Yesterday at work...
Me: "Good afternoon, XYZ Publishing..."
Other: "Sorry, I have the wrong number."
Me: "OK then, bye."
After about, oooh, five or six of these, all from different people, I started to think something was amiss. So before hanging up, I asked:-
Me: "Who are you trying to get a hold of?"
Other: "My mum."
Me: "Really? OK then, bye..."
A bit of digging revealed that they were calling from (or on behalf of) Bowater Home Improvements, and when they realised they were calling a business line, they gave the standard excuse, and hung up.
Let's see if we can get them to stop.
Other: "Sorry, wrong number."
Me: "I don't think it is. You're calling from Bowater Home Improvement and you're trying to sell me something."
Other: "...yes."
Me: "Can you remove this number from your list?"
Other: "You'll need to call another number to do that."
Me: "Will I? OK, what's the number?"
So I hang up (after getting the number, and before saying goodbye) and call it. Add the number to their do not call list, and look forward to a productive afternoon.
Then the phone rings.
Me: "Good afternoon, XYZ Publishing..."
Other: "Sorry, wrong number."
Me: "I don't think it is. You're calling from Bowater Home Improvement and you're trying to sell me something. I have just called your other line to get this number removed from your database."
Other: "Oh, that can take a while to work"
Me: "Can it really. What's your Managing Director's name?"
Other: "I... Why do you... I can't give you that, why do you want it?"
Me: "I am intending to make a formal complaint addressed to him. We have had about ten calls from you this afternoon, which is verging on harrassment."
Other: "You... I can pass you to my manager?"
Me: "I'd much rather not waste my time. What's your name? I would like to get my details correct in the complaint."
Other: "You're going to complain about me?"
Me: "Yes. So far you have lied to me, and you are now refusing to co-operate in allowing me to address the problem. Do you appreciate how much time has been wasted in dealing with your cold calls today?"
Other: "No, I cannot appreciate that."
And then he hung up. He hung up!
Not to worry, someone else called a few seconds later. Poor them: I was angry now. So I did what any rational person would do.
Other: "Sorry, wrong num..."And then I got my mobile phone out, loaded up the ringtones, and played them the Knightrider theme, repeatedly. A few minutes later, they were still holding, so I hung up on them.
Me: "Sorry to butt in, but I can put you through to the correct number, please hold."
In the meantime, a colleague got (yet another) call from the same folks. Being much calmer than I, he took the opportunity to discuss the situation with the line manager who refused to believe there was anything wrong with their system that allowed the same number to be called repeatedly, but agreed to get it removed from their database "immediately" though we may still get a few more calls.
An hour later, they ceased. Between us we estimate that we took over forty calls from these people, and not one of them admitted that they were cold calling unless we prompted them. Probably not technically illegal, but damned annoying.
So you see, I hate telemarketers.
