Tell me how
“And how are you?”
This is the trademark opener of the telemarketer, whether he or she wants you to change your telephone company or donate to the Suffering Cats Society.
My temptation is to tell the caller at some length all the details of the state of my health. After all, that was the question.
The mistake in thusly wasting the telemarketer’s time is that you are also wasting your own time. You could be usefully occupied in taking apart an old alarm clock or practising putting.
Read Also
Farmer ownership cannot be seen as a guarantee for success
It’s a powerful movement when people band together to form co-ops and credit unions, but member ownership is no guarantee of success.
If those seem too strenuous you might fall asleep reading the paper.
There are any number of examples of activities preferable to getting your ear and your arm bent on the telephone.
The quickest way out is to ask: “And what is the purpose of your call?”
This usually works and you are able to conclude the conversation in a matter of seconds.
Sometimes, though, this curt response can lead to embarrassment. You may have misread the situation and you’ll hear:
“This is your Aunt Lillian. We wondered it you were free for supper on Saturday?”
You are left stuttering and trying to explain your surliness.
Today’s cell phones mean there’s no place to hide, not even in the bathroom or the automobile. Most people have worked out a technique for dealing with telemarketing calls.
It is apparent the telemarketing people are trained in techniques for extracting our money so it makes sense you and I should pool our experiences with replies that seem to work.
Write me a note in care of this newspaper and tell me how you deal with telemarketers, so we can all benefit.
Please write: The Fringe, c/o Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask. S7K 2C4.
Or Internet e-mail to: newsroom@producer.com.
Or fax: 306-934-2401.
