Cold caller etiquette

[Wallywobbles]

What's you etiquette for dealing with them. My dad (v politically incorrect) would ask them if they'd had sex last night. I don't think his calls lasted long.

I let them start (and occasionally do one of the bloody questionnaires) but mostly hang up after the first question.

Not UK here.

I just tell them to piss off. Does the trick. I don't care about being rude to them. My time during the day is limited as it is and I CBA with people like that. They know the job and the end result. Do they really think they’re gonna have a nice chat?

Depends, most of the time I hang up, other times I will either tell them:

1. The person they have named on the call (they generally always say are you so and so person) has just been killed in a terrible accident.

1. Tell them to fuck off.

Does cold calling even work? I mean it must do somewhat as companies keep doing it but wouldn't you just Google a solicitor if you'd actually been in an accident that wasn't your fault?

Etiquette with cold callers?
Don't call them names or threat them with violence? From there I'd say anything goes.
Scammers deserve all they get.
Other people are just doing genuine market research. But could they have shorter questionnaires?

Other people are just doing genuine market research. But could they have shorter questionnaires?

Even the market research companies sell on your details, so they deserve all they get. None of these bastards have a legitimate reason for calling.

I just don't answer unless I recognise the number.

I also signed up with TPS and have gone from 6-7 calls a week to maybe one a month.

If it's an automated cold call I leave it to play out so it's costing them money and no impact on me.
If it's a "you've had an accident" one I ask them to give me the date of said accident or where they are getting their information from. They usually hang up.
If it's a scam one like Microsoft, I act ignorant and keep them on the phone. Hopefully, reducing the number of people they can scam.

I worked in a call centre a few years ago after being made redundant. I applied for so many jobs, including care and cleaning, and this was the only one I was offered. I needed to pay my rent and feed my DC and the wages were more than JSA.

The amount of abuse I got was horrible (even the first post here is about a man asking about sex ) I was paid £6.31 an hour IIRC. £6.31
an hour. Told to fuck off, called a cunt etc. I dreaded going into work, being abused by people and the pressure from management was horrific.

If people have problems with cold callers, could you contact the companies instead of abusing the people working for minimum wage who don't want to call you as much as you don't want them to call you, but just want to feed their DC.

I'm sure if someone posted here saying they had been offered a job cold calling or had to claim benefits,
MNers would advise to take the job. Abusing people then for doing it, or deliberately wasting their time so they personally get sanctioned by management for not completing call time targets or disconnecting a call, is shit behaviour.

The companies are the issue, not the human beings earning minimum wage. I used to cry before my shift and afterwards (and I am not a crier).

And I lost count of the times men told me to suck their dick.

I always just say "no thank you" as soon as they start talking, and hang up. It's the quickest and least stressful thing to do in my opinion.

'We have information that you have been in an accident that wasn't your fault '

I used to say 'oh no, it was my fault.'

Then I was in an accident that wasn't my fault...

I have only received one cold call about a car accident in the last 5 years - coincidentally the day after I reported an accident at the police station!

THe fake fix your computer people - I ask them if they believe in god - they don’t answer...

It depends on the call and what mood I'm in. Never answer unknown number on mobile, usually ignore landline- they can leave a message.

I'm never rude to people just doing their job as I empathise however will just say no thanks and hang up.

If it's a scammer I'll either just hang up or if I'm in the mood I may toy with them, not usually though.

Had one go through the whole fault on my computer thing (with no computer involved my end). I could hear his mounting excitement as he thought he reeled me in!! Then I asked if his mother was.proud of him for scamming old ladies and he went mad.

I've had some swear at me when they realise I've had them on.

But I'm never rude to the legit ones just doing their job.

Depends on what type of call. I get really cross with the scammers out for vulnerable people and tell them so.

The most effective way I’ve found is to say that I’m writing a research paper on cold calling and I will be recording the call. They all hang up.

@MarshaBradyo

I just say no thanks and hang up

I do this There’s no need to waste any time on them.

I don’t usually answer the phone unless I recognise the number. Usually these call centres use dialler software and there is a delay before it connects you to a person so I just hang up when I hear that.

This last year WFH I have noticed a significant upturn in the number of calls.

Turns out DH is too polite to say "no, thank you" even while they are speaking, as I do

Sigh.

If it's one of those "you were involved in an accident" ones I string them along and eventually tell them it was in 1985.

Don't really get any others apart from at work where we just ask if it's a marketing call and then say no thanks.

If I’m in a good mood I just say I’m not interested and hang up immediately. If I’m less jolly I say I will talk to them when they give me the company name and address (they usually hang up at this point). If it sounds like a real company I might mention the TPS, and hang up. Sometimes it’s quite fun to ask them to tell me my name, especially when they’ve just told me they know I’ve recently had an accident. They usually just hang up. The computer problem ones I string along for as long as possible because I really despise them. They are totally baffled by the question “which computer are you talking about, I have several”.

I’ll never rude. They’re often people working minimum wage just doing what they can. I doubt most of them would be in that job if they had another choice.
They don’t choose who to call or what you say. No one deserves abuse for carrying out their job.
I just politely say no thank you and ask them to remove my name.,

It's worth remembering the people calling are often on automatic diallers. They can't take you off any kind of call list or answer any GDPR questions. They're just trying to get their meagre paycheck and go home.
As pp said, saying no and hanging up is no big deal, but getting abusive or sexual is unnecessary if you ask me.

I speak over them saying cheerily "Im not interested but thanks and have a nice day" then hang up immediately. Gets the job done whilst also being friendly to the poor stranger having to do that shit job

Having had a couple of friends who’ve had to work as cold callers as a last resort when times were hard, I’d never be rude to people. Just hang up.

Takes the same amount of time to be polite as it does to be rude really

I always say 'you don't have my permission to contact me, this is a private number' then I call off immediately and block the number.