Sales calls from overseas

[FourWheelDrift]

Why is it when you get a call from companies that have outsourced their sales calls overseas (thus avoiding the TPS) the phone rings you say "hello" and there's complete silence, you say "hello" again , still silence then...evetually someone speaks. Are they using even cheaper VOIP style PC based telephone systems?

Either way I am now just hanging up as soon as they start to speak. Fed up...completely.

Anyone have a better wind-up or revenge?

[victormeldrew]

Not really. I just put the phone down as soon as I hear the Indian voice at the other end.

[Rob P]

Get caller display and never answer to an unknown number?

If its anyone important (i.e someone you actually want to speak to) they will leave a message!

[remal]

victormeldrew said:

Not really. I just put the phone down as soon as I hear the Indian voice at the other end.

I love it when they ask are you the owner of the house. just say no but you will get your mummy. 10 mins later hang up the phone. basterds

[PinkPanther]

Get loads of these at work!

Best one was someone ringing up to speak to the sales manager - my business partner just said straightaway... 'He's dead. Died yesterday and we're having his funeral on Friday', thinking this would put them off. After a short pause at the other end however, came the reply 'who's replacing him then?'. I couldn't believe it

Oh and someone asking one of the staff for the name of our 'Telecommunications Manager'. Not having one, staff just gave them my name instead. Asked if they could speak to me, staff said 'I'm afraid not, he's hard of hearing and can't use the phone'. Priceless!

PP

>> Edited by PinkPanther on Saturday 6th August 18:02

[FourWheelDrift]

Rob P said:

Get caller display and never answer to an unknown number? If its anyone important (i.e someone you actually want to speak to) they will leave a message!

but that only works with phones that have caller display or if you are using BT. I am using neither.

[minimax]

FourWheelDrift said:

Why is it when you get a call from companies that have outsourced their sales calls overseas (thus avoiding the TPS) the phone rings you say "hello" and there's complete silence, you say "hello" again , still silence then...evetually someone speaks. Are they using even cheaper VOIP style PC based telephone systems?

it's an outbound dialler system, the system rings a number of 'customers' and then sources the connected call through to an operative who is sitting ready to take a call. the operative does not dial the number and has no idea who they'll be speaking to next, and the delay between you answering the call and hearing someone on the other end off the line is while your details are being screen-popped on to the next available operatives desktop so they know what they're talking about when you answer

[mrmaggit]

victormeldrew said:

Not really. I just put the phone down as soon as I hear the Indian voice at the other end.

Yup, me too. Or if they can't pronounce my name. Not exactly hard, is it?

[minimax]

mrmaggit said:

victormeldrew said: Not really. I just put the phone down as soon as I hear the Indian voice at the other end. Yup, me too. Or if they can't pronounce my name. Not exactly hard, is it?

mees-terr mah-gitt



you're right, it's not is it?

[Hanslow]

My missus has recently answered two of these calls to our home. If we get any more I've told her to put it next to the TV and they can talk to whatever crap is currently on the TV

[scared but happy]

I hate the ones that say they are 'calling on behalf of BT'. So I ask, are you BT then? Well no we...*click*

[nevpugh308]

mrmaggit said:

Yup, me too. Or if they can't pronounce my name. Not exactly hard, is it?

You ought to hear some of the variations of "Pugh" I get ....

[cyberface]

I have a 'bad' habit of only answering the home phone if I recognise the number... otherwise it's voice mail for you and I'll decide whether I want to ring back. I've never bought into this 'must drop everything to answer the phone' - especially if I'm in the shower / eating dinner / in the sack / etc. (I run my business calls from a separate line)

I've noticed a bunch of auto-dialling recorded messages being sent to my (theoretically ex-directory) landline... the answerphone kicks in, and immediately over the top of my nice RP english bird saying 'please leave a message', I get a recording of some american loon claiming I have won a prize / holiday / etc. and I need to call some foreign number....

I presume this is due to VoIP technology? Random war-dialling and mass-calling 5 minute voicemails on international POTS rates can't be anywhere near a viable business plan??? Surely??? (compared with mass spam emails, which probably work on miniscule response rates). I assume here even with VoIP the final IP-to-local-loop fee is charged by BT back to the VoIP operator?

Being the lazy bastard I am, I've never picked up any of these recorded messages, so I'm not sure if doing so would transfer me to a sales person / robot / another recorded message... however surely they can't make any money unless I either initiate a call to them myself, or actually buy their product / service?

I suppose eventually, with enough net bandwidth and cheap enough transfer fees from the landline operators, this sort of voicemail spam will become common. However given the usual immediacy of telephone communication, I can't see it being anywhere near as value-for-money advertising as good old email spam.

Perhaps I should begin researching ways to create the first spam-filter POTS phones....

There's bound to be some comms tech here who knows this, I'm very interested! Perhaps the thread should be cross-linked to the computer geek forum...

[hustlebabe]

For someone that admits to being a lazy bastard that was quite a piece you posted

The VOIP system has it's good and cost effective use but now joe public is finding the menacing side to the system

Your idea to get a blocking system gets my vote

[exboxster]

I get them from time to time offering me a new phone, free holiday etc etc.
Use this soundboard to wind them up - absolutely calssic when you call them a fairy, and tell them how f##ked up they are.

www.ebaumsworld.com/pacino2.html