How to deal with telemarketers

The next time a telemarketer calls your house, and interrupts your family time during dinner, don't get angry, just be creative.  There is a lot of fun to be had with just a few fun ideas.

Now, you can have many different type of telemarketing calls - products being sold, free estimates, interest rates being dropped, you have won a cruise etc...and while some of these things may be helpful to you, it will brighten your day immensely to lighten up and have some fun. 

And we all know that laughter is the best medicine!!

Let's go through some scenarios, shall we?

The window companies - They always call and say that they can offer you a free estimate.  That is great and all, but if you aren't interested in having an estimate, have some fun by telling them that you don't own the place (co-own with the bank;-), or you don't have any windows...they will have something to talk about at work when you throw them for a bit of a loop like that!! 

The newspaper companies - They want you to subscribe to their paper.  There is usually a "great" starter rate for the paper, then after 3 months the rates will go up.  A great way that we have found to deal with newspaper calls is - telling them that you don't have time to read the paper, sounds simple right?  The response that I got back one time was - how can you keep up with the worlds going ons?  My response back to them was that the news is generally too depressing to read, I liked to think about positive things and news sources generally follow the "If it bleeds it leads" motto.  The sales rep was speechless!!

The internet/tv or phone companies, specifically the company you are already with - They want to sign you up, and have failed to do their actual job ahead of time.  That is why they are calling...they have no clue that you are already with them.  They will offer you 3 months of free high speed internet.  My response to them is a very enthusiastic "YES, I am definitely interested!!"  When they get all excited I then say how great it is that they want to cut my bill for 3 months.  The generally get flustered and if they don't hang up right away, they look at their file closer and realize that you are already with the company.  They will hang up quickly...or try to sell you on something else.

How about the credit card interest rates being lowered - I just usually respond with, "I don't have a card"  they will then try to talk you into a card and I just let them know that I am not interested in being in debt to them for the rest of my life.  I find that you actually have to hang up on them, they are relentless!!

Cruises, did you know that you WON a cruise?  What luck, you didn't even enter anything and you WON!!  We will always tell these people that we are not making enough money to do the cruise thing.  I haven't thought of anything creative for them yet.

If you can't think of anything on the spot to catch them off guard, you can always just go for any one of these other suggestions.

• Ask them to hold on and leave the phone off the hook...go on with your everyday activities as normal
• Ask them where they are from, and what is the weather like
• Ask them for their home phone number, and when they ask why tell them that you want to phone them while they are having dinner
• Do as the video suggests and just answer every question with one word...whether it makes sense or not
• Use your kids for an excuse to go
• Say that you have to use the bathroom
• If they pronounce your name wrong, just say that there is no one here by that name

There are so many other ways out there!! I always like to be as nice as I can, after all they are earning their money, they are working and I figure if I can make them smile then my job is accomplished!!

.What are some ways that you have found that work with telemarketers? I am always looking for something fun!!