Empty Phone Calls.

[byhammerandhand]

I just feel sorry for the people that trug off to work every morning to have to annoy people who become hostile and reject them.

"How was your day at work today, dear?"

"Not bad.  Only cussed out 89 times, but not all them dropped the F*bomb,  123 hung up, but I did sell a couple of boxes of stuff."

One of these days, I'm just going to pretend I'm elderly, slightly demented, hard of hearing, have to stop to run to the toilet in the middle of the call, and just want someone to talk to.

Spent a bit of time on the phone today with several call centers.   One kept telling me what he was typing in.   With one of the others, everything I said was "fantastic,"  and all wished me to have a wonderful day.

[gene]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdoogjic4I

This may have been posted before. If it has, then please don't call me to complain about it.

Folks must be buying stuff from phone solicitors or they wouldn't continue to be as active as they are.

gene

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Folks must be buying stuff from phone solicitors or they wouldn't continue to be as active as they are.

gene

I read somewhere that if they only get like 10% of their calls to purchase then they're making money.  That to me explains why they still do it.  You might get cussed out by 90 people but it's worth it for the money you make from the 10% who don't cuss at you.  Crazy stuff.

Virginia

[Bob T]

For the car warranty people, I tell them I'm glad they called because my truck has 200,000 miles on it and the tranny is about to go and I need a new tranny.   You've never seem anyone backtrack so fast.  They don't call back.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

For the car warranty people, I tell them I'm glad they called because my truck has 200,000 miles on it and the tranny is about to go and I need a new tranny.   You've never seem anyone backtrack so fast.  They don't call back.

Now that is funny!

Virginia

[Mojo]

I get several phone calls everyday. Yesterday I got them from NH, Texas and CA. Unfortunately because my customers are scattered throughout the USA I HAVE to answer them.

I typically just hang up. But, I just read in Consumer Reports that there is a new application out for cell phones but it only works on certain cell systems. Here is the link to it:

http://www.nomorobo.com/

I am going to research it to find out more about it. I have not had the time to read up on it except for what I seen in Consumer Reports.

BTW, Dennis is right ( Mark that on your calendar as to being right once this month ). Commercial cell phone and landline accounts are not covered under the Do Not Call list. Our business line
is a cell phone through Metro and it is annoying as hell to get these phone calls every single day.

Chris

[Mojo]

It appears Nomorobo is not an application and can only be used on landlines.

Dang It............:(

Chris

[Mojo]

I did find an app available for free for Androids. I am going to download it and give it a try.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.privacystar.android

For Apple users they have a new app that will be coming out with IOS7.

Chris

[JuneC]

I just set the phone down.  No need to hang up or talk - just put it down and forget it for 5 minutes.  When you go back to it they're gone  :o

June

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I just set the phone down. 
June

We used to do that but time them to see how long they talk before they figure out that no one is listening on the other end.  It's quite funny sometimes what they say when they figure out you've blown them off.  ; )

[gene]

One technique they use is to say nothing when you answer the phone. You say "Hello?". They say nothing. You now turn your attention to the phone and say "Hello?" again. They now say "Hello" knowing that they have your undivided attention and they start giving you their sales pitch.

I think this is rude. Why would I want to talk to anyone who starts the conversation by being rude.

This irritates me so when they finally say "Hello" and they start to give me their sales pitch, I say "Hello? Hello? Anyone there? Hello? I guess they hung up." I then hang up. And I say this while they are trying to tell me that they can hear me.

It's like scratching an itch. It does nothing to change the long term, but it does feel good for the present moment

gene

[kodydog]

I just set the phone down.  No need to hang up or talk - just put it down and forget it for 5 minutes.  When you go back to it they're gone  :o
June

LOL That's funny June. I did that yesterday but forgot to put it back on the hook. Two hours later I was wondering why I wasn't getting any calls.

[sofadoc]

I read somewhere that if they only get like 10% of their calls to purchase then they're making money.  That to me explains why they still do it.

I would imagine that the numbers are similar for direct mail marketing (junk mail).

Since I now pay all my bills either in-person or online, I very seldom get any mail that is of any importance at all. But I still get a trash can full of junk mail every day. Mostly those "pre-approved" credit card offers. Or Time Warner Cable blitzing me with offers of bundle packages (they also call me at least 3 times a week).

Just like telemarketing, I'm sure they wouldn't do it if it wasn't profitable. But I wish I had all the postage money that they've wasted on me over the years. I'm guessing it would amount to about $2 a day for the last 35+ years. Probably over 25 grand. Then throw in all the money they've spent calling me on the phone.

[gene]

OK. Now, if it is true that unsolicited inquiries continue to occur because there are folks out there who actually respond to these kind of things, who are the !@#$ who respond to this:

Please your urgent
Attention is needed, we wish to inform you that our Diplomatic agent conveying
your consignment box valued the sum of $9.5 Million United States Dollars
misplaced your address, we required you Reconfirm the following information's
below so that She can deliver your Consignment box to you today and return
immediately,

I got this in an email today.

Who in the H, E,  Double Hockey Sticks, would think that someone carrying my $9.5 Million US dollars would actually misplace my address? And before someone says, "People who voted for Obama", let me remind everyone that this post is about Empty Phone Calls, not politics. (Insert smiley face here.)

SofaD

But I wish I had all the postage money that they've wasted on me over the years.

How about getting back all the tax dollars that go into subsidizing 3rd class and bulk mail? We the tax payers are paying for these people to deforest our planet by sending us unwanted junk mail.

gene

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Gene:

I get that email all the time.  They want your bank account number so they can transfer anything you have in it out.  I suspect that this works a fair amount of the time or they would not continue to send it out.

I totally agree with you on the subsidy crap with bulk mail.  These are mostly giant corporations doing it.  Let them pay the same rates that I pay.  USPS would be in the black if that happened or my mail box would not be inundated with junk mail.  Either way it's a win-win.

Virginia