Rant alert - B2B Sales Phone calls

[zazen999]

Will do Hazel, Thanks.
I'm almost looking forward to the next unsolicited call.
Time for REVENGE!!!1

I ALWAYS ask them where they got the number from.....the last time it was because they have now published the first 5 digits of each mobile phone so they call randomly the other 6 and hope for an answer or a sale.

But every other time I've been nice about it and just said 'I'm intrigued where you got the number from as we are on TPS and I will now need you to remove me from your calling and mailing list please'...and every time I've done this I've not heard back...

[blackkitty]

My father in law always says, 'that sounds really interesting, can you just hang on a moment while I fetch a pen/ put my cup down/ turn off the tap etc' and he then puts the phone down and goes to do something else.

[Sprocket*]

I had a call from someone trying to fund raise for the RSPCA asking for a donation of £10 a month. I was polite and explained that I did not have that much spare as I already make a regular donation to a local animal charity. "Oh that's very good, but ....." Then she went on saying if I can't make that then how about £6.50/mth - NO, well the minimum is £3.50/mth and I would like to let you know that the cost of the fundraising calls will be £142,000 but we expect to raise £600,000 - NO! When I eventually got her off the phone (I was very tempted to put it down but am too polite) I was so annoyed. The tone of the call was how dare you not make a donation you evil woman..... I have never had such a pressure call from anyone. I am so tempted to write and make a complainant to them. Has anyone else had this call?

[NOG]

Auto-dialers can now be set at 00000000001 to whatever, exempting whatever numbers you want then set to dial. They then ring each number inturn. If they get a FAX, Modem or other data line they will note it so that the next time you run the dailer it adds them to the exemptions.
When you answer the call becomes available to a call handlers....sometimes there are more active calls than people to answer them. That is why sometimes you answer and there is no one there.

[pip1954]

hi
we are with tps but we still get these phone calls, some times very persistant
i think the most annoying ones are the ones where no one is there i know about auto dailing but it frightens my wife and her mum ,they think some one is casing the place.

[Rabidbun]

I had a call from someone trying to fund raise for the RSPCA asking for a donation of £10 a month. I was polite and explained that I did not have that much spare as I already make a regular donation to a local animal charity. "Oh that's very good, but ....." Then she went on saying if I can't make that then how about £6.50/mth - NO, well the minimum is £3.50/mth and I would like to let you know that the cost of the fundraising calls will be £142,000 but we expect to raise £600,000 - NO! When I eventually got her off the phone (I was very tempted to put it down but am too polite) I was so annoyed. The tone of the call was how dare you not make a donation you evil woman..... I have never had such a pressure call from anyone. I am so tempted to write and make a complainant to them. Has anyone else had this call?

Not by phone, but there were two RSPCA folks came around door to door last year some time. I was really nice as well, said that we already had charitable commitments so wouldn't be donating and wished them luck. Ended up with high pressure sales techniques talking about my neighbours, how much they had all given and me being very rude. I've been wary of pretty much all charity collection people since then. Could be worth dropping them a line - if they are that offputting then they are likely to lose more donations than they gain tbh.

Just wish there was a TPS for the door.

[enrich100]

you rant away Hazel hun - I am totally with you

Sadly, I cant use the TPS system because home line is also my office line - so I just try to be polite and say 'thank you but no thank and thank you for calling and thank yo...oh clear off'

businesses can sign up for TPS too, as TPS specifically deal with unsolicited calls

[ginger ninger]

Do what my dad dose...he answers the phone, then knocks on the door frame and tells the caller that there's someone at the door and would they mind waiting while he answers it....then returns about 10 mins later to find no one there...works every time, he might be 85, but he's not daft

[piskieinboots]

businesses can sign up for TPS too, as TPS specifically deal with unsolicited calls

my problem is 'Withheld' cos I know some of my clients and their clients use that, so I have to answer them anyway

[allotmentlady]

or do like bernie does........sorry we are lancing the cats boils! it works for her!

[TEB]

I had a call from someone trying to fund raise for the RSPCA asking for a donation of £10 a month. I was polite and explained that I did not have that much spare as I already make a regular donation to a local animal charity. "Oh that's very good, but ....." Then she went on saying if I can't make that then how about £6.50/mth - NO, well the minimum is £3.50/mth and I would like to let you know that the cost of the fundraising calls will be £142,000 but we expect to raise £600,000 - NO! When I eventually got her off the phone (I was very tempted to put it down but am too polite) I was so annoyed. The tone of the call was how dare you not make a donation you evil woman..... I have never had such a pressure call from anyone. I am so tempted to write and make a complainant to them. Has anyone else had this call?

Yes my mother (76), she already does a monthly DD to the RSPCA and she got this high pressure call, I think she told them to bugger off in the end

[jackie j]

We have had problems with RSPCA at the door and on the phone even though we are TPS registered once any one has your number they keep ringing. We get a few but not as many as we used to. I have checked that we are registered with TPS after this thread and am pleased to see we are. Look out the next caller who dares to ring us lol we also have caller display so if we dont recognise the number we let the answer phone pick up, they soon put the phone down when they realise they wont get an answer.

[HeyWayne]

Of course, for persistent offenders there's always....

[OllieMartin]

My solution is:
Don't plug in your home phone! I had it connected for a few months when I had a GF in Hull because local calls are so much cheaper, but now everyone calls me on my mobile so the home phone stays unplugged.

Alternatively check out Tom Mabe's solutions. He is regarded as on of the best!

YouTube - Tom Mabe funny phone call
YouTube - Tom Mabe - Cemetery Telemarketer Prank
YouTube - Tom Mabe - Cemetery Telemarketer Prank

YouTube - TomMabe.com - Feeding the Homeless <- not strictly a telemarketer, but got to be my favourite

[bluemoon]

hi
we are with tps but we still get these phone calls, some times very persistant
i think the most annoying ones are the ones where no one is there i know about auto dailing but it frightens my wife and her mum ,they think some one is casing the place.

My Mum gets frightened by these calls too. She's very ill at the moment and yesterday someone phoned claiming to have organised her mortgage. Well, she's 72, has lived in her house for 51 years and the mortgage was paid off back in early 1983. They claimed to have made a mistake and that they'd intended the call for someone with the same surname and initial. The last time I looked at a phone book it has your address as well as your name and number and presumably if they'd organised a mortgage on a property they'd at the very least know the address. It's just extra worry for her at a time when she really doesn't need it. We've run her a phone extension upstairs so she has access to it when she's in bed as she's going to be off her feet for a while and I wish we hadn't bothered.