There are some days I hate the phone......
Oct. 9th, 2006 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Last week, someone from moveon.org called me and asked me to participate in their phone calling session. I was about to leave for my mens' group, but I took the call anyway. After hearing his spiel for a couple of minutes, I told him I wasn't interested in participating.
Today, someone from a mortgage company in Cleveland called and offered to refinance my home mortgage. I told him I didn't think I was eligible, in several different ways and reasons. He finally said something to the effect that I wasn't the expert on refinancing, but that he finally got the message. (I forgot that I had signed up for the Do-Not-Call Registry, and didn't think to tell him.)
I really hate the phone at times. Some days it's an instrument of torture.
I also hate myself for not having the balls to tell these people to back off, go away, and leave me alone. And I hate that my brain doesn't think of what to say until a few hours later, well after the moment has passed.
I'm so paranoid and distrustful about telephone solicitations that I won't do business with anyone who initiates the contact via telephone with me. I have no way of proving that the people at the other end of the line are who they say they are -- caller ID or not. I also won't give my full Social Security number over the phone even if I'm the one making the call. (Unless I'm on a secure telephone, like a STU-III or newer.) The telephone is one of the most insecure communications devices out there.
Today, someone from a mortgage company in Cleveland called and offered to refinance my home mortgage. I told him I didn't think I was eligible, in several different ways and reasons. He finally said something to the effect that I wasn't the expert on refinancing, but that he finally got the message. (I forgot that I had signed up for the Do-Not-Call Registry, and didn't think to tell him.)
I really hate the phone at times. Some days it's an instrument of torture.
I also hate myself for not having the balls to tell these people to back off, go away, and leave me alone. And I hate that my brain doesn't think of what to say until a few hours later, well after the moment has passed.
I'm so paranoid and distrustful about telephone solicitations that I won't do business with anyone who initiates the contact via telephone with me. I have no way of proving that the people at the other end of the line are who they say they are -- caller ID or not. I also won't give my full Social Security number over the phone even if I'm the one making the call. (Unless I'm on a secure telephone, like a STU-III or newer.) The telephone is one of the most insecure communications devices out there.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-10 02:09 am (UTC)Don't hate yourself for feeling as you do or for having trouble telling the callers no.
The have scripts and training to help make them as intimadting as possible in order to try and get the results they want.
You can do as I do and the moment they start their spiels I firmly say "No Thank You" and hang up on them.
If that is to much for you to remember or try when the situation arrises, then I would suggest that you keep a list of the things you might say by each of your phones and when they call simply choose the best answer from your list and say it to them then hang up.
You need to remember that every moment that they keep you on the line is another chance they have to try and win you over. Take charge and just hang up on them, it empowers you and frees them up to try their luck on someone else.