So, I've been plagued by some telemarketers lately. I'm not so good at getting rid of them (like Greg is), never quite forceful enough to convince them my 'not interested' really means 'not freaking interested'. Case in point, the 'you've won a free vacation, all you need to do to claim it is come into our little presentation this weekend' people. (I've won it, you say? But apparently my 'winning' it is contingent on my age and household income falling within appropriate ranges'?) Now, I'm not entirely against going to a time share presentation to get some free stuff, I'm just not in the mood for it right now. I did the (wimpy), "I'd need to talk to my husband about it," thing, even suggesting they call back when we was home (so he could get rid of them -- sorry, hon!)
Anyway, they called me back this morning, asking if I'd had a chance to talk to my husband about it. Honestly, I'd forgotten to even mention it to him, but I responded, "You know, he really wasn't that interested." (See how wimpy I am, I can't even just tell them, "No thanks" of my own accord. Bad Hilary.) The lady took this really disappointed tone, and was all, "Really? Your husband isn't 'interested'? In a free vacation?" At this point she honestly seemed to be headed into a "he must not be too bright" tangent that would mightly piss me off, being that I married one of the single smartest people I've ever met. But then she really shocked me by basically implying that my husband just must not really love me.
"I hear little ones in the background . . . that has to be hard being home all day with them. Are you really saying your husband wouldn't want to give you a vacation? I think he needs to think of you. Sometimes we just have to tell our husbands that what we want is more important than what they want, and they need to think of us first every once in awhile! I really can't believe he wouldn't want you to be happy . . . " Seriously, I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the lady. My sweet, always-puts-me-before-anything-else-in-the-world, husband is being bad mouthed by this woman, and it made me want to pimp slap her into tomorrow. Instead, I 'politely' told her we were done talking and hung up. But, seriously? The nerve.
7 comments:
I can't say "no" either, but I have to be the force to reckon here, as Simon is even worse then I am.
Having worked in a call center. Managed teams of employees working in a call center I have ZERO qualms about telling someone not interested and just hanging up. Honestly having been on the other end of the phone the person really doesn't care that much and they would really rather move on down the call list to someone who *might* be convinced. Girl .. don't think twice about it, just hang up!
We just say no and hang up. If you give them a chance to talk you'll never get off the phone. I hate getting those calls, too.
I miss living at home when you could just have this conversation. "Is your mom or dad home?" "No." Click. And done.
I've lived in student housing (the numbers weren't supposed to be available to telemarketers) or lived without a house phone for so long, I think I will be mightily out of practice with telemarketers once I have to deal with them again. I need to learn to just hang up rather than come up with lame excuses that they then have to punch holes in.
Wow. Annoying for sure. They totally use that tactic though at the presentation too. Make the husbands feel inadequate by making them feel guilty for not taking their wife to Europe or Hawaii or whatever.
Also, their "free" vacation is lame sauce. I mean we are going in November, but it's literally 48 hours, flying at crappy times, into the busiest airports, and you still have to pay the taxes and fees for the trip. Only do it if you are desperate for a mini getaway for cheap.
Ahh, I can't keep up with your posts! You are waaaayyy too nice. I can't believe the nerve of that lady. It makes me mad just hearing about it!
I got that same phone call earlier this week. I too have a hard time getting them off the phone. I kept trying to tell the lady that my husband is a truck driver and is out of town for a while so we wouldn't be interested.... she wouldn't give up. She started rambling off this story about her ex who was a truck driver. I fineally just hung up.
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