Posted on 07/25/2009 10:48:54 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
I was just on my way out the door, rushed for time as usual, when the phone rang. Caller ID said, "000-000-0000." I had a pretty good idea who it'd be (in a general sense) but I was expecting a call from an out-of-town business associate that day, so I couldn't afford not to answer.
"Hello?" I said warily. Suspicious pause. (This, in my experience, nearly always means an automated system is hooking a telemarketer up to the line.) And sure enough, "Yes, hello ma'am, may I speak with a... (pause) ...Mr. William J. Fields?"
"There's no one by that name at this number," I fairly growled, thumb already reaching for the disconnect button.
"Well then, ma'am," asked the voice before I could complete the move, "Is there a Hillary Fields?" Grrr. I couldn't deny it. I hardened my tone even further and answered, "What's this about?" in as abrupt a fashion as possible.
"We'd like you to answer a few quick questions about your long distance plan..."
Click. I'm done with you.
What I did may have been bad manners, but it's nothing compared to the story of an Ohio man named Charles Papenfus, recently arrested for 'going postal' on one of those extended service auto warranty telemarketers who wouldn't stop harassing him. According to Stltoday.com:
Charles W. Papenfus, 43, of Fostoria, Ohio, allegedly told a sales representative during a May 18 telephone call that he would burn down the building and kill the employees and their families. He was indicted for making a terrorist threat, a Class D felony; and he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison if convicted.
Wow, now that's consumer rage.
I don't know the specifics of his case, but I must tell you, I work primarily from home, and these telemarketing jackasses call at all hours of the day (particularly the auto warranty ones telling me my warranty is about to expire, which is ludicrous since I don't own a car.) I'm on the do-not-call list, but they always seem to find a way around it. And they're often automated calls, so I can't even do a Papenfus and take my fury out at them directly. I'm forced to fume helplessly and one-sidedly at the automated voice waking me up at 7AM on a Sunday, breaking into my dial-in meeting, or interrupting my romantic dinner with my husband.
I'm not advocating specific threats or any sort of violence, but let me ask this: When these callers have violated the sanctity of our homes in this insistent and unwelcome manner, do they deserve anything resembling courteous treatment in response?
I realize that some people who are telemarketers are simply desperate for a job and know what they're doing is annoying, but I can't imagine taking that job unless I were destitute and responsible for feeding my family and there was no other way. Must I be nice to these callers just in case that's who's on the other end of the line? Hmmmm
I got rid of my landline 5 years ago. Probably the best decision I ever made.
Oh, me too. But some of those SOB’s ignore the law.
A gift, to be sure.
Telemarketers have once chance to hang up first. They have once chance to remove my number from their dialing list.
After that repeat calls for the same purpose/campaign receive zero tolerance from me.
Supposedly, you can do this, but I’ve not tried it.
You know if you call someone and they moved or whatever you hear the message “Da Da Da the number you have called has been disconnected or is no longer in service...”
Well, seems the autodialer machines recognize the “Da Da Da” tone. And remove the number it dialed from their database.
So you can program that .WAV into your answering machine. Just tell your friends you really are still there!
That's an excellent suggestion, Kevmo!
(By the way, the words "Christianity," "Gospel," and "Christian" should be capitalized, according to the dictionary.)
I'm not even a Christian, but I think that I'll adopt your strategy, praise the Lord!
Regards,
A "good" telemarketer would only reply with response no. 17b:
But sir, don't you realize that you would actually be saving money by purchasing our insurance? That you could actually then buy more milk for your children, after you've joined our plan?"
My advise: Either hang up, or - if you have the time and want some free entertainment - employ one of those pre-written scripts you can download from the Internet to confuse, offend, and yank the chain of these people.
Regards,
In Australia there’s a gap of time between when you answer and their auto-dialler connects to the human at the other end - that’s enough time to put the receiver down without any fuss and get on with your day! Always puts a smile on my face.
Mel
I’ve had friends who have resorted to telemarketing, in between jobs, to help support their families.
I usually thank them for their kind interest in helping me to save money on Product XYZ, but also that my mover is here and I’m moving out of state.
That seems to work.
I was always polite to telemarketers, I had a number of friends and acquaintances who worked in the business. I would always say, “No thanks, I’m not interested.” If they were agreeable to it and hung up everything was fine. If they became obnoxious and insisted on talking I’d try to keep them on the line as long as possible if I had the time - for a telemarketer time is money. My record was half an hour. By the time they hung up they were angry, often asking why I kept them on the line if I wasn’t going to buy. “I told you at the beginning of the call I wasn’t interested.” Some of those calls were fun - better than the junk on TV.
I haven’t been bothered since I gave up my land line for a cell phone.
I used to get a call from a tele marketer now and then, so I signed up with the "Do Not Call Registry". Since then I get a steady stream of calls from charity groups and solicitations disguised as surveys.
In the meantime, I have acquired this lifetime supply of mailing labels...
Hanging up politely works for me.
We just say, “We aren’t interested, thank you,” and hang up before they can launch into their pitch.
I don’t get many actual sales calls but a lot of calls from political groups wanting money. College Republicans is the latest group that constantly calls. If I’m polite and explain to them that I can’t spare even five dollars right now, they continue talking and say they just want to ask me a question about Obama’s healthcare, or whatever. I end up hanging up on them because THEY DON’T LISTEN and that’s a whole lot ruder than a hang-up.
I got rid of mine too. I’ve never had a telemarketing call on my cell.
My latest frequent caller is the home warranty company - I got a free 1 year home warranty when I bought the house last year, and the idiots think that I might want to pay to renew. Having looked at their customer relations record on line, I will never deal with them. Besides, there isn't a lot that can go wrong in the house that I can't fix.
I abuse telemarketers all the time.
So far I’ve had several tell me that I am [expletive] evil/insane/twisted/deviant/etc.
None of them will give me their phone number.
I don’t know why.
(Might be my mentioning keeping their souls in a chalcedony jar.)
BTW, I don't mind arguing. lol
lol I told a few that my husband was in jail and wouldn’t be available until sometime after ...(insert made up probation date.)
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