How To Stop Harassing Phone Calls
Harassing phone calls can come from all manner of organizations and
individuals. It can come from a debt collection agency or a
telemarketing company. It can be just kids making a prank call, or a
former lover who just will not take no for an answer, or an obscene
call, or those that call in the middle of the night and hang up when you
answer.
The strategies outlined below are targeted at stopping
harassing calls from people which you already know and have probably met
face to face many times. They can be a former or prospective lover who
just refuses to go away when told that his interest is not
reciprocated, or a friend who keeps calling to borrow money, or simply
somebody who is lonely. These strategies can be used to cut down, or
completely stop, the calls that you take from the harassing caller.
Change
Your Phone Number
In this day and age, the only contact
information you have of another person may be their mobile phone
number. So, if you know that the only way for your caller to contact
you is through your mobile number, an option you can consider is to
change the number. While this might seem rather extreme, and perhaps an
admission of defeat, but if it eliminates the problem, why not?
A
factor to consider is whether your caller knows your friends or whether
you have friends in common. No point changing your mobile number if he
can just get your new number from your friends. Or if there are other
easy ways in which your new phone number can be obtained, like calling
your office and asking for your number.
And when you change to a
new number, you could consider retaining the old number. Turn off the
ringer and make sure the phone is always on. This way, when your caller
calls, he still gets through to a phone number. He won't know that you
now have a new number and will keep calling, and will not try to look
for your new number.
Have 2 Telephone Numbers
If you
meet a lot of people in your work, or maybe you are very active
socially, you might want to consider maintaining 2 telephone numbers.
The first number would be for casual contacts and business
acquaintances. This is the number that you can easily change without
too much inconvenience and disruption to your life.
And you can
have a second phone number which you guard jealously. This second
mobile number is to be given only to trusted friends, and can also be
for organizations, banks, insurance companies, and for other official
purposes.
Try An Answering Machine Or Voice Mail System
A
good idea would be to screen your calls using an answering machine or a
voice mail system. It will still be possible for your caller to get
through by getting someone else to call you and directing you to a
number that you are not familiar with. But he can only do it so many
times before you wise up to the new caller and number.
Caller
ID
If your phone does not have caller ID, get it. You will
always want to know whether it is your harassing caller on the line, and
have the option of whether or not to answer the call. And if your
phone allows you to select a personalized ring tone for each number, you
can assign a silent ring tone to the callers number, and let the caller
call to his heart's content.
Unlisted Number
This is a
good option to consider. If you make lots of phone calls, an listed
number can preempt nuisance callers, although it doesn't help if the
caller already has your number.
Conclusion
Remember to
use your discretion. Some of these techniques might be slightly
overdone, and some might seem drastic for some situations. And in some
cases, simple communication can be key. Rather than avoid the call,
just answer the call and have an honest heart-to-heart talk with your
caller. It can work wonders sometimes.
