Telemarketers - How to make them hang up on YOU.
71A polite way to deal with those Telemarketing calls
Here's how to get rid of those telemarketers who disturb your day with their sales pitches.
Just say to them - " Thank you for Calling. Our fee for listening to sales calls is $25.00, plus $10 per minute payable by credit card. This conversation will also be recorded for training purposes.
If you do not accept these terms, please hang up now. " (I've found that most will hang up at this stage - after a bit of coughing and spluttering and bewilderment. It throws them right off their script)
If they don't hang up say this: (talk over them if necessary)
Thank you for agreeing to our terms. What is your credit card number.
Just keep repeating this as many times as necessary (I haven't had to say it more than 2 times
Everyone I've tried this on has hung up by this stage.
Have fun!
cheers,
Eric G.
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Comments
LOVE it!!!!!
Terrific! Now I hope one calls so I can try it.
haha i love doing stuff like this- great idea!
What a neat idea will have to try it. If I have a child handy I just hand the phone to them, they love talking to people on the phone or I tell them that I am busy right now, can I have your home phone number so I can call you back at a time that is more convenient to me like midnight. They usually splutter so I just hang up. I had one gentleman agree and try to give me his number, weirdo.
Donna
I think all of you are forgetting that telemarketers are people, legitimately trying to make a living and provide for their families. You may not be interested, but the next person may be. The best thing you can do is kindly, and quickly, thank the person for their call, tell them you are not interested, and hang up. You don't need to be mean to these people.
ALSO...
You really should take half of a second to hear what people are trying to say. I frequently call my own company's clients as part of my job. Some of these people hang up on me because they don't listen to what's being said.
Thanks A. Wood.
I realise that telemarketers are people, trying to make a living.
That's why I don't use all the rude, pranky type stuff that is often suggested.
And I've tried your suggestion of imediately saying that I'm not interested, and hanging up. A person like you would respect that approach.
Unfortunately, most of your telemarketing peers tend to call back again and again to continue with their sales spiel. Which is why I started the credit card thing.
I too have children, whom I like spending time with, and having a meal with. I also need to make a living and provide for my family. To me, this has a higher priority than listening to endless sales pitches during working hours, at mealtimes, and at weekends - which are the popular times for telemarketers to call.
In fact, I've recently cancelled my yellow pages listing. the occasional client I get from this source doesn't justify the expense of keeping it, and the high volume of telemarketing calls generated by the listing.
If a telemarketer believes that their message is so important, and vital for me to hear I am willing to do so provided that they meet my terms - which is to give me their credit card details, and pay me for my time. That way I get to feed my children.
Perhaps they could find a way to feed their families which does not involve annoying hundreds of people in order to find the occasional person who is interested in what they may have to sell.
Truly wonderful and so very intellectually well sounding!
I usually start a conversation with them. Something like " I'm so glad you called! You wouldn't believe what happened today! I've just got to tell somebody!" I don't usually get much further than that.
LOL that actually sounds funny enough to be worth a shot. Hope I remember it next time one calls. In all honesty though, it's been a long time. The do not call list really worked for me.
Very funny. Once I asked a telemarketer if he could spell Mississpippi I would buy his product and he actually laughed. He then spelled it wrong so I said I had to go. Funny hub.
Hehe, this is hilarious! I read similar tips somewhere to deal with mail spam. Some guy suggested cutting up the credit cards and coupons and mailing them to each other using their stamped envelopes. You won't get in trouble for using the envelopes because this is considered a business transaction with the company, and you will definitely not be receiving junk mail only to mail them out back to the company and waste supplies ;D
Haha, i cant wait for my next call from a telemarketer. Will try and come back to report to you.
Great We can sell this as a training manual for ordinary people.
I have a better solution. Caller ID. Now the only problem is those peskery long messages on the answering machine.
And now everyone is going to recordings. Which is a good sign, it means at minimum wage real people are no longer cost effective.
Before caller ID I used to do this suggestion, or sometimes for variety I'd pretend to hit on them (if it was a woman I'd pretend to be a lesbian) and ask them where they live and just ignore their pitch.
Yes, they are people trying to make a living, but I am a person trying to have a life. If absolutely NO ONE ever bought anything from a telemarketer do you think the companies would keep doing it?
Hehe...wonderful idea!
I'm amazed at the number of telemarketers I still get when I've been on the DNC list for years. They justify it by saying my number is on my state & federal license data and website info. As a Realtor, I do list my home office # on promotional material....for people interested in what I'M selling, not the other way around! So it's a grey area.
I did get some interest from one potential seller, a Viet Nam vet who'd called me and asked me to come and look at his property and provide him with a free comparable market analysis. It was a sweet little home on a large lot and I had a nice meeting and chat with the owner....got info, took photos. I spent some time sorting comparable sold properties, did the 12 page analysis, phoned to make arrangements to bring it to him and discuss the contents. I left several messages, and days later when I finally did get him on the phone he told me he was really worried.....he'd been having psychotic breaks and flashbacks of the Viet Nam War, and was frightened he might hurt someone. This was a very effective way of shaking me loose....though it would have been easier to just say he'd changed his mind and was no longer interested in knowing a good asking price for his home. But then he might have felt obligated to apologize for wasting my time.
In this business we have to kiss a lot of frogs before we meet a commission.
Love this method - less of a strain to the memory cells than over at Ralph Deeds - however his method or should I say that of Tom Mabe is truly funny - I am going to have a go at using yours though because despite being on the DNC list we still get lots of calls. cheers.
ROFL! I love this! :) I'll share another good one with you sometime.
This whole telemarketing thing is wising up though, and I've noticed that most of the calls I now get are recorded messages. That's absolutely no fun at all. :( What happened to the good ole days? Curses!
Haha I just love it. I detest telemarketers, they really step on my privacy. I used to listen to all their baloney, now days I hang up on them instantly. One day, I had one woman who refused to hang up, after I did. I was trying to make a call and I couldn't as she was there for half hour on my line, amazingly enough. Grrr that took the 'Top Of The Pits' prize.
Good hub! Smiles! I just tell them whoever they ask for is dead.
I have to laugh but I did this once! LOL...Good hub, it's just a little sadenning you'll be taking them out of hubpages, eh?
Why didn't I think of that?! LOL
I wouldn't be able to pull it off. Check this link out.
Eric & Eric.. thank you for single handedly destroying the confidence of all my 1537 telemarketing trainees and effectively also destroying my ability to recruit replacements!!
Excellent Tip; I can only say that the bomb is in the mail!
@Pearldiver;
No need to do that - just give them all your credit card details :)
definitely trying this one soon... hahaha
Lissie says:
2 years ago
Fantastic - I am trying that on the next one!