Cold Phone calls

[AlanHo]

I have been the recipient of a number of cold marketing calls lately - often from places a long way from here if their pronunciation of English is any guide.

I don't like being rude to these people - they have a job to do and they must gets lots of abuse - so I am normally the giver of a polite refusal to help with their market research, sales pitch or whatever.

This morning I received the third call in 3 days from the same company - being a bit put off by another intrusion I decided to let the conversation run its course. The caller spoke quickly in a strong Indian accent and was difficult to understand

"Good morning sir - is that Mr Hop..."

"Yes"

"and how are we this morning Mr Hop..."

"Terrible - I have a headache, bleeding piles, indigestion and my teeth itch"

"Good - I am speaking to you from continental Communications"

"Who are you - I cannot understand"

"we are Continental communications - are you with BT"

"Can you please speak more slowly - my brain is slower than your tongue"

"We--are--Con-tin-en-tal--comm-un-ic-ations -- is your phone BT"

"Why do you want to know what I had for tea"

"Sorry"

"Why--do--you--want--to--know--what--I--had--for--tea"

"I need to know if your phone is BT"

"You are speaking too fast for me again"

"Sorry--I--want--to--know--if--your--phone--is-- BT"

"No my home is not free - what company do you represent"

"Continental Communications"

"too fast again"

"Con-tin-ent-al---comms"

"comes where"

"Pardon"

"if you are trying to sell me tyres, I don't need any. Anyway my car has Dunlops"

"Not tyres - phone service"

"My phone does not need a service - my wife disinfected it a couple of days ago"

"ahh...........thank you for your time"...and rang off.

I bet that made his day.

[doug]

Brilliant. Why on earth do they have to speek so quickly anyway?

[catgate]

Wonderful.

I used to try to sell them Life Assurance Policies.

Then we registered with that Telephone Preferences scheme which was supposed to filter these thigs out......but they seem to have found a way round it (or Gordon has got involved in some way and scuppered it).

Now I just say, "Oh just wait a second..." and put the receiver on the table. They have usually hung up before I come back.

[andsome]

Wonderful.

I used to try to sell them Life Assurance Policies.

Then we registered with that Telephone Preferences scheme which was supposed to filter these thigs out......but they seem to have found a way round it (or Gordon has got involved in some way and scuppered it).

Now I just say, "Oh just wait a second..." and put the receiver on the table. They have usually hung up before I come back.

Good idea, I will try that instead of shouting, it will cost them money.

[Gandalph]

We only get the odd couple a year now that we signed up for the TPS, I just tend to say no thank you and put the phone down. I can't be bovvered to mess about with them.

[AlanHo]

I signed up for the Phone. text, fax, smoke signal and you-know-what preferential service - plus the anti spam Royal mail letter service. It has made a difference but the buggers still creep though the firewall.

[AlanHo]

When I retired in 1997 and came back to live in the UK again, we bought a house which had very recently been upgraded with Anglian double glazed windows throughout. We had a didning room and hallway extension added at the front and a large conservatory added at the back - using Anglian windows for the sake of uniformity - better the devil you know etc........

I don't know when it started - but sonme time later we kept getting cold calls from Anglian advertising their wares. Each time, either my late wife or I would patiently explain that they should be able to see from their records that we were already fully Anglian-ised and asked them to please remove us from the calling data base. This didn't work.

I then found out about the phone/mail/fax/text preferential service(s) and subscribed. But still the calls kept coming.

I wrote to Anglian - not once but twice (including a letter to their MD) - but to no avail - still the calls persisted.

One day I received yet another call - they were doing some jobs in our area and were prepared to do our windows at a heavily discounted price provided we agreed to let them use our house for show purposes - limited to a maximum of 6 months and a certain number of potential customer visits. The sales pest asked if I would like to take advantage of their offer.

I said I would love to because the windows were old and the house was cold. However - I then sinned - I lied by telling the caller that I rented the house and they would need to contact my landlord to get his agreement to pay for the work. There was a long silence - before a click - indicating they had rung off.

I have never again received a sales call or mail shot from Anglian.

[catgate]

Sounds like a good move to me.

[rong]

So what do you use the "didning" room for is it a store room for things you did

[AlanHo]

It's now a Did-nowt-ning room now that we can't afford to eat...... :lol:

Well spotted that man.