NLC: Cold call irritation

[jason]

Apols that this is a rant

Mobile rings... ... ... ...
The following call takes place, all in good humour between both parties

Me: "Hello"
Call Centre (CC): "This is Vodafone, can I confirm your name is..."
Me: "Er... Er..."
CC: "Can I confirm your name is..."
Me: "Yes"
CC: "Are you happy with your Vodafone service?"
Me: "Y-e-e-e-s-s...."
CC: "I'm going to ask you some security questions. What's your D.O.B.?"
Me: "Sorry, but can you tell me the purpose of your call before we carry on?"
CC: "I'm calling to ask if you're happy with your service"
Me: "Yes, I am. Thanks"
CC: "What's your D.O.B.?"
Me: "Can you tell me the purpose of this call please"
CC: "I'm calling to ask if you're happy with your service"
Me: "Er... I'm still happy. Thank you. But why are you calling?"
CC: "I can't tell you why I'm calling until I've confirmed your ID"
Me: "I'm very sorry, but you phoned me, using an unrecognised number. How do I know you're Vodafone?"
CC: "I can't tell you anything more until I confirm your ID"
Me: "I understand this is not your fault... but you phoned me. How do I know you're who you say you are... I'm sorry, but I won't answer your Qs until you have established the reason you're calling me..."
CC: "I can't tell you until you answer the security Qs"
Me: "So we're stuck then, because you're asking me to give personal details over the phone to someone who (a) may or may not be who they say they are (I'm sure you probably are, but that's not the point), and (b) I didn't call you, you called me..."
CC: "I'm sorry. I can't tell you anything until you've answered the security Qs"
Me: "I'm sure you understand why I won't answer"
CC "Yes. I do. Sorry"
Me: "Oh well. Good bye then"
CC: "Bye"

click. prrrrr.......

Honestly. Some days...

I've probably missed-out on the first batch of free Vodafone iPhones, but hey.... thanks for looking. I feel better now for sharing it

[tut]

Brilliant. Send it into Dead Ringers.

That however is what the world has come to.

tut

[meatball]

Good call mate.....dodgy barstewards........had a similar experience last year......I wasn't so polite!

Mine ended with me asking...."can your phone do this.........prrrrrrrrrr".....the end!

[mckeann]

i get that quite alot, and always have the same conversation. Definately the right decision

[hendeg]

My calls usually go along this lines of...

Me: "Hello"
Call Centre (CC): "This is Vodafone, can I

click. prrrr...

[fd]

mobile> UNRECOGNISED NUMBER
me> ignore - if it's important they will leave a message
#cold calls in the last 5 years . . . zero.

Fd

[cloggie]

Anyone else when reading this think of the Jamaican guy off phonejacker

[BiggestNizzy]

try this next time

Me : Hello
Call Center : Hello, (in a thick Indian accent) this is Robert calling on behalf of .......
(not wanting to apear racist but there is no way this guy is called Robert, so why would I trust someone who has just blatently lied to me over something as trivial as there name) Can I intrest you in .......
Me : Awww I was just getting to the good bit of this porn film I was watching, and you interupt it for this!
Call Center : click. prrrr...

Started doing this after someone tried to sell me a mobile phone, I told him that I get a phone through work and it's free, gratis, nada. he wouldn't take no for an answer as apparently his £25 a month deal was better than my £0 a month deal. I gave up and hung up, he phoned back! and informed me that I must have something wrong with my phone!

[Neil72]

Anyone else when reading this think of the Jamaican guy off phonejacker

Made me think of this one : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReBD2YdLcoM

[Ricky_111R]

I hate these type of calls, i usually let the person get too "Hello is this Mr.... I am phoning from your...." Before i hang up. I never give my mobile details to any company, so is always gonna be a time consuming waste of a call.

[Blaque]

I had a mobile phone company phone the other month, to offer me a new phone. I explained that I didn't use the phone for calling much, and that I struggle to use the monthly minutes and text allowence, and that it was more the features of the phone that were important to me (PDA, GPS). He then went on to offer me a phone with none of the features I use on my present phone, and (his selling point) a massive 600 minute and 600 texts for ONLY £10 more than I was paying now!!!! When I was in sales we were taught to listen to the costomer wants.

Best one was a conservatory telesale woman, who was delighted when I let her go through her speel.
At the end I asked, "Do they come with stilts?"
Her "I beg your pardon"
Me "Do they come with stilts?"
Her "stilts? Why?"
Me "Well, I'm in a first floor Flat"
Her ......Click...click....Berrrr....

[thinfourth]

Best one was a conservatory telesale woman, who was delighted when I let her go through her speel.
At the end I asked, "Do they come with stilts?"
Her "I beg your pardon"
Me "Do they come with stilts?"
Her "stilts? Why?"
Me "Well, I'm in a first floor Flat"
Her ......Click...click....Berrrr....

I had those idiots turn up at my door.

Pointed to the drive with the landrover and the caterham on it and asked if he thought it looked like a conservatory type household


They left at that point

But they might not of been the brightest pair as they then visited my neighbour who pointed to the existing conservatory and asked WTF do you think that is?

[meatball]

I know of a similar conservatory/flat story.....hehe

However I often ask the cold callers......"can your phone do this?".......click click brrrrrrrrrr!

[Lazydonkey]

If you aren't already on TPS i'd sign up

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

This will weed out a lot of the cold calls but unfortunately there are still companies who either ignore it (like my past employer) or say they don't have to comply as it's a "customer service" call to you if you're an existing customer. Whist hanging up is satisfying, it may not stop the calls - if you are an existing customer it's much better to talk to someone (even if you call them back) and tell them to remove all marketing consent on your account and only call you if you have a problem with your account. Then if they call you again, you are entitled to go completely radge and often gain compensation. If this happens DONT let it drop

Martin
someone who supplies the data used to "cold call" people

[ABZ-Elise]

Best one was a conservatory telesale woman, who was delighted when I let her go through her speel.
At the end I asked, "Do they come with stilts?"
Her "I beg your pardon"
Me "Do they come with stilts?"
Her "stilts? Why?"
Me "Well, I'm in a first floor Flat"
Her ......Click...click....Berrrr....

I've done that a few times now. I did get one company saying that they could do that but it might be quite expensive.

Started doing this after someone tried to sell me a mobile phone, I told him that I get a phone through work and it's free, gratis, nada. he wouldn't take no for an answer as apparently his £25 a month deal was better than my £0 a month deal. I gave up and hung up, he phoned back! and informed me that I must have something wrong with my phone!

I've had an indian lady posing as a british person (think she said her name was Julie) telling me I had been selected to get a free phone (which was top of the range, it didn't even have a camera) and a cheap contract. I told her I would take the free phone but I didn't want the contract...I never did get it

Kev.