Cold callers

[JMAG]

One of my favourite tricks with the IT calls (when time and circumstance allows) is to pretend I use a left handed mouse. It took 20-30 mintues and a supervisor for them to catch on last time. It's also not unusual for a slow PC to take 5 - 10 minutes to boot up. Say something like "Thank goodness you called. The PC has been running so slow lately, are you ok to wait for it to load up?" Once you have made some small talk about your religion/rehab/dodgy knees and you feel their patience is running out, you just play this to give them hope
View: http://youtu.be/7nQ2oiVqKHwehttp://youtu.be/7nQ2oiVqKHw
Don't forget it could easily take another 5 minutes to be usable.

If you want to be really professional you can download the Windows XP startup and shutdown tunes and use them as an alarm tone and set the alarm for 5-10 minutes time as required.

At any point in the proceedings you can make your mobile phone ring and have a fictitious conversation with your pimp/drug dealer/gangster friend and have a conversation about the violent robbery you committed last night.

The world really is your oyster.

 

[screenman]

Although Like most I do not like cold calls I do feel sorry for the people making them, I am sure this would not have been a job of choice for many of them at least they are working and I hope it leads to better things in life for them.

I am always short but polite, I cannot see the point in making the poor people feel worse than they likely do already.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Although Like most I do not like cold calls I do feel sorry for the people making them, I am sure this would not have been a job of choice for many of them at least they are working and I hope it leads to better things in life for them.

I am always short but polite, I cannot see the point in making the poor people feel worse than they likely do already.

Isn't it seen as a great job in India, so they aren't all that miserable??

 

[JMAG]

Although Like most I do not like cold calls I do feel sorry for the people making them, I am sure this would not have been a job of choice for many of them at least they are working and I hope it leads to better things in life for them.

I am always short but polite, I cannot see the point in making the poor people feel worse than they likely do already.

Shoplifting, mugging and drug dealing can also provide less fortunate people with an income. Whilst not on the same level, these cold callers are basically peddling software that can be downloaded for free and charging an arm and a leg for it - up to £300

They are being deceitful and I have no sympathy I'm afraid. The last one told me I had to renew my Windows Security Certificate as my PC was more than 10 years old. As the cost was £150 - £300 I asked if I would not be better off buying a new PC if it came with a 10 year certificate. I was told that new PCs only come with 1 year certificates. In the same breath he realised it would still be more cost effective to put the 1 year £150 charge towards a new PC and corrected himself down to 6 months and then 3 months.

They are all con men/women. Nothing less.

 

[screenman]

Isn't it seen as a great job in India, so they aren't all that miserable??

Are they all in India? it is also seen in India as a reasonable paying but unpleasant job, or so I am told by people who have done it out there.

 

[screenman]

Shoplifting, mugging and drug dealing can also provide less fortunate people with an income. Whilst not on the same level, these cold callers are basically peddling software that can be downloaded for free and charging an arm and a leg for it - up to £300

They are being deceitful and I have no sympathy I'm afraid. The last one told me I had to renew my Windows Security Certificate as my PC was more than 10 years old. As the cost was £150 - £300 I asked if I would not be better off buying a new PC if it came with a 10 year certificate. I was told that new PCs only come with 1 year certificates. In the same breath he realised it would still be more cost effective to put the 1 year £150 charge towards a new PC and corrected himself down to 6 months and then 3 months.

They are all con men/women. Nothing less.

So none of them are trying to feed a family.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Are they all in India? it is also seen in India as a reasonable paying but unpleasant job, or so I am told by people who have done it out there.

I didn't mean all, I meant some.

And yes, it probably is a crap job talking to those who have posted on this thread!

 

[JMAG]

So none of them are trying to feed a family.

Some might be, does that make it ok then? Is crime ok if they are providing for a family rather than saving up for a carbon bike? What about the pensioner in the UK who is robbed of £300 when they barely have enough money to pay their winter fuel bill?

I respect your opinion and share your sympathy for those in need, but there's no way of knowing whether they are really needy or just greedy. Either way, what they do is wrong.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

My wife and I never answer the home landline now. If something is urgent we've told our friends and relatives to leave a message.

 

[mybike]

I rarely answer a number on my mobile that I don't recognise & if there is no number I don't answer. There is no excuse for not forwarding a number on a call if you are a business as it's very simple to set up a standard switchboard number for all your outgoing calls.

 

[screenman]

I answer every call, it only takes a few seconds. With 3 business web sites I most likely get more calls than some of you.

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 3602736, member: 9609"]I did look into this as a possibility, but the problem with blocking callers that withhold their number is - Hospitals etc withhold their numbers, and as the main reason we have a phone is because of our 3 elderly parents, it may defeat the point in us having a phone. I did however get in touch with our local hospital and they tell us that they have an agreement with BT and in most cases they can override the block, but I wasn't convinced and left things as they are.


According to my MSP, telecommunications is a Westminster thing, so hopefully the new rules will apply. I am keeping my fingers crossed that these new measures will help, but suspect I will be disappointed.[/QUOTE]

Slightly OTT....

Hospitals withhold as a confidentiality matter, the same reason as we will only phone numbers or persons that you have given on your files

 

[mybike]

[QUOTE="Cunobelin, post: 3602839, member: 363"Hospitals withhold as a confidentiality matter, the same reason as we will only phone numbers or persons that you have given on your files[/QUOTE]

There's no confidentiality about their switchboard number.

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE="Cunobelin, post: 3602839, member: 363"Hospitals withhold as a confidentiality matter, the same reason as we will only phone numbers or persons that you have given on your files

There's no confidentiality about their switchboard number

It is not the number itself that is confidential, but it does identify that someone in the Household is undergoing medical treatment or investigation..... something they may not wish to be known

Also some direct dial numbers are specific to the clinics

 

[DaveReading]

I'm convinced that many of the callers think they are in worthwhile employment and don't realise they are being used in a shady business

I used to think that too, until I had an enlightening conversation with one young lady a few months ago.

After I had explained to her that I had been wasting her time for 45 minutes, happy in the thought that I'd stopped her scamming anyone else during that time, she said she couldn't care less as there was an inexhaustible supple of gullible victims.

Trust me, they all know exactly what they are doing.