The more annoying ones (both my lines are TPS so I have no sympathy) get rewarded with a blast of a football whistle
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
I had one the other day. He said he wanted to do a survey "which wouldn't take a minute". I said "You are quite right" and put the phone down.
The more annoying ones (both my lines are TPS so I have no sympathy) get rewarded with a blast of a football whistle
The more annoying ones (both my lines are TPS so I have no sympathy) get rewarded with a blast of a football whistle
Two bikes, still only four cylinders!
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bikerpiker
- Posts: 1823
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:59 pm
- Location: Ayrshire - Scotland .
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
I used to let them finish what they were telling me about whatever they were trying to sell,....now i just cut them off after a few seconds ,but i always say 'sorry ,i'm not interested'.
At the end of the day ,they are just tryin to earn a wage ,same as us .
I agree ,they can be total pain in the arses though
At the end of the day ,they are just tryin to earn a wage ,same as us .
I agree ,they can be total pain in the arses though
Stevie
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
my mrs has a personal rape alarm that they all got given at work........ we keep it by the phone 
4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul...........
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
you shouldnt be mean to them man. i used to work in a call centre, luckily i was taking inbound customer service calls not doing outbound sales. but yknow all the people on outbound are just trying to earn a living. they annoy me too but at the end of the day its not hard to say no, sorry and hang up no need to blast a whistle at them and ruin their day its a sh1t job as it is without that noone likes doing it
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
If you subscribe to the telephone preference service then their calls are illegal. They are based offshore to try to get around this law. In addition, if their employers are that unscrupulous you can bet that what they are "surveying" will be a complete scam. I would not be polite to a burglar just beacuse he has a family to feed, would you?you shouldnt be mean to them man. i used to work in a call centre, luckily i was taking inbound customer service calls not doing outbound sales. but yknow all the people on outbound are just trying to earn a living. they annoy me too but at the end of the day its not hard to say no, sorry and hang up no need to blast a whistle at them and ruin their day its a sh1t job as it is without that noone likes doing it
Two bikes, still only four cylinders!
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
my dad gets alot of these calls,he talks to them for ages,wants to know the ins & outs of everything then tells them he'll let them know when he's asked his landlord they hang up on him 
they hang up on him Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
I love these calls, the really brighten up my day. You can say anything that comes into your head.
For instance lately we've had about 20 calls from someone in India who wants me to confirm what gas and electricity supplier we have, and who provides our telephone.
It's apparently a "survey".
I have great fun going into massive detail about our gas coming from the cow-based gas generator behind the local chip shop, and how the manager brings some gas round in a carrier bag whenever we want to use the cooker. And sometimes some left-over chips! We find it lasts longer if you don't light it, but when you do it's hotter. And the flame isn't quite as blue as the normal stuff, but that's only cosmetic, surely?
The electricity's made by my children in a treadmill, and we export unused volts to our neighbours in exchange for kindling. We keep the volts outside in the woodshed as I've heard it can be dangerous, although some occasionally escapes and we have had problems with it making the cat's fur stand on end after he's been out for a wee.
We've had to put a lock on the door now, to stop them leaking out when we're not looking. We had a wind turbine, but although it was the right size for a sandcastle, when I tried to scale the vanes up for the garden the stick snapped (but we kept the Government grant and didn't tell them).
I tell them how brilliant our telephone line is, how I can phone ANYONE who has a phone, on any provider's system, even foreign ones, like Japan or Yugoslavia or Tottenham Hotspur, wherever that is, and how I can even call myself, but then I'm mostly engaged, except when I'm abroad, and then I wouldn't call myself because it would cost more, and I might not remember the extra couple of zero's and the country codes and so on and on.
My record is eleven minutes before they hang up.
They ring back the following day, though, using a different voice and name to see if they can get more sense this time.
Sadly for them I just make up some different baldrocks.
Whatever, it's their call cost.
Try it, it's much better than getting annoyed and hanging up.
For instance lately we've had about 20 calls from someone in India who wants me to confirm what gas and electricity supplier we have, and who provides our telephone.
It's apparently a "survey".
I have great fun going into massive detail about our gas coming from the cow-based gas generator behind the local chip shop, and how the manager brings some gas round in a carrier bag whenever we want to use the cooker. And sometimes some left-over chips! We find it lasts longer if you don't light it, but when you do it's hotter. And the flame isn't quite as blue as the normal stuff, but that's only cosmetic, surely?
The electricity's made by my children in a treadmill, and we export unused volts to our neighbours in exchange for kindling. We keep the volts outside in the woodshed as I've heard it can be dangerous, although some occasionally escapes and we have had problems with it making the cat's fur stand on end after he's been out for a wee.
We've had to put a lock on the door now, to stop them leaking out when we're not looking. We had a wind turbine, but although it was the right size for a sandcastle, when I tried to scale the vanes up for the garden the stick snapped (but we kept the Government grant and didn't tell them).
I tell them how brilliant our telephone line is, how I can phone ANYONE who has a phone, on any provider's system, even foreign ones, like Japan or Yugoslavia or Tottenham Hotspur, wherever that is, and how I can even call myself, but then I'm mostly engaged, except when I'm abroad, and then I wouldn't call myself because it would cost more, and I might not remember the extra couple of zero's and the country codes and so on and on.
My record is eleven minutes before they hang up.
They ring back the following day, though, using a different voice and name to see if they can get more sense this time.
Sadly for them I just make up some different baldrocks.
Whatever, it's their call cost.
Try it, it's much better than getting annoyed and hanging up.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
I do my own SEO for my websites. I just love the cold calls I get from some muppet who tells me that "the first place on Google has become available and they have asked us to find someone in your industry to take it"
I just tell them that they are lying b8stard, which they are.
I just tell them that they are lying b8stard, which they are.
Two bikes, still only four cylinders!
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
To give it its full and proper name; Londonshire-on-Thames.Timbo wrote: I bet you live in Londonshire dont you?
It's quite near The Big Smoke, but we take fewer puffs and leave a long stub, just to be on the safe side.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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RedStormV
- Posts: 1372
- Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:41 pm
- Location: West Yorks (Bronte Country) - Home of the Negro Lesbian Cornet Players
- Contact:
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
I'm registered on TPS and my landline number is X-directory (unlisted). However we still get cold callers from time to time.
I hate them as much as the next person, however they are a fact of life for various reasons one or two of which may have already been suggested.
I deal with them in different ways, either cut them off, let them say their peice and then tell them I'm not interested, or as Stevie's said, just talk borrox to them or extract the Michael somewhat. I only lose my cool with them if the same people continue to call after I've told them I'm not interested and wish to be removed frm their database, but then I only raise my voice and rant a little. Another tip is to ask to speak to their manager or supervisor - that gets rid of a few.
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free service. It is the official central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.
As TPS registration only prevents marketing calls, organisations will still be able to call you for the purposes of genuine market research.
Source : http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/
So although there is a legal requirement, it's not illegal if the phonecall is for genuine market research. It also, as far as I'm aware only applies to UK based companies / call centres as has been mentioned.
The are other ways to reduce 'cold callers', some service providers will sell / rent you a clever box, some operate a remote system based in the exchange. I also believe some clever boxes are commercially available.
The more advanced systems will prevent any 'unannounced' number from ringing through to your phone. Any that do 'announce' their numbers and turn out to be marketing or any other unwanted calls can also be added to a list and screened for in future and prevented from ringing through. IIRC some even send an announcement to the caller telling them that their call is not wanted and is being prevented from reaching its intended recipient and cuts them off.
Stratman & Marra - and anyone else for that matter who uses similar tactics should IMO reconsider this, as although it may seem like a really big & clever thing to do, it's actually neither.
I've worked in telecommunications for over 20 years and although thankfully I've never worked in a call centre, over the years I have worked in some inbound, phone based, customer facing roles and been subject to all manner of abuse.
Why should they reconsider? Acoustic Shock would be the main reason.
Acoustic shock explained
So what is acoustic shock anyway? Put simply, it is a phenomenon that can occur when unannounced sounds - ones that are materially different to normal speech - travel through a telephone line or a web interface in the space of under 16 milliseconds, and in to the headset.
These sounds may be characterised as having a specific tone (frequency) or a very fast rise in the ‘peak energy’ of the sound, so resembling a bang or clang. The resulting symptoms include pain and tinnitus. It can also cause hypersensitivity to sounds (hyperacusis) among other problems.
Source : http://www.callcentrehelper.com/acousti ... now-43.htm
BT operators claim for acoustic shock
Lawyers are preparing dozens of compensation claims on behalf of deafened call centre workers who have complained of "acoustic shock" in what could become an increasingly prevalent industrial injury of the 21st century.
The lawyer representing 81 BT operators, whose cases are to be heard by the courts next year, said he suspected that many more call centre staff were at risk including employees in the emergency services and the Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ. The BT workers have complained of tinnitus and severe headaches after being subjected to piercing sounds through their headsets.
Adrian Fawden, advising the Communication Workers Union, said some of the sudden, loud noises reported may have been caused by automatic fire alarms, fax machines and even malicious callers sounding personal alarms. He said: "The results vary depending on the severity, from someone just going 'ouch!' and taking off the headset at one end to people having to take medical retirement, suffering hearing loss and dizziness, at the other."
Source : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 91520.html
We're not talking about being polite to burglars trying to feed their kids.
We're talking about people who are invariably under paid and over worked, who don't work there through choice but necessity. They're not ringing you because they want to p1ss you off, but because the company they work for, whether scrupulous or not is being paid to do it.
Don't think they sit there with a pile of phone books going through the listings in order or at random. The first they know about it is when they get a beep in their headsets then ringing tone or even straight through to you as you answer the phone.
IIRC some companies even have computers that sit there churning through STD codes and local exchange codes (the first 2 or 3 digits of your number) dialling each possible combination of the remaining numbers till it gets ring tone.
Another thing to bear in mind is when and where you divulge your telephone number. Apllication forms for most things, both on line and in paper copy, usually require you to put a land line number if you have one.
They also have one or two tick boxes relating to their handling and security of your personal data which includes your number. Some are 'opt in' and some are 'opt out' tick boxes and it's not always very clear which is which. I find the best way to deal with this is to not put your number on the form in the first place unless it's absolutely necessary.
As you've no doubt seen on the news over the last few years this data is a very valuable commodity not only sold by unscrupulous companies, but also sometimes by their employees and, people who 'hack' into their databases.
Whoaaaa! I am back, aren't I
I hate them as much as the next person, however they are a fact of life for various reasons one or two of which may have already been suggested.
I deal with them in different ways, either cut them off, let them say their peice and then tell them I'm not interested, or as Stevie's said, just talk borrox to them or extract the Michael somewhat. I only lose my cool with them if the same people continue to call after I've told them I'm not interested and wish to be removed frm their database, but then I only raise my voice and rant a little. Another tip is to ask to speak to their manager or supervisor - that gets rid of a few.
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free service. It is the official central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.
As TPS registration only prevents marketing calls, organisations will still be able to call you for the purposes of genuine market research.
Source : http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/
So although there is a legal requirement, it's not illegal if the phonecall is for genuine market research. It also, as far as I'm aware only applies to UK based companies / call centres as has been mentioned.
The are other ways to reduce 'cold callers', some service providers will sell / rent you a clever box, some operate a remote system based in the exchange. I also believe some clever boxes are commercially available.
The more advanced systems will prevent any 'unannounced' number from ringing through to your phone. Any that do 'announce' their numbers and turn out to be marketing or any other unwanted calls can also be added to a list and screened for in future and prevented from ringing through. IIRC some even send an announcement to the caller telling them that their call is not wanted and is being prevented from reaching its intended recipient and cuts them off.
Stratman & Marra - and anyone else for that matter who uses similar tactics should IMO reconsider this, as although it may seem like a really big & clever thing to do, it's actually neither.
I've worked in telecommunications for over 20 years and although thankfully I've never worked in a call centre, over the years I have worked in some inbound, phone based, customer facing roles and been subject to all manner of abuse.
Why should they reconsider? Acoustic Shock would be the main reason.
Acoustic shock explained
So what is acoustic shock anyway? Put simply, it is a phenomenon that can occur when unannounced sounds - ones that are materially different to normal speech - travel through a telephone line or a web interface in the space of under 16 milliseconds, and in to the headset.
These sounds may be characterised as having a specific tone (frequency) or a very fast rise in the ‘peak energy’ of the sound, so resembling a bang or clang. The resulting symptoms include pain and tinnitus. It can also cause hypersensitivity to sounds (hyperacusis) among other problems.
Source : http://www.callcentrehelper.com/acousti ... now-43.htm
BT operators claim for acoustic shock
Lawyers are preparing dozens of compensation claims on behalf of deafened call centre workers who have complained of "acoustic shock" in what could become an increasingly prevalent industrial injury of the 21st century.
The lawyer representing 81 BT operators, whose cases are to be heard by the courts next year, said he suspected that many more call centre staff were at risk including employees in the emergency services and the Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ. The BT workers have complained of tinnitus and severe headaches after being subjected to piercing sounds through their headsets.
Adrian Fawden, advising the Communication Workers Union, said some of the sudden, loud noises reported may have been caused by automatic fire alarms, fax machines and even malicious callers sounding personal alarms. He said: "The results vary depending on the severity, from someone just going 'ouch!' and taking off the headset at one end to people having to take medical retirement, suffering hearing loss and dizziness, at the other."
Source : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 91520.html
We're not talking about being polite to burglars trying to feed their kids.
We're talking about people who are invariably under paid and over worked, who don't work there through choice but necessity. They're not ringing you because they want to p1ss you off, but because the company they work for, whether scrupulous or not is being paid to do it.
Don't think they sit there with a pile of phone books going through the listings in order or at random. The first they know about it is when they get a beep in their headsets then ringing tone or even straight through to you as you answer the phone.
IIRC some companies even have computers that sit there churning through STD codes and local exchange codes (the first 2 or 3 digits of your number) dialling each possible combination of the remaining numbers till it gets ring tone.
Another thing to bear in mind is when and where you divulge your telephone number. Apllication forms for most things, both on line and in paper copy, usually require you to put a land line number if you have one.
They also have one or two tick boxes relating to their handling and security of your personal data which includes your number. Some are 'opt in' and some are 'opt out' tick boxes and it's not always very clear which is which. I find the best way to deal with this is to not put your number on the form in the first place unless it's absolutely necessary.
As you've no doubt seen on the news over the last few years this data is a very valuable commodity not only sold by unscrupulous companies, but also sometimes by their employees and, people who 'hack' into their databases.
Whoaaaa! I am back, aren't I
-
bikerpiker
- Posts: 1823
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:59 pm
- Location: Ayrshire - Scotland .
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
........you're definately back mate ,some good info from someone in the know You're actually gettin me mixed up with Tonymon i think,regarding 'talking baldrocks to them and taking the piss' ,as i've already said above ,i'm generally fairly polite in that i let them explain why they called me ,or if not,i will cut in when they are speaking and say 'sorry ,i'm not interested in whatever you are trying to sell me,or whatever survey you want me to take part in' .
Maybe i dont get too pissed off about it too much like some of the other guys cos i'm currently NOT registered on the TPS list ,and i'm NOT ex-directory , i really should be both ,but just never got round to it . If i was registered ,poss i'd talk baldrocks and take the piss too
As ive said ,cos of this,i dont get too angry with them as they are trying to earn a wage (poss minimum wage or not far off),and that person is someones son or daughter
Stevie
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Twinpotter
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:34 pm
- Location: Dunstable
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
Stratman wrote:I do my own SEO for my websites. I just love the cold calls I get from some muppet who tells me that "the first place on Google has become available and they have asked us to find someone in your industry to take it"
I just tell them that they are lying b8stard, which they are.
Spot on.Starts with a R. Rrrrrrrr. Motorbike!
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
I just say.....can you hold a minute....then leave the phone laying next to me until you get the beep tone saying they have hung up ( one guy waited 9 minutes 
). See how they like those eggs
). See how they like those eggs I see myself as a sensitive intelligent man but with the heart of a clown that causes me to **ck things up right at that crucial moment........'Jim Morrison'
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
Some years ago, there was a flurry of calls that started with "can I ask you a question?"
Now as you don't know what question it's going to be, it's curiosity that makes you say "ok".
They then said " If you could have all the windows in your house double-glazed for free, how many would you need?"
Now this was clever- it needs a response other than "yes" or "no", but doesn't commit the listener to anything, so feels safe.
After the fourth or fifth time they called, the conversation went like this:
Cold-Caller (CC): Could I ask you a question?
Me: 7.
CC: But I haven't asked you the question yet.
Me: No, but it's about how many double-glazed windows I want if they're free, isn't it?
CC: Yes- but how did you know?
Me: This is the Psychic Helpline. I've been waiting for you to call; in fact you're a bit late, I expect you've been busy.
CC:(long pause) I see. (pause). Well, in that case, we have a consultant in your area on Wednesday or Thursday this week; when is the most convenient day for you?
Me: Actually, I need you to give me a call around July next year, if that's possible. Perhaps you could diary it for me.
CC: Why might that be?
Me: Because I'm due to win on the lottery next April; the cheque should have cleared by then. Nothing major, just a few thousand, but enough to do the double-glazing and book a holiday in the Maldives for the family.
CC: (even longer pause) Erm (pause) Right- I'll do that; speak to you next year, then.............
I do love messing with people's heads.....
You should hear me with Jehovah's Nuisances.......
Now as you don't know what question it's going to be, it's curiosity that makes you say "ok".
They then said " If you could have all the windows in your house double-glazed for free, how many would you need?"
Now this was clever- it needs a response other than "yes" or "no", but doesn't commit the listener to anything, so feels safe.
After the fourth or fifth time they called, the conversation went like this:
Cold-Caller (CC): Could I ask you a question?
Me: 7.
CC: But I haven't asked you the question yet.
Me: No, but it's about how many double-glazed windows I want if they're free, isn't it?
CC: Yes- but how did you know?
Me: This is the Psychic Helpline. I've been waiting for you to call; in fact you're a bit late, I expect you've been busy.
CC:(long pause) I see. (pause). Well, in that case, we have a consultant in your area on Wednesday or Thursday this week; when is the most convenient day for you?
Me: Actually, I need you to give me a call around July next year, if that's possible. Perhaps you could diary it for me.
CC: Why might that be?
Me: Because I'm due to win on the lottery next April; the cheque should have cleared by then. Nothing major, just a few thousand, but enough to do the double-glazing and book a holiday in the Maldives for the family.
CC: (even longer pause) Erm (pause) Right- I'll do that; speak to you next year, then.............
I do love messing with people's heads.....
You should hear me with Jehovah's Nuisances.......
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
Re: Telephone Cold Callers.
Beautiful Tony. LMAO
I see myself as a sensitive intelligent man but with the heart of a clown that causes me to **ck things up right at that crucial moment........'Jim Morrison'