Unwanted Tele-sales

Does anyone else get annoyed by salesmen/women phoning ( usually at mealtimes ) and trying to sell double glazing/ book clubs/timeshare/loans.

So how do you deal with these calls in an original manner when you have politely said "No" twice this week already!
I heard some good ideas,

1. Tell the salespereson that you need to get a pen, and forget to come back to the phone, leaving the line tied up.

2. Ask the person for their home phone number, when they refuse you respond "of course I understand, you don't want to be bothered at mealtimes by calls from complete strangers trying to sell you something you don't need"

3. When they ask how are you? Launch into a full account of your ongoing back trouble,athletes foot,ongoing tests for every condition you can think of, and don't spare any detail!

Anyone got any more ideas?:idea:

I cut my teeth doing telesales (to opticians). It can be a hard and thankless task.

When I get calls now I try to find out exactly what they're selling staight away. If I'm not interested I'll tell them that, and the reason why, after all if you have a genuine reason not to be interested they may flag that on their system and they won't keep trying to 'close' you.

If you listen to what they're selling you might decide you're not interested now but might be in the future- give them a time scale to re-contact you. At least that way they'll put that into the system and you shouldn't keep getting called.

You never know, what they've got might be of interest to you!! (shock of shocks!).

I could think of 101 clever or sarcastic replies to telesales people, but then why **** up somebody else's day just because they're doing what they're paid to.

Now how about 101 ways to get rid of traffic wardens?

Dear 10p.
Totally agree with you. I did say in my original post "when you have already said "No" twice this week". The majority of callers are very polite, but why do they carry on ringing back.

I made the mistake of telling a persistent double glazing company that I may require a product in 12 months time. They have since sent callers to the door and ring regularly sometimes more than once a week.

This was intended to be a light hearted thread, I apologise if I have caused offence, but I don't think privacy should be invaded constantly in this way. At the end of the day, if I want it, I'll go out and buy it.

No offence to me, Sarah.

I live out in the sticks in Cumbria (the telephone is due to be invented in about 43 years time), and so don't get very many cold callers. I can imagine how it must drive you crackers.

I was speaking with my business head on (I must learn to switch off, dammit). If a company is really getting on your jiggly bits then ask the person ringing to remove you from their database. If that doesn't work threaten them with trading standards. If that doesn't work shove burning cat poo through their letter box and wee on the bosses windscreen. Twice.

Does cat poo burn???
I wouldn't want to melt me marigolds!;)

Er, feline excrement will probably burn if you mix it with a little methylated spirits.

If you want to stop a telesales call, tell them you've just bought one. Imagine...

"Hello, I'm calling from Bomb & Nukem Ltd, we have recently launced our 'Turbo Dual Nuke Nueralizing Polorizer 2761', we'd like to call in and discuss it with you, have you 15 minutes next week?"

"No, sorry, I bought one last week, bye".

Hello,

I (Me, Darris C., Mr. Sarcastic) is never rude to telemarketers. Instead I simply tie up their time if they call. Many of the telemarketing firms that I'm familiar with base "productivity" on the number of calls made + the number of sales. So what I do is sit and visit with them on completely unrelated subjects and avoid the subject of what they're selling altogether.

If I don't have time to talk I'll tell them so and when they ask what time would be more convenient I'll tell them 11:00AM on weekdays (home phone only) Why? Because I work and my wife works so we're never home at 11:00AM on weekdays ;) If they call at the office I simply tell them I'm with a patient and they apologize and tell me they'll call back at a more convenient time.

I have never bought anything from a telemarketer because I've never been a sight unseen buyer and never will be. I have to see it, touch it and use it first. Telemarketing is a booming business there's no doubt but it is a nuisance.

Darris C.

First, you buy a boat horn....................:cool:

I always tell them:

No time!

No money!

and NO English!:bbg:

I had the same problem but solved it. I have caller ID and I added a service called Privacy Manager by the phone company. No number and who it is no phone call. Went from at least 3 calls a night to 0.

Jerry