Show of Hands

I don't owe anybody anything and I don't mind talking to telemarketers or people looking for donations. I always answer the phone. I am actually surprised by these numbers! Really people? Answer the phone!

I ask...
"What's your favorite color?"
Or...
"What are you wearing?"
:)

I used to. Then my student loans came due.

Same!!

I really don't care. It's ether a friend using someone else's phone to get ahold of me, a prank caller who ends up being the one who's pranked by me or a telemarketer which i troll. Either way it's a win for me an you never know when it could be an emergency.

I love answering unknown calls. You never know who's on the other side of the line. I usually screw with them, but if its a prank call I play along. (:

You must be very quick on the computer.

Lucky you.

Lucy you.

I don't have caller ID, so I'll always pick up the phone.

I'm the only person in my house that picks up the dang phone

It's not a big deal to me. I always answer my phone. Like, whatever....

Same here it's so much easier just to text someone. It saves the awkward conversation.

I like the attitude.
I need to think that when the phone rings. I hope it helps me.

I've messed around with telemarketing enough to have a guess at what this "probe calling" is. My main guess would be that they have an automated system calling multiple numbers at once, then the person who picks up first is the one who gets a real person, while it hangs up on everyone else.

AnnieM, think of assertiveness as stating what you are going to do. You save them time to make another call that may payout and don't waste your time when you definitely are not interested. You both win. If they can't handle a product rejection, they have chosen the wrong profession. It is best

Oh yeah. I'm 20/200 in my only good eye and can see clearly only at 3" away with a 14x reading lens. :)

Don't know ya??? Here comes the bitch bump!

And I know that I have to be more assertive and less of a push over even with the polite telemarketers. I just always remember the person on the other end is more than likely an ordinary person stuck with a crappy job.

I have that problem too. Especially if the caller is calling on behalf of a non-profit. I usually go too easy on them then I end up being stuck on the phone for 5 minutes saying "No-n-n- no, no I don't think-- uh huh, uh huh, uh huh. Well, you see, the thing is--"
I don't like being out right rude,…

It is a great way to practice my assertiveness skills. My spouse has no problems being assertive. I on the other hand can always polish up every now and then ;-).

Never

Around where I'm from it's considered rude to not answer even if you know it's a telemarketer. But then again that could be because the generation who was around when phone lines were introduced here are still around and use the phones a lot and the magic is still there.

Yeah, I really, really don't get this sales technique of pushing and pushing and making the person pissed as hell then expecting them to buy something.
Yeah, I'm going to give you money in hopes that you'll stop being an ass. Right. That's how things work.

*yoink* Thanks!

Then, 15 or so mins later I get another call & the vm always starts "Oh! One more thing I forgot…" It makes me go in to rage mode fast.
Especially since they always do it either when I'm giving my kid a bath or something, or right when I've finally had 2 minutes to sit down by myself in peace.

Oh my gosh, RougeMom, my mother & grandma are both BAD about that one-sided conversation thing. They'll call, leave a vm & run out of time in the recording, call right back, talk for several minutes again & then again.

number the computer dialed. Most, though, especially recently, will hang up when you're in mid-sentence so that you can never technically tell them to stop calling.

They'd go through each of our lines within 10-30seconds of each other.
Technically if you say "do not call here again" they have to oblige, though some with the robo-dialers will have to ask for the number you don't want them to call because the actual person has no idea what…

Also, a lot of telemarketers or scams will use robo-dialers. They just start with say 698- in your area code then cycle through 698-0000, 698-0001, etc. When they get an answer the computer logs it as a legit number. It was infuriating dealing with those people when I worked for a pizza place. …

If I don't know it, I don't answer it. If there's no voicemail, I don't call back.

Yup! Telling a toddler or pre-schooler "It's for you!" works every time. Plus, it makes the kid happy and gradually teaches them basic phone etiquette like saying hello when you get the phone and saying goodbye before you hang up on them. ;)

focus on a conversation.
My (extended) family knows all this, but it's impossible to get them to text or IM, so I just let them gripe about how bad I am at calling people back.
It's the 21st century. You know I hate phones and there's 101 other ways to contact me. Use one of those.

I tend to be like this too, though I don't text much. I HATE talking on the phone. For one I have hearing problems that make it difficult to understand unless I'm in a near silent environment. Two, I'm a SAHM of a toddler so from 7am to 9pm I'm usually busy with something that makes it hard to…

It started gentle. Each day was a more powerful sales person. It was absurd. I had to really put them in their place before they backed off.

Thanks! I will check it out!

Hmm, I've been on the fence about getting that since I got rid of my cell phone (hardly used it). You may have just sold me.

Annie, I think they think they are being smart. I think it is foolish to hack people off then expect them to be open to your requests. I think it is rude and an invasion of my private residence. I had some gas company call me each day to push themselves on me. I had to be extremely assertive.

Though, if it is a number that I know is a telemarketer, I will let him get to it first then let the person on the other end deal with trying to talk a three-year-old in to handing the phone over to an adult. When he doesn't understand what they're asking of him he just says "Okay, bye!" & hangs up.

I try to let unknown numbers (especially 800,888,877,etc numbers or area codes I don't recognize) go to voicemail, but I have a toddler that knows how to answer the phone. Sometimes I have to try to beat him to it, or I have to take the phone from him once he's answered it.

I get those. They usually call multiple times a day for 1-3 days, then wait a few days and call with an actual person on the line. By the time the person answers I'm so frustrated with all the dead-air calls that I go off on them a bit. The usually hang up half-way through my rant.

If I'm at my computer I'll search the phone number. More often than not I'll see its bogus and let it go to VM where they usually don't leave a message. And I agree 100% with the comments on the ineffective "do not call" list.

If the number is my area code I will but not if I'd out of state or toll free

Has anyone had problems with these blockers when selling things on Craigslist?

If I don't know the number, I don't answer. If it's important enough, they'll leave a message. I've gotten too many solicitor calls to deal with it every time.

I'd like to ignore it but have a handicapped brother and my dad is epileptic, I have to for emergencies.

You sure you aren't really from Texas? ????

It is seriously irritating having a prank call multiple times a week. If you pick up it goes dead anyway.

I thought Ford discontinued the Probe years ago and now you are telling us they call people's houses? Poppycock, i say.

I like sending back postage paid credit card offers with as much crap as i can fit crammed into the envelope too.