Several years ago, I took this one magazine-sales guy on Mr. ToKnow’s wild ride. I must’ve kept him on the phone for 45 minutes (this was before I had cable), going through all the magazines they offered and “deciding” which ones were right for me.
“Now, that Reader’s Digest one, what kinds of stories do they publish?”
He was more than happy to explain everything as clearly as he could so that I’d be happy to choose more magazines. I think we were up to 12 or so subscriptions before he said anything at all about money.
“You mean I will have to pay for this? But you called me. How can that be?”
He was one heartbroken telemarketer at the end of that conversation, let me tell you.
Three or four times a day, for a week or so, I was getting these calls asking for Lori. “Is Lori there?” “Can I speak to Lori?” Each time I would tell whoever it was, several different, young voices, they had the wrong number, there’s no Lori here. These calls came at all hours of the day and night.
Finally I responded…“I’m sorry, Lori passed away!” After a long pause, someone ask,… “is there anything we can do?” I replied, … “Yeah, could you send over a pizza?”
I want to know is why I always get the former phone number of people that have written bad checks and left accounts deliquent. The worst was the last place we lived. I cannot believe how very, very rude those collection people can be. If they don’t believe that I’m not Karen So&so, why don’t they call the phone company and ask who I am. I AM listed in the phone book! I know, send the police over and I’ll call my lawyer and we’ll have a nice conversation about harassment. Sorry. I haven’t gotten one of those calls in a long time, but I know it’s only a matter of time.
So anyway, what we used to do when we were first married is act thrilled about the prospect of new windows or siding. Then wait for the reaction when they were taking down the information and we said, “#### Elm Street, Apt. 10”. Some were funnier than others. Well, hey, they were the ones that kept calling back.
My dad got sick of always getting bill-collection calls for a man who lived in a suburb who happened to have the same first and last name as him. One day, when Sears called asking when they could expect a long-overdue payment on “his” new lawn tractor, he asked them huffily, “Do you have my address?” When the person on the other end of the line read off what was apparently the other guy’s address, my dad erupted with: “Great! You know, I’m sick of this damn thing. Why don’t you just come and take it away!”
He never got many calls after that.
Oh, and not long ago I lived in a rental house in which I was blessed to have not only the phone number of a former poor credit risk, but also the address of somebody who had skipped town on all of their debts, as well.
I worked one summer as a telemarketer. Let me tell you it is really a stressful job hearing people say no to you all the time. I ended up quitting because it was just too much bulls**t. I felt like I was wrongfully taking advantage of people over the phone when I was following the script I was given. I also felt that if someone said no, they meant no… but management there had other ideas and I just decided to quit.
Now I just say that I’m not interested and hang up. It’s the most polite thing to do to a telemarketer.
In the American version they were doctor Scholl’s sandals. But I’m a spaz over details. Thanks for the laugh! Is the hijack to the outside of the asylum? I hope so.
mess with them anytime you can.
my favorites.
the person that called to sell me window cleaning.
I live in a cave(10 minutes easy)
the one that called to sell carpet cleaning(i have no carpet,ok how about furniture? the !@#%^ movers have not brought my!@#% furniture do you believe it? for 10 minutes or so worked very well. Now I just hang up
Howdy Y’all
Beerman