Thwarting the local telemarketers using...

[Khana]

Actually, that makes sense why that happens.

I sadly had to do telemarketing for a while (very short while) and the computer would dial... if no one answered, we didn't deal with it. But if the line connected (person, fax machine (pain), or answering machine) it transferred us over. Normally, the transfer was pretty quick, so we'd hear it's an answering machine, and hang up, go on to the next call.

Sometimes, though, the system would be overloaded and slow, and we'd only get the call several seconds later... after the message ended. So we have no clue who or what we're talking to. That's why it happens.

It was tough, though, getting in on the line, having the name display half a second after I picked up, and literally having a fraction of a second to figure out how to pronounce it. Even simple names sometimes threw me, like "patrice" would first look like "patrick" so I'd say "pat rice" That got em angry, heh...

[Reyneth]

What do you mean a license suspension? *Sorry if that is a stupid question, LOL!*

Nope, not stupid. I work for a car insurance company, and the calls we make are to people who didn't have insurance and were responsible for an accident with our customers. Driving w/o insurance is illegal nearly everywhere in the US. About 1/2 the states, if the accident/info on the at-fault-party fits certain criteria, we can send a letter to the DMV requesting that they suspend the person's driver's license.

It makes with dealing with some of the SCs that much sweeter. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Don't follow the rules? Your choice, your consequences. Last summer I used to say "Say hi for Britney for me!" when they said they'd just keep driving.

[kibbles]

Ohhhhh...now I got it, LOL! Thanks for explaining

[jedifarfy]

Ok, it makes sense now about the automatic thing. Our message is a pretty normal length, and it only happens with this one company, so it must be their machines. Oh well, at least I'll have some entertainment once a week. :P

JF

[tropicsgoddess]

I like the silly messages.com! A few years ago, my fiancé put on his impersonation of The Jerky Boys (which was pretty spot on BTW) on his cell phone voice mail.

[Misanthropical]

Where I work we are on a dialer (dialers are evil and much hated) and sometimes we don't hear the answering machine kick in, so we don't hear anything. Which I'm sure leads to a lot of people hearing "hello? hello?" on their answering machine.

No, I'm not telemarketing, I'm a bill collector.

[ClovenMusic]

I read the sillymessages.com, and it had a few gems on there... I still like my phone message better, though:

"Hi! You've reached Chris's Suicide Hotline! At the moment, we are outsourcing all our calls to Pakistan, so to expedite your needs, please answer the following: If you are truly feeling suicidal, then can you drive a large truck?" BEEEEEEEP.

I'm going to Hell...