Poll: What do you do when a telemarketer calls you?

Question

I go along with it then tell them i have another call and then hang up.

or

I keep saying "hello? HELLO?!" and talk in a different language.


Its hilarous!

Answer 1

I tell them I'm busy at the moment but if they would just give me there home number I would call them back as soon as I can. Then when they say they can't do that I ask WHY? You don't want me to bother YOU when your at home either??????

Answer 2

I am not rude if they call only once, but after that and its continuous, I start to get a little angry. My first job was as a telemarketer and sometimes, when I would get cursed out and the phone slammed in my ear after five or six consecutive times, I even started taking the job home with me and taking it out on my parents. Telemarketing is a very stressful job, and I wouldnt recommend ANYONE doing it for long periods of time! I just think that people should be a bit more understanding because it is a job and people do have to make a living...





And you can thumbs down me all you want. It is the simple truth!

Answer 3

I learned a trick a couple of years ago that has stopped me from receiving a bunch of junk mail. I was told when telemarketers send crap with an enclosed postage paid envelope, let the kids play with the enclosed paperwork then seal it in the envelope and send it back. Hey, they get charged postage for that and receive-crap. They also take you off of their mailing list-hehehe.



As for phone calls, I tell them don't call me, I will call you. Or, give the phone to the children to talk to just to see how long they will talk to them. Or whatever you are selling, I already own two of them.

Answer 4

I tell them that I want a hundred things of what they are selling, because it's not my house, I'm robbing the place. Or I answer and tell them, for example, I'm sorry my dog is on fire. Telemarketing is the butt hole job of the world. Seriously why would you want to be a telemarketer?

Answer 5

When they ask me if I have a few minutes to talk I tell them to hold for a second and I will be right back.



I lay the phone down and go about my business.



I don't pick the phone back up until I hear the noise the phone makes to tell you that your connection is lost.



Wasting their time is better than wasting mine..

Answer 6

Usually its either a stupid recording or there is a pause before someone picks up and at that point, I hang up the phone. If its a live person, sometimes I will put them on hold for a few minutes, then hang up.

Answer 7

Lol that sounds funny. I either let them talk then be like "not interested" and hang up to waste their time or pick it up and hang it back up. Talking in a different language sounds like a great idea. I should try that next time.

Answer 8

Tell the telemarketer you have someone on the other line and to hold on a second, press a button on the phone and say “Hey (a name) I’ll have to call you back I have one of those stupid telemarketers on the other line” press a button again and say, “Now what was it you wanted?”

Answer 9

they usually ask for so and so and you can tell it is a telemarketer and I say hold on and act like I am going to get the person and put the phone down...they wait I am sure, eventually they will hang up :)

Answer 10

I ask them for their number so I can call them at their house.

They then say no..

I ask why...

They say because they dont want some stranger calling their house at a random time

I then say, Well now you know how I feel

...at this point I wait for them to hang-up or try and continue with the product they're trying to sell me

Answer 11

I let him tell me what his company is offering. After he has said several sentences, I tell him I have retired and have no income to pay for the goods he is offering. He would hang up immediately as the telemarketer realized he wasted his time on me. Serves him right!

Answer 12

Tell them I'm not interested. If they don't take no for an answer (which they don't...I don't think they're allowed to), then I interrupt before they talk for another five minutes, repeat that I'm not interested, then hang up before they say another word.

Answer 13

I just breathe heavily like a crazy a person and they just keep saying hello or I act start speaking in a crazy language. Their fun to mess with.

Answer 14

When a telemarketer calls i pretend that i can't understand them and continue to repeat vegetable names over and over until they hang up

Answer 15

Normally I just listen to what they have to say and tell them I'm not interested. But sometimes I'll ask: "Is this a recording?" Their reactions are always really hilarious, you should try it sometime. Other times I just hang up.

Answer 16

If it is not recoreded i ask a bunch of dumb questions and do random stuff.



Sometimes get them to think i am going to finally buy something and turn them down obnoxiously. i like making up and practicing accents too. SO much fun! :D

Answer 17

When they ask for a credit card, say, "Hold on, let me go get it."



And never go back to the phone. Let those bastards wait 20 minutes before they hang up.

Answer 18

I have been known to sing to them, ask them if they have seen my cat, ask them if they are my mother ( one lady got rather concerned about that question so I don't use that one anymore) or I will put the phone right next to the TV and let them listen to a seinfeld episode about body odor.

Answer 19

If they call me, I pretend I am also a telemarketer that is trying to sell them something outrageous.



It's funny and it throws them off.

Answer 20

Normally I just hang up.



My dad plays with them and acts all interested and then hangs up. Or sometimes he'll say "Oh, yes, hold on..." and then he'll just leave the phone on the table and let them talk until they realize no one is there.

Answer 21

I interrupt them the moment I realize it's a telemarketing call, and ask them to remove me from their calling list; otherwise, they just call back later. If they are at all hesitant, or try to continue their spiel, I ask for their name, and ask to speak to a supervisor.



The other approaches are fun (and I used to ask them "Have you been Saved?")...but somehow, they don't tend to cut down the amount of future annoying calls quite as well. ;)

Answer 22

I politely tell them I am not interested and I ask them to take me off of their list and I end it by saying thank you so much and I hang up!

Answer 23

I speak a fair amount of French, so I talk to them in French.



I've never had one stay on the line when I do that...they always say something like, "CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"



And I'll just go on in French until they hang up.

Answer 24

I mess with their heads because I am a telemarketer/telesales person and I know what they are going to say before they do lol.

Answer 25

I curse with the machine and pretend im talking to it than hang up

Answer 26

They're usually asking for my parents so I'll be like "oh,hold on a second and I'll get them" and then I hang up.

Answer 27

If I'm bored I'll let them go through the whole thing and then tell them I live with my grandmother. When they ask if they can talk to her I tell them she's bedridden and not able to talk to anyone. If I'm not bored then I was told to tell them to remove me from the list. It's illegal for them to call our house again.

Answer 28

whoever they are calling for I say yeah he's hear he'll be to the phone in just a minute.......then i sit the phone down and go about my business...a few minutes later when I walk by I hang it up...lol

Answer 29

I tell them I'm busy and ask them for their home phone number so I can call them later and bug them. They are usually startled and don't know what to say.

Answer 30

lol ya my grandma taught me some chinese so i start speaking in that sometimes and im not. also my voice sounds like a little girl's so i always tell them my mommy isn't home and hang up. they actually believe me too!

Answer 31

First I listen to them speak and then I tell them that I am not interested and hang up.

Answer 32

Hang up

Answer 33

Hang up

Answer 34

I speak in a different language. I'm fluent in several, so if they transfer me to an operator who speaks my language, I just switch to another one. Wow - they really get frustrated.

Answer 35

When I answer, I just say a bogus company name. Once I answered the phone and said, "Tina's house of exotic dancing" and he was like, "Oh, Uhm, sorry" and hung up.



XD

Answer 36

I have caller id. So when a telemarketer calls, I don't pick up the phone.

Answer 37

Tell them I'm not interested & hang up

Answer 38

I let them go through their entire pitch sounding really interested ...then I hang up when they're done !!!

Answer 39

I say no thank you (nicely) and hang up. Oh! I usually ask them to take me off the list.

Answer 40

I begin talking to them about selling them Mary Kay Make Up, and offer them a chance to start their own business!

Answer 41

I just say I am not interested and tell them to please add me to their do not call list. I try not to be rude to them, they are jsut doing their job. they may have a family to feed and this is the only job they could find. I can't believe what other people are saying they do to these poor people.

Answer 42

as stated in my similar question I speak pig latin



boy these telemarketers are a plague on humanity!

Answer 43

this is the best question i have seen here yet!!!



once a telemarketer called, and theyre like" yes, were offering free dental insurance would you like to apply"



and im like," I LIKE TURKEY GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!!!!!!!"



it was SOOO funny, then they hung up and i laughed soooo hard!

Answer 44

I just say sorry we are not interested and hang up.

or

speak German and pretend not to understand (I live in Spain)

Answer 45

There is always this pause before they start speaking and I hang up at that point.

Answer 46

hahaha I like the second, never tryied that



I just say hi when I pick up the phone, then when the other person starts talking I either say:



my parents are not home (lol)

or

I'm not interested, thanks and hang up.

Answer 47

I nicely say no thank you and hang up...... sometimes it's fun to speak in another language though:p

Answer 48

I just tell them they have the wrong number or tell them not to call ever again.

Answer 49

I hang up immediately, or say, "Entschuldigung, Ich spreche kein Englisch", or "No comprehendo".



xD

Answer 50

Say to him, "...hmmm...Now that I have you on the line, would you like to buy some aluminum siding, at 30% off?...."





T

Answer 51

i hang up .But Iam on the National do not call list and they can't call me no more on my house phone or mobile phone.

Answer 52

I'm 21 and live on my own, but I lie and say I'm only a kid and 'my parents are not home' so that they leave me alone.

Answer 53

I look at the caller ID, and if it's no one I'm interested in talking to, I just don't answer.

Answer 54

I ask them to hold on - and go make dinner !



If I had my way I would charge THEM for the call ! :)

Answer 55

jump through the phone and knock them out

Answer 56

LOL.



I usually just hang up while they're talking.

Answer 57

I ask them what their product is ,when they tell me I say, " If I wanted your ---------- , don't you think I'd be the one calling you?" ..then hang up.

Answer 58

Tell them I'm in the 'National Do Not Call Registry' and that I'll be reporting this incident, and then proceed to report it.

Answer 59

I hang up on the computer. They are irritating. I haven't had a live person in a LLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGG time.

Answer 60

hang up

Answer 61

I just pick up and tell them



"¡Cogida Apagado!"



Fúck Off

Answer 62

hang up

Answer 63

I just hang up.

Answer 64

I have caller I.D. and I'm on the no call list. I just don't answer!!

Answer 65

i say random stuff then hang up

Answer 66

hang up

Answer 67

hang up

Answer 68

hang up or i don't answer the phone

Answer 69

I answer it then i say "please hold" and turn on the radio and play music for 5 mins then click unexpectedly.! lol

Answer 70

i start to talk gibberish until they hang up :)

Answer 71

U SHOULD BE NICE 2 THEM!!!! THEY HAVE KIDS TO TAKE CARE OF & AT LEAST THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL LIKE SELLING DRUGS OR STEALING!!!! I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS, JUST SAY "NO THANK YOU, hAVE A GOOD DAY, & GOD BLESS YOU" TO THEM.... PLEASE? YOU WILL BE A BETTER PERSON FOR IT!!!!

Answer 72

hang up.

Answer 73

i say one moment in spainish and then put it down

Answer 74

jiust hang up..



simple as that

Answer 75

I explain to them how sorry I am that they can't find an honorable real job, but that I understand they must do something to feed themselves. I ask them how they feel about their employer, and whether they are well treated.

Answer 76

i tell them to f*** off

Answer 77

try to have phone sex with them