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AIBU?

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Original poster

Phonecall at 8am today...

68 replies

Carrotsandcelery · 28/12/2010 10:23

The phone went at 8am today - a national holiday I thought.

I was still dozing in my bed but was wide awake and feeling sick in seconds.

I received an early morning phonecall the day my dad had a heart attack during the night and I always have a lurch of the stomach etc when I get them now. Usually it will be a friend needing some help with childcare or similar but I always have that initial panic.
This one turned out to be a sales call! Yes a SALES CALL! At 8am on a national holiday. I asked if they realised the time and they said they did. I then said, "Ok I am going to hang up now" and did. I didn't do it in an angry voice or anything - I was still too baffled for that. I tried to get back to sleep but the sicky stomach wouldn't go away so I had to get up.
I normally try to be polite to sales callers but I felt this was beyond necessary.
Was I incredibly rude - I know people have to work?

OP posts:
activate · 28/12/2010 14:03

Isn't - yes I have told them to fuck off - dial my phone when I'm recovering from medical treatment and my phone is on in case of DP / DC emergencies and I will gladly in my sick, dopey and depressed state tell you to fuck the fuck off with your double glazing shite

How dare you call my number. How fucking dare you invade my private space!

yes I am with TPS but it is not failsafe

ISNT · 28/12/2010 14:04

Do you lot seriously answer the door/pick up the phone and launch a volley of abuse at the poor sod on the other end?

activate this year there was a ring on the door and it was a woman and two children, selling cupcakes to raise money for their school. How would you have reacted to them?

this is all so aggressive.

activate · 28/12/2010 14:04

Street chuggers I will say "Sorry I don't do chuggers"

Door to door chuggers will get "We don't do door-to-door"

My 16 year old has a lovely turn of phrase sometimes particulalry if they've woken me up

ISNT · 28/12/2010 14:05

I'm going out soon I seriously hope I don't bump into anyone as aggressive as some of you.

it is not acceptable to launch torrents of obscenities at people, it just isn't. Call me old fashioned if you like, but, bloody hell.

activate · 28/12/2010 14:06

ISNT do you really think you have the right to phone my personal phone number to try to sell me something?

You don't - you are not performing a service of any kind - you are invasive, creepy, irritating bacteria in the armpits of fleas on the arse of the camel of life

samay · 28/12/2010 14:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ISNT · 28/12/2010 14:08

activate no they don't.

You can just put the phone down, or say that thing you said "sorry no thanks" and put the phone down. There is no need to scream torrents of obscenities at anyone.

ISNT · 28/12/2010 14:08

Someone on here was working in a call centre and they rang someone who threatened to kill their children.

Why do people think this stuff is OK?

gallicgirl · 28/12/2010 14:09

I quickly tell them I'm not interested and always ask them to remove my details from the database. It usually works.

I can't see the point getting annoyed as the poor sod on the other end is only trying to earn a living. Of course, if they refuse to take no for an action, then start talking about data protection commissioner but most are fine.

I really hate the ones that hang up with no explanation when I reveal I'm not Mr Gallic and they can't talk to him.

festiveflashingmammaries · 28/12/2010 14:11

street charity collectors are mostly paid casual workers who are on hourly rate plus commission.

I feel that their approach is deliberately misleading as they project thereselves as charitable volunteers which in itself is designed to provoke you into giving

activate · 28/12/2010 14:15

What if the person you call has been bereaved / had devestating news / been up all night with a sick child / just had medical treatment which makes them sick and shakywho has just gone to sleep? You shouldn't be making the call just because it is legal!

festiveflashingmammaries · 28/12/2010 14:29

These folks who do call centre work know full well that they do their job at the risk of being yelled at and being told to fuck off. If they don't like it they don't have to do it. there are plenty of unskilled jobs around if they are not fussy

BaroqinAroundTheChristmasTree · 28/12/2010 14:41

I think you'll find that most call centre workers end up doing the job because they're not fussy and will take any work......

KarmaDevil · 28/12/2010 15:19

YANBU what a silly time to call.

I hate cold callers but I just can't be horrible to them. A few years ago my DH worked in a call centre and had to do cold calling. He stuck it for 6 months before he left because he'd become depressed. People calling him all sorts of obscenities for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week just took it't toll on him in the end. He was suicidal. Sad Horrible, horrible job. He only took it because he'd been on the dole for 6 months unable to get a job. Oh the irony when after 6 months in the job he ended up back on the dole for another year. Sad

I just don't answer the phone now. We have called ID so if it's an 08 number or witheld I don't answer. If it's something important they'll leave a message.

AnotherMumOnHere · 28/12/2010 15:33

Sorry if someone else has covered this but i thought it was against the law for companies like this to call before 10 am. I may be wrong but I dont think so.

lemonpuff · 28/12/2010 15:48

I ,worked ' the streets for 4 days, having had a week of training , to make people feel more 'aware of the world!!! ended up feeling like a piece of dirt. it's all a mind game, for both parties.

acumenin · 28/12/2010 16:00

ISNT, in some places it is endless. I get the Red Cross (they are unstoppable), Virgin Media, dodgy loan companies, and accident claims companies all the bloody time, banging on my door. It's really unbearable. I had some people over for lunch last month and we were interrupted FIVE TIMES by cold callers in the course of one meal.

It really does make me furious. The absolute worst is when they stick their fingers through the letterbox and shout - our door opens straight onto the sitting room and it is incredibly intrusive and I admit I do sometimes shout back.

(Before anyone starts telling me - I'm signed up to the TPS, the MPS, I've got a sign on the door, I always tick the no box, and an ex-directory number and still we get mountains of direct mail and calls. Someone at our local hospital sold my DP's (rare and useful) medical data to a private research company - so we get flurries of requests to join medical trials and new HEY! Pain-B-Gone InstaMultiPaymentPlan + Carriage Clock shit in the post and there is nowt we can do about it.)

maxybrown · 28/12/2010 16:05

You don't have to be horrible - but I do put the phone down etc etc. I can''t stay on the phone to someone have no interest in, just incase their supervisor gives them grief Hmm I started putting the phone down on them after I had had a few abusive calls - THEM shouting at ME because i wasn't interested, telling me I am stupid etc etc. I even once had someone ring me back and start shouting at me for putting the phone down on them.........wtf!!

A phone is there for our own convenience - not the convenience of others

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