A Modest Proposal: "Hang on just one second."

[Robb]

Telemarketers. :banghead:

Do not call registry notwithstanding, loopholes in the law allow several to call -- and many that couldn't care less if there were a law or not.

Yelling at them doesn't work. Being polite doesn't work. I propose a third alternative.

The moment you recognize a telemarketer, say "Hang on just one second." Put down the phone.

And walk away from it.

We've been doing this in the house lately, and it's quite satisfying. When you hear the loud, fast "off the hook" tones from your phone, they've given up, and hung up, and so should you.

In the meantime, they're tied up. That's one more telemarketer not calling someone else for 30 seconds, maybe, or in my experience as much as 2-3 minutes. That's several people not bothered, because of you. Think of it as a gift. :)

"Hang on just one second." Spread the word. :evilgrin:

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. You could always keep a Rick Astley tape handy instead...

"Let me put on the man of the house..."

[CreekDog]

2. Wow, Rickrolling to telemarketers

:evilgrin:

I like it.

[laconicsax]

9. Wow

That is the best suggestion I've seen in a long time.

[opiate69]

3. Or, if you're a decent actor, do what Tom Mabe did..

Funniest telemarketer ownage ever..
http://www.tommabe.com/videos/video_murder_scene.htm

[Robb]

4. OK, that is so good

...it deserves a kick of its own. :rofl:

[opiate69]

5. LOL.. thanks.. I first heard it on Tham Hartmann's show a couple months ago..

my boss couldn't figure out why I was sitting at my desk laughing so hard..

[underpants]

8. This voice does wonders for me -- at the 2:00 mark

Billy Crystal in "Runing Scared"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4DsSL1ko34

[Shell Beau]

6. What pisses me off is when they call you and say

"Please hold, we have an important message for you". Well if it was so damn important, you wouldn't ask me to hold now would you. That immediately gets a hang up from me.

[Xithras]

7. I've been doing that for years.

I heard some comedian do a joke about it probably 10 years ago, and I've been doing it intermittently ever since. If a telemarketer calls me and I'm in a foul mood, I simply introduce him to my desk. Unlike you I don't even ask them to hold on...I respond with a "Sure, tell me all about it..." and then put the phone down. It can sometimes take several minutes for them to notice that you're not even there!

More importantly than the action being a "gift" to those remaining undisturbed by that telemarketer is the fact that most telemarketing companies have "Bad Number Lists" for numbers that shouldn't be called again. The lists are usually for people who complain about being contacted after signing up for a Do Not Call List, or for government offices and other numbers that shouldn't be bothered, but they'll add you to it if your number becomes problematic. They will NEVER add you to the lists if you ask, but if you actually become a problem they'll drop you right off.

Between this habit, changing my political registration from Democratic Party to Decline To State, and signing up for the Do Not Call list, I managed to reduce blind telemarketing calls from about one every other day, to no more than two or three a month.

[redqueen]

10. A friend of mine used to love winding them up...

he'd act interested and engaged... asked them all sorts of questions about what they were selling... kept them on the line for as long as he cared to... then he'd say something like, "Well thank you, but all my periodical needs are filled at this time." and just hang up on them.

Glorious.