Telephone cold callers - how to get rid of them

[Miss Understood]

A while ago I was being plagued extraordinarily regularly by calls on my ex-directory landline number from mobile phone providers wanting me to switch to them. I tried the rude approach, the "I'm not interested" approach but still they called.

A couple of weeks ago, I was washing up when they called yet again so decided to let them waffle through their spiel after all, I have a hands free set and it diverted me from the boredom of washing up and cleaning the cooker plus, it was adding to their operating costs.

Everytime the guy mentioned a new feature e.g. "you can watch TV on this model" I'd poo poo the idea - "why would I want to watch TV on a mobile phone when I have a wide screen at home?" etc.

In the end I had a sudden flash of inspiration and when the guy thought he had the sales snaffled up I asked him to remind me which company he was from again. He told me. I then said "how would you feel if I told you I worked for <competitor's name>". He laughed nervously and asked what I did. I told him I was in management (which I am) and although I didn't work in Sales I knew the Marketing Director very well and that he would be really interested in the details of this offer. The chap then became extremely nervous, apologised for bothering me and put the phone down. I have not had a call from them since :D

Just now, the phone rang, it was Bowater Zenith double glazing cold calling once again. The chap prattled on and asked the first question "do you have double glazing throughout?"

I went straight in for the jugular this time and said "What would you say if I told you I worked for Everest?". He immediately apologised for bothering me and rang off!

Try yourselves lads and lasses, it really does work as long as you choose the name of a well known competitor :D

[rb2002]

:thumbs: like it. Its similar to my dad's,whatever X is selling he's already got it a week ago from Y and he's more than happy. do they want their number then hangs up :lol:

[marieuk]

Sounds great i will have to try it, i normally say no and ask them to take my number off their list, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't :P




Love Muk xxxxx

[sp54]

I must try that one :thumbs:

I had Bowater phone me only yesterday. :angry: It really, really, winds me up and in the end I said a very polite 'Goodbye' and put the phone down.

So why do I feel bad that I have hurt someone's feelings?????????????????????? Most of the d.g. firms use kids anyway [ Zenith certainly do around our way] and I think 'Oh, that was only a kid doing their job' :cry:


:blush: Honest, I always do feel bad :cry:

:lol: :hihi:

I think I am on every hit list going as 'sucker' with a capital 'S' :blush:

[er 59]

:lol: i love aggravating double glazing salesmen they ask me all of the questions about how many windows i have etc and i make sure i sound really keen then when they have nearly finished i say "oh im a council tenant by the way do you think they will give me permission "

they hang up really quickly :hihi:

it works with a few companies once you say im a council tenant they dont want to know ;)

[mazza]

:thumbs: yeeessss er!! :thumbs: I do that all the time - and especially with the ones that nobble you in person when you are entering or leaving the supermarket. it stops them dead :thumbs: :D .

[Annabel]

i have , on several occasions, when it is obvious they are reading from a script, walked away from the phone and left them chatting to the ether :lol: :lol: then when they start going hello? hello? i'll say, im ever so sorry I am hard of hearing can you repeat what you were saying...

mr hubby annabel used to get very cross with me until i explained it just wastes their phone bill :lol:

i shouldnt be so mean cos i am in financial services myself and i know they are just doing their job, but it just gets on your nerves!!!

[StoneHenge]

I don't get many now as I am ex directory, on the TPS service, but when Ido, I let my daughter answer it. She's brilliant as she either questions them to death or says no thanks we have that already and hangs up.

Or my other trick is to say hi, let them ask for whoever and then say 'yes, i'll go and get them'. put the phone on the table and see how long it takes them to hang up, and carry on with my jobs.

Cruel but effective!

[Other 'arf]

How to really annoy Telephone Sales Companies.


I too used to be plagued by telephone sales companies. One in particular was a regular caller. They were a company selling Alarm Systems. I got pretty teed off with their constant calls. I had already installed a very good alarm system. My telling them that I had a good alarm was having no effect at all.
So I devised a plan.
The next time they phoned me, I was all enthusiastic. “Yes I am interested, and yes I would just love to pass the time of day with their rep.” They then asked me when. (Now this is the devious part.) Friday afternoon at 3:00pm? Said I, all innocence.
At that time I lived in Leeds, and trying to get anywhere in Leeds on a Friday afternoon at 3:00pm is an absolute nightmare. They said that would be fine and that they would phone me back on the Wednesday preceeding, just to confirm. This they duly did.
Now I must point out that the house I lived in was actually below street level. You had to go down five steps to the front door. (No it wasn’t a cave, but it might as well have been.)

So. The Friday morning dawned, one of the first things I did was to move my motorbike, (250 Honda Superdream with crashbars, large front fairing, topbox, full works.) In other words, quite a large machine. I parked it at the top of the steps, thus limiting anyone trying to get past. Unless they were empty handed.

3:00 came and there was no sign of the rep. at about 3:20. A car pulled up outside and a very harassed looking guy got out of the car and then proceeded to extract two very large aluminium suitcases from the car. ( I presume these were his samples.)
As he approached the gateway I could see he was not looking very pleased. Some idiot had parked a large motorbike on the steps, thus making it extremely difficult for him to get down the steps with his large suitcases. I must admit. I really had to take my hat off to him. He struggled valiantly to get past. (I was watching all of this from behind the net curtain, trying to suppress my giggles.) yes. I know it was childish, but hey!

So he finally managed to get to the front door.
As he rung the bell, I opened the door. “Hiya, my name is Steve from XYZ Alarms, I believe you are expecting me”
“Yes. And my name is Mr ……… and I just want to tell you that. I am extremely annoyed at your company constantly phoning me. Trying to sell me something that I don’t want. Now, P*SS OFF and tell your bosses to leave me alone.”

To be quite honest, I actually felt sorry for him. He went on to tell me that it had taken him nearly an hour in the traffic to get here. I assured him that I knew full well that it would. And that was the reason why I had picked that time and day. His parting shot was would I phone the company, and tell them that he had called, and that he would be handing his notice in on the following Monday. He had quite obviously had enough. When I phoned the company on his behalf, they were very shirty with me. However, they never, ever, phoned me again…

So you see. There is more than one way to,”skin a cat.”

[stanleybaxter]

For double glazing sales calls, just tell them that you don't have any windows. Confuses them, and they really can't call you a liar.

Generally, these calls are made by people getting paid pennies on commission, if you're not interested just tell 'em as soon as possible so they can get off the phone and make their next call. No need to be rude. Just say, "No, thanks" and hang up. They really would rather not waste their time if there really is no prospect of a sale.

Other techniques I've heard of:

Ask 'em to hold for a second and then leave the phone by the TV for half an hour

Tell 'em, sob, sob, that's it's a, sob, really bad, sob, time right now

Start by saying that they're the first person you've been allowed to speak to for 6 weeks and ask them have they seen your Doris/Fred.

Breathe very heavily.

Tell them how very interested you are and that you have always wanted [hangup] .... Drives 'em mad.

[Eeyore]

Oh other arf that is so cruel, poor guy, he just had a job to do, I feel sorry for him :(

I hate cold callers on the phone, thankfully we don't get mant (except those ridiculous "international" ones where there is no-one there or you've won a prize), but I love the idea of saying you work for a rival company, I'll have to give that one a go :lol:

[smoo22]

Ooh, I must remember some of these ideas - tho' I don't think I could be as cruel as Other Arf! (you must have been REALLY p****ed off with them!!), but admit I did snicker when I read it!

The idea of telling them you work for a rival is FAB - and it reminded me of the time I had a double glazing rep call at the door. He stood there gibbering on for nearly 20 minnutes and thought I weas really interested, until I asked him how much training the company gave their staff on the observation front. He looked very confused until I pointed out that I was standing there wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a huge logo of a rival firm and he hadn't noticed. He got really angry with me for not telling him before (the cheek!) until I pointed out he hadn't let me get a word in edgeways, and should open his eyes before he let his gob run away like a recording ever again - that shut him up and he went off in a huff. One -Nil!! :thumbs:

Best part was I had nothing to do with the rival firm - it was an old T-shirt a friend gave me :hihi:

Phone callers are really going to avoid me from now on with all this ammo :D

[phantos02]

I have a confession to make...... when I was 16 I worked for Bowater Zenith as one of those annoying people who call you about double glazing <<cringes>>

I used to earn £3 an hour plus £3 for every appointment I made plus £10 if they actually sold something fromt he appointment. OK, it's piddling money considering the huge profits they make but it ended up being a nice little earner while I was at school!

Honestly, don't worry about offending cold callers, it's water off a ducks back to them. The sad part about being the cold caller is when you call someone elderly or infirm and they are obviously lonely and just want to talk to someone. I just didn't have the heart to hang up. The number of times I would be sympathetically listening to all their problems while my supervisor was giving me the "wind it up now" sign!!

[tortoise]

Aw Phantos you are lovely :friends:

I would have to do the same.

At work the other night an old lady asked me where a certain body spray was and then ended up telling me she had a prolapsed womb and had to keep going to the toilet!!! 8-X I was with her about 10 minutes and my boss got the hump. :double: Never mind, it's only profits!!

T xxx

[phantos02]

I guess we're just too nice, T :rolleyes:

[Toots]

I must remember that, as I am plaughed with mobile telephone offers!

[Eeyores mam]

I tried loads of different tacks on the cold callers but I find the one I like the best is the "put the phone down on the side and just get on with whatever you are doing. When you hear the noise from the phone you know they have hung up and then switch the phone off". I don`t seem to be getting that many calls now. Perhaps the word has got round. :D

[Miss Understood]

I find having a 'give blood' sticker on the door window deters the Jehovah's Witnesses ;)

[phantos02]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Miss Understood @ 17th July 2006 - 6:44 PM) 180353</div> I find having a 'give blood' sticker on the door window deters the Jehovah's Witnesses ;) [/b]

:hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

[rakki]

we have purchased a call blocker. Every caller hears a message saying "you have reached call blocker and not an answering machine all commercial sales calls and fundraising requests are not accepted, place this number on your do not call list. Personal and invited callers press 5 on your touch tone phone to proceed." Have no idea why but all cold calling has stopped completely. Best money I have ever spent

[Valsheen]

What I really hate is when I come home from work and my answerphone is bleeping. I press play and half the tape is taken up by telesales people telling me I am the lucky winner of either a wide screen tv, a brand new car etc. etc. :angry:

I must admit tho, like quite a few have mentioned previously, when I take a call from telesales, I also put the phone to the side, get on with whatever I am doing and just let them waffle on - but when they do eventually hang up - I don't!!! I leave the phone on the side for quite a while longer thereby blocking their line :P

[stanleybaxter]

Trouble is, that blocks your line as well.