How many of you just hang up on telemarketers? (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

I just got a call no more than 2 minutes ago. Said my usual hello, and there was a two minute pause. Not good. Either bad connection, or more than likley a telemarketer. Turned out to be the latter. Calling from the local newspaper, and probably getting me to get a subscription. So, I just hung up.
I picked up, and strange thing is, they where still on the phone. Took two seconds for thep hone to register the hang up or something.
Anyway, once theyt where gone, called my mother just to make sure she wasn't expecting a call, and got berated for being 'so rude'. Heh, funny thing is, the topic came up at our annual pizza night at my grandparents house last week. This week was a little different, because my grandfthers brother(Or is it my mothers uncle), was also there. He and I where the only one who agreed that we should just hang up on these people. It was us against them, heh. Funny thing is, my mother dosn't mind him(A former WW2 soldier to boot) doing it .
So, my question here is, how many people here just hang up on those peopel, and how many listen to their schpeil?

 

[Mike Lenthol]

I say hello, then wait when they are done with their sales pitch, and then I just keep quiet. Some get extremely agitated and I find it entertaining Is that cruel?

 

[MickeS]

I always listen, just because I know they're being spied on, paid very little and hate their job. The least I can do is listen to their bullshit and politely decline.

But I get very few calls from telemarketers too (maybe one call a week), so it doesn't bother me much. I know some people get several calls every day, then I'd be inclined to just hang up too.

 

[Dan Joy]

I let my six year old answer. He can keep them on the phone for quite some time discussing the likes of Batman or Power Rangers.

 

[Trace Downing]

I get sexually harassing with my telemarketers.
I usually wait until their pitch is over, and dive right in.
Discover card:"So, Mr. Downing. Isn't that a great deal?"
Me: "I bet you're not wearing a bra."
DC: "Excuse me?"
Me: "What are you wearing? I bet it's tight."
DC: "Well, that's highly inapropriate!"
Me: "Hey Babe, you called me. So do you, or do you not know how to slacken your jaw?"
(Click)
MCI probably has a full database on me.
I do it with men too. They hang up faster!

 

[Charles J P]

Yes, Crank Yankers has become an inspiration to me. I think that telemarketers are fair game since they called me.

 

[Peter Gizzi]

I get really annoyed when they call on evenings on weekends. Not too long ago I got a call from one and he asked the usual "mind if I ask a few questions to better gauge what service would be best for you?" I said "sure, but may I ask you a question first?" The man said ok and I asked him "you ever stop and wonder what went wrong in your life that you ended up with such a f*&cked up, deadend job." The guy went ballistic and started calling me a motherf*&ker and so forth and I asked him "sir, aren't we being recorded for quality assurance?" and he slammed the phone down
Gotta love it.

 

[Leila Dougan]

I'm nice to them. I've worked in a call center and its no cake walk. I actually have a lot of respect for these folks that do it, even if only for a short while. I am polite to them and simply tell them I'm not interested. I don't waste their time because I know all about high call times and how just a few customers can get them fired. They've got mouths to feed like the rest of us and being rude to them only make their horrible job even worse.

 

[Charles J P]

I don't waste their time because I know all about high call times...

By this statement, the kindest thing you could do is just hang up, so they can move on to the next person as quikly as possible.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I used to be nice and listen, and politely decline, but nowadays, if I hear that noise level of a call center (I've heard enough to know when I hear it), I just hang up and go back to my life - and that's if I feel like even picking up the phone, most of the time, I just let the answer machine pick up the calls.

 

[RobertR]

I simply say I'm not interested and hang up. I have no obligation to buy from them or even listen to them. Like Patrick, if it's obvious that it's coming from a call center, I hang up before they even start speaking.

 

[Peter Gizzi]

Once my state participates in block out, like NY does, I will be in a state of bliss because I get calls too many times. Sorry Leila if my entertainment with people who rudely and unwantedly call me up makes their job seem worse, I am of the belief that what these people do, and email spammers, should be made a felony with the ringleaders of these operations serving 25-life. I don't want to be called by anyone except family and friends, pretty much people I expect to hear from. If i want to buy something I am quite capable to seek out what I need.

 

[JonZ]

If I dont hear a voice back in about 3 seconds I hang up.

Then I usually try to be polite and say "No", but if they persist after Ive said "No sorry not interested" twice, Ill hang up on them.

Heres one I used when someone asked for me:

"No sorry Im not here at the moment, but if you leave your name and number, Ill be sure to call you back when its inconvenient to you"

 

[Thomas Reagan]

I tell them to hold on for a sec, then I let my Labrador Retriever pant into the phone.
Thos.

 

[Mark Paquette]

I usually wait for them to slaughter my name, then I laugh and hang up. I have absolutely zero respect for these people. I don't care how much they make or bad their work enviornment is. I think we average 4 to 6 calls per day. Some days it's been as high as 10.

 

[Leila Dougan]

By this statement, the kindest thing you could do is just hang up, so they can move on to the next person as quikly as possible.

Of course. I'm just saying I don't spend 30 min slinging sexual comments or put my kid on the phone to discuss his favorite TV show. IMHO, that's unwarranted. If you don't want to talk to them just hang up and let them get on with their jobs.

That being said, if I get the phone and hear the 2 second pause, I do hangup. But, if I do get a person I just tell them "I'm not interested. Thank you and have a good day". End of story, they say goodbye and we hang up. I've only rarely had a time where this didn't work and in that case I did hang up.

I hate telemarketers just as much as the next guy, honest I do. But, if you want to work to stop it, don't attack the messenger. Get to the root of the problem, the company itself. Harrass the CEO and upper management, let your dollars speak, or get involved politically to introduce some new legislation. I just honestly feel that being rude to the callers won't have any effect in cutting down on the amount of calls they make.

 

[Bill_D]

I hang up the phone very quietly. Hopefully they get the "doo - doo - doooo" signal from the phone company before they realize that no one is there.

 

[Jeremiah]

If there is a long pause I usually hang up, but the person starts their pitch I just say "No thanks, and good bye" thyen I hang up as they still try and give me their pitch.

IMO the telemarketers would rather have you be short with them than have you waste everyones time by listening to their intire sales pitch.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I have Caller ID and if the display says "unavailable" or "private" or a number I'm not familiar with, I never pick up the phone. I just let it ring until the machine answers and I haven't talked to an unwanted caller in over 2 years.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I loved the Seinfeld episode where a telemarketer calls him and he says, "I'm kind of busy right now, why don't you give me your home number and I'll call you tonight? What? You don't want me calling you at home? Now you know how I feel." >click