How do you deal with telephone sales people?

Freddie_Snowbits

One had an old fashioned tape recorder answer phone and 'appened to pick up the blower to some sort of salesperson type, just as answer phone madam kicked off. Explaned me sen, and threw down blower. Said sales person type rabbited away quite happily to answer phone madam fo 30 minutes, finishing with 'Mr Fred, can you hear me!

Nope, but I did larf

mikey72

Try
http://www.xs4all.nl/~egbg/counterscript.html

vikingaero

Let's make this clear: unsolicited telephone calls are an intrusion on your time and privacy. It is up to you to answer it in whatever manner you choose - forget karma.

If you tell the person you are on TPS and not to call again then you are at the mercy of the person on the phone actually bothering to delete your details - half the time they won't.

One of my friends works in the local Jobcentre and she hates having to advertise the cold calling jobs for double glazing and utilities because she knows that 99% of the time the claimant will only do the job for a few weeks and jack it in, not because of the "No's" and abuse - you become hardened to that, but people won't earn what they think they will and very often be shafted when they quit the job and have to wait before signing on again. They try not to push people into these "non-jobs" for this reason.

WhiteHorse

hartcjhart wrote: »

a good one I read on here was decline whatever they are selling and get their telephone number,
then go online to all the car/home insurance sites and do a moody enquiry putting their number in the telephone number box and request a call back

Masterly

Lirin

I tell people I recently promoted my Lab as a secretary, and she's very, very good at her job.
Then I set the phone on the table, and she barks into it for a bit- she loves it- tail going a million miles an hour! New friend possibility! NOBODY has more endurance than a Lab.

*gem*

I pass the phone on to one of my kids. They can ask questions for ages and it keeps them busy for a bit too. :rotfl:

redpete

luxor4t wrote: »

...Last one wanted to let us know that the car accident we'd been involved in during the last three years (?) meant that we were entitled to compensation.
...
We had not had an accident, just an old lady reversed into our car in the GP's carpark then drove off, leaving a dent in our car. It was reported to the police by witnesses.

Not sure where they cold-callers got the details from!

They didn't, they call random numbers to get the 1 in a hundred that have had an accident in the last 3 years and are gullible enough to fall for their spiel.

jess1974

I have caller display on my phone, so i just don't answer any calls where i don't recognise the number, this is also useful for avoiding speaking to people you don't like....

fantasia322

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Well, since i've had a job cold-calling companies in the past, i realise that they are people, who have bills to pay and probably don't want to call you any more than you want to talk to them.

So, i tell them I don't enter into financial contracts over the phone. And they usually say thanks and hang up.

You don't help anyone being nasty to them.

I have TPS, so i rarely get sales calls anyway

Absolutely agree, these people are doing a soul destroying job ( under no circumstances should they be rude to you). I just politely tell them I am not interested, same goes for the door-to-door people,.
I know they are annoying but no point being rude,

heretolearn_2

I just say 'not interested, thank you' politely and then put the phone down.

I feel sorry for anyone so desperate they have to do these jobs, (know quite a few friends/family who have been there, done that) and I don't see any reason to be rude to them. Nor do I tie up more than a couple of seconds of my own time though, I don't get into conversation with them at all.