Saturday 14 April 2012

Another cold caller bites the dust.

It's been one of those mornings when the world and his wife have tried to get in touch....mostly to sell us something!
In the middle of apparent chaos Sainsbury's arrived with the weekends food, the electricity went off and still the phone managed to ring!
After having a spent a morning hitting the unsubscribe button on my emails this week this line of approach is now clearly working....only twenty emails this morning and some of them were genuine!
I try never to be actually rude with cold callers but I came close this morning. The sheer volume of calls was already beyond a joke when the phone rang again just as I was getting my mobile out to ring next door to see if they had no power either. I was assuming no one could ring during a power cut. But they did.
The woman at the other end asked for me by name and then asked how I was this morning. This gave the game away instantly....she was trying to sell me something. Strangers don't ask after your well being often so its a bit of nonsense to try to sound interested.
Instead of telling her how I was I asked who she was and why was she ringing someone she didn't know!
She told me she was from The Ideal Home company.
As my home is already ideal I asked her to go away. I did say please.
Please join me in repelling boarders....it's time for it all to stop. There must be better ways of getting your product sold than harassing innocent vicars.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

8 comments:

Kevin Scott said...

Of course, if you have the time, and you really want to make your point ... engage them in conversation. Most call centres allocate a maximum of 2 minutes per call. See how far you can take them beyond that!

Ray Barnes said...

Actually Jean, Kevin has a point. Someone I know quite well, so I know it's true, suggested answering and once they're into their robotic speil, putting the phone quietly down and just leaving them talking to air.
Have never tried it, but it could well work.

Margaret Yo said...

I've settled on a direct approach. With calm and respectful tone I interrupt the rote pronouncements to say I am not interested, and follow quickly with a firm request to have my name removed from their call list. We have a law here in Canada that requires telemarketers to honour such a request. Most back down at this point. It's a good law.

I do feel for those reduced to this awful means of making a living. If the caller is pushy and insistent that is a reflection on him/her. I withdraw with a gentle, "I'm sorry, I'm not interested. Good bye." and hang up.

I don't like those telemarketing intrusions into my day, but I like less when I let them darken my soul.

Revjeanrolt said...

Thanks for all those suggestions. I have tried to talk to them in the past but it depends on what I'm trying to do at the time. The Canadian law sounds excellent.

UKViewer said...

Jean, have you tried the telephone preference list?

You can list your phone number with them and they will put of agencies and reps cold calling. If companies breach your stated wishes, they can be reported to the telecoms regulator and fined.

Just a thought?

Jenni said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jenni said...

You could of course say, "All our assistants are busy right now, but excuse me while I put you on hold and play you some banal music." That works.

Babs said...

I answer the phone and say, 'terribly sorry but could you just wait while I' (do what ever.... turn the radio down etc) any excuse then just walk away. Its costing them money, then put the phone back on its rest eventually.
To door callers I say 'Oh I am sorry I am the cleaning lady, and the lady of the house is out at the moment'