What is a mature, sensible way to deal with annoying telemarketers?

Question

I hate it when telemarketers call during the evening hours. Don't you? Especially when I am eating. I am really fat, and I eat a lot of food, dudes. I LOVE eating my food. Dude. : )

I get irritated with telemarketers. Especially their superfluous line of questioning. "Well, why aren't you interested, sir? Well, can you tell me why your Mom isn't interested?"

What can I say to politely make him or her shut up, and stop calling me?

All answers are welcome- even half-baked answers. Thankie Pooh!

Answer 1

You want a mature way of dealing with those @#$%&s? Here's what I have done:

Think for a moment, what's more annoying than a telemarketer's call? People who tell you HOW they're doing when you ask how are you? You know the ones I'm talking about, they have to tell you EVERYTHING that's happening in their lives.

So the next time a telemarketer calls and asks how you're doing, TELL THEM in a long and drawn out fashion. Legally they can't hang up the phone on you. So tell them about the strange growth on your foot or your dog's skin condition or your friend's spouse's infidelity or whatever. They won't make the sale and you're getting free counseling.

Answer 2

I have fun with it instead of getting mad. I have three young children, and since they've been old enough to talk, I would give them the phone :) The telemarketers hang up rather quickly and I don't have to be bothered. The kids think it's a riot.

Before I had my little ones to do my evil bidding, I would screw with them, and make up funny stories. It's not rude, it gets your point across, and you have a great laugh and story to tell to your friends later.

Check into a no call list in your area and enroll if it bothers you too much.

Answer 3

I interrupt them (don't be afraid of being rude- telemarketing is a rude business) and say, "I am not interested. Thank you." CLICK.

That's it!! Do NOT wait for them to say goodbye because they won't, they have a written bunch of stuff to interrupt you with, actual lines written on a sheet, laminated, and pinned to their cubicle wall so they can keep the conversation going and they can bowl you over with their hard sell.

I suggest you not answer your phone during dinner, (let the machine pick it up) and if they call after that, have my "message" taped to your phone so YOU can read YOUR script!! And don't forget to hang up just as soon as you say your line!!

Good luck!

Answer 4

i have dealt with them in a variety of ways including

1) say 'oh yes - can you hang on a moment?' and leave the phone off the hook for 10 minutes before hanging up

2) if you have access to a child who cant speak intelligibly and hand the receiver over

3) just simply say 'can you take this number off your telephone lists please' (assuming like here in the UK they are legally obliged to do so if you request them to - and THEY are paying for this call not YOU)

then hang up

4) don't answer calls when you are cooking/otherwise engaged around those times. get an answering machine with your own voice recording a message (but not leaving your full name on there of course) to field all incoming calls that you want to screen. This will also prove useful because of times you are out folks can leave a message.

Answer 5

You can't be polite to them or they won't leave you alone. Sometimes you have to get downright rude.. make up stories. Ask them if they have found the Lord. Get out a bible and start reading verses to them until they get off the phone. Get creative! They're calling you in the privacy of your home unannounced, why should you be polite?!

If all else fails, pretend that you're interested. Get their contact information and their company name. Write down the date and time. Then tell them that they are to add you to their DO NOT CALL list, and tell them that if they continue to call, you will report them to the FCC. That's all you have to say. If they call back, you can sue em.

Check the link below for more tips:

Answer 6

I have caller ID. Best invention ever. I don't answer my phone if I don't recognize the number. I have my phone set for four rings and then voicemail picks up. If it's important, they will leave a message and I can call them back or not. My choice.

Remember one thing. The telephone in your house was put there for YOUR convenience when YOU want to make a call. Not when others want to talk to you.

Like I said, I don't answer my phone if I don't recognize the number. And if the caller doesn't leave a message, it couldn't have been important.

Answer 7

Do you have caller id? If you do, if you get an 800 number or unlisted number on your caller id, then don't answer the phone. Does not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Captain, Chris W T
ATP- Lear 45, B747- A318 - A380
CFI

Answer 8

We could combine our forces and invent an annoying endless menu option. That you could just press a button at anytime during a conversation to put the person on the phone into this endless menu.

Answer 9

If you really don't want to be disturbed during mealtimes (whether by telemarketers or not), why not just let the answering machine do their job?

And dude, this is small stuff, lighten up.

Answer 10

Entschuldigung, ich spreche kein Englisch.

(Well I live in Switzerland so they generally do speak German--in fact I like to practice my German on them--but when I don't have time I just say "Sorry I don't understand" and unless they unluckily speak English (and they probably wouldn't have such a crap job if they did) I'm good.)