Telemarketers

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Schultzie

http://youtube.com/watch?v=45eHfCQIf6w

Or the time when Jerry asked if he could call them back at home to bother them.

[chummer]

Still like Seinfeld's line...."why don't you give me your home number so I can phone you back when you're busy."

[return to the red]

I don't really have a problem with telemarketers as I was a business-to-business "propector" when times were tough. The problem I have now is the fact that I am getting calls at 9:30 at night. My wife is a worrier so when the phone rings that late she thinks something is automatically wrong...now it's happening 2 or 3 times a night and really starting to annoy me

[smithtofuhr86]

This thread is hilarious! When I first moved to Calgary in 1999 I was doing my (un-paid) practicum with the city in order to finish my degree so I had to make a few bucks during my spare time and maybe look at starting my career so I started applying like crazy at some "business" jobs. I got hired by a company that had a mis representing ad and I ended up shadowing someone who was selling coupons door to door for oil changes etc. What a day that was, if you sold this $20 product you got to keep $11 for yourself and the company got $9.

Then I got a job with a company that sells varieties of furniture etc. after my orientation they hauled my into this room gave me a list of people, a script and told me to start calling. So I did telemarketing for about 4 hours, what a job!!!! I felt sick to my stomach afterwards for phoning people at home, getting told to get lost etc. It was amazing to me how much information this company actually had on people, they had names, full addresses and ofcourse numbers. I wasn't even selling anything I was just supposed to talk about the company and ask there permission if I could send them a free company catalogue and people still were hard to convince. I don't blame them! People feel violated in there own home when they get phone calls like this. I can't stand companies that I have been dealing with for years (like banks) that will call and sell things like GIC's, line of credits, master cards etc. I fell like saying i'm loyal to you guys so the least you can do is stop pestering me.

[BerubeHater]

Originally Posted by RW99

I had a run in with Primus a few years ago when I lived in Truro/Halifax. They weren't even taking me off the list when I asked them to. Since then I've stayed far away from their LD plans. FAR AWAY.

Primus kept calling me all the time, like 3 times a month, for months. Everytime I would tell them I don't make any long distance calls as I really don't ever use long distance.

This doens't stop them from trying to get me to sign up. I told them to stop calling, and this still called frequently.

So I decided it was time for an unlisted number.

Who is Primus anyway? Never heard of them until they started calling me.

[Flashpoint]

I don't answer calls from people I don't know. If it is important, they'll leave a message. Not having a landline helps too.

[Ford Prefect]

I do one of two things with telemarketers. If I'm not in the mood for them or don't have the time to play games, I just hang up. If I happen to be in the right mood though, they're in trouble. I really like messing with them. I've strung out phone toll guys for a while and then told them it sounds like they have a great plan, but sorry I don't have a phone and hang up. Or talk to them like a two-year old ... "I like gravy. Do you like gravy? What's your favourite colour?" Or better yet, speak in tongues to them. Most of these guys struggle with English anyways, so speaking in tongues really messes them up. I made one guy so mad once he phoned back after I hung up and started calling me all kinds of obscene names. I just laughed at him and told him to put a little Prozac in his coffee.

[someguy51]

I usually just screen my calls. I don't answer any 1-800 or 1-866 numbers.

My brother in law got the Calgary Herald to stop calling him by telling them he was illiterate.

[You Need a Thneed]

Most of the time I either hang up as soon as they say who they are with (Ipsos-Reid, I'm looking at you, I definately don't have time for 20 minute surveys), or I politely say I'm not interested the first oppurtunity I get to talk, and they don't immediately say, "have a nice day" (or something imilar) and end the call, I hang up.

I don't have time to listen to your spiel for several minutes while I can't get a word in. Supper's likely cooling off on my plate.

If the number is an 800 or 866 number, I usually just don't answer. The problem is that, if they don't talk to someone, they'll probobly try back again the next day (Ipsos-Reid, I'm looking at you)

[Dion]

Another favourite ploy of mine is to keep telling them that i can't hear them and would they please speak a little louder. When they finally start start shouting into the phone, i reply that there's no need to shout, i can hear just fine. They hang up