I used to think that Caller ID was a silly feature to have on a phone, kind of like employing a private secretary to open and sort your mail, but lately it's been a life-saver. I understand that telemarketers are people too and should be spoken to politely, even if (as I am) you're always turning them down. The blessed Caller ID ensures that I don't even have to answer the calls.
But lately the phone has been ringing off the damn hook. We're getting up to twenty telemarketing calls a day, and I'm weary of it. This is hitting the level of harrassment. You know what? I work at home. If I have to be interrupting reading time with the girls to check who's calling, or worrying about the phone waking up the baby, my productivity levels go down. And so, we've finally seen the light and signed onto the National Do Not Call Registry. And for now, I'm answering every telemarketing call I get and immediately asking to be taken off the call list.
telemarketers are people too
ReplyDeleteSays who?
I work at home.
Says who?
:)
I have a funny story about a suspected telemarketer who called my cell phone--twice--at 4:45 in the morning... Let's just say a cheery "how are you this morning?" was not what I wanted to hear!
ReplyDeleteI also have a funny story about telling a Middle Eastern sounding gentleman that I needed to discuss changing our phone service with my husband, because I wasn't authorized to make that kind of decision!
Most of the time when they think you're going to ask to be taken off the list, they hang up on you and don't do it. After all, you can't prove that you asked them! :P
One of my sisters has caller-id. It lets her avoid answering calls from a mate of her husband who tends to ring when he is drunk. But it also lets her see whose calls she missed - and she always rings me if she missed my call. Which I kind of like!
ReplyDeleteI recommend getting on the Texas No-Call Registry also; that took care of the last couple of telemarketers. Of course you'll still get the automated calls that are careful not to leave "footprints" that you can trace back so as to report them; but nobody feels guilty hanging up on a machine.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course you still get calls from moneyraisers. I like to talk to them, sympathize with how hard it is to raise funds in today's economy, and then ask them if they're interested in donating to our parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society. I love the reactions as they try to decline but still ask *me* for money.
The do-not-call list works really well, at least it did for me.
ReplyDeleteYou should know, however, that if you have a business relationship with any concern, either for-profit, or not-for-profit, then that doesn't come under the do-not-call order.
Likewise, political calling is not covered, as far as I know.
Still, when I did it, I noted a huge decrease in those pesky calls.
I've been on the federal do-not-call list since it was instituted. I still get lots of calls from charitable solicitors. I screen my calls with the answering machine, and few of them leave messages - they just keep calling back repeatedly, sometimes for weeks.
ReplyDelete