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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Does cold callers asking how you are today wind you up?

62 replies

Arnie123 · 23/08/2013 14:05

Look I know I will get an absolute flaming for this but one of the aspects of running my business is business to business cold calling. Yes the pesky calls you love to hate. I spoke to a call centre manager last week who said I was not working hard enough to befriend the receptionist and I should be asking how they are today but to be honest when cold callers pull this stunt on me it sends my blood pressure up as it is totally disingenuous. Should I drop it from the script?

OP posts:

ParsingFancy · 23/08/2013 16:19

Had a new variation this week.

An automated "Hello my name is Julie even though I'm in Bangalore, how are you today... today... ay...ay...how are you todaymynameisJulie...lie..."

A step up on being dialled by a machine and having to wait for them to pick up; you now have to wait for them to deign to have a human speak to you WHEN THEY CALLED YOU.

Clearly too many of us are putting the phone down straightaway. I shall adjust my time-wasting strategy accordingly.

wonkylegs · 23/08/2013 16:21

Most of the time I hang up at the point I get asked those kind of questions as I know what's coming. Sometimes however I answer in whatever the most contrary fashion I can.
I was inspired by a relative who upon being cold called by a double glazing company proceeded to spin a long winded tale about not having any windows at all and the marvels of electric light. Kept the bewildered salesman on the line for 40mins and then lost him when turning the conversation on it's head tried to sell the guy lightbulbs.

AnnaRack · 23/08/2013 16:29

Cold callers wind me up full stop. I'm with tps but some calls still get through. So i always find out who the caller is and and why they're calling, then ask how they got my number. If they get that far (and most simply hang up at that point) i then tell them i'm with tps and that usually puts an end to the conversation.
OP, sorry but i wouldnt enter into a dialogue with any cold callers because i find it intrusive. Is there a less intrusive way in which you can do business?

AnnaRack · 23/08/2013 16:43

OP I've just reread your first post, sorry my reply wasn't much help! I would say, get straight to the point and be businesslike and avoid wasting too much of their time. I think cold calling is a really hard job to do, it means interrupting people all day long and it might be a good idea to acknowledge that? Hope that helps!j

NUFC69 · 23/08/2013 16:52

We have been registered with the TPS for many years and still get loads of the things - three today already. When the second man asked me "How are you today?" I asked him what it had to do with him and then he accused me of getting out of bed the wrong side this morning! The first one of the day was an automated "Do you want a free boiler", the second one was the aforesaid Scottish man who thought I was bad-tempered and the third one was an Indian lady who thought I might like to do some market research about charities for her - I think not.

I have, by the way, recently checked with the TPS and I am still covered, so goodness only knows why the number of calls seems to be increasing. I am seriously considering taking the phone numbers (they are sometimes displayed) and reporting these people. The "free boiler" woman has definitely telephoned at least three times before.

farrowandbawl · 23/08/2013 17:39

It winds me up too.

You want to sell me something, get on with it. You couldn't care less how I am, nor me you.

mrspremise · 23/08/2013 17:40

No, I just pretend to be the au pair! I have a good range of phone answeing accents now, hehehe...

Famzilla · 23/08/2013 17:41

Hate it. As if they weren't wasting enough of my desire to talk to other human beings (I'm an intolerable bastard) already.

meddie · 23/08/2013 17:46

I usually just say " sorry not interested" and immediately put the phone down before they have a chance to continue. There's no point even getting into a conversation with them.
If its a male caller though I am always tempted when asked if I am ok to say no and then launch into a lurid description of my pre menopausal flooding and the impact its having on my life. I still haven't got the courage up to do that yet, but i reckon it would be brilliant.

I love this persons method of dealing with a cold caller though

Rooners · 23/08/2013 17:55

Yes OP drop it. Cold calling businesses is not the same in my book as cold calling residential customers.

So I don't have a bone to pick with you there. But yes, totally drop the insincerity. You cannot develop a natural affinity with these people using a script.

'How are you today' is not befriending someone, it's pretending to care, it's inappropriate. You would not say it to a stranger - only someone you had held a previous interaction with. It makes no sense whatsoever to say it to someone you just met.

Say something like, 'Hello, I hope you don't mind but I'm calling from such and such, and we thought you might be interested in selling our product.'
That is FAR more likely imo to get you a positive response.

But then I am not in business and might be wrong.

Fakebook · 23/08/2013 18:09

I hate it too. I had one yesterday asking me how I was, I was half tempted to start telling him all my problems and how I feel tired all the time. But I just told him I was fine and put the phone down. I know it's their job but I don't feel like talking to people about my gas provider at 7.30pm, when I've had children under my feet all day.

patienceisvirtuous · 23/08/2013 18:10

I had a call today on my mobile

"Would you like to save up to £170 on phone bills for everyone in your household?" (there is only DP and I)

"No thank you"

"So you wouldn't like to save up to £170 for your family"

"No thank you"

Awkward silence ensues. I hang up.
"M

theoriginalandbestrookie · 23/08/2013 18:21

YANBU - I absolutely hate it when they ask how I am, it's such a waste of my time and in no way builds rapport. Much better if they started with I'm such and such from so & so company and wondered if you have a few minutes to talk about xyz. I'd still say no but at least the company wouldn't be on my barred list

Oh and on topic as well I hate it when cold callers use my first name, if they are trying to build empathy they could at least be polite.

Justforlaughs · 23/08/2013 18:26

My response to that question is usually "I was absolutely fine until I just picked the phone up, I'm really not interested thank you"

grimbletart · 23/08/2013 18:33

My usual response is "I'm fine, it's the pesky cold callers who are not".

DTisMYdoctor · 23/08/2013 18:42

I hate getting cold-called at work. The whole trying to have a chat with me drives me demented. How am I? Busy. And no, I don't want to tell you how my week has been or what I'm looking forward to at the weekend.

Friendly, get to the point, messages are always preferable.

MiaowTheCat · 23/08/2013 19:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pigsDOfly · 23/08/2013 19:38

Not exactly a cold call, but the people at my pet insurance do something similar when they ring; so you get 'good morning it's (name of person) of (name of company), how is (name of dog) today, I hope she's well and enjoying the warm weather' etc. It throws me every time and I usually end up saying something lame like, 'she's fine', as I don't know what else to say, they are my insurance company afterall and I want to have a good relationship with them. But it really irritates me.

I'm not some silly little woman who has conversations about her 'doggie' with complete strangers, I'm the woman who is paying them £38 a month to insure my dog. Treat me like a sensible grownup customer and stop wasting my time with your stupid insincere childish tosh. GRRR

rumbleinthrjungle · 23/08/2013 19:42

Binary, I rang the TPS yesterday after three calls within 4 hours (been registered with them for years) and was told they only prevent calls coming from within the UK. Call centres based abroad they can do nothing whatever about.

BinarySolo · 23/08/2013 20:02

Gah! That's annoying. Apparently they can't do anything about companies that use random number diallers either. There is a facility to report numbers on their website but I've noticed a lot of these companies withhold their numbers.

bigbluebus · 23/08/2013 20:03

You can never get rid of these calls even if you are registered with TPS. Had a company called Crystal something or other ring twice yesterday. When we said we were registered with TPS they said it didn't apply as we had "opted in" to receive their call by ticking/not ticking a box on some form we had filled in. They were lying I'm sure. They then went on to say they weren't trying to sell me anything anyway, just offering a review of our Life Insurance - oh and what would they have done if they discovered I didn't have enough life cover.......let me guess..... try and sell me some! It is all bllcks.
I told them to remove my number and not call me again ... but that was what DH had told them when they called 2 hrs earlier. I'm not holding out much hope of them not ringing again.

And I agree OP, I hate it when they start with "how are you today". Especially as they have a habit of ringing just as I start cooking tea and am trying not to burn whatever is on the hob. Get to the bloody point so I can just tell you I'm not interested and get back to what I was doing before I was rudely interrupted.

BinarySolo · 23/08/2013 20:10

My friend used to ask if they'd mind waiting whilst they turned the stove off and then wander of leaving the phone off the hook.

SilverOldie · 23/08/2013 20:17

I loved the bogus Microsoft one. I strung them along for about 45 minutes, should add nicely to their phone bill.

Mogz · 23/08/2013 20:57

Silver, the bogus Microsoft one went down really well in our house as DH was contracting for them at the time and started spewing lots of jargon at them about the remote desking system and how he couldn't find them on there. They ended up telling him to fuck off.

I do hate cold calls at home as the always come when I'm cooking or just about to get in the bath. At work I don't mind them so much because they are expected as part of the business we do, but it is annoying when it's a rep you've never spoken to before from a company you've never heard of and they're trying to be super chatty, I'd much rather be told up front who they are and what services they want to sell. If then I enter in to a contract with them I think it's fine to have some small talk with the rep you deal with, but in the initial cold call, no thanks, my time is actually quite expensive and I doubt you'd want my company billing yours for the minutes of my working day you just wasted!

marriedinwhiteisback · 23/08/2013 21:08

They are so overfamiliar that I sort of join in.

"Oh hello, I didn't catch your nname"
"John, ma'am, how are you?"

"John, I don't know a John"

"How are you ma'am?"

"I'm sorry, where did you sy we met"

"I'm john, how are you ma'am?"

"Ikm awfully sorry but I don't usually take calls from people I haven't met. Where did we meet?"

"It's john ma'am, how are you?"

Who gave you my number please?

..... Silence

We are registered with the TPS service. Can you tell me were you got my number from?

..... And then the line goes dead.

Do drop it OP. At least cut to the chas and don't waste people's time.

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