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Fed up with cold callers phoning me at home

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I'm sure we've all been there before.  You've just got in from work and sat down with the family to have tea, or maybe your relaxing by watching some TV or a film.  Suddenly, the phone goes and you feel compelled to answer it, after all it could be something important, you just don't know.  But no, it's another bloody cold caller with a survey or trying to sell you something!  Grrrrr...

The last thing I want is to be pestered by cold callers

When my working day is done the last thing I want is to be pestered by cold callers trying to wheedle some business out of me.  I really feel that it is an invasion of my privacy and they're taking up my valuable personal time, time I'd rather spend with family relaxing than answering inane questions.  When my dinner is interupted by some telemarketing company trying to sell me something, I can only be polite to them for so long before I've had enough and hang up.

Here's what happened the other night around teatime.  Yet another kitchen sales person who wanted to come out and do a survey called us.  My husband took the call and I distinctly heard him say "No thanks, we're not interested", very politely at least five times before hanging up.  Lo and behold, within the hour the same company rang us back again.  This time it was the supervisor who went into her long spiel and asked us why we didn't want a survey done, "Surely there's something that you would like to change in your kitchen?" she said.

Fed up with cold callers, frustrated That's the thing about cold callers, they're quite thick skinned and this one was no exception.  Clearly she wasn't about to take 'No' for an answer, so after being terribly polite for the first eight minutes, I told her that she shouldn't presume that my kitchen wasn't perfect the way it was and could she not call me again.  She then had the audacity to say "But if you want to change something in the future, you will give is a call wont you?"  Well I had to bite my tongue at that point because a few choice replies sprang to mind.  "Not on your life" I said and then hung up.

Thinking about the sheer number of cold calls we receive I'm actually quite perplexed.  We aren't in the phone book and I've signed up to the telephone preference service (TPS) so I'm quite puzzled as to why we still get so many calls.  I do shop on the Internet and occasionally sign up for offers etc., but I am very careful and always check the appropriate boxes so that my details aren't sold or forwarded on to telemarketing companies.  Something is going on though and a system is broken somewhere, because I still get pestered by loads of cold callers.  Perhaps they've started dialing randomly now or something?

Another thing that really bothers me is when they don't get my name right.  If they're trying to score some business, the least they could do is figure out how to pronounce the name of the person they're calling.  A fair amount of them are from foreign call centres so that explains it I guess.  I've had so many different pronunciations it's unbelievable.

By: Joyce


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Shortest call ever

Shortest call ever

Caller: We've been doing a lot of work in your area, yeah, just two or three houses left to do.
Me: Which area were you referring to?
Caller puts the phone down on me.
30/12/22 Shortest call ever
2
Why do we put up with this?

Why do we put up with this?

I have been told by my phone company that I must pay to stop cold callers who call from unregistered numbers.

Why? Who is kidding who? Why aren't the cold callers charged 5-fold for their calls? If I do not want nuisance calls why should I have to put up with them, or have to pay to have them stopped?

Why doesn't 1471 collect the last 100 calls I have received - when and from whom?

Why is it possible for a caller to call from an unregistered telephone number? What kind of primitive technology is that?
08/01/14 Why do we put up with this?
2
anon

anon

Jethro, I agree with you up to a point, however, these companies buy your details along with many other people's, and then ring them one after the other. sometimes they just leave it to a computer to decide who to ring next, and when this happens there is even less of a human involvement. If for instance a computer telephones you when you are in the middle of eating your tea, no doubt after a hard days honest work, you can for instance tell them you are eating your tea, and do not wish to be bothered, thank you you very much (sarcastically), then they may simply say that they will telephone you 10 minutes later, or on another day. In the end, what have you achieved, apart from slightly annoying some faceless android many many kilometres away?
02/10/13 anon
7
Jethro

Jethro

It doesn't matter how rude/polite/obstructive/cleaver you think you are when answering these cold callers, cause your number has been circulated to the world and they just ain't going to stop with their useless verbal diarrhoea. Example....

Ring,Ring,
Hello,
Can I speak to Mr/Mrs/Miss whoever,
No they are not available, can I take a message?
Are you the householder?
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. Total time lost....maybe 15 seconds.
02/10/13 Jethro
10
Stop 'em dead

Stop 'em dead

"Sorry, the last call was to a person who will murder the scam caller, if they ever try to call again!"
14/05/13 Stop 'em dead
-1
MI6

MI6

I got rang up today by a fake Ausralian Goverment grants agency which this crimnail offence in the
uk which bt is braking the law which must be shutdown by the police.
17/12/12 MI6
3
Linda

Linda

Samuel Brookes of Salford 01618330545 are pestering me with calls wanting me to make insurance claims for compensation I am not entitled to. Very abusive staff.

What can I do to stop this?
11/10/12 Linda
-3
Teed off

Teed off

0178947388 calls all the time and leaves a repeated message so often they fill up my bt messager within 4 days. My Mum tried to leave a message twice..she was calling long distance and the messenger was full. One call was urgent my Dad had collapsed aged 78 and was in hospital. I find this is an invasion of my privacy, my messenger is their for famil and important call not for them to abuse
25/04/12 Teed off
1
blue135

blue135

Grumpyoldwoman - yes of course i have and WOM is probably the most successfull method of marketing (i.e. when a peer recommends, we take note). Im not telling you how to run your business but dont rely on it.

If you do a good job, your customers tell 10 people. If you do a bad job they tell 100.

If someone asks, where shall i buy a car we go "dont buy it from xxxxx", not "do buy it from xxxx".

So WOM is better for trash talking than it is promoting.

And as you said. WOM might get a small business by, but it wont a larger one. And larger ones keep the masses in work and support the economy.
18/04/12 blue135
1
jenbates

jenbates

I've just read this, and I wouldn't usually post... however the cold caller last night, was virtually a stalker. He not only didn't get the hint, but he told me that he had 1) called the police for using profanity against him, 2) that he didn't like to be spoken to like that... and get this, (as he still didn't get the message), he phoned back no less than 5 times FIVE!!!! Absolutely fuming doesn't even cover how I felt. He kept "assuring me" that the calls are recorded and all profanity will not be put up with...

Well when I worked for a bluechip company, and if the supervisor had heard the harassment that he had given me, he would be up on a disciplinary! I would not usually wish ill of people, whatever creed or colour, but I truly hope he gets whats coming to him...

...oh and it was for payment protection insurance - if I want to pursue it, I'll call them!!!!
14/04/12 jenbates
0
grumpyoldwoman

grumpyoldwoman

blue135, ever heard of "word of mouth"?

We are in the civil engineering business and have work as far apart as Yorkshire and the south coast; plenty of work for our 7 employees. So yes, we are a small business; sometimes it's better that way!
13/04/12 grumpyoldwoman
-2
blue135

blue135

Grumpyoldwoman, So let me get this right....no sales department.......no advertising....... Unless you work in a VERY small business that relies on local trade, this simply cannot be true. Its not commercially viable, and if it is, thats a very powerful business model. You could make millions with that kind of business expertise.

I would be interested to know which line of business you are in and im not being facetious. Genuine interest.

And if you "dont need to" at this moment in time due to a loyal customer base etc, please do not be complacent. If you are not growing you are actually shrinking, and how do we increase our top-line (grow)???..................certainly not by sitting on our backsides moaning about others looking to grow their business and actually doing something about it.

Sales/advertising/marketing - welcome to the commercial world, its nothing new - get used to it.
13/04/12 blue135
-6
grumpyoldwoman

grumpyoldwoman

blue135, virtually all of the cold calls I get are useless to me.

"Have you ever been mis-sold payment protection insurance?" No, I've never had a credit card.

"You may be able to make a claim because of the recent accident you had". What accident?

"Hello, I'm calling from the maintenance department of Microsoft". Scammers from India.

"Have you claimed your grant for loft insulation?" Don't need any more insulation.

"Would you be interested in solar panels?" How many times do I have to tell them we aren't?

Yes, if we want to buy something we will look on the internet; and no, the company we run does NOT have a telesales department, in fact we hardly ever advertise at all. Don't need to!
28/03/12 grumpyoldwoman
-5
blue135

blue135

A few things need to be clarified here. First of all. The job isnt exactly rubbish. Ive been out of university 18 months and earned 56k my first year, this year should be nearer 70k. I can take a bit of abuse for that.

Second of all, MOST telesales people dont want the agro, but if you give someone an irrational response such as "not interested" before they have even said why they are calling you, well your a fool. Quite often the product and/or service could be of major benefit to you.
If someone heres me out for 10 seconds and then says "im not interested because x", well then thats fine by me. Thank you for your time.

Also the argument "if i want it i'll google it or go out and find it" is utter nonsense and partly to blame for the problem of big companies ruining the economy for all the smaller companies.
The company I work for compete with a multi national billion £ organisation who shall remain un-named. Our customers will happily reference us as providing a better service, at 70% of the cost.

BUT HERES THE PROBLEM!!! Because we dont have a multi-million pound marketing budget, we HAVE to cold call. You wont find us on the first 50 pages of a google search, or on ITV during the News at 10 ad-break. What are you going to search for???
We still save people hundreds of pounds a year, provide a top rate service and support 40 people (employees) and their families.

One other thing to consider...To the people who work, do a little research on your company and you will soon find all companies have an outbound (cold-calling) sales team. YES thats correct. Whether you work for an engineering firm, an investment bank, B&Q or the local leisure centre. Somewhere, someone is selling something in the company you work for, with a phone! Do a littel digging, you'll be suprised.
23/03/12 blue135
-11
hopelessly annoyed angered and generally p......... off

hopelessly annoyed angered and generally p......... off

has anyone heard from "Butler & Clark" another we are just doing a survey spam/sales pitch for something you can find cheaper and of better quality elsewhere
25/02/12 hopelessly annoyed angered and generally p......... off
-1

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