Cold calling

bolloxbolder

Is it just me, but I have received four of these this morning, the first one waking me up at 7.30am, ffs?

All sounding depressingly familiar, with the long pause before an Asian voice introducing themselves as Ricki or Karen etc doing some survey or other. It is as if they have had Xmas off and have to redouble the amount of sales calls today to make up for the time off.

Maybe it is just my number being targeted, but by any accounts 4 in one morning seems excessive.

ShootersHillGuru

I used to be courteous but now I just slam the phone down. I find it very intrusive. Why people think marketing in this way works I will never know. I would rather go without than buy anything from a cold call.

bolloxbolder

And another one! I just tell them I don't do surveys and put the phone down. Pre Xmas got a load from govt energy companies re solar heating.

carly burn

My mum got a 7am Boxing Day call from a solar panel firm!
Are they ringing your home phone or mobile?

ME14addick

Register your number with TPS. tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html We did that and get far fewer calls these days

tangoflash

ShootersHillGuru said:

I used to be courteous but now I just slam the phone down. I find it very intrusive. Why people think marketing in this way works I will never know. I would rather go without than buy anything from a cold call.

This 100%

3blokes

A relative got a visit from Jehovah's witnesses on Christmas morning.
He wished them a very Merry Christmas and shut the door ;-)
Someone else I knew used to pretend he could not hear what the cold callers were saying, and just kept saying pardon and saying it was a bad line. They are of course only trying to make a living but surely their success rate must be very low, because most people hate this approach.
But I suppose some people must fall for it otherwise they wouldn't do it...

golfaddick

carly burn said:

My mum got a 7am Boxing Day call from a solar panel firm!
Are they ringing your home phone or mobile?

Under UK law, Companies/Individual are only allowed to make unsolicited phone calls between 9am and 9pm Monday to Saturday. Anything outside this then a complaint can be made to their relevant body/organisation - whether they will tell you who it is is another matter.

Best thing is just to let them carry on talking whilst you go off & do something else - pick up the phone 5 mins later & hang up.

CAFCsayer

Used to get the hump with them, now start a conversation on anything apart from what they are selling until they get the hump and put the phone down.

redman

just say hold on, put the phone on the side and rack up their bill

Fanny Fanackapan

Keep that old wooden football rattle or klaxon by the phone , ask them to hold a sec ( while you don your ear defenders) and let 'em have it at full blast !

shirty5

I normally do my best Terry Tibbs voice when speaking to them. PPI, talk to me.

JohnBoyUK

I read an article a while back about someone who got so pissed off with cold callers, he paid for a 0845 number so he got paid for the priviledge of being cold called.
I'm sorely tempted to do it myself. I wouldnt mind, I dont use my landline, the only reason I've got it is because I need it for my broadband.

cafcdave123

Had one tonight that asked for someone else then when the mrs said they had the wrong number they tried to get her name and ask if shed been sold ppi.

smiffyboy

Once they speak I don't reply anymore and just leave the phone on the side to rack up their phone bill. When I lived in a flat had one fella selling conservatories on the phone for about half hour pretending to be really keen before asking if they would be putting it on stilts or attaching it to the side of the block as I lived on the 3rd floor and so was intrigued to know how they would overcome this to which he replied c**t and put the phone.

_MrDick

I don't answer my landline anymore. If someone I know needs to get hold of me then they have my mobile number. If someone needs to get hold on my landline, they can leave a message.

carly burn

If ordering something online never give your number over. If you have to for whatever reason then give your mobile,never your home line.
Cold callers are less likely to ring mobiles due to the cost involved.

Dave2l

Although I have worked as a cold caller speaking to existing bt customers, (work.Is work) I hate the concept of it and the randomness of phone calls to people where they are not required.
Unless you are a great salesman, you enjoy it via bonuses etc, being a call centre agent is truly an awful job..

JohnfromNorfolk

This takes some following but quite interesting.
Read some years ago an American got fed up with cold callers from a double glazing co. He wrote the company and said they could use his telephone to promote their products but it would cost them 100 dollars. He added that by contacting him they would be accepting these terms. They did telephone him again and he invoiced them and they thought he was joking, but he took the company to court and won.