Soliciting Phone Calls: Why they suck

[Knifeman]

My father still gets a large variety of these calls, and I've made it a point to screen those that call for them. I only do this is if the message reads Unknown or Unavailable.

They usually go like this:

Solicitor: "Is (Dad's name) available?"

Me: "No, do you have a message?"

Solicitor: "Is Mrs.(last Name) there?"

(By this point I know the person doesn't know my father, as he's been divorced for almost a decade)

Me: "No, but I can take a message"

Solicitor: "That's alright, I'll just try back another time."

Me: "Well, listen: You either have a message or you're not calling back."

(Now I found this works with nearly every solicitor that's called and they either throw their sales pitch at me or agree to not call back)

Solicitor: "That's alright, I'll just try back another time."

(BONEHEAD!)

Me: "No, look, listen buddy. You either have a message or you're not calling back. So do you have a message?"

Solicitor: "No, look I'll just call back.."

Me: "No, you're not. You either have a message or you're not calling back. Is that so hard to understand? Everyone else that tried this either left a message or agreed to not call back."

Solicitor: "Is Mrs. (Blank) available?"

Me: "There is no Mrs. (blank). Now look, do you have a message? Because if you don't, then you aren't someone (my dad's name) would want to talk to."

Solicitor: "That's alright, I'll just call back.."

Me: "No, you're not. Don't call us, take us off your list. If you don't have a message, we don't want to talk to you."

Solicitor: "I'll just call back at a later date..."

Me: "Look, buddy, you don't understand. We don't want you to call here. Every other solicitor understands this!"

(I'm getting mad now)

Solicitor: "Well, who are you?"

Me: "I'm his son. Now one last time, do you have a message?"

Solicitor: "Look, I'm just going to call back at a later date..."

Me: "NO you are NOT! Get me your supervisor."

*Click*

The little bastard hung up on me.

[protege]

The little bastard hung up on me.

Oh, the fun you could have with this! Some of the newer phones will save the most recently called numbers. Imagine the look on his face if you find his...and after doing a reverse-lookup online, calling the company back to get his supervisor

[Knifeman]

My caller ID showed Unknown

[Ryu]

to me thats the worst part about telemarketing calls, there is never any contact info available from the caller id whenever i get one so i can only either not pick up and have them keep calling or pick up say no and have them keep calling

[Giggle Goose]

When I was little, my mom told me to just politely say: "We're not interested" if someone called with a sales pitch.

Usually this works because they can tell that I was just a little kid, but when I was like, 9 or 10, this guy says: "You're not interested in saving X dollars a month by switching to X service?" I was like "Um, I'm 9, I don't pay bills." (I miss that ) And I think after that was when I just started hanging up when a telemarketer called. I know it's rude, but it's better than wasting the time of both parties. My last name is very hard to pronounce unless I tell you how, so even without caller ID I knew that when they called and said "Is Mr. or Ms. [butchered last name] home?" I just hung up.

I don't live at home anymore unless it's for summer or winter breaks, so I don't really have to deal with it anymore, thank God!

EDIT: My 100th post! Woo-hoo!

[opscaddy]

My last name is very hard to pronounce unless I tell you how, so even without caller ID I knew that when they called and said "Is Mr. or Ms. [butchered last name] home?" I just hung up.

Haha, I kind of do that too, because my name is always mispronouced by people that don't know me. Only I say, "I'm sorry, there's no one here by that name," and then hang up. I'm not lying - there is no one by that horribly butchered name here! I'm not being mean, either - maybe a little rude. I say I'm sorry!

The do-not-call list has helped a LOT, though. We sometimes get calls for surveys, but other than that, it's just our current credit card company wanting to add whatever that purchase protection thing is, or our cable company, who is usually nice and goes away when I politely tell them no. I feel bad for people who are stuck as telemarketers, but there's only so much sympathy I can offer...

[powerboy]

I had one of those yesterday. When an unkown name calls, I answer, if I am expecting a call. But yesterday, this guy called asking for my parents, told him they weren't here, and if I can take a message. After a few seconds, I told him that we were not interested, and he started to get bitchy about it, to me

[KamenRiderOsaka]

my step dad used to do stuff like this. But he took it further. One time, a telemarketer called our house and my step dad told him that he had to get off the phone, or his wife (my mom) would beat him. He kept saying this frantically until I started yelling "WTF are you doing on the goddamned phone?! Didnt I tell you that you werent allowed to touch the phone?!" And more yelling. And my stepdad would go "AAHhh, shes going to beat me!!!" and start yelling, and then hang up. We were taken off a lot of lists that way.

[Broomjockey]

There was a telemarketer survey person once who wanted to talk to my dad. Now the thing is, my dad worked nights, and had to leave by 4:00 or so to get to work on time. The telemarketer would keep calling around 6 or 7 o'clock. I told him (and it was the same person each time, I learned to recognize the voice) that if he didn't call sooner, he was never going to be able to talk to my dad.
He then proceeded to tell me they weren't allowed to call sooner. I finally, after a week of this, told him to stop calling, because he was never, ever, ever going to get to talk to my dad if he kept this up. I almost felt bad for the person.

[Gravekeeper]

I use to be polite, way back when. You know, when getting a telemarketer was kinda rare. But these days they call all the damn time and they're always rabidly aggressive. Plus I work graveyard so I do *not* like being called in the middle of the afternoon by anyone since it wakes me up. Nevermind by some pushy jackass regarding long distance plans.

I simply don't answer my phone. Ever. If they can't identify themselves into my answering machine I don't pick up the phone, period. That's what my folks always did and thats what I do. ;p Everyone who knows me and would call me by phone knows they just need to say something into the answering machine and I'll pick up.

Even still I'll get 3 dear air calls a day sometimes.

[Knifeman]

He called back.

I told my dad about this call last night, and he told me "Just pretend you're me"

so i did.

Solicitor: "Is (blank) available?"

Me: *voice slightly lowered* Yes.

Solicitor: "Well, (Blank), I'm with the *Insert Charity* Fund Drive. I'm wondeirng if we can count on your support this year for our christmas...

Me: I'm not interested, thank you.

Solicitor: "Well, (blank), I'm a professional solicitor, so I'm trying to make this process as painless for you as possible.

Me: I'm just not interested, thank you.

Solicitor: I've seen you've donated in the past...

Me: I don't need to tell you again.

*Click*.

[IT Grunt]

Ugh... I /hate/ telemarketing calls. Pushy, aggressive, and do their best to not let you get a word in edgewise. It's gotten to the point that I just hang up, or let them talk to nobody while the phone lays on the desk. If my caller ID says 'Unknown', I don't answer it. If it's not a name I recognize, I don't answer it. Some samples of calls my wife and I have fielded:

Girl calls from Craftmatic offering a free in-home sample. We'd just purchased a new bed, so my wife tells her over and over that we're not interested. Girl continues, to the point that she says, "They'll be at your home at such and such time." My wife tells her again, "We're not interested, we already have a new bed." The girl's response? "Do you speak English? We'll be at your home at blah blah.." My wife told her yet again no, and slammed the phone down. I wish she'd asked for a supervisor, but hindsight is 20/20.

This one happened shortly after we were married. I'd picked AT&T as my long distance carrier. While I'm at work, my wife gets a call from MCI. They're practically saying, "We're switching you." She said no numerous times, but because they got her to say 'Yes' to a question like "Are you in such and such city?", they switched us. Then for the longest time, I was getting a bill from AT&T for their monthly charge, then a bill from MCI listing my calls. Finally managed to get it straightened out. I'm pretty sure what they did was illegal, but at the time, I didn't know how to pursue it.

What drives me crazy are charities. Every now and then I'll give if I can afford it, but it's rare that I can. Since they are excluded from the Do Not Call act, these people are absolutely relentless. My wife gave something like $10 to a charity once, and ever since, they call, and they call, and they call. I'll tell them we can't, and 10 minutes later, we're getting a call from a different operator from the same charity. I get rid of them, 10 minutes later, it's another one. One of these days, I'll get caller ID on the phone by my computer. These days, I just don't answer that one. It's outgoing only. Then they showed up as 'Unknown' on the regular ID, and they get ignored anyways.

Through that whole fiasco about the Do Not Call, I hoped the government would win out. Ever since I signed up on it, my bothersome calls dropped dramatically, the rest I can filter with Caller ID.

[Misanthropical]

We kept getting calls from a pre-recorded telemarketer, about how we should go to some chiropractor. I blocked the number, since it came up as a local number.

I, then get a call from the same people using a different number! I block that one too.

For two months I had their numbers blocked, so I thought it was safe to clear my blocked numbers. Less than 5 minutes later, guess who calls again? They will stay on my blocked calls list from now on.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Saying "we're not interested" is not good. That's telemarketer-speak for "bother me again tomorrow."

"Do not call us again. Put us on your "do not call" list." Is what you should say.

If you get a call like this, simply ask, politely, for the name of the company, the number that you can call them back at, their address, and the name of the guy calling you. This information is to be available on demand, by federal law.

THEN if the little louse hangs up, call his supervisor back. If you tell him not to call, and he refuses, he's in violation of a federal law. If he calls back, you can actually sue for 500 bucks per violation.


"Girl continues, to the point that she says, "They'll be at your home at such and such time." My wife tells her again, "We're not interested, we already have a new bed." The girl's response? "Do you speak English? We'll be at your home at blah blah.."

That should be fine, actually. If they want to hang around on the street in front of your house, you can't stop them. However, if they set foot on your property, you can have them arrested for trespassing. You don't have to let them in. You don't even have to answer the door.


" While I'm at work, my wife gets a call from MCI. They're practically saying, "We're switching you." She said no numerous times, but because they got her to say 'Yes' to a question like "Are you in such and such city?", they switched us. Then for the longest time, I was getting a bill from AT&T for their monthly charge, then a bill from MCI listing my calls. Finally managed to get it straightened out. I'm pretty sure what they did was illegal, but at the time, I didn't know how to pursue it."

It's called "slamming" and it's way illegal. There should be section about how to pursue it in your phone book. If not, check the internet.

[Seanette]

Don't get me going on the time MCI telespammed us three times in *five minutes*. The fact that this was a Saturday morning and we were moving that day was just the crowning touch. MCI will never see a cent of my money if I can possibly help it, after that stunt.

I consider telemarketing rude, intrusive, and obnoxious. To me, it is beyond rude to use the phone your target is paying for to call and pester them to buy something they probably didn't want (or they'd have found it themselves), take a survey, etc., in the process interrupting their chosen activities (studying, sleeping, quality time with family, etc.). It's even more annoying than e-mail spam because e-mail can at least be dealt with at the time I choose. A phone call, especially if I'm expecting a *real* call (such as about employment, family members, etc.), pretty much has to be dealt with at that time.