When telemarketers screw up big time, next on Fox!

[Jon P. Inghram]

Nothing makes me want to reach though the telephone and strangle the moron on the other end than when I pick the phone up, say "Hello?", and they say "Hello. ---Insert your favorite foreign language here---MCI---blah blah blah?" I mean... I JUST SAID "HELLO" in english thank you very much, not hola, chào, алло, 今日は, γειά, or anything else.

[agallag]

I've gotten so annoyed with telemarketers that I've taken to just interrupting them when they're part way through their first sentence, just saying "sorry-not-interested-good-bye*click*".

I refuse to waste my time explaining why I'm not interested, so I don't give them the chance to ask...

[Jon P. Inghram]

That's my normal procedure also. I love it when they start saying something to keep me on the phone as I hang up. You can also just say "just a moment," sit the phone down for a minute or so, then just hang up. But when they can't even manage to handle using the same language that the phone was answered in, it's an instant hang up (although I'd love to add a nice F U if I wasn't such a nice person. )

[Wombat]

Yay for DO NOT CALL lists. That, and only using my cell phone.

[Gurm]

I have stayed off telemarketer lists.

How?

By making them so miserable that they tell all their friends not to call.

Trick #1:

- String 'em along. Agree to everything, say it sounds great. Ask pertinent questions. Note - they WILL get confirmation at the very end, usually recorded or with a supervisor on the phone. Wait until they go to get the supervisor. When he/she comes on, say "I have NO idea what you're talking about, I never agreed to buy anything! How dare you!?!??" Guarantee they put you on the blacklist.

- Explain why their service/product is inferior. In great detail. For an hour. Once they agree with you, ask to talk to someone else there, so you can explain it to them, too.

- Ask if their product comes with free lube. Tell them your policy is to always insert everything into your dog's slimy-hole before using it. Ask if their product is guaranteed against slimy-hole juices. Use the term "slimy-hole" exclusively... after all you wouldn't want to swear.

- Get chummy with them. Your goal is to get their phone number. You can't just ask, they'll hang up. Get to know them, use their first name a lot. "Well, Chet... I can call you Chet, can't I Chet? I was saying... Chet, you have to listen to this one, it's a doozy Chet." Eventually get their personal information. This is easier if you pretend to be gay.

----------------

I have spoken.

- Gurm

[High_Jumbllama]

Personally, I can stand the occasional telemarketing call. I am lucky enough work and home to get hardly any. But, I absolutely despise those that are recordings and especially those bastard recorrdings that ask you to ****ing hold!

[rugger]

Originally posted by High_Jumbllama
Personally, I can stand the occasional telemarketing call. I am lucky enough work and home to get hardly any. But, I absolutely despise those that are recordings and especially those bastard recorrdings that ask you to ****ing hold!

They actually ask you to hold, after ringing you up, all to sell you something?

Idiots.

[SpiralDragon]

i was about to be offerd a job once as an editor ... i went to the meeting and after some time they let on that they are one of those telemarketing thigs..... i stop the guy in his trak ..."sory, thank you but no thanks... i will not sink to that level even if i was desperate for work... good bye" and i walked out... they came after me trying to convince me to atleast hear them out,,,, i wasnt listning

[UtwigMU]

get ISDN, block all numbers except friends.

[az]

I'd miss too many important calls, and it's too much hassle anyway - luckily, in germany there aren't too many telemarketers. My mother always convinced them that she lived on welfare, and that their info that she doesn't was wrong. It actually worked

AZ

[Gurm]

Rugger,

Yes. All too often, the phone rings.

Me: "Hello?"

Phone: ...

Me: "HELLO?"

Phone: {robotvoice}Please hold, there is an important call for you...{/robotvoice}

- Gurm

[KvHagedorn]

When I get that long pause after saying hello, I just set the receiver down and do nothing more. If I feel jovial and there's actually someone there, here's how it would usually go:

TM: Hi, how ya doin?
ME: Great, how are you?
TM: I'm calling from (company) to tell you about (whatever)
ME: Tell me everything about it! (set receiver down, and come back 5 min later to see if they are still talking.)

The key is to waste their time with as little effort as possible, and then leave them talking to thin air. I notice the calls come much less frequently now.

[Sethos]

I LOVE in a major way the no call lists, and I have to say that I'm kinda supprised that they work so well too, plesently of couse.

A funny thing to try is selling them something

OR

TM: "Hello MR. X?"

ME: "Yes?"

TM: "Would you be interested in..."

ME: "You know, you have a very sexy voice, I think we could be really good together, what do you say?"

Strangly enough they usually don't have much to say actually.

~Sethos

[Jammrock]

Jon,

Stick yourself on the Kansas no-call list:

https://www.kansasnocall.govconnect.com/ksregistration.asp

Jammrock

[High_Jumbllama]

Originally posted by rugger
They actually ask you to hold, after ringing you up, all to sell you something?

Idiots.

If these ****ers would at least identify themselves, they might get listened to. Once, one was someone that actually should be calling. I was curious to see who these ****ers were. If they trivialize my time by expecting me to wait for them instead of just having one of their operators call me in the first place telemarketing or not, they do not deserve any consideration or time.