MU Donations

[Strokin 3s]

This is an open note to anyone from the "Office of Advancement" / call center for donations.  DO NOT solicit season ticket holders for donations in the middle of a MU game. 

During the middle of the Grambling game (yes, I know it's only Grambling, but still...) they called.  I was not so annoyed with the call as I was with the stupidity of a marketing department calling season ticket holders during the middle of a game.  Talk about wasting resources, A. they are either going to be at the game B. not going to answer that call during the game or C. answering and asking what the hell someone is doing asking for money for Marquette during a game.

Anyone else had the same experience?

[Skatastrophy]

Same. I laughed, but I was mad.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I was called during the Packer-Lions game last night, told them I was glad they called to distract me since it was 17-0 then.

[BrandonA]

I don't know about you but I have (414) 288-4703 plugged into my phone as "Marquette" so I know to just not answer.  They call me around 8PM two or three times a week and my wife about 15 minutes after me.

[Benny B]

Well... keep in mind that this is the same Office of Advancement who is foregoing thousands of dollars a year in scholarship money because they're too damn lazy/ignorant to setup an MU license plate offering with the Illinois Secretary of State.

[Marquette Fan in WI]

I have them blocked when I was working at MU they don't call employees. Figure my 150k of student loans is enough for awhile. Tuition needs to be controlled IMHO.

[Dr. Blackheart]

We can be like ND and assign quotas and have friends pressure you via shame for not donating.  Open your wallets, boys.

[MUEng92]

To be honest, the MU donation request calls were probably the tipping point to us getting caller ID service back when you had to pay extra for it.  I got so sick of them calling I was willing to pay to be able to see that it was MU so I just didn't answer.  Two kids in Catholic grade school at the time, I was more concerned with paying their tuition than someone else's college tuition.

Call me in about 10 years and I will start to consider it.

[Cooby Snacks]

They completely lost track of me, which is surprising since I've given in the past. It's nice.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

As a former student caller for MU, you know you can just say, "please don't call me for donations," and they take you off their list, right?

Seems like it would save a lot of trouble and butthurt if an occasional call freaks everyone out so much.

[MerrittsMustache]

As a former student caller for MU, you know you can just say, "please don't call me for donations," and they take you off their list, right?

Seems like it would save a lot of trouble and butthurt if an occasional call freaks everyone out so much.

Last year, I asked them to call me back in the fall of 2019 when all my kids are in school and we won't have daycare costs anymore. No calls so far this year. We'll see.

[CTWarrior]

To be honest, the MU donation request calls were probably the tipping point to us getting caller ID service back when you had to pay extra for it.  I got so sick of them calling I was willing to pay to be able to see that it was MU so I just didn't answer.  Two kids in Catholic grade school at the time, I was more concerned with paying their tuition than someone else's college tuition.

Call me in about 10 years and I will start to consider it.

I had contributed every year, but since my son (who is a senior in a private college now) went to college I've told the nice young man or woman that we are not going to donate until after he graduates in the spring of 2016.  Each time the MU person tells me nicely that they will make a note and not call until then.  Then they call my wife and the conversation repeats itself.  And of course they don't make the note (my guess is the don't have such a mechanism) because they keep calling every year and I keep having the exact same conversation.  I always take the call because they're going to keep calling until I do, and I'd rather have the four minute phone conversation than hear the phone ring night after night.

In the end its not too big a deal to have a couple 4 minute conversations twice a year, so it doesn't really bother me.

[StillAWarrior]

Two kids in Catholic grade school at the time, I was more concerned with paying their tuition than someone else's college tuition.

Call me in about 10 years and I will start to consider it.

This is where we find ourselves.  Currently, we're working very hard to pay one private college tuition, two Catholic HS tuitions and one Catholic grade school tuition.  I love Marquette, and deeply value what I received there, but for the next decade or so we're going to be a little strapped.  Eventually, I'm sure we'll return to supporting our alma mater.  I realize that many would say that this is a rationalization and an excuse...and I'm OK with that.

[MU_CHI]

No one has anything better to do than gripe about a few phone calls? Yikes

[Galway Eagle]

As a former student caller for MU, you know you can just say, "please don't call me for donations," and they take you off their list, right?

Seems like it would save a lot of trouble and butthurt if an occasional call freaks everyone out so much.

As a former student caller myself listen to what this guy is saying. 

Strokin 3s I'm sorry that you were so bugged but I'm assuming you were a complete d*ck about it as many are who feel we interrupted their schedule.  It's a student job for young adults going to the same university you guys proudly represent just chill out and say not interested or don't answer. Realize the program decides who we call we didn't think to ourselves "hey I really wanna bug some season ticket holders right now"

I had contributed every year, but since my son (who is a senior in a private college now) went to college I've told the nice young man or woman that we are not going to donate until after he graduates in the spring of 2016.  Each time the MU person tells me nicely that they will make a note and not call until then.  Then they call my wife and the conversation repeats itself.  And of course they don't make the note (my guess is the don't have such a mechanism) because they keep calling every year and I keep having the exact same conversation.  I always take the call because they're going to keep calling until I do, and I'd rather have the four minute phone conversation than hear the phone ring night after night.

In the end its not too big a deal to have a couple 4 minute conversations twice a year, so it doesn't really bother me.

They have the option but most callers click call back at a later date and such instead of writing in the notes do not call till x date. 

[Strokin 3s]

As a former student caller for MU, you know you can just say, "please don't call me for donations," and they take you off their list, right?

Seems like it would save a lot of trouble and butthurt if an occasional call freaks everyone out so much.

I am assuming you weren't responding to me directly, but others on the thread...but I guess my point was more the calls don't bother me, they are what they are and we all understand them I think.  What bugs me is that whoever is assigning these students to call during these hours should really know their audience better.

Calling in the middle of a game to season ticket holders is likely to yield no answer from many since they are at the game.  Many more no answer since they are watching the game and don't want to talk now and many more that answer and then are mad that they called during the game.

I just think you take 1 hour on either side of game time start and end and say during this time we are stuffing mailers or something like that since I am going to venture to guess their success rate is very low during games.

[Strokin 3s]

As a former student caller myself listen to what this guy is saying. 

Strokin 3s I'm sorry that you were so bugged but I'm assuming you were a complete d*ck about it as many are who feel we interrupted their schedule. It's a student job for young adults going to the same university you guys proudly represent just chill out and say not interested or don't answer. Realize the program decides who we call we didn't think to ourselves "hey I really wanna bug some season ticket holders right now"

They have the option but most callers click call back at a later date and such instead of writing in the notes do not call till x date.

Thanks for the call out, you should re-read my post and my subsequent one.  No problem with the calls...  I am always very nice to the students when I do answer.

[Galway Eagle]

Thanks for the call out, you should re-read my post and my subsequent one.  No problem with the calls...  I am always very nice to the students when I do answer.

Callers don't stuff mailers. The way it works is it's segmented so if you're not donating to the Blue and Gold fund you are probably in a different segment than you would be if you were. I don't remember calling any Blue and Gold fund segments during games. 

You're welcome for the call out, forgive me for assuming that someone who was annoyed with a glitch enough to post a thread about it would have been annoyed enough to be rude to an 18-22 year old who had no control over the call. 

[StillAWarrior]

I am assuming you weren't responding to me directly, but others on the thread...but I guess my point was more the calls don't bother me, they are what they are and we all understand them I think.  What bugs me is that whoever is assigning these students to call during these hours should really know their audience better.

Calling in the middle of a game to season ticket holders is likely to yield no answer from many since they are at the game.  Many more no answer since they are watching the game and don't want to talk now and many more that answer and then are mad that they called during the game.

I just think you take 1 hour on either side of game time start and end and say during this time we are stuffing mailers or something like that since I am going to venture to guess their success rate is very low during games.

We've got at least a couple former callers on this thread, so I'm sure they can address this better than I can and correct me if I'm wrong.  But if their system is similar to many, the kids probably not "calling" anyone.  These systems are often automated.  A computer is dialing and once someone answers, they get connected with a caller.  That's why there is often a noticeable delay of a second or two when you answer a solicitation call.  From the caller's perspective, it's not like they're dialing, waiting for someone to answer, hanging up and then dialing the next number.  But maybe Marquette doesn't have such a system.

Also, I always try to remember that those of us who passionately follow the basketball team are a very small minority of alums.  They're not going to tailor their calling practices around us.

[Strokin 3s]

Callers don't stuff mailers. The way it works is it's segmented so if you're not donating to the Blue and Gold fund you are probably in a different segment than you would be if you were. I don't remember calling any Blue and Gold fund segments during games. 

You're welcome for the call out, forgive me for assuming that someone who was annoyed with a glitch enough to post a thread about it would have been annoyed enough to be rude to an 18-22 year old who had no control over the call.

It sounds like you are so upset about about a perceived slight that you feel the need to continue to look past my point.  I posted because I wondered if other season ticket holders had the same experience.

Stuffing mailers was an example, might as well just be non-working hours, whatever it is was my point.

No where did I ever mention anything about the callers themselves whether they are calling from a list or a automated system that picks the line that answers first makes no difference.  It is the timing of such calls and "attack plan" so to speak.

[StillAWarrior]

No where did I ever mention anything about the callers themselves whether they are calling from a list or a automated system that picks the line that answers first makes no difference.

My only point was that from the caller's perspective, the fact that a game is going on probably doesn't even register a perceptible change.  I would guess that on any given night, the vast majority of people called do not answer.  The incremental change because a basketball game is going on probably barely even "moves the needle" on the number of no-answers that the callers are getting.

I happen to agree with your underlying point that calling during a game might not be the best strategy.  But I doubt it makes a noticeable difference to the callers.

[Benny B]

In fairness:

A) The students are calling the universe of alumni, not just season ticket holders.

B) The alumni call list probably doesn't have a "Season Ticket Holder" designation by the names.

C) The students calling were probably just as surprised to be talking to an alum who was actually at the GSU game.

[Benny B]

By the way, I would really appreciate if a phone-a-thon caller would give me a ring... I haven't made my annual B&G donation and I'm too lazy/ignorant to get off Scoop and go to the website where I could make said donation.

[GOO]

I don't think the calls are a big deal.  The only issue I have is when I don't have time to answer the calls - why can't they simply leave a message instead of hanging up.  A polite message would sure be more professional than just hanging up and calling again...

[drewm88]

I have no problem with the calls, but a little variety in timing would help. If you've called me at 6:30 M/T/W and I haven't picked up, maybe don't call me at 6:30 on Thursday.