I hate being rude

[Night Elf]

I hate being rude to anyone but telemarketers are rude too! They talk so fast, not giving me a chance to say I'm not interested. And if they do pause, they know how to jump right back in trying to keep me on the phone. If I can't get a word in, I just hang up. I'd hate to have that job.

[marbel]

I don't like being rude either, but I have no problem talking over a telemarketer. Sometimes I do feel sorry for the people - they are just trying to do their job, make a living, after all - but not enough that I feel I have to keep listening to them talk when I know I'm not going to be doing business with them.  I say no right away.  More often than not I think they hang up on me anyway. 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I tell them promptly (but not rudely, just matter-of-fact) that I'm not interested -- before they get their spiel out -- because they're wasting their time as well as mine. They don't make any money off of my politeness. I worked as a telemarketer one summer, when I was 18. It was a horrible job, and I did NOT feel better about the people who kindly let me say the whole thing even though they were just waiting to hang up on me after that. LOL

 

There is one kind of caller to whom I am very rude, without apology, and that's the microsoft windows scam organization. These people get to hear my ladle repeatedly banging against my sugar canister while I remind them that I know they are crooks and I've told them not to call here. If I don't use the ladle, they call back later that day and every day. If I do use the ladle, I only hear from them once a month.

[Night Elf]

It's a horrible job. I am polite but firm. And I always try to be kind - wish them better luck with their next call etc. Because I know they have a manager standing over them waiting for them to hit their target. And they are annoying, but they are also people trying to make a living, kwim ?

 

I agree. But what would you do if they literally don't shut up and give you a chance to say no. I try talking over them so they'll be able to go onto the next phone call but it's as if they aren't listening. I'm certainly not going to stand there and listen to their entire spiel so I feel the only recourse I have is to hang up. They aren't listening to me so why should I listen to them, you know?

[gardenmom5]

I hate being rude to anyone but telemarketers are rude too! They talk so fast, not giving me a chance to say I'm not interested. And if they do pause, they know how to jump right back in trying to keep me on the phone. If I can't get a word in, I just hang up. I'd hate to have that job.

 

I just sit the phone down and let them talk.   they eventually stop talking, and realize no one is there then hang up.  and it saves someone else.

 

if they won't let someone say "I'm not interested", they get what they get.

[gingersmom]

I tell them wrong number and hang up. I have no problem hanging up on them.

[AK_Mom4]

I hate being rude too... but if the people who want to sell me a warranty on a 2012 Dodge Challenger don't stop calling, I am going to explode.  They have started changing numbers and showing a local number with a real name in the caller id (stupid pop programs!) so I answer.

 

To be clear - I have not, nor will I ever own a 2012 Dodge Challenger.  And I keep telling them that.  And No, I won't tell you what type of car I do own!

[SproutMamaK]

Most telemarketing calls here come from India. There's about a two second delay between when I pick up and when the auto-dialer connects them to the conversation. Normally I hang up in that time, but every once in a while I'll have some fun. As soon as I hear them pick up I'll saying something like "You've reached the menswear department at Sears, how can I help you?" and listen to them fumble over themselves for a while trying to figure out what happened. The best was when I said I was the switchboard at the hospital and they tried to convince me that I, the imaginary switchboard operator, should book a duct-cleaning for the whole hospital.

Edited October 12, 2016 by SproutMamaK

[freesia]

they are trained not to let you get a word in edge wise.  I politely talk over them and say, "No, thank you."  I then hang up.

[Lady Florida.]

I don't like being rude either, but I have no problem talking over a telemarketer. Sometimes I do feel sorry for the people - they are just trying to do their job, make a living, after all - but not enough that I feel I have to keep listening to them talk when I know I'm not going to be doing business with them.  I say no right away.  More often than not I think they hang up on me anyway. 

 

I don't try to get a word in. I just say no thank you and hang up. I do understand that they're doing a job. My sil worked in a telemarketing call center for a while, so I try not to be rude. I don't think saying no thank you and then simply hanging up is rude. I'm under no obligation to have a conversation or explain why I'm not interested in an offer I didn't seek in the first place. 

Edited October 12, 2016 by Lady Florida.

[Lady Florida.]

Since we have only cell phones we don't get that many calls, but do occasionally get them. What I like about having a smart phone is once I get an unsolicited sales call I can then put the number on my reject list. It goes straight to voice mail, but they rarely leave a message. When they do I just press that beautiful little trash can icon.

[WTMCassandra]

I have given up on trying to be polite to telemarketers. Most of the time I try to edge in by saying "Not interested" and immediately hanging up (inevitably while they are still talking).

[JFSinIL]

I just loudly state "We give to autism research" and hang up.

[zoobie]

You're saving them time by refusing immediately. They can go on to the next number.

[mamiof5]

I usually talk over them and say "sorry, not interested". And for surveys etc I say "sorry, not a good time" and just hang up. I know it's not very nice, but they shouldn't be calling my home, cellphone etc. If I needed anything I'd take care of it.

[FaithManor]

I say in a friendly voice, "I'm sorry. I do not accept solicitation calls of any kind at this phone number." Click. Yes, I interrupt them. It is the only way. But I am not vicious nor do I sound angry when I do it.

 

The reality is that regardless of the cause, it is actually rude for a business to random call people. Bottom line. You don't pay your phone bill so someone with no legitimate reason to call your home, can tie up the line, and refuse to let you talk or get off of it.

 

It is a horrible job, but it is also a job that shouldn't really exist. Robo calling in the hopes of making a sale or get a donation should be legal. Mail something. People can call the business if they want the product. And as for donations, there are so many opportunities to send email, post on facebook, twitter, etc. on top of regular mail, they really should not be calling you at home IF you have never done business with them before in the past. I think it is fine for them to call if you have purchased their product or made a donation in recent years.

[Junie]

I did telemarketing for a short time.  The caller is required to "second sell".  And usually they have to offer a third time.  Hanging up on them is doing them a favor.  It helps them to get to their next call faster.

 

The telemarketing firm I worked for would send people home (without pay, of course) if they didn't meet their quota of "yeses" in an hour.

 

Say "No, thank you" and hang up.  By doing so, you are helping them buy groceries.  :)

[Rachel]

I did telemarketing for a short time. The caller is required to "second sell". And usually they have to offer a third time. Hanging up on them is doing them a favor. It helps them to get to their next call faster.

 

The telemarketing firm I worked for would send people home (without pay, of course) if they didn't meet their quota of "yeses" in an hour.

 

Say "No, thank you" and hang up. By doing so, you are helping them buy groceries. :)

As a telemarketer for a brief time, I agree. Also ask to have your number removed from the database. That will prevent future calls from the same company.

[gardenmom5]

As a telemarketer for a brief time, I agree. Also ask to have your number removed from the database. That will prevent future calls from the same company.

 

some might (i've had ONE acquiesce), many do not. my number is on the do-not-call registry.  it's already illegal for them to call me.  unscrupulous telemarketers call those numbers because they know it's a real number.  most, but certainly not all, are in india.

 

I had one start swearing at me when I told them to never call me again.

[Ausmumof3]

What confuses me is who actually buys from them? No one I know does and I wonder how it's even financially viable.

 

I also dislike the charity fundraisers in supermarkets who lock on with intense eye contact so it's hard to avoid their sales pitch without feeling rude.

 

I basically hate anything that takes advantage of politeness and social convention to sell because it undermines the value of politeness and social convention. Like mlm undermines friendship in some way.

[OneStepAtATime]

:grouphug: 

 

I was a telemarketer for a time.  The manager was a low life shyster scumbag.  It was a horrid place to work.  The company was dishonest.  I quit within weeks.  But I appreciated when people would take the time to listen to my spiel so my boss wouldn't chew me out for not trying harder.  On the flip side of that coin it makes no sense to let them keep talking if you have no interest whatsoever in what they have to say.  I hated it when I would give my spiel thinking they were actually listening and potentially interested only to find out they weren't interested at all and had just been trying to be polite.  I was wasting valuable time on a person who had no interest at all in the product I was selling.  I would have preferred to have more time to make more calls and possibly find someone who was interested.  OP, feel free to simply say politely, quickly, firmly and loudly enough they can hear you over their own words that you are not interested then just hang up.  Immediately.  Talk over them if you have to.  Don't waste their time or yours.

[TravelingChris]

I screen my calls.  I get the number and sometimes the person's name or organization on my phones and on my tv if one of them is on.  Unless the number is local, someone I know, or I am expecting a call back, I don't answer the phone.  So I never get telemarketers. If someone has something important to say to me, they can leave a message.  

[EMS83]

I used to try to be polite, and/or converse, but these days I just firmly say something along the lines of, "No, thanks, no, so sorry.  No."  If they are curious or persistent, I tell them I'd be interested if it were free.  I had a Terminix rep ask me what it would take for me to purchase the extended warranty termite protection plan whatsitcalled and I told her it would have to be free.  TV providers I've told if they can sell channels a la carte, I might sign up.  They can't do that, I know, but that's what it would take to rekindle my interest in television...maybe.  Make it commercial-free, too, then we can really talk.

[DesertBlossom]

I used to work as telemarketer in college. If you hang up, you're likely to get back on their list to call back later. I have found that disqualifying yourself works best. Normally, I am not one to lie but I make exceptions for telemarketers. Because if you disqualify yourself for whatever they're selling, they have to end the call. They can't keep going.

 

So, for example, if they ask to speak to the homeowner, I tell them we rent. If they want someone over the age of 18, I am only 16. Etc. Telemarketers are not allowed to keep asking you questions if you don't fit their requirements. So I figure what they want and then get them to hang up on me. They are sitting at a computer and they will mark that call as one not to call back because you aren't what they are looking for.

Edited October 12, 2016 by DesertBlossom

[nd293]

When I still got those calls (now I only gave a mobile phone and I screen all unknown numbers then block unwanted callers) I would say loudly and cheerfully "I'm not interested. Have a great day!". and hang up. I learnt not to engage at all, just say my piece and hang up. But I did always wish them a good day because imagine having to do that job all day...

[nd293]

I basically hate anything that takes advantage of politeness and social convention to sell because it undermines the value of politeness and social convention. Like mlm undermines friendship in some way.

I've added a few rules to my life over the years to deal with these situations: I don't answer calls from unknown numbers, I don't stop and talk to anyone collecting or advertising in shopping malls, I don't go to any 'sales parties' at friends' homes and I don't buy from people who come to the door.

 

In the case of people coming to the door, if I might be interested I offer to take a brochure and research online. They hate that but we ended up being pushed into buying something we wanted at too high a price once, so never again. If they're trying to sign us up for charity donations I interrupt and let them know I already donate regularly. And in the supermarket, I only interact if they have a tin for immediate donations. I once spent a long time waiting for an Irishman to finish chatting me up, thinking I'd make a $5 donation (payment for the pleasant accent?) only to find they were only willing to sign me up for a monthly donation for the rest of my life etc.

 

Learning to be blunt has been really hard for me, so I'm rather proud of developing those skills.

[Garga]

As soon as possible, and sometimes cutting them off, I'll say, "I'm not interested and I'm going to hang up now. Bye." And I hang up. It saves them time and is polite as possible in the circumstances (that they've been trained to keep talking.)

[Slartibartfast]

I just hang up while they are talking.

[Katy]

I had a telemarketing job briefly as a teenager.  I always thought it was more rude for someone to let me get through a 3 minute talk than it was to say no thanks and hang up on me.  Listening was wasting my time.

[Ellie]

I hate being rude to anyone but telemarketers are rude too! They talk so fast, not giving me a chance to say I'm not interested. And if they do pause, they know how to jump right back in trying to keep me on the phone. If I can't get a word in, I just hang up. I'd hate to have that job.

 

You're not being rude if you hang up on them.

 

It took me a long time to be able to do that, but I have finally learned to do it.

 

For awhile, before I had an answering machine, I would answer all calls; if someone whose voice I didn't recognize, and who didn't identify himself, asked for me or Mr. Ellie, I would say, "Oh, I'm sorry; she's not here. Can I take a message?" If it was a legitimate caller, he would; otherwise he'd just hang up. It wasn't too long before I was apparently dropped off all of the telemarketing lists. On the few occasions where I was caught off-guard and admitted to being myself, I hung up as soon as I realized it was someone I didn't want to talk to.

 

Also, I have an actual answering machine, such that I can screen all my calls, so I just wait for the caller to start talking. If it's someone I want to talk to, I answer. If not, I don't. Between the Do Not Call registry and my never being home to telemarketers, I hardly ever get those calls now.

 

Think of it this way: You are saving the telemarketers time by not listening to their sales pitches. :D

[J-rap]

More and more I don't answer my home phone, because friends and family call on my cell phone.  That solves it!

 

But otherwise, I usually just butt in right away and say "No thank you" and hang up.  I try not to be flat out rude because I know they're just doing a job to earn a living. 

[purpleowl]

I had a telemarketing job briefly as a teenager.  I always thought it was more rude for someone to let me get through a 3 minute talk than it was to say no thanks and hang up on me.  Listening was wasting my time.

 

I disagree. The telemarketer is the one wasting the person's time by calling unsolicited and interrupting the person's day. And I don't know how you can think it's more rude of the person to listen than to speak over you.

[Zebra]

I pay for the phone with my money, it's my phone for my use.

 

It's rude of them to call me and bother me on my time, on my phone.   So, I just hang up.   But, I also don't answer numbers I don't know.

 

 

[mom2scouts]

I had a relative who worked as a telemarketer. He said if you're not at all interested you should just hang up and then he could move on to his next call.

[Starr]

Or just let them talk away while you leave the phone on the table. If you just hang up they will call back. I say, "Take me off your mailing list" and then hang up.

[gardenmom5]

What confuses me is who actually buys from them? No one I know does and I wonder how it's even financially viable.

 

I also dislike the charity fundraisers in supermarkets who lock on with intense eye contact so it's hard to avoid their sales pitch without feeling rude.

 

I basically hate anything that takes advantage of politeness and social convention to sell because it undermines the value of politeness and social convention. Like mlm undermines friendship in some way.

 

people who are not sophisticated enough to see through their 'threats', or the IRS, or their computer crashing etc.   the IRS one (70 workers were arrested) was estimated to be bringing in $150K a DAY.  so yeah, people are falling for them.

 

the rudest charity person at a grocery store was a walmart employee.  the clerks were asking if you wanted ot make a donation.  (I'm sure they're pressured).  when I said no - she became very unpleasant compared to the person before me.     I have no guilt not giving my money to a charity to which I'm not iinterested.  

[Soror]

I did cold call market research for a short time. 

 

Honestly....they don't care if you hang up.  They don't even care if you say goodbye.  Before you have finished feeling guilty for hanging up, they have another call on the auto dialer.  Really.  Now, I am not suggesting that you scream curse words into the phone, but really, short of doing that, they don't care.  I once had a guy spend 10 minutes telling me all about how he had 10 calls from the same number in 15 minutes (not possible, I was the only one on that line and we were all on individual lines) and he was getting in touch with his lawyer and he was going to sue the company and me personally and yada yada yada....I actually should have just hung up on him since his rant was cutting into my stats, but I just sat and played solitaire.  And........that's what these sorts of people do.  In fact, anyone who REALLY cares about their stats would rather you hang up than answer the phone.  Trying to talk to them means they stay on the same call longer and most places want them to handle X number of calls per hour/minute (different places break it down differently.)

This has been my reasoning for just hanging up as soon as I figure out it is a telemarketer. It is just wasting both of our times to keep it going. Used to I'd wait until I got an opening and try to nicely say, "No, thank you." but these days I just hang up, the quicker the better.