mauimoods
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posted on January 29, 2001 07:28:50 PM new
A telemarketer just called and hubby was blessed with answering the phone...during his jeopardy. NOT a smart thing, because when hes watching jeopardy, NOBODY should bug him. Anyway...the person on the phone is jabbering away and hubby says "hold on a sec..I gotta figure out the answer to this jeopardy question" and commences to read it to the telemarketer....da da de de da da da, da da da da deeee dadadadada da da da da de de de, da da da da da da daaaaaahhhh. Telemarketer hung up.
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barrybarris
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posted on January 29, 2001 07:52:58 PM new
Sometimes when a Telemarketer calls I'll pretend to be old and can't hear well. Then I ask them to hang on while I turn the TV down but instead I turn the TV up, LOUD! They go away real soon.
Another thing I do is try and sell them something. I will give them the item number at eBay and talk about the item or maybe I try and sell them a get rich scheme. Again they go away.
Barry (sometimes I'll just act crazy, err normal, no crazy) Barris
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kitsch1
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posted on January 29, 2001 07:54:18 PM new
lol
That must be one tough job. It is amazing they actually find people to sell to!
I had a tough day today Maui. I had call after call after call of customers with problems connecting that I couldnt solve because another department didnt have their part done or because after all trouble shooting I just could not get them online and had to set up call backs. I had one that it took 20 minutes and as much patience as I could dredge up just to get her log in profile done. I think she was drunk. She had to type her id and password over and over and over and over and over.
My last call was bad. This poor woman had been calling different departments all day long. I found the problem and called the department that had the fix but their tools were down. I felt bad for her up to a point but I did my job and found the error and got the fix rolling but she wouldnt stop yelling and whining and blaming. She would not release the call until I admitted that it was all our fault. In fact, before it was over I admitted it was all my doing, that I was sure it must have been something I did that caused the equiptment failure in California.. Had already told her over and over what the prob was and that they will fix it when their tools are back up. I made the tech at the other office tape a note to his desk to remind him to get it done or I'd give her his home phone number lol.
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gjsi
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posted on January 29, 2001 07:57:00 PM new
The ones I love are the calls where they are asking for you opinion. I always tell them I charge $100.00 for my opinion. I have gotten some very interesting responses. If they say they are willing to pay, I tell they when I get the money in the mail, I will call them back and ask if they want my address. For some reason I haven't got any of those calls lately, I can't figure out why .
Greg
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Kaffro
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posted on January 29, 2001 08:02:11 PM new
I once did telemarketing job for an insurance agent...NEVER AGAIN! I made my first call and asked for XXX XXXXX and the person said, hang on a minute, let me get him he's in the garage...I waited, and waited and waited...finally hung up! You get the picture
Right after that, I called the person I was working for and said, sorry, not my cup of tea!
Kaffro 
edited to add: Now that's what I do...hang on a sec, he's in the garage
[ edited by Kaffro on Jan 29, 2001 08:04 PM ]
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mauimoods
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posted on January 29, 2001 08:14:05 PM new
Great ideas, lol!!! I will try some out the next time Im honored and I pick up the phone
Kel...sorry to hear about your bad day. Soon, I will be emailing you with MY bad days, now that I got a job myself. Im sure I will have interesting things to yak about too, since there is a jacuzzi in one of the rooms and tourist season is almost upon us, heh.
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chococake
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posted on January 29, 2001 09:44:58 PM new
This is why I love caller ID, I just never answer! But, I had this one that wouldn't give up. So I finally picked up the phone and blew a whistle as loud as I could. They called again the next night and I blew the whistle. They didn't call back again.
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nutspec
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posted on January 29, 2001 09:57:23 PM new
I LOVE the ones that won't let you get a word in. I guess they figure the longer they talk - the less likely I can say no.
I simply put the phone in my desk drawer and let them pitch away.
Check in 5 Min or so - They are usually gone.
Love the thought that they give the whole pitch and sit there gasping for air saying "and what Time period can we sign you up for at the Aloha Lagoon (Gravel pit in reality) Timeshare Apartments? - Mr. Nutspec? Hello? Hello?
It soothes me to think that I am wasting HIS time.
Nutspec
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gravid
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posted on January 29, 2001 10:16:22 PM new
Yes I used to set the phone down and let them figure out there was nobody there but my wife got caller id and privacy manager and took that simple pleasure away.
Responding to everything in another language usually works also.
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dogdays
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posted on January 29, 2001 10:38:25 PM new
During the weeks before the last election I was inundated with political calls. Every single time they started their little speech I interupted with "I'm a Republican." Every single time I got a polite thank you and they hung up.
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GrumpynAM
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posted on January 30, 2001 05:33:24 AM new
When telemarketers call we just keep answering their questions with the word "Why?", this drives them totally nuts.
They always ask if this is the man/woman of the house, when you answer "why?" it throws them, sometimes they'll get persistant, but we just persist in asking "Why?" After a few replies like this they get the hint and hang up.
Wish I could say this stops them from calling at the most inconvenient time, it doesn't.
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corrdogg
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posted on January 30, 2001 06:12:24 AM new
(If I answer) I tell ‘em, “You must have the wrong number – we don’t even have a phone!”
While they’re figuring that out I hang up.
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Meya
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posted on January 30, 2001 06:40:59 AM new
Sometimes I ask them for the approximate time they eat their dinner, and their home phone number, and then I tell them I'll call them back. None of them has ever taken me up on the offer.
We have caller ID, and also have the type of cordless phones that have the caller ID in the handset. If the ID comes through as either BLOCKED or OUT OF AREA, 9 times out of 10 it is a salesman. If you wait until the 3 or 4th ring, many times there is no one there.
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snowyegret
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posted on January 30, 2001 06:41:04 AM new
corrdog: That one really appeals to me, LOL!
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Zilvy
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posted on January 30, 2001 03:05:52 PM new
We have an answering machine with the message if you are trying to sell us something please hang up, we screen our calls if you talk to our answering machine and leave a message we will call you back. No one leaves messages except our friends. Saves me going through the hassle or running to the next room to answer the phone.
Before this innovation, had a pleasant young man go through his whole spiel about siding for our house...took him quite a while. When he tried to make an appointment, I asked, "Will that work on a brick house?" DUH!! He hung up and before I could turn away the phone rang again....how about replacement windows?? Funny, I just said no thanks and good luck.:0
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thedewey
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posted on January 30, 2001 11:13:33 PM new
Boy, my dad loves to "get back" at telemarketers!
One thing he does is when they ask to speak to the person in charge of long distance (or whatever), he says "hold on a minute" as if he's going to get the person, and he just leaves the salesperson waiting! He even says that sometimes they hold on for a VERY long time! he he
And when he gets a persistent salesperson that won't take no for an answer, he asks them "What part of NO don't you understand????"
And the absolute WORST thing a telemarketer can do to my dad is to have the computer (?) call him and ask him to "hold for a very important call". He waits, and when the actual telemarketer picks up, he lets 'em have it with stuff like "Is your time more valuable than mine?!?!?"
And if someone tries to give him something "free", he says no instantly. The telemarketer asks why, and says again that it's free. He replies with he doesn't "WANT ANYTHING THAT'S FREE", and gives them a hard time over what the catch is ... because there's always a catch somewhere!
This is the same guy that sends junk mail back to the originating companies in those "business reply envelopes" and makes the companies pay postage on their own junk mail .... 
He's a riot, that's for sure.
[ edited by thedewey on Jan 30, 2001 11:15 PM ]
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xlhgrl
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posted on January 30, 2001 11:34:38 PM new
My boyfriend usually just tells the telemarketer that he's unemployed, has a bad back and won't be able to work again. Ever. He's maintenance supervisor. We haven't gotten any repeat calls from anyone. Knock on wood!
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zeldas
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posted on January 31, 2001 06:01:23 AM new
My hub has a button we just press that sets a recording off telling them we do not accept calls of this nature
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lofsness
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posted on January 31, 2001 06:27:53 AM new
I have had a lot of goofy jobs, including telemarketer. A few thoughts... 1. It was kinda fun. 2. One hundred calls resulted in 10 conversations; 10 conversations resulted in one sale. One sale made me $50 to $500 (some people made $5,000 on one sale) 3. It was all a numbers game, most people were very nice. 4. Rude people had no effect on anybody. 5.If you were an excellent liar you could really make a lot of money (I wasn't - I didn't) 6. Some states were much better than others (Florida was the best) 7. The reason people call you is because it works.
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HJW
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posted on January 31, 2001 07:25:31 AM new
lofsness
That's an interesting insight into the business!
I have a friend who enjoys keeping these telemarketers on the phone
until they hang up.
Helen
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lofsness
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posted on January 31, 2001 07:43:06 AM new
What I don't understand is why anyone would even attempt to upset a professional telemarketer. They are trained and drilled (they practice weird calls with themselves) to not get mad and never be affectd by the prospective customer. And, let's say you did upset some poor fool telemarketer -- so what? What did you accomplish? You ticked off someone who is just trying to support a family in a difficult occupation. We can't stop sales calls; why not just accept them and move on to nicer, more joyful pursuits?
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HJW
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posted on January 31, 2001 08:00:03 AM new
lofsness
When I answer the phone, I am always courteous even to telemarketers. I avoid answering "out of area"
calls though because generally those calls are from telemarketers.
Anybody from out of area that I want to talk
to can leave a message.
It seems to me like an invasion of privacy
...like spam mail.
Helen
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lofsness
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posted on January 31, 2001 08:07:02 AM new
It is an "invasion of privacy" however, it's legal, accepted and profitable - I accept it and never buy...that really encourages them and you get listed on hundreds phone lists.
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HJW
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posted on January 31, 2001 08:12:03 AM new
lofsness
And, I agree with you that these telemarketers are just doing a tough
job and I don't think that they should
be attacked personally.
Helen
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HJW
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posted on January 31, 2001 08:19:32 AM new
lofsness
You state, "that really encourages them and you get listed on hundreds phone lists."
My question is 'what' really encourages them . I would like to avoid
being listed on hundreds of phone lists.
Helen
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lofsness
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posted on January 31, 2001 08:23:15 AM new
When you BUY something over the phone you go on the "sucker" list and your name & number is sold to other telemarketing companies.
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HJW
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posted on January 31, 2001 08:27:01 AM new
Thanks, lofsness
Helen
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nebula5
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posted on January 31, 2001 11:07:07 AM new
My job involves answering all incoming calls at our office. My boss will not talk to any sort of telemarketer, so I usually handle those calls, but there are some that insist they talk to the "decision maker" which is her. I'm always polite, usually tell them to call back later; since she's never "available," eventually they stop calling.
I had one fellow who started his spiel and it was something we were NOT interested in pursuing. I had to step out of a meeting to take the call, and needed to get back. I politely interrupted him, thanked him for the call, and hung up. He called back a minute later: "That was very rude! [SLAM]"
I wished I'd talked to him long enough to find out what company he was with. I would have loved to talk to his supervisor...
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lofsness
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posted on January 31, 2001 11:21:12 AM new
Business to business selling has always involved sales people making cold telephone calls. It's a good way for salespeople to, perhaps, open a new account and it makes you look like like you are doing something when in the office. Often, management can learn a lot from a good salesperson and, they are forced buy many products and services in order to compete, anyway. A manager who cuts off all contact with the wonderful world of business vendors is doing themselves and their company a disservice (operating in the dark). Of course, some sales people are rude; but, even some eAuction people are rude - it comes with the territory.
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RainyBear
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posted on January 31, 2001 11:37:00 AM new
I don't usually answer the phone, but if I do and there's that telltale delay before someone starts speaking, I hang up. I use email a lot more than the phone anyway.
For some reason the same company keeps calling us about getting a security system installed in our house, and even though we tell them every time that we already have one, they keep calling.
I'm polite to telemarketers if I'm ever accidentally snagged, and my husband is even more polite. Sometimes I worry that they'll actually manage to sell him on something because he's a sucker for someone telling him about a "good deal." I once had to stop him from buying four extra pretzels at the stand in the mall because they told him if he bought four he'd get one free. And no, you can't have our phone number.
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