Excuses YOU use

[aj1985]

Hey guys hope all is copacetic

I was on here and just received a call from a Telemarketer, and thought I would ask what kind of excuses you use for those annoying Telemarketers.

They asked me if I want my doors and windows replaced.

ME: (No answer form me)

Then they asked me was I free tomorrow

ME: I said no

They they asked are you free saturday

ME: Tomorrow is Saturday :D

They asked are you free next week

ME: Nope

Total silence for about 2 seconds

ME: Call me next year eh :D

I'm such as a$$, but atleast I have a smile on my face from the conversation.

So what do you guys say to the telemarketer when they call

take care
aj

[Fred Sanford]

I say random things.

For example:

Telemarketer says: Hello may I interest you in a subscription to your local newspaper?

Me: Who is Randy Savage?....I don't know what you mean sir.

Telemarketer says: I'm sorry sir, I'm asking if you would be interested in receiving the newspaper?

Me: What water tower?

Telemarketer says: Sir can you hear me ok?

Me: Why are you asking me if I want some Marijuana?

Telemarketer says: I'm not, I'm asking if you would like a newspaper subscription?

Me: Absolutely, I love Jägermeister! You coming over?

After a while they just hang up. :D

[tonydahose]

i just give the phone to my 2 or 3 year old

[Peter1960]

Well, I live in Austria and don't know the telemarketer situation in US, but did you ever consider that they are doing only their job and are trying to earn money (for their families)? Why don't you say "I'm not interested" as an answer from an adult. Sorry, that thread isn't funny - IMO.

Have a nice day!

[DRod]

When they used to call me I'd ask them what they were wearing. Come on to them real heavy and proceed to have a one sided phone sex conversation until they hung up. Had one go for a lot longer than I anticipated and it got too weird.. So I hung up.

[jeff189]

I figure their job sucks and they probably could use a break. When I still had a home phone, I would ask them to hold on, I will be right back and sit the phone down and go back to what I was doing. They get to choose between relaxing for a while of hanging up and continuing to work.

[cobrajoe]

Well, I live in Austria and don't know the telemarketer situation in US, but did you ever consider that they are doing only their job and are trying to earn money (for their families)? Why don't you say "I'm not interested" as an answer from an adult. Sorry, that thread isn't funny - IMO.

Have a nice day!

Yeah, it might seem a bit mean, and they are just doing their job...

But I did know some people that worked at a telemarketing place, and they despised the monotony of their job. I heard a lot of stories about some of the strange responses they got to their calls. As far as I see it, as long as it's not out right mean, it's all in the fun.

As for myself, I guess I've gotten too boring. Basically, if they can't pronounce my name right, I just tell them "he's not here"

[smcfalls13]

Depends on their attitude. If they're pushy and obnoxious, I tell them to hold on while I get a pen and paper to take notes, and then leave the phone off the hook until they hang up.

On the other hand, if they're polite and pleasant, and don't try to push me, I'll just say no thank you, but ask for their name, and call back another day and compliment their service to whoever is in charge.

[aj1985]

Well, I live in Austria and don't know the telemarketer situation in US, but did you ever consider that they are doing only their job and are trying to earn money (for their families)? Why don't you say "I'm not interested" as an answer from an adult. Sorry, that thread isn't funny - IMO.

Have a nice day!

Your right you do not know the telemarketer situation in the US as a matter of fact neither do I. I'm from Canada :)

Overall me working night shift and sleeping in the day time and not getting the proper sleep, because of the many calls from telemarketers is considered okay I guess.

What can I say except you can't make everyone laugh in life I guess. No worries maybe this is the push I need to move to your country since it has no telemarketer situation. :D

take care and
aj

[Piercieve]

I've actually had a steam cleaning business call me, and I listened to them for a while, and I casually asked a few times if they could get out blood. Eventually, I was like, "Look, I have blood everywhere. It's on the carpet, the drapes, everything." I was pretty creepy about it, and they actually hung up. :D

[yablanowitz]

I can't remember the last time I got a telemarketer call from a person. They are all recordings these days, calls made by machines.

By the way, my answering machine message is:
"Hi! You've reached the payphone next to my refrigerator box. Leave a number and I'll call you back as soon as I can bum a quarter."

That fetched a few laughs back when people called. :D

[EarthDog]

The "do not call" list has worked pretty well for me.

[The Deacon]

Well, I live in Austria and don't know the telemarketer situation in US, but did you ever consider that they are doing only their job and are trying to earn money (for their families)? Why don't you say "I'm not interested" as an answer from an adult. Sorry, that thread isn't funny - IMO.

Have a nice day!

Peter, trust me, if politely saying "Sorry, I'm not interested" would end the call in Austria, consider it as one more reason to be happy you live where you do. I can't speak for Canada, but if saying it even three times, with increasing levels of forcefulness would cause the average US telemarketer to hang up, l strongly suspect no US residents would have posted to this thread. Here, even if you say that, and hang up immediately, they will usually call right back and say "we must have gotten cut off". So, unfortunately, outright rudeness, or having a bit of fun at the telemarketer's expense, are generally ones only options and the second tends to be less stressful for the recipient of the call.

Back before I signed up for the "do not call" list, I used a variety of silliness, sometimes it was along the lines of David's response, sometimes I pretended to try to sell them something. After signing up, the calls simply stopped. But that may not be an option for folks in Canada.

[nathan310]

All I do is say "not interested" and then hang up.

[Agent Starling]

Peter,

Well, I live in Austria and don't know the telemarketer situation in US, but did you ever consider that they are doing only their job and are trying to earn money (for their families)?

I know of a case where this is true...a single mom supporting three kids while working her way through cosmetology school.

Other times, it's usually college or high school kids.

Why don't you say "I'm not interested" as an answer from an adult.

Common sense would tell you that would make them go away...but alas, their company requires them to try you again another day....unless one (or both) of the following things are done, as I'll explain below.

~~

To those of us in the US:

How to Get Your Number Removed from Telemarketer Calling Lists

Here's what I do, in addition to listing my number in the Federal Do Not Call List...when a telemarketer calls, I politely but firmly tell them:

"Put me on your Do Not Call list, and please do not call back again."

When you tell them these two things, they are required by Federal law to comply...and if they attempt to argue the point, I remind them that Federal law sez they must comply with my request.

This has worked since before the Federal Do Not Call list was created...since the telemarketing firms have always had their own Do Not Call lists...and this still works today. By systematically having used this phrase with every single telemarketer who has called, I can tell you that it is extremely rare that I ever get a telemarketing call any more, thank God!! :D

Agent Starling

[yablanowitz]

Generally, that will get them to hang up before you can complete the sentence, as will "Let me talk to your supervisor." If you complete either of those phrases, they are required by law to comply, so they will generally cut you off before you can finish, that way they can try again later.

I usually don't answer the land line, even if I happen to be sitting next to it when it rings.

[nathan310]

I work for a business that used telemarketering in the past and I even managed it at one point in time.

When a person says they're not interested they mark it down so we don't waste our time and money calling them again.

If we catch someone recalling a not interested person again or calling someone that asked not to be called they will get repremanded and possibly fired.

There might be some stupid company that wastes their time and money recalling uninterested people be we never did.

That would be pure stupidity because you're just angering the person not to mention wasting time.

[nathan310]

Plus if you recall people you run the risk of harrasment complaints and or lawsuit.

Especially if they have asked you not ot call them.

Also alot of our guys either got comission or worked purely for commision so they didn't want to waste their time that could be used making a another call or possible sale.

It's all anumbers game.

They make 100 calls they get 1 sale.

I wish all telemarketers were like that.

[Ian UK]

In England we have a simmilar thing where you register to be off the call list, however I along with others think the system should be set up as an OPT IN system rather than an opt out system with hefty fines for those who break the rules.

I agree these people are only trying to make a living, but it is annoying as someone said when they dont even pronounce your name correctly or speak English. (most of our calls originate in Indian call centres)

Make it OPT IN problem solved. :eek:

[uhiforgot]

Before the "do not call" list, my grandma would get telemarketers calling all the time. If somebody asked for her by name (especially if they mispronounced her name) she would say...

"She died last week."