No no no no no no no no no no! My worst nightmare has come true! Telemarketers are starting to pronounce my step-dad’s last name correctly! Before I was pissed because they couldn’t, now I’m scared because they can! What are we seeing here, a new breed of mutant telemarketers? How did they become more advanced than the TMs of yesterday?
Well, if any of 'em call, they’re geting a hearty “FUCK YOU, AND THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE THAT MADE YOU WHAT YOU ARE!”
<shudders>
I don’t even want to think about a new breed of TMs…
I go so far as to deliberately and blatantly mis-pronounce people’s names, including my own, so that when they call back (and they always do, you know), I’ll know who they are… <click>
Random point: I incidentally like the last name Cyr… 
All righty then. Just how the fuck would you like them pronounce the name? idjitshitheadwithnofuckingvowels-stein?
ARGH!!! TELEMARKETERS!!! I am not rude to them, since I know they are just doing their job, but I really hate them!!
In those parts of the country where phone service is provided by Ameritech or BellSouth, you can get this service called Privacy Monitor or Privacy Manager, wherein every caller that would show up on your Caller ID as “unavailable” or “out of area” gets a recorded message stating that this household does not accept calls from unknown parties, & would you please state your name after the tone? This eliminates just about all telemarketing calls. Sadly, it is not available where I live, so I have to talk to the bastards.
What I hate the most is when they assume I am my boyfriend’s wife. And they ALWAYS pronounce his last name wrong, too, because it is snotty and French.
I didn’t know you were German.
I do understand where the want to hate TMs comes from, I hated it too, until I had to do it. Not exactly telemarketing, but I have to go places like grocery stores and stuff and get people to fill out ballots to win stuff. The number of people who treat me like I am dogshit is incredible. I don’t push it their faces, Iust ask, would you like to fill out a ballot? Often people walk right by with thier snotty noses in the air or give me attitude. I hate it. The worst thing is they act like they are so superior to me, but I hate to break it to them, when I am an injury therapist (I am in school) they are going to F***ing need me, I will matter then.
So, please don’t be rude to these people. They are just doing their jobs, just politely tell them that you aren’t interested and say good-bye. (if they give you attitude after that THEN let loose!)
Nika, I’m sorry if other people are mean to you. I just don’t like the people who come into your house (call you on the phone) and start screwing your name up. I love filling out those forms from the mall and the supermarket. Escpecially with the money that is sometimes involved.
As opposed, I expect, to plebeian and French, or snotty and everyone-else.
Matt: very nicely phrased! 
Nika: I don’t go out of my way to insult or hang-up on a normal somewhat polite telemarketer. I just can’t stand the rude ones. I have had people call me up asking for the model number of some piece of equipment or other (which we’re not allowed to give out), and they will literally swear at me on the phone. While entertaining if you are in the right mood, it doesn’t make you want to be accomodating the next time one of them calls…