Posted on 06/13/2007 3:28:16 PM PDT by zeaal
No means NO, dammit!
I am weary ... when campaigns call for a contribution and I explain that I am unable to contribute this year please don't keep asking for lesser amounts. When I explain early in the call, "My husband has esopahageal cancer and all of our extra funds are going to treatments and co-pays, so no we will not be contributing please remove us from the list," they reply back, "I know times are hard but we are counting on your support --- can we count on you for at least $50?" "NO, you cannot." "Can we count on you for $25?" "NO, PLEASE TAKE US OFF YOUR CALL LIST!" They can also STOP using the tagline in your pitch " ... we need to support Reagan Republicans and get them in office." STOP STOP STOP!!!
May I suggest a well-timed air horn blast?
Do you think you have to be nice on the phone when somebody out of the blue calls you? I wouldn’t tell them anything about my problems. Just hang up, they’re being the jerks not you.
I have found an old fashoined whistle just as effective — and it dowsn’t take up a muck room.
If they don’t respond to a polite “no,” here are some things that work:
1) just hang up, or
2) If you were too well bred to be rude, and feel uncomfortable hanging up on people, hang up on yourself. Start talking and just hang up in the middle of a sentence.
When they call, tell them they made a mistake, have called a fund raising telephone number and ask them for a donation of $50 or more.
I tell them I give to my church only and they decide where it goes. That gets rid of them, and its also true.
Don’t you get the “Hillary Sock Puppet Pitch”—they try to scare you into donating because you’re so afraid of Hillary. I’m sick of that one—
I have found an old fashoined whistle just as effective — and it dowsn’t take up a muck room.Old fashioned is right. Don't you have caller ID?--or are you still using a rotary phone or something?
Yes, I do have caller ID but as our current situation suggests we are doing research and contacting out of state hospitals and doctors for consultations and are not always sure of who is calling. I am NOT going to miss a call of what might be THAT doctor with THE answer we need because I don't want to talk to fund raisers.
I think the approach of talking and hanging up on me mid-sentence is novel and will probably try that one with the next call ... probably this evening some time.
Thank you all for being so indulgent to allow me to vent a bit here.
AND ... if any campaigns are reading this thread please advise your solicitors that there is a point that it would be kind to excuse yourself and discontinue the call. Your campaign will make far less enemies with kindness than with pushy, nasty, mean 'boiler' room solicitors.
BE WELL!
I’ve found that the easiest way to deal with them is to say in a very kind voice, “I’m so sorry, we never respond to phone solicitations. Please remove us from your list.” And HANG UP right then. When you’re dealing with life’s major troubles, it helps to have an automatic, emotions turned off way of dealing with the minor ones.
Prayers for your husband’s healing.
Mrs VS
You have no obligation to be polite to people who refuse to treat your wishes with respect. My tactic: I’m polite at first, and say, no, sorry, we cannot help at this time. If they continue, I say, again (and firmly) no, we cannot help. If they continue, I just hang up on them. I know they’re just doing their job, but their job is very annoying.
Repeat callers don’t even get answered. We have caller ID.
If it’s a political call, like the RNC, for instance, I do my best to annoy them as much as they annoy me by giving them an earful of what I think of their immigration bill wheeling and dealing. They don’t stay on the line long. ;)
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