To be sick of this woman phoning?

[KittyTwoShoes]

Every day this week, at different times during the day, I've had phone calls from a woman in a call centre asking for my father. I explain he's at work, and the response is,

"Well now I have you on the line, may I have three minutes of your time..." and proceeds to give me a survey.

I answered the survey the first time and it wasn't 3 minutes, it was 10, but she keeps ringing back and asking for my dad. If he's at work when she rings, what makes them think that he won't be at work the next day? And why, when I say no she cannot have three minutes of my time and I do not want them phoning back as I've told my father she rang and he's not interested in their survey, do they keep calling back every single day?

It's doing my head in. I'm not being unreasonable to be sick of this, am I? I can't just not answer the phone, as she rings at different times on different days and I don't know it's her until I pick up.

Register with the TPS, tell her you are registered with the TPS and you want your number removed from her list and if all else fails, get a phone with caller display and ignore 'em.

Just put the phone down the minute you hear her voice. Don't engage (excuse the pun).

You know, if you say to them 'please take me off your list and do not call me again' they don't. Genius.

Tell them that you want the number removed from their list, that you have told your dad and he says to put their request in writing and that he will not be discussing anything on the phone with them, so that would be their best course of action. If they keep on, don't be afraid to say no and hang up. Remember they are relying on your natural inclination to be polite, in order to get their own way. You can register with the Telephone Preference Service also. Good luck!

I hang up on these people more or less immediately these days. Being poilte doesn't work. They ask for the previous owner here, but just want to talk to anyone - I have no idea what about (maybe it's someone trying to give away £1million and we'll never know?! I doubt it!)

Also if theres any pause at the other end to signify an international call - I hang up.

So don't call me from your holiday or take a breath after I answer - you will be dismissed!!

I hang up on them too. And immediately feel a pang of pity for the poor sods slaving away in call centres around the world. However, the feeling never gets so strong that I feel the need to engage with them. Life's too short...

Mitchell & Webb-Why does no one want our massive Yaught!

Put the phone down-times too precious to waste on subjecting yourself to marketing

Another vote for the TPS too. Once you've registered tell her that you are registered and if she phones again you are going to report them. She'll put the phone down herself.

I've found that a referee's whistle is a wonderful deterrent to cold callers.

Failing that, I get my DD2 to scream down the phone. Kiri Te Kanawa has nothing on my DD!

I now hand the phone to DS2. A 10 minute 'conversation' with a Dr Who obessed 7 year old autistic boy seems to do the trick

I should rent him out.

another vote for TPS - there is something similar for junk mail too.

Next time she calls, tell her "I've been polite and you've ignored me, now FUCK OFF and never call here again" or something equally strong, and hang up. Of course you could just hang up, but damn it they've been harassing you & YOU might feel better if you swear loudly.

lol chegirlmonkeybutt - can I borrow him?

I would like to point out though that the TPS eliminates most calls but not all - the bloody marketing companies are finding more and more ways round this - I've been getting them from companies who have claimed to have got my number legally through Bounty! on my mobile! so you do have to be careful with ticked/unticked boxes I think.

chegirl! How is he with the guys who come round trying to get you to switch energy providers? Unfortunately (for them) they always seem to call at my house in the middle of some domestic emergency (oven timer beeping, DD1 pretending to be a lion, DD2 in meltdown at having the TV turned off before dinner). They tend to back away fearfully almost the instant I open the door with my 'What is it NOW!' face on...

We had this with weatherseal, got them round for a quote and never used them. First few times I was polite and asked that they not phone again, last twenty or so I have taken to shouting fuck off or just hanging up. I actually asked her how rude we would have to be before they took our details off their system! She hung up

My new tactic is to say 'just a second...' as if I am about to go and get DH (or whoever) and then just put the phone on the side - without hanging up - and walk away.

It annoys them and ties up their phone line for a couple of minutes until they figure out that I'm not coming back!

It is a pain in the a*se these days that you can't seem to get any info or brochures without having to give away your phone number - especially those flippin online forms that have 'required information' so you can't submit a request without your contact details. And it never occurs to me to put a fake number until it's too late!!

Lutyens - I know what you mean- I'm inclined to initially be feel pity or something like it but working in Chiswick has cured me.

Off to the high street to buy lunch - every day. Everyday I get asked to buy a Big Issue & someone tries to hand me a flyer for cheap phone calls. Every day there's a different group of people "collecting for charity" or wanting me to come "paintballing" with bright faces and pleading eyes. Every bloody day!

Buying a sandwich is like running a gauntlet. They may be here for just one day, but tomorrow there will be another equivalent standing in the same spot.

I really don't want to be rude to these people, but neither do I want to feel traumatised on a daily basis having to duck & swerve all these demands for my money/time. And I'm certainly not justifying anything to any of them.

So I ignore them, or if I'm feeling esp jolly I will smile & shake my head. That's it - and I think I'm being really cool about it, because really I'd like to smile & say fuck off.

tasteslikepanda

I will keep that in mind, but actually as we registered with the 'no calls' people we don't get them.

I do post unsolicited junk mail back in the return envelope

I'm liking the idea of just leaving the phone on and buggering off for a shower etc!

Also 'can I speak to your complaints department?' works absolute wonders.

yes indeed madam - will work on that over the weekend.

Very impressive you can move people on with a look!!!

Thanks for the suggestions! We are registered with TPS though. So if I just tell her that, she won't call again? I'll try it tomorrow!

Or you could pop out for lunch sporting a natty sandwich board with the message 'THE END OF THE WORLD IS NIGH!' in foot-high letters. You'll suddenly find everyone a bit more reluctant to approach you, and probably get to the front of the queue in Pret a bit quicker than normal too. I'd take it off before you head back to the office though...