Today I swore ….

I’ve just remembered howling with laughter when listening to my daughter on a call from an Indian call centre.
The call handler just would take no for an answer so my daughter gave him the verbal finger.
He replied in kind, she did the same, he did the same ?

BlueSky

I actually feel sorry for the cold callers and delivery drivers, as well as the call centre people. They do a job nobody wants, they get abuse, and they got to keep to impossible schedules.

yes, did anyone else see, sorry we missed you, on bbc 2 last night.
and now that people will have to take any job at all or lose benefits after a few weeks, imagine being stuck in a call centre.

BlueSky

I actually feel sorry for the cold callers and delivery drivers, as well as the call centre people. They do a job nobody wants, they get abuse, and they got to keep to impossible schedules.

I feel sorry for delivery drivers - they seem to be working to a schedule that only allows them seconds to lodge their packages. They probably have to make 'x' number of deliveries to make the job pay... day in, day out. But they are doing a useful job because without them many of us would be at a loss.

Cold callers selling loft insulation, or whatever - well, I find it very hard to sympathise, though I know I should because they are also doing a job. And possibly one they hate.

... but I loathe being interrupted when I'm focused on something. I think lots of people do, if they lead busy lives. And it's not just the odd call - sometimes there are many during the week.

If someone wants to sell me something, then they can arrange a date and time that's convenient to me (if I'm interested) - not ask me if I'm "having a nice day" when I've rushed to answer the 'phone leaving my disabled partner hanging on to the shower door because we're expecting an important call from someone else...

I think it is the persistence of keeping you on a list, no matter how often you say you do not want the (real) product that infuriates me.

Seven or eight years ago DH took out an extended warranty on a new washing machine. No idea why, it must have been the only appliance we have ever had an extended warranty on. After three years it expired and ever since, right up to this morning I get regular phone calls trying to get me to buy an extended warranty on the machine. Every time they ring and say who they are, I stop them at that point and say politely that I do want any warranties on any of my domestic appliances, Thank you and goodbye - and I put the receiver down. When will they stop?

Yes, I either use the cleaner or carer response. Works every time. Only once had the accident call. Said 'yes and I settled for a huge amount of money'. Absolute silence at the other end. Job done.

yes I lost my shit at work today maybe they will use their manners in future but it is doubtful

I had 2 calls asking if I needed my oven cleaning within an hour- but that might be my fault- I had our old oven cleaned before we moved house, so that it would be nice for the new tenant- so must have got on a ' needs oven cleaning' list somewhere!
The constant scams however, drive me mad!

We used to get calls every day around 6pm. DH got very fed up with them and disconnected the phone. We just had to tell everybody to use our mobile numbers. I was watching a programme about hoarding a few weeks ago, it was about a mother and son who had separate houses but the son wanted his mother to move in with him. They were both hoarders, the two ladies helping them were very patient, they were getting rid of some of the son’s many possessions, the helper picked up a telephone and said, ‘What about this?’. He replied that it was broken so the helper said well why not get rid of it or get it fixed? He replied that he wanted to keep it but didn’t want to get it fixed as it stopped the nuisance calls he had been getting.

I think to be fair these people are told to be polite and to wish people nice day etc, so perhaps its just best to accept their chat and reply, you too, or whatever. I think you can reply pleasantly to the silliest of comments.

This doesn't apply to me, it happened to my hubby once.

He answered phone to listen to some bloke calling himself John rabbling about had my husband has an accident.

John asked ( in broken English) if he had accident with laptop, falling off a ladder, tripped, blag, blah, blah.

Husband let him rattle on, then said "Actually yes, i had an accident the other day."

John almost whooped down the phone, "You had accident?"

"Yes," hubby replies, "I stubbed my toe on the end of the bed."

John repeated "TOE?" "BED?"

bang The phone was put down.

There is a difference between cold callers trying to sell you something and scammers - there is a problem with your computer/Amazon prime needs renewing etc. the first are just doing a job, but the scammers are laughing at you and deserve all they get.

I do recognise cold callers can be a damn nuisance, especially when they call early/late, so we had a call screening facility, (similar to muse) the caller must state who’s calling to the recorded message, then we can either accept or refuse the call. We’ve had no cold callers since.

It happened to me recently. I said loudly "Do you know what time it is?".
The line quickly went dead.
They shouldn't be allowed to ring so early.

We don’t have to put up with scam or cold callers any more. Our new BT Call Guardian landline phone intercepts all calls. We get a message that says who’s calling and we choose whether to accept or block them. Accepted numbers can then be saved so when they ring again , they get straight through to us.

Used to get several cold or scam calls a week. Sometimes 2or 3 a day. None at all now ?

I have a call blocking facility on my mobile phone so if I get a call from someone l don’t recognise l activate this. It has greatly reduced the number of cold calls l receive.

Upon asking cold callers , Co tha seo in Scots Gaelic, who is this? I very rarely have to ask a second time before they hang up.

BlueSky

I actually feel sorry for the cold callers and delivery drivers, as well as the call centre people. They do a job nobody wants, they get abuse, and they got to keep to impossible schedules.

Me too, so I’m never actually rude to them. Scam callers are obviously another matter, though.

Dd1 once had a holiday job in a call centre, cold calling about management consultancy, IIRC.

She only lasted about ten days. As she said, it’s not much fun being told to eff off all day long.

That’s why I try not to be unpleasant. I was doing a market research job one night and as I walked down the drive some double glazing people asked me if I’d like to work for them. They said I was brilliant: chatting about the ladies dog etc. I pointed out that I was genuinely interested in the dog and wasn’t doing it to sell her anything. I didn’t make much money doing market research.Sometimes ended up giving people a lift or picking up shopping for them! And, in retrospect, it was quite dangerous just going into peoples houses.

I worked for a double glazing company for a while, it was awful, the wages terrible, the bonuses we were meant to get if an appointment was made never materialised and people would literally scream at you. I didn't last long

Whiff

I had the loft insulation cold call. I sent him away with a flea in his ear. Other calls I have had told persistent callers they should be ashamed of themselves trying to scam people. The phone was put down . Have BT so press 1572 and put it on my block list. Other phone companies have a similar system.

Me too. Last one was the Indian call centre one about my Amazon account. I was just screaming down the phone saying do you realise what you’re actually doing and ‘so whereabouts in London do you live: how is the weather’. I usually try not to be horrible because they need the work but I’d had too many of them over several days. And I did ask for an apology given that he’d called at an inconvenient time but he refused. So I just lost it!

Just had chuggers at the door. It's bad enough in the street, but I really don't think they should be going round houses. As it happened it was for a charity we already support, but I didn't think that was any of their business. He did the "Are you having a good day?" thing, so I just replied "Yes thank you, and no thank you" and shut the door on him as he was saying "Enjoy the rest of your day" (to which my DM's reply would have been "Thank you, but I have other plans").

Regarding cold callers on the phone or at the door. My husband just says "we only rent the property" end of conversation. We do actually own our house.

BlueSky

I actually feel sorry for the cold callers and delivery drivers, as well as the call centre people. They do a job nobody wants, they get abuse, and they got to keep to impossible schedules.

Me too BlueSky - they are only doing a job, (obviously, I don't feel at all sorry for the scam callers). I just politely say 'sorry, I'm not interested, but thank you for calling' and end the call before they have time to reply.

Two cyclists at the entrance to a narrow one-way street; they dismounted and walked their cycles through the oncoming traffic in the middle of the road.

Bluesky my dd shamed me when I said how angry I was with these calls! She said much the same as you, and it certainly made me hang my head a little and change my tune a little too.