Psychic Hotlines
Few callers knew, but often the "Psychic" they were calling, was an untrained, inexperienced person, making a genuine effort to supplement their income, with no real understanding of what they were doing, or what the impact would be. Recruiters for Psychic Hotlines would often promise prospective workers a way to earn money and help people. They would provide them with the basic techniques to bluff their way through using divination techniques, scripts of what to say to keep people on the phone, and a neatly packaged and rehearsed justification for misleading people. People were paid upwards of $0.17 per minute to speak with callers who were paying the company $4.99 per minute. Workers were often not paid, while managers, contracting companies and the hotline networks themselves raked in the cash. Many workers had crises of conscience, feeling guilt and frustration with what they were being instructed to do by management... keeping callers on the phone as long as possible, regardless of whether or not the caller was satisfied with the information given. Often callers were told simply what they wanted to hear, because any different information may make them unhappy and they might hang up. The importance was always put on the length of the call, not the client's best interest. Many genuine Psychic readers, myself included, who ventured into the Psychic Hotline world, with a pre-established experience, talent and pride in what they did, quit virtually immediately, as it was apparent early on what motivated policy and guidelines. It was all about money for the companies, money made on the backs of the workers, and at the cost of the caller's best interest and well being. It was impossible to thrive in that environment without betraying one's ethics, and most workers were quickly disenchanted and quit shortly after they began. Callers also quickly noticed they were being taken advantage of. As fraudulent billing practices, misleading advertising and other wrongs came to light, people began to cry out for justice. The public was tired of being manipulated and mislead by greedy companies that were misrepresenting everything they had to offer, from their "FREE readings" down to the supposed psychics who were advertising services, but did not in actuality exist. As the shady business practices and fraudulent activity came to light, and scandal after scandal broke, major Psychic Hotlines began dropping like flies. The infomercials stopped running and the phones stopped ringing. Many people lost faith in Psychics and the industry suffered a huge blow. Many independent and ethical readers who had not been a part of the Psychic Hotline phenomenon were left to pick up the pieces and rebuild the bond of trust that was so shaken by the scandals and negativity caused by greedy corporations that never had any real industry in spirituality and divination in the first place. As a whole it has been a blessing in disguise, as the corporations now find themselves answering to the law, and ethical Psychics with good intentions are free to reach out to those in need. Now with the internet, there is more diversity and growth in this industry than ever. As small independent businesses are available to people around the world, and clients can choose whomever they wish, from a rainbow of talents and fields of specialty. While there are of course still fraudulent individuals, taking advantage of anyone where they can, clients are more aware of what to watch out for and cautiously protect themselves. The end result is generally a symbiotic relationship between client and reader, which is really the way it should always have been. If you would like more information on how to protect yourself from fraudulent Psychics, please consult the articles on Psychic ethics and scams.
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Psychic hotlines are fortunately becoming a thing of the past. Gone are the days when hour long advertisements for Telephone Psychic Networks, bombarded late night television viewers with false hopes and promises of genuine psychic advice that could change their lives, for $4.99 per minute... but this change in tides came at a high price to both readers and clients alike. The events that unraveled the industry, also caused a great deal of damage to so many vulnerable people, and even now, years later, the healing is just beginning.
