ThursdayNext : www.jasperfforde.com
A discussion of all things Thursday !
Re: The Next question
Posted by: Jon (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 26, 2003 09:08PM
<HTML>I get the same thing at work .... confident salespeople say "Can you put me through to Mr. Critch -ton please," like they know him, to which I say "no, I won't, you fecking callcentre drone you who doesn't know how to pronounce names. Get a proper job!" No, no, I don't really. I'd get sacked if I answered the phone like that.
I actually say "feck off, we don't want any," and cut 'em off. You can't be soft with these people. It only encourages them.
Even better were the dim girls who used to ring up to my old house and say "I'm calling from Weatherseal, how many of your windows would you have replaced if they were 50% off?" and I'd say "I had them all replaced last year .... by your company. Don't you keep records?" They were still ringing up about once a week until I moved out.</HTML>
I actually say "feck off, we don't want any," and cut 'em off. You can't be soft with these people. It only encourages them.
Even better were the dim girls who used to ring up to my old house and say "I'm calling from Weatherseal, how many of your windows would you have replaced if they were 50% off?" and I'd say "I had them all replaced last year .... by your company. Don't you keep records?" They were still ringing up about once a week until I moved out.</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: January 26, 2003 09:59PM
<HTML>With phones I've picked up the habit (from Bart simpson, of all sources) of picking up phones and answering them with fake companies - as in:
Ben's Taxidermmy Services - you snuff 'em, we stuff 'em.
Confuses the hell out of my Grandma, and also wrong foots telesales.</HTML>
Ben's Taxidermmy Services - you snuff 'em, we stuff 'em.
Confuses the hell out of my Grandma, and also wrong foots telesales.</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: fuzz (---.cableinet.co.uk)
Date: January 27, 2003 12:35AM
<HTML>I made the mistake of working for a double glazing company last summer, I quit after two days because I felt like sucha bastard. It amazed me the number of people who won't put the phone down on you, personally, with telesales people I just say, no thakns and stick the phone down, but these people would have long arguments with you as if there was no other option. The best way of getting rid of them is to tell them you live in rented property, they tick a little box and never bother you again.</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: All-American-Cutie (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: January 27, 2003 06:11AM
<HTML>In the US, we have the right to tell telemarketers to "Please take us off your calling list" and they have to comply. If you receive any more calls from them after a month and you've documented the time, date and to whom you've spoken, you can actually sue the company the telemarketer is representing. I always ask for the caller's supervisor, take up as much of their time as possible, since they've taken up mine and I make sure they don't call me again. Plus, you can contact your local phone company and they can put you on the national do-not-call database. It has worked reasonably well. We used to average about 15 sales calls per day! We still get calls from charities and a few local home improvement places, but we just tell them we choose our own charities or that we are renters (respectively)
My husband prefers to act like he's interested, then says "hold on, someone's at the door" and then puts the phone down and walks away. He actually had a stupid telemarketer wait on hold for almost 20 minutes one time! That's at least 7 or 8 people he saved from being called during her shift that day! LOL</HTML>
My husband prefers to act like he's interested, then says "hold on, someone's at the door" and then puts the phone down and walks away. He actually had a stupid telemarketer wait on hold for almost 20 minutes one time! That's at least 7 or 8 people he saved from being called during her shift that day! LOL</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: jon (---.abel.net.uk)
Date: January 27, 2003 09:07AM
<HTML>Well, when we moved house we adopted an even simpler option. We asked not to be listed in the phonebook. Note that this is different to being ex-directory, (e.g. directory enquiries or an online search will find us) and costs nothing, but has reduced sales calls to almost zero; the only ones we get are from people like the Halifax who have our number because we are already customers. I can recommend this course; it also has the additional benefit of reducing the size of phone books, thereby saving the odd rain forest or two.</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: January 27, 2003 07:11PM
<HTML>You can also ask to be delisted, but I can't remember how - this doesn't remove people's abilit to contact you but cut off all our calls at the last house. Companioes who phone you after this are technically breaking the law, interestingly.
I knew one friend who figures it was them paying for it, and she'd talk merrily to them for hours. Strange...</HTML>
I knew one friend who figures it was them paying for it, and she'd talk merrily to them for hours. Strange...</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: Ooktavia (---.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
Date: January 27, 2003 09:04PM
<HTML>I have to say, having been a telemarketer my self, just leaving them on hold seems very cruel and nasty. All you should do is tell them thanks but no thanks, and if anyone from that company so much as nods at you in the street, you will come round to their offices and douse them with petrol and then start smoking carelessly. They'll hang up, I tell you!
(I was, for the defense, only calling buisness numbers, about websites, honest guv.)</HTML>
(I was, for the defense, only calling buisness numbers, about websites, honest guv.)</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: Jon (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 27, 2003 09:17PM
<HTML>Another good trick is to say "Are you the man in the moon? I have Martians telling me things in the middle of the night, you know. Do you like smarties? you know the CIA has transmitters in each one, don't you?"
That'll put them off. Just make sure you don't use this technique when anyone who actually knows you phones up, otherwise you end up wearing one of those jackets that only fasten at the back, and it's hell trying to find shoes to match.</HTML>
That'll put them off. Just make sure you don't use this technique when anyone who actually knows you phones up, otherwise you end up wearing one of those jackets that only fasten at the back, and it's hell trying to find shoes to match.</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: All-American-Cutie (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: January 27, 2003 10:43PM
<HTML>In America if you do that, they think you're crazy...and if you're crazy, then you'll buy whatever they're selling, thereby getting even more calls than before!
Americans are nothing if not tenacious!</HTML>
Americans are nothing if not tenacious!</HTML>
Re: The Next question
Posted by: Magda (---.med.umich.edu)
Date: January 28, 2003 07:54PM
<HTML>Actually, here in the states you can't just ask to be taken off their call list. You have to ask to be added to their "Do Not Call" list. They can legally ignore the former, but not the latter.
I generally either 1) don't answer the phone at all and let the answer machine screen for me or 2) Say "I'm not interested" and hang up (despite the fact that they are still talking).</HTML>
I generally either 1) don't answer the phone at all and let the answer machine screen for me or 2) Say "I'm not interested" and hang up (despite the fact that they are still talking).</HTML>
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