Telemarketers...

[Gail]

What do you say to telemarketers?

[Halfstep Denise]

I tell them "thanks for calling, but I can't afford to buy anything right now"! (It's the truth!) I tell them that before they even get going with their script, knowing they're trying to sell something!

Don't fall for the "thank you for being one of our customers and you're entered into the contest"! There's a sales pitch usually coming!

My husband will usually just hang up on them!

Halfstep Denise

[phkrause]

We got so sick of answering and having to listen to them just yap away without stopping for one moment. I would continully say no thank you, no thank you, etc., to what ever they were peddling but they just keep on taking. Finally one time my wife just hungup on one of them, and guess what they called back to tell my wife how rude she was for hanging up like that. So I told them how rude it is for them to keep talking as were trying to tell them NO THANK YOU!!!. So I bought a answering machine, and now I see who's calling, and if its a number I don't know I don't answer. If its that inportant they can leave a messages.

pkrause

[Nan]

I heard one solution, was to launch into a spiel of how lonely you are, how glad you are they have called, and tell them all your current troubles.

We can usually tell who the caller is when they ask for "Mr X" as the phone is listed in my name - from my premarriage time, just initial and surname - so asking for the nonexistent Mr has them starting off on a very bad footing.

[Dottie]

We have caller ID, and an answeeing machine. Most telemarketers are set up with their computers that quite ringing at about the firsst or second ring. Other go the full four rings, then it hangs up. Then there are the ones who wait for the messege, and say "hello" as if they know you, and the caller ID says "unknown name, unknown number." Pretty cheesy.

The only ones who call, and hang up when we know who they are and don't get to the phone on time, are the health people from the insurance company, who call to talk to us to see how we are doing on our programs (diabetes, CAD, and GRD). I think it's because of HIPPA.

No real problems with telemarketers!

[olger]

I have some good answers.

"I'm not the homeowner, I'm robbing the place.." (said in a whisper). LONG SILENCE...

Friend of mine: "You buyin or sellin? If you're buyin, let's talk, if your sellin I'm broke!"

Another friend "Is this information I have personally requested?" Long silence......

One day I got three telemarketers in a row while I was on the forklift. It's a good thing the phone was expensive, or i MIGHT HAVE EATEN IT .

[gina i]

It's ususally "Thank you not interested take me off your list *CLICK*"

And I haven't had a call in a very long time.

[Dr. Shane]

Since I put our number on the national no-call list, we haven't been getting called by any.

[Naomi]

I'm listed on the national do not call list, but still get some. Not as many as in the past.

There is a funny one going around now about the guy who answers the phone telling the caller that the gentleman who he has called has been killed, etc.

It's pretty funny to listen to.

I do have a soft spot for them because they are just trying to do a job to pay the rent. I attempt to be polite and just say thank you for calling, I can't buy anything, God Bless, Bye ... all in one quick sentence without hesitating. Then hang up the phone.

[Denise]

Well, you all, I am on the other side of the coin. I work for my husband calling people letting them know we offer home security services. My husband works for a company called Interlink Control that is an affliate with EMC electric companies. I get a list every week from my husband's boss to call these people to let them know we offer this service. And that is all I am calling about, to let them know. If there's an interest, after my short script, then I set up an appointment for them with my husband, Norman. NOw, on my side, I get some very, very, rude people that say some really mean things, and are even yelling at me. I know it is probably because of their bad experiences with telemarketers. I don't consider myself a telemarketer, just an informer. I don't force or pressure people, just inform. That is what the company wants us to do, but for some people, before I even hardly speak, I get yelling, and rude mean tones, "Are you a telemarketer? How did you get my telephone #?" I even had one guy get so mad at me because it was his family time and I was interrupting him. I guess I was suppose to know it was his family time. And why would he answer the telephone if his family time was so important? But, then, there are some really nice people, and I appreciate these people who are so nice. I use to take it personal with these people, but now don't, because I know it's only business. My husband and I do really well with this too. The Lord blesses. Well, enough said, my mind is tired and wanting to go to bed. Happy Sabbath! Denise :-)

[Amelia]

The national "Do Not call" registry

http://www.donotcall.gov/

Opt out credit card offers

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/opt_form.cgi

[Nan]

Interesting to hear the story from Denise's side - and I know people are just trying to earn a living. I do try to be polite.

No doubt an increasing trend here also occurs in the US, of call centres from another part of the world making these calls. Not a trend I enjoy.

[bevin]

I have a phone so people who know me or who have something I am certainly interested in can call me.

As soon as I know it is some-one trying to provide me with a service that, if I wanted, I would have gone looking for, I simply hang up.

There was a time where I would put the phone down on the table, not even hang up, but it is too much bother.

/Bevin

[Bravus]

I'm never rude, but sometimes the scripts are very carefully written to give no opportunity to interject, which I think is rude on their end. If that's the case, I will calmly and clearly say something like "Thank you, we don't need any of [that good or service], goodbye" and just hang up without listening to their response... because they'll often have a 'rejection script' that they'll launch straight into.

I agree with those who've said they're people just trying to earn a living, and it's not fair to take it out on them... it's a system in which both we and they are being exploited to some extent. Doesn't mean we have to allow our time to be wasted, though, so polite, calm but firm seems fair to me.

[Norman Byers, N.D.]

Hi Gail,

We have put our name on the do not call list and also the do not mail junk list. It has worked pretty well but we do get a call from time to time from an affiliate of someone we've done business with online.

There are two types of telemarketers, one is a person the other is a computer. When I get a person I listen for a bit and if I am interested I will go on( which is never) but if I am not interested, I tell them so. They usually keep talking and then I tell them again only this time I tell them I'm about to hang up. If they keep on, I say good bye and hang up.

That's it

Norman

[Halfstep Denise]

I sympathize with Denise!

My first husband did telemarketing for a while. It's one reason why I try to be nice to the callers. They're just trying to make some income. My husband apparently did a good job because the income was decent.

One trick I learned from someone at the Better Business Bureau in Fairbanks, Alaska was to ask if a telemarketers company was registered with the State of Alaska! If they said no, I told them to register with the State Attorney General's office and then call me back with the registration number - then we MIGHT do business! They'd never call back!

All of the phone numbers in this apartment are on the Do Not Call List. It really has cut back on the unwanted phone calls.

Olger - I was reaching for the Kleenex from laughing so hard with laughter reading those neat lines for telemarketers!

It's the automated phone calls that I detest the most, sales or political! If there's any hesitation when I pick up the phone and say hello, I hang up. A word to the wise.

Halfstep Denise

[Aliensanctuary]

When I hear a long pause after answering the phone, I know it's a telemarketer, and hang up without waiting for the speech. When the speech starts up immediately, I still hang up.

My home phone is my private communication line for friends, family, and coworkers, not a pipeline for advertisers. I pay for this phone, not the advertisers.

If there's a service I want, I go looking for it, either in the newspaper or yellow pages or online. I think advertisers should have the decency to respect the privacy of my home and not interrupt or annoy me with their unsolicited advertising. I never buy anything from telemarketers because of this reason.

I'm sorry some people try to make a living from telemarketing. They should stop bothering people and find a different job. Maybe they could make audio books, since some of them have very pleasant voices.

[Denise]

And since I am an informer, when I get a telemarketing call, I will listen for a few minutes, and if it isn't anything I am interested in, then I tell them I am not interested. Now, if a telemarketing is not courteous enough to stop and say, Thank you for your time and have a great evening, then I will once again say, No thank you, I am not interested, and if they keep on talking and ignore me, I will say NO THANK YOU firmly and hang up. A good telemarketer will be courteous and not forceful and stop once someone says they are not interested.

[Becca]

I have seen my son begin speaking in French when receiving a call from a telemarketer. It is really quite funny as he pretends not to understand what they are saying. We get few call now that we have signed up on the "do not call" list.

Becca

[Aliensanctuary]

Finally solved, or nearly solved, the telemarketer problem by discontinuing our land line---an annoying, free conduit for telemarketers. Now we rely solely on our cell phones, but even then we occasionally receive telemarketing calls. I never answer unknown caller call---they can always leave a message if desired---and when I look up the number online it indicates spam.

Next step is to block the spam number from ringing my cell phone.

We no long have internet at home, though, except on the cell phones, so must access it at work during breaks.

[Naomi]

I have had my morning wake up surprise when I saw  my friend, Halfstep Denise as the second poster.  What a trip back in time!       I still have a soft spot for them ... or for anyone who is trying to make an honest living ..... so I usually break into their script and say sorry, gotta run ... God Bless you and hang up.  Then I immediately block their number.    

[Gregory Matthews]

my main concern is with people who I believe are involved in criminal fraud.  I get those.  Yes, I am on a  do-not-call list.

Criminals can cause my (your) caller ID to real a fake telephone number.  I get calls that my caller ID tells me are coming from a person with my name who has the same telephone number that I have. 

I get telephone calls that are clearly attempting to defraud me and/or obtain financial information.

This year, my bank has replaced a credit card three (3) due to fraudulent activity. They have now issued me a care with a chip in it.

I got a telephone call, on my cell phone, one Sabbath asking me if I was in a grocery store purchasing groceries about a thousand miles away.  I told them that I was not and would not be purchasing groceries on Saturday.

Once I was visiting my mother-in-law, some 200 miles from where I lived.  I got  clearly fraudulent call from someone who was attempting to defraud her.  The person got my attention when he swore at me for not buying into his sales spiel..  He had already given me an 800 number that I could use to call back.    Every time someone calls on an 800 number the telephone company charges them a fee.  I tied up their 800 lines so badly for the next several hours that they could not receive incoming calls.  In the beginning they threatened me with criminal action--I do not respond well to such threats.  Before I was through with them, they were begging me to quit calling them. Well, you can be assured that they never called my mother-in-law again.

On another occasion, also with my mother-in-law, the person wanted her to purchase a product that could not be used by someone on city provided water and sewer, as s he was.  They gave a spiel as to why she needed it and how it would improve her life and save her money.  I asked the woman if  who called if she used the product herself.  She stated that she did not as she was on city water and sewer and the product was of no use to people like her.  Well, I credit her for being honest.  However, she and I did have a conversation, civil of course, related to calling people and telling them of al the good thing that would happen in their life if they purchased the product when in fact none of those would happen and she did not use it herself.

I have a friend who once as a SDA pastor.  In a time of financial need and without a job, he took a position as a telemarketer who called older people ad attempted to get them to invest.  I informed him that he was involved in fraud.  He strongly objected to my characterization.  A few weeks later Federal law authorities came in and arrested a number of people.  He was sweating it for a while waiting to see if he was going to be arrested--he was not.   The bottom line is that he lacked the understanding of financial issues to know that on the surface what he was attempting to sell to older people was fraudulent on the surface and his sales pitch was not honest.

Yes, there are honest telemarketers.  But, generally the honest ones do not call me as I am on the "do not call" list.  So, when I get a call I know that they are in violation of the law.

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[phkrause]

I don't answer any calls unless I know exactly who's on the other end. And if they really want something they can leave a message. Also I've noticed that if I do answer and I have to say Hi more twice I just hang up.

[Outta Here]

I've learned to keep asking them questions about their personal lives until they give up...but I only ask them the same questions they ask me.

[B/W Photodude]

There is a funny one going around now about the guy who answers the phone telling the caller that the gentleman who he has called has been killed, etc.

 

http://youtu.be/-7OgWcwgB50