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Archive through November 25, 2006

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2006 Jun. ~ 2006 Dec.: Free Expressions (ARCHIVES): The return of The Return of the Grip Thread (ARCHIVES): Archive through November 25, 2006 users admin

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Justavice
Member

11-22-2005

Friday, November 17, 2006 - 8:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Justavice a private message Print Post    
Instead of answering the question, just answer with a question of your own like, "Why do you let your sons smoke?" or, "Are we all coming to your house for the holidays next year?"

Zachsmom
Member

07-13-2000

Friday, November 17, 2006 - 9:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Zachsmom a private message Print Post    
Oldtex, whenever I have been in those situation I normally say 'I will tell you after you explain how it's any of your business'.

Nickovtyme
Member

07-29-2004

Friday, November 17, 2006 - 11:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nickovtyme a private message Print Post    
Just now have a gripe.

I took a half day vacation today. I get home and my wife and daughter are taking a nap.

I'm trying to be quiet...hear a knock at the door and it's a door to door salesman, trying to sale some heavy-duty cleaner stuff.

I tell him I'm not interested. Oh so that makes him want to try harder. I tell him, look my wife and kids are trying to take a nap...he apologizes, but doesn't quit.

I say to him, "I'm gonna tell you one more time...I'm not interested."

He then appears to get offended and upset with me.

You know what...screw him.

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Friday, November 17, 2006 - 11:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
That's right Nick .. screw him! Next time don't give him the opportunity to come back at you. Say your not interested and shut the door. They will leave eventually.

Scooterrific
Member

07-08-2005

Friday, November 17, 2006 - 11:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Scooterrific a private message Print Post    
<----------Wants a nap!

Oldtex
Member

03-06-2006

Friday, November 17, 2006 - 8:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Oldtex a private message Print Post    
Wow, thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions!

I don't know why I let this particular sis in law "get" to me, but dang it, I'm determined to enjoy my day with dh's family!

Chewpito, I like your answers. I know you were just having fun, but you also make a lot of sense.

Funny thing is, today I ran into her sister (another sis in law on dh's side) and we had a great afternoon just talking. She brought up the subject of her wierd sister and LOL the things she said about her made me sound nice in my rantings above!

Huk - btw, I'm also in my 50's and dag nammit, I'm an adult. Guess I should act like one! Hey, how did I get to be in my 50's?

You all gave me a lot to think about how to handle Ms. Ruddie. Her sons, well that's another sad, sad story that HER family should deal with. The sons are adults.

Nick, how sweet and considerate of you to not want to disturb you napping wife and daughter.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 8:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Isn't there some sort of law (or maybe its just considered good business sense) where calls aren't made to a residential phone number after 8 pm?

Some....ahem....'person' (can't I please call him a jackass?) called from some survey firm at 8:45pm, second time today. I told him two hours ago I didn't have time for this. So he hangs up and calls again just now.

I tell him, "I already told you I don't have time for this." He says "OK, I'll try back later."

I tell him, "Actually, I'd rather you didn't. I don't like doing on line surveys." (ok, so I brain farted and called it on line rather than telephone. So sue me.).

He tells me "this isn't an on-line survey, its...." (duh, no wonder the mouse cursor didn't move when I clicked the phone receiver! ).

I cut him off and tell him, "I don't like doing phone survey's either."

He says, "OK, I'll try back later."

I tell him, "I just told you I don't want you to call back." He cuts me off with some sort of mumble and hangs up.

What part of "Don't call back" is so hard to understand?

Twinkie
Member

09-24-2002

Friday, November 24, 2006 - 1:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twinkie a private message Print Post    
Who, that's an easy one. Just tell them you are on the Do Not Call list and to never call you again. Sound as mean as your sweet little heart can sound. LOL

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Friday, November 24, 2006 - 6:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
Whomum, caller ID is a wonderful tool.

If you answer the call, just set the telephone down and walk away. Might be fun to see how long they wait for you to return?

<who said that>

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Friday, November 24, 2006 - 8:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
I immediately go in the attack mode, for instance one called last week and I quickly asked "how did she get this phone number?" She sort of stuttered and I went in for the jugular..."especially when this is on the do not call list." She was apologizing all over the place when I hung up. Don't even give them a chance to give their little spiel.

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Friday, November 24, 2006 - 8:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
That sounds good, Superg.

Mictay
Member

09-29-2006

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 3:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mictay a private message Print Post    
I have phone calls like that at least once a day.My bf answers when they call now and says sure i'll listen to you if you give me your home phone number so i can call you at home and bug you.They never know how to respond.I love the ones that are a recording and tell you to call them back.....as if.

Racsan
Member

04-09-2004

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 6:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Racsan a private message Print Post    
POLICE WHISTLE and blow long and loud.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 6:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
I have told them to hold on for a minute, take the cordless phone, put it outside and leave it there, come back in a few minutes and they are gone. Putting it in front of a radio playing would be good too..so they can listen to music while they wait for no one lol.

If a telephone company calls me for their services, I simply say, "I'm am sorry, I don't have a telephone" Some have even told me that they were sorry they called after I have told them this lol.

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 8:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    
Racsan, please don't do the 'police whistle' bit. Possibly injuring someone's hearing is not the answer to unwanted phone calls.(And thereby, not doing your own hearing any good either.) I like Skootz suggestion of putting down the phone by a turned on radio, but instead of music, how about making them listen to Rush Limbaugh.

Max
Moderator

08-12-2000

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 12:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Max a private message Print Post    
As someone who earned extra money in college by making phone calls asking people to do listening logs for radio stations. . .

I'm always polite to the poor schlub on the phone. He or she is simply being paid to do a job by a larger entity that doesn't give a darn about either of us. I try to cut them off quickly and say something like, "Thanks, I'm not interested. Please remove me from your list." THen I hang up before they can say anything else. They don't make money by talking to people who don't want to take the survey or buy whatever they're selling. Cutting them off politely but firmly lets them move on to the next call where they may make a few cents. The more calls they make in an hour and get someone to answer the questions, the more money they make.

As for the do not call list, I'm on it, but there are exceptions and some kinds of companies/calls are not prohibited by that list from using your number. For example, before the election, my phone rang off the hook with political campaign calls (some recordings) and surveys. Fortunately, once I sent my ballot in, they stopped. Also, any company you currently do business with (telephone, mortgage, whatever) can call you whether you are on the do not call list or not. Countrywide used to call me at least once a month wanting to refinance my mortgage until I finally asked them (politely but firmly) to stop doing it. Now they just send me email and snail mail, which I can easily ignore.

Anyway, remember that the person on the other end is just trying to make a living. Yeah, it's frustrating, but think how frustrating it is for them being hung up on and yelled at and left talking to air all day long. :-)

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 12:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
That's what was so frustrating Max. I was being polite when I said "actually, I'd rather you didn't call back." Its when he started pulling semantics on me (it was rather obvious I just brain farted when I said "on line" rather than "telephone") and tried to argue with me, and then still said he'd "try back later" after I specifically told him I didn't want him to.

Polite doesn't always work anyway. I told one fellow "I'm not interested" three times, and he continued on and badgered me some more with his sales pitch. I finally had to get mean with him and tell him I was trying to be nice and not hang up on him, and that I was NOT INTERESTED! He then hung up on me.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 12:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
I did phone sales in my early years and feel same as Max. I usually just say the person is not home and I am the sitter..that way I dont waste their time nor mine.

If I get a call after 9pm or on a Sunday I always tell them that I would never do business with a company that makes them work those hours, they usually laugh and the call ends.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 1:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
I did telemarketing for all of about three hours (years ago). I just couldn't take it. It was a dreadful job.

I feel empathy for the people trying to make a living doing it. However, I don't feel empathy for the phone companies (at least in Canada) that could easily allow us to block it and instead allow it to be continued because they must make a lot of money off it.

I also don't feel empathy for telemarketers who persist after you tell them that you are not interested.

Racsan
Member

04-09-2004

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 4:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Racsan a private message Print Post    
If the same person calls over and over after I have told them NOT to call then I could give a rats ass about their hearing, their trying to make a living, whatever. It's MY personal life they are messing with. I'm polite the first time, firm the 2nd time, angry the 3rd time, whistle blower the 4th time. Their usually isn't a 5th time.

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 4:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
No sympathy from me either. I pay for my telephone to use for my benefit NOT for companies to make money or for the callers to make a living.

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 5:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
I am generally pretty clear about my own "script". I say - I don't do phone solicitations, no matter how good the cause. Please remove me from your calling list". Then I hang up. It does not give them a chance to argue. I say it very kindly, but I really am not interested in trying to be talked into anything, which is why I hang up. The only time I don't hang up is if the phone call is from a nonprofit org; then I invite them to mail me information, as long as they promise to never call again.

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 5:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
"Racsan, please don't do the 'police whistle' bit. Possibly injuring someone's hearing is not the answer to unwanted phone calls"

There had been a rash of obscene phone calls in the 80's in our area. I got a big silver police whistle and set by my phone...longing for the day I would get an obscene phone call. Finally on a Saturday morning he called mouthing this filth. I kept saying what I can't understand you while I was stretching for the whistle. I blew and blew as hard as I could. I'm sorry OG but I wanted to punish this jerk who would even talk like that to kids answering the phone. And I got him!!! DH came in laughing cause he knew what had happened, and I felt good about it. This creep was going to get his jollies off and I know I ruined his Saturday morning!

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 5:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
Whomum, if you have an answering machine, you could screen your calls.

I am not as nice as you, Kar.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 7:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
that whistle thing doesnt really hurt. as a teenager we used to crank call ppl and a few of them tried the whistle...didnt bother us at all...I know I was a brat!