Lesson learned
So, I’ve been wanting to write about this for a long time but then I forgot about it but someone’s recent journal made me think of it again.
I get alot of telemarketing calls and alot of those are scams but I never know which ones but it doesn’t matter, I just don’t want to be bothered unless it’s important…
When I get those calls, I am polite and listen to what they have to say. Then I usually just tell them I am not interested, I wish them luck and then I hang up.
One day, a few years ago, it was a Saturday that I was getting one robo call after another and getting very annoyed… I wanted revenge! So I decided the next person who called trying to sell me something, was about to get verbally punished! I wanted to waste their time like they were wasting mine.
The phone rang. I answered it. It was a woman on the other end who wanted to pay off all of my student loans so I engaged her in conversation that kept her talking and I asked alot of questions and I kept her on the phone for a very long time, making her think I was interested in purchasing what she had to offer. We talked about many things which always circled back to the main sales pitch. Finally, about 45 minutes later, I could tell from the sound of her voice that she was very frustrated and I am sure she assumed I wanted to buy her product but then I told her, "I paid off all of my student loans 40 years ago. I am retired now!".. She nervously told me that she was sorry but I didn’t qualify for any of her loans and that ended the call!
I was so proud of myself! This was a call I had been getting at least a couple times per week and I had just wasted 45 minutes of this person’s time! I thought about doing this to everyone who called but unfortunately I had better things to do. However, I was hoping this would stop me from getting at least one of the calls I had been getting on a regular basis. It did.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again which had me thinking…” Here we go again!”. I answered it but it was a call I had been waiting for. The person on the other end was a very nice lady from the business office at the hospital. I had inquired about payments on an outstanding bill. I immediately told her I nearly didn’t answer the call thinking she was a robo caller. Then I told her about the previous call I had and what I did and my ego was flying high....talking like I was victorious in the war against telemarketers and waiting to get a verbal high five from the nice lady on the other end.....
.....The nice lady patiently listened to me without saying a word and when I finished, she told me these words which completely changed me forever…
“I did that for 11 years. It was the only job I could find. As a single mom with 5 kids, I had to put food on the table somehow!”
I don’t remember what I said after she tearfully described her past employment to me. My embarrassment caused a loss of memory. I think I apologized for a blatant lack of empathy toward those who do that line of work.
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After I wrote this journal, the phone rang again. Only, now I know why it rings! God keeps checking to see if I still remember that original lesson…..I did!
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God Bless
Replies
It is good to remember that everyone has a life with a story---even those pesky telemarketers!
true....I worked as a marketing researcher when I lived on Guam because I needed more than the highest salary I had ever had in my life while working at teacher there.....it was expensive to live on Guam....I did what I could and when they hung up I kept dialing the next number on my list....we did not have a robo dialer....
I ran into thing somewhere called Jollyrogerbot.....it is or back then was free....if you got a caller from marketing tell them to hang on minute then pull up the number and dial into jollyrogerbot and link the calls....jollyrogerbot was a loop of tape that took people long time to get it that this was not the actions they wanted from a customer.....it said stuff like can you repeat that and uh huh hold on a second....then some other lame blind alley it would take them down in the never ending maze that was jollyrogerbot....but not any more....they commercialized it and charge people access now....I checked it out again a few months ago.....
Bob telemarketers are different from scammers. God, I get the scammers a lot. They never get a penny from me. I keep the scammers on the phone as long as I can. As for telemarketers, I am polite with them.
That is an awesome story of learning a valuable lesson. I refuse to pick up the phone. Let it go to voice mail.
I also turn in the number to the do not call list. I do this because we got hit with several scams one right after another and when I picked up the phone, the person calling said, it worked, they picked up. I hung up the phone quietly and when my son got woken up from a much needed sleep after working overtime, he responded to same number with ' hello, this is so and so from a local hotel, how may I help you?'. We stopped getting calls after that.
I understand they are jobs that help keep a roof over someone's head, food in their tummies, and clothes on their back. That the best thing I do for me is to not answer the phone.
It is a valuable lesson you shared Bob. It makes me glad I do not answer the phone.
We had to sign up for NOMOROBO. The marketing and scam calls got to be too much. We even got a scam call from our own phone number once! NOMOROBO didn't used to be available for mobile phones but I think it is now.
The only thing it won't stop is election calls, unfortunately. We just never answer phone numbers we don't know.
I feel for the people that have nothing left but to do that job, just to keep any kind of solvent. But my home is my sanctuary. I will do what I have to, to keep a sense of peace.
Thanks everyone. Unfortunately, I have a business phone so I have to answer every call in case it's a potential customer, but I am polite.
I had maybe 5 calls today however each conversation was short and sweet, "I am not interested but good like to you, Bye bye," ...click
Bob, scammers are the ones causing the problems. Telemarketers are different. Scammers start with a robocall, threatening arrest for non compliance. Those I have my giggles and fun with.
I'm Blessed with 'spam risk' pop up....I usually have my phone by my side, if it comes up as spam I take the call and say nothing, then hit 'block' call ends in about 5 seconds.
I Hate When My Phone Ring...I get Huge Anxiety..., if I don't recognize the number I don't speak unless I'm expecting a call.
Bob, you are good with a business phone. Here's to finding the balance and it sounds like you have, patience, gentle voice and positive words do say no nicely.
What a story..... It may or may not be true Bob... Just another way of looking at it.... There are people who make up stories online all the time and I'm sure on the phone as well
I do think it's always good to be polite for me brief and polite..... Big squishy hug.... xo
Great story Bob, and yes, people need jobs and don't always get to pick the one they truly want, and have to pick the one they need in order to survive.
I don't worry about telemarketers at all, if I am not interested I just say 'no thanks, bye' end of...............it is my choice whether I want to answer any calls on my phone so I am ultimately in control :)
I was a telemarketer. I worked sales for a cable company. It was a horrible job, I hated every minute of it, but it fed me and kept a roof over my head. I was fired for not making enough sales because I didn't pressure people enough. I just have no words for the people who can, and do, stick with it. The only thing I enjoyed about the job were the overnight hours, since I'm a night person, not a morning person.
I loved all these replies. It was nice hearing from someone, at the end, who may have been the object of everyone's ire!
God Bless all of you!