How do you handle telemarketers?

[AlK]

Here is a new approach - I really like it.



http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com

 

[WDixon27]

if i spot em on the caller id "whatever your selling i already got one and wanna get rid of it" before they get more then a word or two out, bad mood "click" the rest of the time "don't want any click" i was never smooth enough to do the tom mabe bit :-laf

 

[ACoyle]

Two points:



1) My trend Micro Internet security popped up and told me that the site above is in the database of known spyware dispensers.



2) I just tell them "Do you really think that after a 12 hour workday, getting up from a comfortable chair, and walking to the phone that you have even a small chance of selling anything?" It usually does the trick. Bad mood day - Well, they were put on the earth for entertainment purposes, weren't they? Can't print any of that.



AC

 

[Philip]

I just tell them to put me on the do not call list. This normally stops the sales pitch right then.



Here is a link with some good reading and suggestions.



http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/



I get maybe one junk call a month now.

 

[AMink]

:{ I try to be polite. At least these folks have a job and are working. And it's got to be crappy work. That said, I ask them to take me off their list. Someone sold our number and the amount of calls has been going up lately, mostly for MS/Alzheimers/etc. , but also a lot of veterans/police groups. It ticks me off because I do donate to certain groups, but my "big heart" and wallet have been abused. It's getting to the point that I don't want to donate to anyone.

 

[Todd T]

Usually there is a delay after you say hello before the call is connected to an agent, if you have to repeat hello... just hang up real quick it will be hours or the next day before the re-run the list of disconnects and CNC's.

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

I just give the phone to my 7 yr old boy and let him talk THEM to death. He just keeps on talking and talking and talking..... :-laf :-laf

 

[jeepit]

I say I'm busy can I call you back :-laf

 

[rbattelle]

:{ I try to be polite. At least these folks have a job and are working. And it's got to be crappy work.

Me too, for the same reason.



Ryan

 

[klenger]

I let them get stated and then put the phone on hold and watch to see how long they talk to themselves.

 

[BErmoyan]

Check out some of the sound boards on E-baums world. You can have Arnold Schwarzenegger himself talk to the telemarketer. That is funny stuff right there. :-laf

 

[TWilkening]

Since none of them are ever able to pronounce our last name correctly, I just tell them no one by that name lives here.

 

[MMeier]

I'll sometimes put my dog on the phone, then when he realizes it is not my 2 year old niece, he starts speaking. . like WTF. . where's Olivia? :-laf

 

[rubberneck]

Bad mood day, I just tell them not to call back and hang up. Good mood day, i wait until they get well into their little speach and then i say " hey, i got distracted could you repeat that?" I try to see how many times I can get them to repeat their speach before they get mad and hang up. My record is 6 times. It seems like a lot of the calls are coming from india, they are the best, I like to ask them all kinds of queastions they cant answer. I seems like they must read off of a script. If you get them off of it, they get confused. :-laf

 

[The patriot]

I'm usually polite, unless they catch me at a bad time. :-laf

My brother pulls stunts like that with the telemarketers.

I'd say he's probibally as good as that guy. :-laf :-laf

 

[GFritsch]

When they ask for Mr. (misspelled name) I tell them hold on a sec and call my name and set the phone down and wait for the phone to beep indicating that the other has hung up. Works even better when music is on to give them that background music we all enjoy so much while we are on endless hold.



I don't buy the "they are just doing their job" Half these people now aren't even Americans and are calling from oversees. If you make your living disrupting peoples lives and irritating them with unwanted sales pitches you have to deal with whatever comes back accross the line.

 

[kowaliga]

With one exception, I've let the marketer finish his routine and then thank them for calling, having declined his/her offer/request. The exception was to lie that 'he was lost in action in Iraq' pretending to be the housekeeper. The marketer then asked, without hesitation. . 'well, would you be interested in. . ', at which I hung up. I'm a bad person.

 

[Grizzly]

I can deal with the telemarketers, because I let them get half way through their spiel, then I stop them and ask if they can repeat that because I did not understand. They have to start all over again because they are reciting their spiel from memory. I let them get half way again and again I stop them and say I didn't understand the last few words. Then I tell them to speak loader because I'm hard of hearing. So they start all over again. Then I stop them again and I say oops, there's another call coming in and put them on hold till they hang up. I like to have fun with them.

What I can't deal with is all the politicians with their prerecorded messages.

 

[hammersley]

That was hilarious

what a hoot... ...

 

[Ten_Bucks]

I turn on the radio to the heavy metal station and put the phone in front of the speakers. A few minutes later, I pick up the phone to see if they hung up and usually by then, they have.



Scott