Nuisance phone calls

hi Jazmine, good idea with the whistle. sorry i have not got a whistle i wonder if an old mouth organ will do, as i am not so good on the mouth organ, and i can make some hellish noises down the phone:hehe: music.

 

Hi JWK, off topic here a moment. I certainly mean no offence to anyone who works in a call centre-good for your son funding himself while at college. My son did some low paid jobs too to pay his way so I say good for them. He was not too proud at all and now has a well paid job and hopes to go ito the police force. There is nothing wrong with that at all - they have been brought up to earn their own money

Back to nuisance calls. My father in law gives them the time of day unfortunately and we have to keep an eye on what he is responding to. He is a sensible, intelligent person but is now in his 80s and is a bit too trusting - luckily with 4 sons and 4 daughters in law we can talk to him about this.

 

It's likely not a job I would like to do - but if I was not working, and not dependent, I'm sure I would jump at it if they would have me!
I know a couple of real men who work in call centres, one as a manager, and they are both able to take care of their families rather nicely. They are certainly the better person - as I know I wouldn't be cut out for the job. I would hate to think that the person on the other end of the phone had a belittled opinion of me for doing a call centre job - when maybe I could be sitting on benefits or living off of someone else instead.

I have been known to say to them that 'this is a really bad time, why don't you give me your name and number and I'll call you back'......because yes, they ALWAYS call at dinnertime when you're feeding the kids, getting kids ready for school etc.

If it's a real person on the end of the line, I'll be polite and ask the above question. The computer generated ones are only looking for 'best time to call' information - what times of day do they get an answer - they can likely add this to their database as useful information for the call centre they are selling the information onto. I find these ones extremely annoying - if they can't even have someone on the other end of the line, they've got no right to disturb me. The rest are just trying to make a living.

I did like the solution on Seinfeld - he made appointments with all the cold callers to send their agents around to sell their goods......and simply wasted their time.

I too am in sales, so maybe have some sympathy for them - and customer service roles can be very satisfying if done in the right manner.

 

I just say that I'm registered not to get these calls and hang up. I don't wait for them to stop speaking or answer their questions but I am not rude.

However there are some far more sinister ones around - not from this country and therefore not preventable and they are particularly a problem for the elderly and otherwise vulnerable.

This is a great website http://www.thinkjessica.com/ that gives a lot more info about this. It may also be worthwhile printing some of this off and giving it to vulnerable people to read, especially if you think they are at risk of being taken in.

It was hilighted recently on the MoneySaving Expert site and it is amazing for just how much money some of these poor people have been taken

 

Just say you don't have any money.My Grand daughter was jolly pleased to get a job in a call centre but it was transfered to India and she is in the dole again.

 

Hec, thankyou for posting that link. What an eyeopener too-these poor people are worn down and they are "vulnerable" people being abused in this way.

JWK you are right, it does take a certain type of person to do that job, I certainly woukld not be able to do it, I would get upset too quickly! Having said that if you heard the type of "lowlife" my son has to deal with in his life you would say the same thing. They are trained to respond in a certain way while being physically threatened. Some people

I think I will print some of that info out for my father in law. He also talks to people who knock at the door unfortunately. I have been at his house and answered the phone to people who are repeatedly calling trying to get a home visit to discuss things further with him.

 

Hi M F. your elderly neighbour sounds a bit of a character ,good on him ,like his style . music.