Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Fun with Telemarketers

Telemarketing from international call centers is annoying a lot of people. I say it's time we get something out of all the hassle. The next time you get a call from someone who has to struggle to pronounce your name, have some fun!

How? Well, you could offer an elocution lesson, something I've done. When you answer the phone and the guy on the other end asks for someone like "Deeblah" and you know they want to talk to Debra, stop 'em cold and say, "No. Hold up, man, you got it all wrong! Try this: say 'urr.'" Insist that they say it, then tell them, "Now, say "Deb-urr-ah." Bug 'em until they get it right or hang up.

Or you could pretend to be someone else, maybe a telephone repairman or a visiting relative. Once when I got a call from someone with a heavy accent asking for me, I announced, "No, I'm sorry. I'm his brother, Bob. I'm here fixing some plumbing problems, because he hates plumbing. You know that 3/8-inch soft copper water line? Yeah, once I came over and the idiot was laying on his back under the house trying to solder some of this pipe--in a snowstorm! I laughed my butt off and he got really mad at me ..."

If you know another language--other than one the caller probably speaks--you have another avenue for fun. Just say anything, like, "No hablo Inglis, pero comprendo poquito si tu habla mas despacio ..." Anything will do; just be sure to speak rapidly.

If enough of us do this, the clowns back here in the USA behind these campaigns may just give them up.
--Mike
http://www.michaelabanks.com/

2 comments:

Bob said...

The one about pretending to be someone else and then starting right into a rambling conversation really worked for me yesterday! Thanx! The other thing you could do is to put a telemarketer on hold and dial up someone else's number and then conference call them toghether and you remain silent and let the fun begin as the marketer tries his/her speech on one of your unsuspecting friends.

Michael A. Banks said...

Hey--keep it going! The conference-call hookup sounds like something my brother, Bob, would pull on me!
--Mike