2:15 here. But let me make up for it. What if I told you that I could save you up to $5 a year on your phone bill?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HEMMER: Five bucks a year.
MABE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: Explain who is on the other end of that line, by the way?
MABE: That's a telemarketer sleeping at a telemarketing convention in Washington, D.C. at 3:00 in the morning.
HEMMER: Weren't they grateful to hear from you, huh?
MABE: Oh, man. You know what they're doing now? They've got the reverse telemarketing.
HEMMER: Which is?
MABE: That's if the law passes -- any time you call customer service, at the end of the call they try to sell you something. I mean, what's next? You call 911, someone's breaking into my house. Well, I have to tell you about this new home security system. I mean, it's getting bad.
HEMMER: Hey, listen, good luck to you, Tom.
MABE: Thank you.
HEMMER: It's always a pleasure speaking to you.
MABE: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thanks for coming to New York.
MABE: Good to see you. HEMMER: Watch those t-shirts. The folks down in D.C. would love to get one. See you later.
MABE: Thanks, Bill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
