How to Torment Irritating Tele-marketers

Did you ever received handphone call from tele-marketers who broke your concentration while you are busy at your work, or at time when you are just reach home and very tired, or just having a good lunch? Do you feel irritated when sometimes you are expecting an important call (from your prospective employers to call for an interview etc..) and what you are hearing is that,

“Hello, is this Ms. Xxx, convenient to talk? Im from YYY, can you just spare me 1 minute? We are having a promotion bla bla blah..”

I have received enough of these calls; it came almost every week and always comes from a different company selling different product and services. The caller numbers also range from ‘Private No.’, a handphone no., or a fixed line number that you can’t get through when you are trying to call back. Of course I couldn’t not answer the phone; it might be an emergency call, or a very important call about your application for visa etc. You may be wondering why I just didn’t say I’m busy, but I still need to know what they wanted to say first, in case it is important.

I even came across one Malay male tele-marketers who are selling water filtration and are very excited and eager to make a sales. When I told him I was not interested in a very polite tone for the second time after his non-stop bantering, he shouted at the top of his voice to his mouthpiece;

“AHHH!!!! BERLAGAK LA NGKAU! PERGI MAMPUS!!”
(“ahhh!! You snobbish slut! Go to hell!”)

and slammed the phone. Of course I couldn’t trace his call and I didn’t catch his company name. Otherwise, he would be just a ‘google’ away, and it would be my turn to torment them haha!!

I have no way to stop this kind of calls, except if I change to a different handphone number. But after few years of getting this irritating and unwanted calls (hey.. its my private line ok?).. I have found a foolproof strategy on how to end the call quickly after finding out who they are. You may try this, because if you do, both party will don’t have any desire to continue the conversation anymore, and some of them even choose to terminate the line without saying anymore word.

Here’s what I do.

Tele : Is this Ms Xxx?
Me : Yes, speaking.
Tele : Are you convenient to talk?
Me : Err…may I know who’s on the line?
Tele : Im calling from Company Xxx. We are having a promotion yadda yadda..

Give them 10 seconds to find out what they want to say. The moment you realized, immediately interrupt him/her with;

Me : Hang on a second. You don’t mind if you tell me where do you get my number?

At this point, some may terminate the calls. For those who didn’t, he/she may answer;

Tele : We got your number from a recommendation.
Me : Who’s recommendation? (act innocent or irritated)
Tele : It's confidential/we are not allowed to tell... (and some other bullshit...)

Ah. This is where things might get nasty. Some abuse might come out from your ‘innocent’ question :)

You either can insist to get who’s the recommender, or you can always click your little red indicator at your handphone, if he/she has not cut the line by now.

You should try it.
It does made my day :)