As sad as I am to admit this...one night a bajillion years ago I had a telemarketer gig peddling magazines.
What ever possessed you, berdie, you might ask. Well, I was 15 (lied about my age) and my family and I needed money for rent, food. etc. The hourly wage seemed astromonical at the time.
I landed that coveted job, studied the “script” and was put “on the phones”. I was without a doubt the youngest person in the room.
After several hang ups, an elderly lady answered and I went into “the script”. When I paused to take a breath she said “Honey, I am a very old, sick woman. I’ll probably never get to read your magazines.” So I apologized, hung up and started quietly crying.
THEN the dude that monitored the phones came over and b1tched me out. When I wouldn’t promise to not ever do that again...he fired me.
Consequently, I really try not to be rude to telemarketers. I don’t know what circumstance forced them to be in such a dreadful job. If I accidently answer the phone I just tell them “Since I’m really not interested I don’t want to waste your time. Thanks for calling and please take me off your list. Bye.) click. However, I thank God every day for caller I.D. :)
It’s the only time I get the satisfaction to tell the black telemarketers the truth in a way they can understand if they are an Obama worshipper.. “I’m sorry, but I can’t afford the services (or product) you are offering due to our current financial condition that was directly created by the bad economic / anti-business policies that are coming from the WH”. Sometimes I get a click; other times I get honesty when they tell me that you wouldn’t believe how many times they hear that a day. Some have even told me they voted for him and wish they hadn’t now but I don’t hear that one often enough.
Your posts suggests the following response to a telemarketer:
“Oh your poor dear. I can’t imagine what kind of awful circumstances forced you to take such a dreadful job, but you’ll be in my prayers.”
My phone is for my convenience. I do not pay the monthly pay so that unsolicited sales people can have unfettered access to me. Yes we should all be Christian in our responses, but their calling me is not very Christian either.