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Handling Annoying Phone Calls
I’ve found many methods on handling those annoying phone calls. One of my all time favorites, just don’t answer if you don’t recognize the number. If it’s that darn important, they will leave a message with a call back number–and if I give a crap, I’ll return their call.
Sometimes I like to answer it just for the heck of it too. Sometimes I’ll just answer it, if it’s an idiot I don’t care to talk to, just keep saying “Hello, hello, hello” of course they’ll do one of two things, either hang up and not call again, or try again thinking it’s a bad connection.
Another method is to just tell start asking them questions back that they can only answer with a yes or no, this is called “closed-ended” questions. Only one answer. Never give open-ended questions, because they can turn it back on you.
If I really want to mess with them, I’ll just say in a very loud tone of voice, “Hello @#$%*! (insert what you want) and I mean it and you better have a damn good reason for calling me.”
And if you really want to mess with them, especially if it’s a creditor, just say, he/she’s not there. They will of course ask you for when they are coming back. Your response is simple, “Don’t know, he’s (she’s) in court today for the sentencing phase of his trial and it the news said he’s going to get at least five years minimum but if the judge throws the book at him, probably ten or fifteen. Gotta go, there’s a special interruption news break on the local channel…” I’ll have to give some credit to “BenE” on GarageGlamour.com for giving the latter inspiration based on his “off-topic” post there.
Regardless, I suggest you get on the do not call list, though I’ll warn you, there are ways around it, gotta go make some unsolicited phone calls. I dare you, tell us your funny methods of handling annoying phone calls, tele-marketers, creditors whatever, I dare you to post your comments, thanks, Rolando
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Had a call from someone trying to sell me a subscription to the NY Times. I responded that I lived in Austin, TX and we had our own newspaper. She informed me that the NY Times carried world news. I said ours did too. She said that many of my neighbors had subscribed. I asked her which ones, as they’d probably be willing to lend me their copies. She started another phase of attack, but I kept interrupting with “Is it Dave? Does he subscribe? How about Tom? Can you check your database and see if he’s in it. He’d let me read his, I’m sure. Etc.” She hung up on me. The nerve!
But my favorite response was by a friend of mine who, when Time/Life books called for the upteenth time trying to sell him some set of books said “I’d LOVE to have a set — when did you start carrying them in Braille?” They never called back again.