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Annoying telesales and how to deal with them

Discussion in 'Found on the Net' started by chinese crested, Dec 29, 2011.


  1. Why do they always get you out of the bath etc? Why is it that its only after they have gone you think of things like this?
     
  2. Levite

    Levite Levitical Yet Funky

    Location:
    The Windy City
    Wow. That was awesome!
     
  3. aquafox

    aquafox Getting Tilted

    Location:
    Ibapah, UT
    might be going over the edge but sounds so fun lmao. They call soo infrequently now that I'm never prepared with any of my ideas when they call.
     
  4. Must admit, I do sometimes say 'Did you know her? Were you a close friend of hers?'
     
  5. SirLance

    SirLance Death Therapist

    It's funny, but I'd never invest that much time...
     
  6. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK
    Hilarious. I would definitely invest the time if I thought I could pull it off.

    I did do something similar once. I told the salescaller that I was in the middle of a domestic dispute and was just getting ready to call 911 when he called me. It got him off the phone real quick. Thinking back, it may have been the truth.
     
  7. Cdwonderful

    Cdwonderful Getting Tilted

    Location:
    Campbell, OH
    I generally tell them that Mr. whoever is now serving 15-25 for child molestation...and are you personally connected to him?
     
  8. SirLance

    SirLance Death Therapist

    I did once answer the door to Jehovah's witnesses buck naked. I told 'em I was REAL interested in Jesus, and did they think he was dating now?
     
  9. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    The best thing I ever did to combat telemarketing was move to Singapore. I haven't received on single telemarketing call since I moved here.
     
  10. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I chuckled.

    Years ago I had a CD called "Hey, you called me!" that was full of similar recorded phone calls.
     
  11. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    Haha! I too enjoy abusing and demeaning people who are trying to earn a living! I also like going to the food court and mocking the McDonald's employees.
     
  12. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Heh, you know what? I'm actually really frank and polite with telemarketers. The best way to end a sale is to demonstrate no need. Close them before they close you.

    I can usually disarm a telemarketing call in under 30 seconds, and I do so politely. We then usually wish one another a good day/evening.

    I'm often cheered up by such cordial phone calls.
     
  13. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK
    It does often seem that the best way to disarm the pitch is to simply not swing at it. I agree, cordiality breeds cordiality (most of the time) and I generally feel better when the call has ended with "Well thank you, Mrs. Hajduk, I'm sorry I couldn't interest you in our product but it's been a pleasure speaking with you."

    I always try to keep in mind that the person on the other end is a real person. He's probably not doing the job he'd prefer but needs the money. It's got to be a thankless job that only someone who is desperate for any job would take. Hard to be hateful (unless they catch me at the wrong time. :))
     
  14. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    That's more or less where I was going with my acerbic, passive aggressive sarcasm.

    Folks are just trying to earn rent money, which is hard enough already. There's really no need to make it worse. Just Say No.
     
  15. dannyboy New Member

    While I usually try to be cordial and get them off the phone politely, sometimes they start to annoy me by then
    asking me WHY I don't want to hear about their product!
     
  16. healer

    healer Extra Medium

    Location:
    South Africa
    I thought so, never took you for the kind to go around mocking anyone...especially if you were wearing one of them funny hats you like. :)

    I'm kinda the same. I just try and end it as quickly and politely as possible. I understand that they're just people, making a living as best they can. It pisses me off when they insist I get another cellphone contract after I tell them I already have 2 phones, but I try my best not to be rude.

    Definitely gonna try and prank them next time though.
     
  17. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    I recognize that they are trying to earn money and don't begrudge them that. However, when I was receiving these calls, I never engaged. I always just hung up.

    Most times, it was easy to tell that it was a telemarketer because of the robodialer. There would almost always be a pause from the moment I said hello while the robodialer transferred my call to a warm body. In that pause I would just hang up.

    If I actually received a person, I would just say no thanks and hang up.
     
  18. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I do this too, except a large proportion of the calls I get are from those exempt from the government Do Not Call list. These are callers on the behalf of companies we're already doing business well, usually trying to up-sell us on something.

    They will keep calling back until they get an answer from us. I work at home. I don't want them to keep calling back.
     
  19. SirLance

    SirLance Death Therapist

    Thank the telephone gods for caller ID. I never answer these in the first place.
     
  20. There was a knock at the door and my then child son answered it.
    "Mum. It's cancer research." They heard the reply "Have they come for the kittens?"