There Will Always Be Phoneys
I�ve spent this week at home in Ohio wrapping gifts, enjoying Thanksgiving with my family, marveling at how big my daughter�s tummy is getting and, oh yes, answering the phone non stop.
The phone began ringing at 8 a.m. Monday morning. On the other end was a gentleman, barely discernable, selling replacement windows. He asked to speak to Mrs. Darth. This is always a clue right away that the person is not someone with whom you desire to converse. I corrected him explaining our last name is Dearth, earth with a d on the front of it. That thoroughly confused him so I told him we�d already replaced our windows and weren�t interested. We�d done this more than 20 years ago, and they don�t appear to me to need updating.
At 9:05 a.m. AT&T; called to tell me that I�d changed my long-distance carrier. They seemed incredulous that I would do such a thing and had a great offer to get me back. When I told them this was the third time in the past seven days they�d called with their great offer and had already been told twice by my husband that it wasn�t such a great offer, they became quite pushy. So I told them to take us off their call list. It�s never worked before so I doubt if it will work now, but at least they hung up.
While working Tuesday morning, the
phone rang at 10:30 a.m. This guy was sure he had the lowest interest rate in the world and we�d be crazy to pass up re-mortgaging our house. I explained we�d done this more than six months ago and were not doing it again. To which he responded that his research told him my husband and I were college graduates and would never be stupid enough, yes he used the word stupid, to turn down such an obvious win-win opportunity. I told him that it was a shame his research hadn�t also told him to NEVER refer to people as stupid. And I WAS stupid. Just stupid enough to hang up on anyone referring to me as such.
Wednesday brought more mortgage calls, one life insurance solicitor and two additional long-distance companies. All offering the deal of a lifetime and all rebuffed within 60 seconds.
The best one occurred yesterday morning. We were all gathered in the family room enjoying the Macy�s Thanksgiving Day Parade when the phone announced itself. Thinking that it may be a daughter in distress preparing her first Thanksgiving Day feast, I answered the phone. I said hello. I said hello three times before anyone responded. And the voice I heard was offering a great deal on Time-Life books. Once again mispronouncing our name and speaking so fast that it could have been a foreign language; I did what I normally will never do. I hung up. I hung up without even admonishing the caller for his rudeness.
The hubris of any company that would deign to telemarket on a Holiday goes beyond anything I�d experienced from this genre of irritating people.
Here�s hoping Time-Life saw a major drop in sales yesterday. And here�s hoping the folks in their research department were sent a very clear message.
Don�t call during the Macy�s parade. Most importantly, don�t EVER call on a Holiday!
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