To put the phone down on the man who asked me 'is your husband there'

[DuelingFanjo]

Stupid council have passed my number onto a firm who do loft insulation because I filled in a form about 2 years ago. I put my work number on there so now they call me in work every few months to try to find out the depth of the loft insulation

Him: How deep is the loft insulation?
Me: I have no idea
Him: has no one ever been in the loft?
Me: yes but no one has ever measured the depth of the loft insulation
Him: Do you have cavity wall insulation?
Me: No idea
Him: Is your husband there?
Me: No I am in work and anyway I doubt my husband would know the answers either...

Phone down.

Gaaahhhh

YANBU I would have put it down as well.

YANBU - unbelievable

YANBU at all. The only answer to a question like that (apart from the phone down answer of course) is "Why? Is your wife there?"

YANBU 'I'm gay'

..is what the answer should be. Whoops!

I didn't put the phone down though because as soon as he realised I was in work he said bye and put it down on me!

YANBU

You should hear me answer cold callers - I'm afraid I give them a very hard time......

And we're with the telephone preference scheme, which does work because we get very few.

Whoops I love the name!

OP, you were right to put the phone down YANBI.

YANB U

I would say YANBU except that in our case only OH has ever been in our loft , and only he would know the answer. You have to take a big step from the long ladder across to the loft entrance and I'm too wimpy!

Him: Do you have cavity wall insulation?
Me: No idea
Him: Is your husband there?

WHAT are you accusing me of? Bricking up my husband in the cavity walls??

at stealth

I use this to my advantage - great way of getting rid of people at the door or on the phone.

"I'm so sorry, I'd need to ask my husband this."

What was frustrating though was when I was single. I was (and still am) Dr Gangly, so would sometimes have people phoning me and asking for Dr Gangly.

"Speaking," I'd say.

"No, it's DR Gangly I need to speak to, your husband."

Grr.

what did they say when you corrected them?

I had one muppet asking to speak to the head of the household. The convo went like this

me, sorry he is busy

bloke- when will he be free

me, he is washing his arse in front of the fire and I dont want to disturb him

confused bloke - sorry I dont understand

me - you want to speak to the head of the household, he is washing his arse in front of the fire so he is busy please call back

bloke- I still dont understand

me, you want to speak to the head of the household, that's the cat and he is washing etc etc
Bloke puts phone down

LOL Islandlady! I thought your DH had a vile habit for a minute! (oh no, I did a sexist assumption

pmsl

Pmsl Islandlady Thats hilarious!

I don't blame you at all.

I took a call a few months ago asking for my husband. Must have been a cold caller as anyone likely to call us would know he's away with the military.

He's not here, says me. Can I help?

Oh no, says they, I need to speak to him, when will he be back?

August, says me.

Oh, says them, hurriedly hanging up. I think they thought he was in prison

Ive been getting the loft insulation one - i asked them NOT to call back, they called back later the same evening and asked for Mr PABH

I was livid, as was DH when he came off the phone and we talked about who it was

cheeky sods!

We need a bay window replacing, so i have been getting different companies to come out and quote. thought I would get in a well known firm that advertises on TV to come and quote, , to see how it compared etc

phone up, they said they would make an appt, i suggested a date, they said will Mr Lulumama be there, I said no, does he need to be?

yes, he does

Why? I am paying for the window with money I have. despite being female , i earn money and can make a decision about a window being replaced.

well, we can only make an appt when you are both there

well, in taht case, you won't be setting foot in my house, with your patronising and 19th century attitude

sad thing was, teh lady agreed with me, and thought it was ludicrious, but head office says it has to be so

@ Sidge

From now on I will tell cold callers that I will get my husband to contact them upon his release!

When he asked whether my husband was there, I'd've had to say "where? under the loft insulation? don't be so absurd, you stupid man" before hanging up on him.

Many many moons ago I had someone trying to sell me something (can't even remember what it was).

They wouldn't come because Mr Prettybird wouldn't be there.

At the time, I was a well-off single home-owner

Lulumaam it's nothing to do with 19th century attitudes and everything to do with one half of a partnership doing something to the house that the other doesn't agree with. from my experience as a cold caller (yes, hate me now), it is not worth sending ANYONE to quote for only the husband or only the wife, because you cannot get any commitment out of one half without also speaking to the other half, or you might turn up with your contractors to find someone shouting "I knew NOTHING about this!"

It happens a lot.

A 19th century attitude would be allowing the husband to go ahead full bore and ignoring the fact that there is another adult living in the hosue!