Todays question Thursday 4-24-08

[Charley]

Originally Posted by agreatlife

Back in the early 60s before voice mail and caller id and all that, we used to get tons of telemarketing calls. My mom was so exasperated that she would just put the handset down and go about her business, then in 5 minutes or so come back and no one would be on the other end, then she'd hang up the phone.

But one day she did that, hung up the phone, only to have it ring again, and the telemarketer told her how rude she was! My mom took it so personally, we told her to forget about it. The telemarketer was a jerk.

Our home phone is listed under my wife's maiden name. She arranged for the phone just before we were married and we never changed it. So when anyone calls looking for Mr or Mrs [Maiden Name], we know it's a telemarketer or some other jerk who found us in the phone book!

Charley

[Crew Chief]

We use caller ID on our home phone and on cell phones. We rarely give out cell phone numbers so we get very few cell phone calls that we don't want. We also let calls we don't want to answer at the moment go to the anwering machine or voice mail.

[1eyedjack]

Only have a cell phone. Rarely get an unknown call. Have gotten more texts than anything and I don't even text! Going to go get a Pizza now!

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by Livewire

Thats because its a recording. Most telemarketers, organizatons and collectors these days will use the pre-recorded message rather than have someone get hostile with them over the phone, this way they cant hear what the person is saying.
I have an answering machine and if we had a landline here (we all have cellphones) would still be using it. Meanwhile, theres simply caller ID and we dont answer blocked or unfamaliar numbers. The way we see it here is if they are important enough, they will leave a message.
As for the pizza day, give me everything, including the anchovies!!

Well, I know the ones I got from those political activist groups were not recorded, I was talking to people. A couple of times, I remember getting a person on the phone and they played a pre-recorded message by a famous politician, to explain the agenda, but that's about it. The couple of times I made donations in the past, they were asking for some outragous amounts, like $300! But I told them that I don't like to make large contributions to any political groups, so they were happy with the $50 I gave them. But like I mentioned before, if get calls like that now, I'll tell them sorry, the best contribution I can make is I'll vote.

My name and both of my numbers are also on the do not call list, so I don't get any calls from telemarketers.

[Tek_Freek]

Oh yeah! We screen! Doctors office (Pediatrician) is one digit off and there are a lot of people in this world who cannot dial a phone.

We let the voice mail run so we can hear it and tell anyone calling the number for the doc and that we screen calls. We then tell them that if they will talk for a few seconds we will pick up.

90% of our calls are hang ups.

Oooohhhhh, winsome! Damn!

[Karla with a K]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

Oh yeah! We screen! Doctors office (Pediatrician) is one digit off and there are a lot of people in this world who cannot dial a phone.

tek we are 1 number off from a local hotel
back when I lived in NJ I was 1 number off form the local diner
I use to get calls all the time asking if we had different dishes on the menu

We also have something on our phone called "privacy director" if a call comes in from a non id number they get a message saying " the number you have called has privacy director please give your name or company" then the phone rings at the house and I hear "privacy director you have a call from ***** press 1 to accept press 2 for sales reject" it has taken care of the one or 2 that have gotten through the "do not call thing"

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

tek we are 1 number off from a local hotel
back when I lived in NJ I was 1 number off form the local diner
I use to get calls all the time asking if we had different dishes on the menu

.....

LOL.. Karla, My home number was included in the Arizona Registrar of Contractors under a home builder! I have no idea how they got my number mixed up in this, but last year, from April until late summer, I used to come home and find messages on my answering machine from contractors looking to do a variety of work on the project the home builder was currently working on, like carpeting, kitchens, windows, doors and everything that's usually done by sub-contractors. I finally got tired of these phone calls, so I called the registrar's office and told them about the problem. I also recorded a message on my answering machine to tell them, this is not the builder they think it is!

I checked the registrar of contractors website late last year and they did remove my number.

[Northwoods Voyager]

We have 2 incoming landlines. Both are 1 number off from Dr's office, real estate company, tire company, and a druggist. I'd change numbers but we have had 1 for 17 and the other for 36 years. Oh, have the oldest, a wall 'phone and rotary dial. Works when there are storms and electrical power losses.

[joee]

yup i'm a screener and when i do pick it up only to find a tele marketer on the other end i go hang on just a min then set it down and go on about my business or talk in an accent that no one can understand of total giberish, bugs the heck outta them and wastes there time.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

We have 2 incoming landlines. Both are 1 number off from Dr's office, real estate company, tire company, and a druggist. I'd change numbers but we have had 1 for 17 and the other for 36 years. Oh, have the oldest, a wall 'phone and rotary dial. Works when there are storms and electrical power losses.

Yes! That's basically why I really keep my landline. I have one of those "princess" phones with the curly cord and the phone lines work when there is a bad storm or hurricane, whereas everybody else with cell phones only is "incommunicado".