Cold callers worry about targets, salaries amid new regulations

UAE

Starting from mid-August 2024, new regulations in the UAE will introduce gradual administrative penalties on telemarketers who violate guidelines, with fines reaching up to Dh150,000. The tighter rules are causing concern among cold callers, who worry about meeting targets and maintaining their salaries.

Mohammed A, a Sri Lankan expat in Dubai, is one such cold caller. He moved to the UAE four months ago to repay debts from a failed business. Despite the looming regulations, Mohammed remains cautiously optimistic. "I have been mindful of not calling clients excessively," he said. "I will be even more careful now and hope to still meet my targets."

The regulations, which escalate from warnings to fines and can lead to severe measures like licence cancellation and suspension of telecommunications services, aim to address public complaints about intrusive and persistent calls. Briton Emma Stewart welcomes the new rules. "I’m happy about the news," she said. "I've had to block several numbers because they wouldn’t take no for an answer."

For businesses like the one owned by Indian expat Aneesh, these changes pose a significant challenge. His direct sales agency, which serves three major banks and employs nearly 50 people, already struggles with declining call response rates. "With the company name now appearing on calls, only 25 out of 100 calls are answered," he noted. Aneesh fears the new rule requiring marketing calls to come from phones registered to licensed telemarketing companies will force his agency to revert to traditional selling methods like face-to-face visits and reliance on references.

Mohammed, who needs to sell five credit cards a month to avoid salary penalties, is particularly anxious. "If I don’t sell any cards, I won’t be paid at all," he explained. His move to Dubai was driven by the need to support his family after his gemstone business in Sri Lanka failed. "I have a wife and daughter to support. This job was a chance to pay off debts and feed my family."

Judy, a Syrian expat working as a cold caller for a financial training center, often faces abuse during her calls. "I stick to the government-stipulated call times, but many people don’t pick up, and some cut the call immediately," she said. Judy also experiences unwanted advances and harassment, challenges her male colleagues rarely encounter.

As the mid-August implementation date approaches, cold callers like Mohammed and Judy brace for the impact of the new regulations, hoping to navigate the stricter environment while maintaining their livelihoods.