13 June 2005

The Countdown

On 22 June, I can start taking down the names and numbers of phone solicitors. I called the National Do-Not-Call Registry a few weeks back and they give solicitors one month to comply. The calls have diminished, but not completely. Are you aware that all cell phone companies have sold their customer's numbers to solicitors? How will these calls affect your minutes? Is this a lawsuit waiting to happen?

The other day, "Toll Free" called me for the upteenth time. Normally, I pick up the receiver and hang it back up, but this day, I decided to see how annoying I could possibly manage to be:

Me: Toll Free?
Toll Free: Yes, this is toll free. May I speak with Mr. or Mrs. Stich, please?
Me: Toll Free?
TF: Yes, this is toll free. I assume this is Mr. Stich?
Me: Toll Free.
TF: (laughter)
Me: Toll Free.
TF: It's going to take a lot more than that to irritate me, sir.
Me: Tolllll Free.
TF: Well sir, as a current customer of $%#&* Communications, we would like...
Me: Toll Free.
TF: ...to offer you the chance to receive our &*%$*## service...
Me: Tooooll Freeee!!!
TF: ...for a mere $**.** that we will simply add to your current billing statement. Would you be interested in receiving...
Me: Toll Free. (click)

I hung up the phone. The nut on the other side was still yammering on to some idiot (me) in the hopes of making a sale. In all my "toll-freeing" I hadn't even heard what they were offering, but I knew it was probably something I'd use maybe once a year, but pay an extra $1.75 per month to have. That's an extra $21.00 bucks per year. Maybe I should call back the toll free number and offer them the opportunity to pay my bills.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hate phone solicitors, my worst though was living in the dorms. Due to the fact that they kept calling previous inhabitants of that room -- unfortunately the numbers on campus go with the room. I like your approach. I am sure it was annoying enough from the other end of the phone line.

Shannon

Southern Oregon Animal Sanctuary said...

I like to ask them to hang on a sec while I turn my hearing aid up, then leave the phone sitting there off the hook and go about my business. I figure at least I waste a few minutes of Evil Corp's precious time.