In thinking if they want to bug me, they should make an effort with ds?

[foolserrand]

We are plagued by cold callers, despite having our number on the tps database. I went through a phase of getting annoyed with them but have realised it's just a job for these people, can't be mean now. Tried ignoring the phone, but soon enough ds, 3, figured out he could answer the phone.

He's a lovely, chatty boy and takes great care to explain in the tiniest detail what he's doing. They always hang up on him and the poor boy is left very confused, asking "hello? Hello?" down the phone. He's probably the nicest person they'll speak to all day so why hang up? He always gives me the phone.... Eventually!

Are you serious?

Isn't it a well known GetRidOfSpamCallers strategy?

Give the phone to a child, that'll get rid of 'em.

So the cold callers are just assuming that.

God it pisses me off when small kids answer the phone and don't just get the person I want to speak to.

If you've been registered with TPS for more than a couple of months, you shouldn't be plagued with these calls.

Ignoring the phone won't help because you need to answer it, refuse to engage in the sales call and simply tell them you're registered and you want your details off their database.

My number was registered with TPS by its last owner, I still get cold calls.
I've just trained 2yo DS1 to pick up the phone for me when I am nursing DS2. Its only my mum and DH that ever use that line legitimately though.

It doesn't stop all cold calls...especially if they come from abroad but it certainly cuts them down massively.

Training a 2yr old won't do anything unless you can train him to ask for your details to be removed from the database.

If you just tell them "I'm on the TPS" they hang up sharpish.

They hang up on him because a) chatting to him won't earn them commission and/or b) talking to a toddler isn't on their script.lol
Personally if I was a sales caller and a toddler answered the phone I'd be laughing my head off but then I found sales boring and soul destroying and any break from it was great.

I thought they all had evil bosses in there timing their toilet breaks too, so surely any toddler chatting would be almost a sackable offence.

Surely training a 2year old will do more than simply asking to be removed from the database - because asking to be removed will only stop that particular org calling again, but if everyone trains 2year olds to do it the entire economics of the business will be threatened as more and more time is wasted entertaining young children and less and less selling whatever it is they're selling.

If enough people can have 2year olds answering all calls will eventually stop and we have a result.

We've signed up to TPS, but it doesn't stop the calls from abroad, the ones who say "we are doing a survey" and the "there is a problem with your computer" people.

Fred and it will end up providing free childcare so that SAHMs become more productive and TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

But ... what will those of us who don't have 2 year old do? :( Do we need to borrow one from somebody else? Or maybe even hire one? Now there's a business opportunity for parents of 2 year olds! (Provided you don't start cold calling people about it.)

The tps line doesn't work for us at all! We've been on it a few years now. Since ds has been answering, there do seem to be fewer.

Also, I see it as offering a service. They get so many grumpy people being unpleasant to them, you'd think they'd appreciate a squeaky little voice who is genuinely happy they called?

Besides, his confused look is priceless when they've hung up. Poor boy!

You're joking, yes? But maybe if your DS gets upset when they call you should just answer it yourself.

"But ... what will those of us who don't have 2 year old do? "

Oh my 16yo DD has it down to a tee now.

We usually get these sort of calls at around 6pm. I can't ignore the call because it might be DH ringing to say his train is delayed or something. Anyway DD answers and if she doesn't recognise the caller she makes sure she moves to be within my earshot while saying "Who is calling please?" She then repeats what they say for my benefit and I give her a signal as to whether I want to take the call or not. If not she makes some excuse as to why I can't take the call. The most recent one was "I am afraid she can't come to the phone as she has fallen down drunk"

I unfortunately worked in a call centre a few years ago and we were just given pages out of another areas phonebook.
If the person I called said they were on tps I'd to apologise and say I'd remove their details from our 'database', while really just scoring the name off and moving on.
Thankfully I wasn't there long.

I once - long ago - had to work in a call centre cold calling sales down the phone. Yes, the bosses were awful, almost Stasi-like in how they monitored us, we had 2 minutes to use the toilet at allotted times, most calls were listened to by 'line managers', awfully stringent targets, clocks counting down on our computers... It was soul destroying but fairly good hourly rate, but although I was so poor at the time I only lasted 3 weeks.

I think the souls on the end of the phone are almost too destroyed to take any joy in a little banter with a two year old, that's why they hang up.

That's really sad. Surely they can't be so, for lack of a better phrase, strict?

The thread was intended to be light hearted so yes, I am joking. Not that I could stop him beating me to the phone, he's a quick little bugger!