It is not a violation if it is a group which you are a member of that is calling.

I too had worked there.  Really admired the work ethic of the VP.  I always felt that if was her company...it would be  far better. Stress levels certainly increased when the P showed up.  He thought nothing of demeaning an employee in front of others..then commenting that he thought nothing of shutting the company down.

I received am call on Friday and one a few minutes ago. I haven't tried to return. I'm also an AIChE member.

When I was hired I was excited, but that excitement was crushed in the first week.  I was told I would be working on a computer, but you are not. I was also told it was not sales or phone soliciting, it is both.  You will also have quotas to meet.  They are not strict on this but they are all over the office/work stations, as reminders.  I do not mind security, however, every square inch of that place has cameras. It was apparent the employees were afraid to speak to each other.  It just made for a very uncomfortable atmosphere.  Their reason to us for the callers not having computers was it is impersonal. The feeling I got was that a computer would distract you from making phone calls and getting the $$ out of the "member".  The turnover was almost at 100%, although they do have a few long term employees at this point.  I enjoyed the VP as well as the P (even though I thought their outlook on technology was not that of my own).  Most (not all) of the other employees I met there were extremely nice and welcoming.  We were just not allowed to have interaction with each other much.  It is not for everyone, it is very structured.  If you can handle that and do not mind being monitored every second by a camera or person, as well as can just sit there for 8 hours a day with a phone, piece of paper and a pen, the pay is decent.  Go for it, just a note though, that it is a somewhat depressive atmosphere but, if you are the kind of person that just goes to work to work & phone soliciting/sales is your niche you may like working there.

Legitimate business or not, it does not give them the right to interrupt the work flow of any business. I've got news for you...this company calls and harrasses it's members AT WORK. I fielded 4 calls in 10 minutes from a very rude man who told me he would NOT stop calling. Our employees are taking care of patients. Call them at HOME! Oh, and the MEMBERS he harrassed? Are ready to drop their business with the organization who hired him BASED on his manners.

You grow up. I was polite and he was demoralizing and demeaning to me. It is going to hurt the company who hired him to call for them.

Thank goodness you're here to set us straight and show us what horrible people we are.

If you learned to "make scribbles on paper at around age 4, which is all of the training you need to work at that asylum." Then what is that saying about you? At some level you must have valued what they had to offer you. It's probably best that you went to "scribble" elsewhere. The majority of people out there are not doing what they would lie to be doing and so they find themselves in jobs that do not suit them because they don't have the courage to follow their dreams. So, instead of trying to hurt other people because you have been hurt yourself, why don't you try to be true to what you are capable of. Then you won't have to say such awful things about other people. This is just being a good humanitarian. Obviously something that most of the people posting here know nothing about.

...worked there who used to pick fights with people he called? He was a dancer, I think, and a total kiss-a** to management and not very bright.  I remember him screaming, 'MA'AM, THIS IS A COURTESY CALL!!!!' at the top of his lungs all the time.

Asylum is the right word for that place.

Called me around 10am. I live in Hawaii. No voice message. Caller from the Pittsburgh area.

I am on the do not call list. The call I received is in violation of this registry.

Getting shot is preferable to working for those creeps.

When I left (escaped), the VP berated me for almost 10 minutes about how the company had invested money "training" me and how I was leaving them out to dry. It was almost impossible not to laugh in her face. I learned how to dial a phone and make scribbles on paper at around age 4, which is all of the training you need to work at that asylum.

I was just out of school and desperate for work at the time I took the job. If you are in a similar position--go be a sandwich artist, work at a gas station, bus tables, panhandle, do anything but work at Inalink. I can guarantee you will regret not taking my advice.

Somebody has a dog in this fight, clearly.

3 rings, hung up as I answered.

Inalink is a phone-based member relations company that works exclusively with professional and trade associations.

We are specialized in providing a variety of programs for members, including Keep-in-Touch; Welcome; Member Recovery and Retention, and Conference Development.

We are a very reputable company and are very highly regarded in the association industry.  
If anyone has questions or concerns, please call us directly 877-530-9335.

Thank you-

Art--it is indeed a glorified telemarketing company. In fact, you can go ahead and remove glorified from the equation. My ex worked there and she insists it's the most depressing place where she's ever found employ (she has previously worked at a funeral home).

There is something on their website to the effect of "our clients' members are more than just tick marks on a call sheet," which is a blatant lie. They are literally ticks on a call sheet, and a do mean sheet--as in sheet of paper (they don't give their callers computers, just a pen, call sheet, and phone).

I got a call from these hacks recently which drew my attention to this post. I noticed the 412 area code and asked the caller if he worked for Inalink. When he replied in the affirmative, I simply apologized to him and hung up.

STOP CALLING ME!!!! I AM ON THE DNC REGISRTY!

Your ex is correct.  I worked there and it was a nightmare. The owners are borderline-personality megalomaniacs...just some of the most vile, disgusting, people I have ever encountered.

Called at noon. Didn't pick up as I don't have the number in my contacts. No voice mail left!

this was a representative from the drug information association telling me my membership expired (he did leave a message), which is true.

This 412-586-6092 called me twice, but left no message. I called back the number within 2 hours and found the phone number to be disconnected. Note that I recently had credit card fradulently used.

Called about 11:30 no message -number disconnected

Called at 10:50 am. Called Number Back and recieved message that the number has been disconnected.

It rang, and went to voicemail before I could answer.  No message left.  I tried to return call, thinking it is a company I work for in PA and had a message that said this number is disconnected.

Called at 11:34, left no message.

Being on the DNC registry does not exclude you from calls from people who have legitimate business with you, as in, the organizations with which you have been a paying member.

Being on the DNC registry is not a magic blanket that protects you from a reality you don't wish to deal with.  If you didn't pay for your membership, expect a call from the organization you were affiliated with.  It's their right to notify you of it and YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to cancel your membership if you wish to quit.

Grow up.

Now if you're getting these calls by mistake, that's another issue.  JUST BE POLITE and inform the caller that they have the wrong number.  Chances are, you will stop getting calls as you're not the person they're looking for!

Are you really this dumb?  Did I really need to explain basic civility to you?

Heroin addict trying to pull a scam 412) 586-2338

The 412 number that is calling is the local number for a member relations firm (Inalink). It is a smaller company that works in partnership with various professional associations from a variety of industries. The call is a courtesy to the association's members, to help them make the most of their membership. Usually calls are in regard to expired membership, subscription renewal or event registration but sometimes they are made to welcome members or raise awareness.

As someone familiar with the inner workings of the company, I can honestly say it's not a scam. And it is a decent place to work, though occasionally trying when dealing with aggression met on the other end of the phone. The employees are not trying to waste your time, merely bridging the communication gap between an association and a member. If you're busy be polite and ask they call another time or do not call again.

Note: These are not solicitation calls. Only those who are or once were members of associations are called. If you do not want to be contacted, be sure to notify your association personally that you do not want to be called. Or upon recieving a call from Inalink, KINDLY notify the caller you do not wish to be contacted by phone again and voila, problem solved. DNC registry has no influence on calls of this nature.

You are making an arbitrary distinction, Ricky. They are absolutely solicitation calls. Sure, everyone called has had some affiliation with the organization at some point, but the goal of the call is to get them to renew, or to sign-up for a conference, etc. At Inalink the end game is almost always a credit card number.

It's not a scam, but it is no different than your classic telemarketing phone call. I am also familiar with the inner workings of the company, having worked there myself. It was the worst job I've ever had. I washed dishes in high school for 3 years and that was infinitely better than working at Inalink. It was the most depressing time of my life. It is by no means a decent place to work, although maybe the leadership has changed since I was there. We were only allowed 30 minutes for lunch, and no one was allowed to take lunch at the same time. You would just have to sit there in that depressing office listening to other people make calls. Also, we weren't allowed to just go to the bathroom whenever we wanted. We could only go once every x hours. They were having "the lawyers" check if this was legal at time.

If I was running a company, I would not hire Inalink. It is a factory-like workplace with depressed employees. There is no oversight of the calls, either. After I got a few credit card numbers, I would just mark the rest of my sheets as "no answer" or "wrong number" because I couldn't stand trying to take money from the poor people on the other end of the phone.

So I would echo this from the above responses: do be courteous  if you get a call from this number, because chances are the person on the other end is very unhappy.

I remember when I worked there in the mid 2000s for five months. There was no formal 'bathroom policy' then, but they would interrogate you if, in their opinion, you were going too often. The '30 minute no each lunch together' rule was in effect--I assume to keep anyone from talking and comparing notes. When I was there I saw almost 100% staff turnover within 5 months. Never have I seen so many depressed, miserable people together in one office. It was better if the 2 people (P and VP) didn't like you; then you got to get out right away. It was far worse if they liked you--then you were subjected to all sorts of mind games, guilt trips, and having to listen to the dilettante-ish president rant and rave about the decline of Western Civilization and his ridiculous, half baked ideas. To any prospective employees I can only say: STAY AWAY.

Ricky, I'll be curious to see if you feel the same way in a few months. I watched so many miserable people try to extricate themselves from that company and it was like watching wild animals trying to claw their way out of a trap.

Yes, it really was that bad.