Got hung up on by a telemarketer - and I was being nice!!!

[valeriedl]

I know all of you probably hate the hundreds of calls you get by telemarketers. I've tried everything to get them from stop calling. Tell them I'm not interested, press the 'don't call back' number and just don't answer the phone. But the calls still keep coming.

My dad told me to just start having a nice conversation with them that has absolutely nothing to do with what they are calling about.

So today when one called I started talking all about my cats. How they like to look out the windows at things, wag their tails, 'bark' - have you ever heard a cat bark? It's the goofiest sound in the world.

The woman kept trying and trying to bring me back to talking about what she was selling but I just kept on going about my cats. I had her on the phone for a good 5 minutes before she said "Well thank you but I really don't like talking about cats."

That's when I said "Oh, please don't go. It's nice when you guys call because I don't get to talk to people that often, mostly only when you do!" She hung up on me right away! Think I should call her boss and complain that she was rude to me?

I think I laughed about this for a few hours and it put a smile on my face for the rest of the day! :roflmao:

 

[rich956]

:clap::clap::clap:very very good. im gonna try that...

 

[MAB]

If they are calling to raise money for a charity I always let them go through their sales pitch. After they do that, I always ask them if I donate how much will go to the charity. They are required to disclose the truth if you ask. They then go to ask their manager and come back to tell me some absurdly small percentage of money, usually something like 9-12%. I then ask them why I should donate $100.00 when I can give $10.00 to the charity and save myself a bunch of money. They usually hang up after that.

 

[Dolores]

Great concept - think I will start talking about my horses! Actually, at home my phone goes directly to my answering machine so I can hear who is calling from whatever room in my home I happen to be in. Then I can decide whether or not I want to pick up. At work I let calls from unknown numbers go directly to voicemail and then I'll listen and call back if necessary.

I get frustrated when, should I make the mistake of answering the phone, I can't understand the person calling because of their heavy accent. At work they always say "Good morning Dolores. How are you today?". My immediate response is who (the hell - implied but not said) are you (because I know you don't give a dam how I'm doing - again implied but not said). They mumble (to my ears anyway) something and I say "sorry but I'm not the person to speak to about that" and immediately hang up so they don't continue.

People who can not articulate the English language (or whatever language the interview is in) make me crazy - and I really don't need help that way!

Next time I will start a discussion with them on dressage training - they won't know what I'm talking about but I won't understand them either so it should be a fun way to pass the time! :roflmao:

 

[valeriedl]

If they are calling to raise money for a charity I always let them go through their sales pitch. After they do that, I always ask them if I donate how much will go to the charity. They are required to disclose the truth if you ask. They then go to ask their manager and come back to tell me some absurdly small percentage of money, usually something like 9-12%. I then ask them why I should donate $100.00 when I can give $10.00 to the charity and save myself a bunch of money. They usually hang up after that.

These places that they are asking for donations don't ever call asking for them. I've talked to many of these places and they told me that. They also told me the same thing about what happens to the money if you do donate it to the place who is calling asking for it.

 

[arnie]

I love that story! Talking about your cats, indeed! I get lots of telemarketers calling me at work, and I don't really have time to do that. Maybe I'll try this winter when thogs slow down at the shop. What I do when I hear that silence on the line when I answer, (which indicates a robo-call) is just hang up. If a person is there when I answer I will politely say "no thanks" and just hang up on them. Maybe this winter when one of them calls I will try to sell them a bicycle!

 

[valeriedl]

I got hung up on again, and this guy was really rude about it! I guess these people just don't want to talk about my cats? They'd rather try to get me to talk about the Medic Alert Bracelet. I told him that when "I've fallen and can't get up" my cat can always help me up because he's a REALLY big boy. He must not have believed me?

 

[Formyson2]

LOL, valeriedl!


~Nancy~

 

[C0urt]

had a telemarketer hang up on me when i told her "I was backwards tracing her number hold on for a second"

 

[valeriedl]

Just had this guy on for over 5 minutes. Told him it was nice when they call because I don't get to talk to people that often and just started talking about anything and everything that just popped into my head, the weather, trick or treating, kids, pets, clothes shopping, my garden, cutting grass and so much more. I did carry on a nice little conversation with me till he hung up.

 

[C0urt]

some people are nice and will talk to you,

I think the girl next to me when I did tech support would lak about cats for a bit,
I never could talk to people for that long if it wasnt work related, that's why i worked nights.

 

[BIGMAN131307]

I hate talking on the telephone. So I'd never have the patience to try this out.

It would be fun to drive a telemarketer crazy. There is so much I could say/do.
They're lucky I screen all my calls. lol

 

[valeriedl]

some people are nice and will talk to you,

I think the girl next to me when I did tech support would lak about cats for a bit,
I never could talk to people for that long if it wasnt work related, that's why i worked nights.

I always have a good time talking with tech support people. It's a lot better than sitting there in silent while you're waiting for things to turn on and off. I was having a really bad problem with something once and I think I was on the phone with the tech support guy for over an hour. We had a nice little chat during that, making jokes with each other and everything.

 

[CQ:)]

We sometimes get telemarketers ring at work, usually if it is one from over seas or talking to long I will just hang up.
Last week we had 2 people ring not realising they'd rung a business lol.

The 1st call was from a guy at a recruitment place. He asked me if I work & I said you've actually called a employment place. He appologised & thanked me for my time. One of the sales guys was standing near by when I took the call & joked how I said employment place instead of business.

The other call was from someone from a company eg - telephone or electricity, I said to him that he would have to speak to my manager but he wasn't available at the moment. He asked if he rang a business & I went yes. He went 'sorry, I'm supposed to be ringing households not businesses' lmao.

 

[valeriedl]

I got a call from a company claiming to Medic Alert last night and had her on the phone for about 15 minutes.

She was telling me all of the fancy things that I'd get if I signed up with them. One thing was a $3,000 gift card that I could use at a store. I asked her if I could use it at Wal Mart and when she said I could I acted so excited and just kept asking her over and over again that I could really use it at Wal Mart because I couldn't believe it. I kept telling her all of the things that we buy there because they are the best stores in the world.

We'd also be getting a $50 gift card to use at restaurants. I asked her if I could use it at Kings because that's where my husband always takes me. When she said I could I went through the whole deal over being excited again.

I talked to the real Life Alert company today about all these calls I've been getting. When I told them how long I'd kept the lady on the phone and the things that I'd been talking to her about they got a real kick out of it. They said they have a law suit out on these fake companies and asked if I'd try to get as much information off of them as I could and give it to them. I told them I would because it was pretty fun to do!