What is the polite reply to a cold caller...

Martin²

I stop them rabbiting, ascertain which co. they work for, then tell them
that since I had no previous dealing with that co. and I have unlisted
number they could only have called me illegally (calling in sequence or at
random),
and that I will be making a complaint to the Information Commissioner.
Which I do by email, but nothing seems to happen...

Or if I can't be bothered I just quietly put the receiver next to the phone
and continue with my life.
Regards,
Martin

Graham

"Steve Wolstenholme" <steve@tropheus.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
newsmd423db3gblgkljj7nctp02kb3afbcl50@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:08:51 +0100, Allan Gould
> <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>>What is the polite reply to a cold caller who rings me at an
>>inconvenient time and starts babbling about my having won a special
>>offer to be double-glazed?
>>
>
> Let them babble, don't reply, hang up after they have been talking for
> as long as you can stand it.

If they play a message enticing you to call them back to speak
to a live agent, this is what I do.
I make two calls and join them together as a conference call
(this costs me nothing with VoIP)
I keep silent, I just listen to the confusion of the two agents
When one of them terminates the call, I set it up again,
and again,
and again.
They never seem to suspect there is a third party involved.
After a while they revert to their native tongue and, judging
by their tone of voice, begin to argue with each other about
who called who.
Sometimes a third operator (supervisor?) joins in,
and things get really heated.
Also, because the conversation between the agents
is likley to be ungarded, assuming you can understand
what they are saying, you might get a clue about the
true location and motives of the call centre.

There really should be a name for this sport.
Suggestions?

--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

pjlusenet@yahoo.co.uk

On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:08:51 +0100, Allan Gould
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>What is the polite reply to a cold caller who rings me at an
>inconvenient time and starts babbling about my having won a special
>offer to be double-glazed?
>
>Times, Sat 14 April 2007
>
>
>:-)

a) "Sorry I don't live here I'm a burglar"

b) "Can I take a message"

c) Don't say anything, pretend the line's dead

I've tried being polite. All it does is expose you to the good (bad)
one's who are trained to turn anything you say into a way of keeping
you interested.
We had one who was very persistent.
When I kept saying I wasn't interested he doubted my intelligence at
possibly missing out on such a wonderful offer! He was trying a crude
method of challenging my masculinity just to steal money of me.
(it was some dodgy share scam)

Daniel James

In article news:<etrUh.474$.net>, Ipguru wrote:
[snip]
> > On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:08:51 +0100, Allan Gould
> > <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> >
> >> What is the polite reply to a cold caller ...
[snip]
> Ask them to confirm their company name.
> Ask them if they are familiar with the telephone preferencing service
> (TPS)& then tell them to expect a call from your lawyer.

I generally find that "How did you get this number" makes them go away.

Cheers,
Daniel.

Ivor Jones

"Daniel James" <> wrote in
message news:
> In article news:<etrUh.474$.net>,
> Ipguru wrote: [snip]
> > > On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:08:51 +0100, Allan Gould
> > > <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> > >
> > > > What is the polite reply to a cold caller ...
> [snip]
> > Ask them to confirm their company name.
> > Ask them if they are familiar with the telephone
> > preferencing service (TPS)& then tell them to expect a
> > call from your lawyer.
>
> I generally find that "How did you get this number" makes
> them go away.

I generally find that hanging up makes them go away and it saves me the
time and effort of speaking.

Ivor

Martin²

>> number they could only have called me illegally (calling in sequence or
>> at
>> random) [...]

>Illegal under what law ?

Telecom Regulations.
Martin

Ivor Jones

"Martin²" <> wrote in message
news:4628169a$0$8710$.net
> > > number they could only have called me illegally
> > > (calling in sequence or at
> > > random) [...]
>
> > Illegal under what law ?
>
> Telecom Regulations.
> Martin

I can't find a law called "Telecom Regulations" - where should I be
looking..?

Ivor

fred

In article <>, Allan Gould
<invalid@invalid.invalid> writes
>What is the polite reply to a cold caller who rings me at an
>inconvenient time and starts babbling about my having won a special
>offer to be double-glazed?
>
"I'm very sorry to hear that the prostitution/rent-boy job didn't work out."

usually followed by:
"What?"

and in reply:
"Well, you're clearly at the bottom of the heap as far as jobs go so I just
assumed that you had tried prostitution on the way to where you are now."

if any further explanation is required:
"Perhaps if you'd given it just a little longer you could have a job where you
could still hold your head up when walking around the supermarket."

then:
"Goodbye."
<plonk>
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

Lurch

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:01:14 +0100, mused:

>On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:08:51 +0100, Allan Gould
><invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>>What is the polite reply to a cold caller who rings me at an
>>inconvenient time and starts babbling about my having won a special
>>offer to be double-glazed?
>>
>>Times, Sat 14 April 2007
>>
>>
>>:-)
>
>a) "Sorry I don't live here I'm a burglar"
>
I know of someone who did that while he was working in someones house
while the owner was away. 5 minutes later the police were banging on
the door.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

IPGURU

Allan Gould wrote:
> What is the polite reply to a cold caller who rings me at an
> inconvenient time and starts babbling about my having won a special
> offer to be double-glazed?
>
> Times, Sat 14 April 2007
>
>
>
> :-)
Another good one is:

I'm sorry I only do business with reputable companies

But sir we are a reputable company

Reputable companies do not resort to unsolicited calls.

if you are in the right mood try to keep them on the line as long as
possible it has 2 effects that make me feel better

1. they are paying for the privalage of wasting their time

2. every minuet they are on a wasted call is a minuet the are not
bothering someone else!