Do Not Call

[Ajax]

It's about time! For those of us who live in the USA, the National "Do Not Call" list is finally available to register with. here . If you register your phone with them now, the telemarketers still have until October to bother you...

[GuchiGuh]

That must be really annoying hey!
I only get around 2 per year, but I still scream when they waste my time.

[thop]

The most simple thing is to ask where they got your number from ... that made them all hang up immediately.

[M|x]

my household is registred on a list like that. they stoped for a while, but then they started up again :-\

[Sasq]

I get the occasional one here.

I make a point to always answer the phone in the Strongest Australian accent i can muster.

I can usually tell the telemarketers by the beeps of a hung up phone ;-)

[cjolley]

Best answer to a telemarketer:

"That sounds interesting, tell me more...."

Then set the phone down on a table and go back to what you were doing.
chuck

[The PIT]

Just had one now. Big disadvantage of broadband.

[bsdgeek]

I liked Seinfeld's response.

"I'm sorry I can't talk right now, give me your home number so I can call you back later. You don't want to be called at home? Now you now how I feel."

[Dr Mordrid]

My wife blows one of those old-style cop whistles into the phone

Dr. Mordrid

[RhinoZ]

I usually say " Hold on a sec..", then I put the phone down. When I come back after a couple of minutes they are usually gone.

[KvHagedorn]

Originally posted by RhinoZ
I usually say " Hold on a sec..", then I put the phone down. When I come back after a couple of minutes they are usually gone.

LOL same here.

You could enhance this game by telling them "just a minute, I need to take notes here." then leave them hanging. Or you could string em along talking for as long as possible and then tell them no thank you.. or just ask lots of questions. Annoy them.. waste THEIR time. To keep them on the phone for 6 minutes and then not buy anything would ruin their stats.

[Strahd]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
You could enhance this game by telling them "just a minute, I need to take notes here." then leave them hanging. Or you could string em along talking for as long as possible and then tell them no thank you.. or just ask lots of questions. Annoy them.. waste THEIR time. To keep them on the phone for 6 minutes and then not buy anything would ruin their stats.

They really are annoying. But the problem is it is not the person who is calling that is the problem albeit they are the one's disturbing you.

The problem with ruining their stats is many of these people calling depend on their stats for bonuses etc.

ie: My wife works for a cellular phone comapny. The husband of one of her co workers worked for a rival cell phone company. They were required to make a certain amount of sales per month. 2 months in a row he didn't make his quota and was subsequently fired.

As much as I despise them calling, I try my best to be firm and polite but not rude, cause in the end the caller is trying to make ends meet.

[/preachy mode off.]

[The PIT]

Problem is they tend to be aggressive no doubt due the preasure the boss is putting onto them.
It alright going through the phone book but when you're not the house owner theres not much point in trying sell double glazing or the dream kitchen.

[M|x]

i find them quite rude. when they call me by my first name, like they have known me my hole life..i dont like that.

[RhinoZ]

You know Strahd you have a point about the worker, I'm not mad at the worker I know it's their job etc. but who in their right mind would actually buy what they are selling during supper time, or at the time they are putting kids to bed. It's not like I called them. I find it hard to believe a company would fire a telephone bugger because he didn't have a sale. It's not his fault, who asked him to call me up. Now if he didn't meet his number of calls a day etc, that I can understand. I'd really like to know how much sales or whatever they actually accomplish during their phone biltz. Is it like 1 in 10 calls that results in a sale or is it 1 in 100. Anyways I don't even say yes to phone callers for charities anymore.