Telemarketers
For years they called. Right at dinner-time. In prehistoric times (no answering machine, no caller ID) we had two choices: Answer (it might be family) or don't answer, which we never did because, after all, it might be important!
Enter the electronic age (in phases.) First comes the answering machine: Choices are: Answer (it might be family) or let the answering machine answer so you can screen the call. Tough decision -- listening to the machine is nearly as annoying as actually answering the phone. Besides, it might be important. Somewhere in here came the 'tele-zapper" same choices as above apply -- but the zapper did actually cut down a little bit on the calls.
Eventually, they come up with the National "do-not-call" list. This worked real well at first. Telemarketing calls fell off to zero! Really! Therefore, it was safe to answer the phone for the next 4 or 5 years. Eventually, however, either the listing expires, or companies decide to ignore the do-not-call list because phone calls once again are coming in hot and heavy.
So, finally, I give up and get caller-id. I LOVE my caller-ID. I never answer the phone if I don't recognize the name/number! If you block your ID when you call me, you best be ready to leave a message because I am not going to answer the phone! Life is good.
So -- my favorite telemarketing call of all time.
It was spring of 1979 (or so) any my phone rings. On the other end is a gentleman (and I use the term loosely) telling me that all my neighbors are getting their basement waterproofed and if I sign up I can get a good discount. (Since they'll already be in the area, etc. blah blah blah.)
"Really?" I say -- "ALL my neighbors?" Yes, he says the people at 101 Kodiak Lane and 105 Kodiak Lane (I lived at 103) -- all your neighbors.
I keep leading him on with more questions. Finally, I just can't keep a straight face, so I say to him "I find this very interesting that all my neighbors have signed up for your service -- as this is a MOBILE HOME PARK and mobile homes do not have basements!"
. . . . . dead silence . . . . click
Enter the electronic age (in phases.) First comes the answering machine: Choices are: Answer (it might be family) or let the answering machine answer so you can screen the call. Tough decision -- listening to the machine is nearly as annoying as actually answering the phone. Besides, it might be important. Somewhere in here came the 'tele-zapper" same choices as above apply -- but the zapper did actually cut down a little bit on the calls.
Eventually, they come up with the National "do-not-call" list. This worked real well at first. Telemarketing calls fell off to zero! Really! Therefore, it was safe to answer the phone for the next 4 or 5 years. Eventually, however, either the listing expires, or companies decide to ignore the do-not-call list because phone calls once again are coming in hot and heavy.
So, finally, I give up and get caller-id. I LOVE my caller-ID. I never answer the phone if I don't recognize the name/number! If you block your ID when you call me, you best be ready to leave a message because I am not going to answer the phone! Life is good.
So -- my favorite telemarketing call of all time.
It was spring of 1979 (or so) any my phone rings. On the other end is a gentleman (and I use the term loosely) telling me that all my neighbors are getting their basement waterproofed and if I sign up I can get a good discount. (Since they'll already be in the area, etc. blah blah blah.)
"Really?" I say -- "ALL my neighbors?" Yes, he says the people at 101 Kodiak Lane and 105 Kodiak Lane (I lived at 103) -- all your neighbors.
I keep leading him on with more questions. Finally, I just can't keep a straight face, so I say to him "I find this very interesting that all my neighbors have signed up for your service -- as this is a MOBILE HOME PARK and mobile homes do not have basements!"
. . . . . dead silence . . . . click
1 Comments:
Caller ID has been a wonderful innovation, but I'm getting a new irritation here. The marketers have these speed dialers, the answering machine will pick up and not hearing a person, they'll finally hang up. But then I come home and have to erase six or seven messages of "nothing" to clear up the answerer again. Or I'll have one "real" message and have to go through all the hang-ups to get to it. It's a small headache though, compared to the old days!
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