Those damned calls you get at 6pm--what to do!

I know many of you have the same issue I do with those ‘cold calls’ you get around dinner time; that’s if you are lucky enough to have your dinner at that time. I suspect that you are thoroughly over the calls. Not only are they inconvenient, they just keep coming, even if you have made it clear via a range of methods to ‘stop the calls.’ It is time for payback!

Before you say, ‘these people are only trying to make a living;’ I would like to suggest that in many cases these calls border on being illegal and fraudulent. Yes, I know there are genuine ones; I’m thinking of the ‘insulation or home cleaning ones, but the fact is, I just don’t want them.

The ‘let us fix your computer calls,’ rears its ugly head from time to time and quite frankly, they are so unprofessional and bad, that I actually have fun with them. I feel that if I can tie them up for twenty or so minutes then they are not bugging some other poor sod. I know other friends and family who are doing the same and some of our ‘comparing notes’ make for entertaining story telling. Maybe I shall write a book based on someone in an ‘overseas call centre’ and how they function.

I see in the newspaper today that some of the firms trying to get work in the home insulation industry have been accused of hiking their process. I have an easy answer for them when they ring. I tell them of my ‘green house’ and they hardly get a word in---surprise surprise---I tell them about my wonderful solar water-heating, my heat pump and my DVS system. Then they have the gall to ask me how old my insulation is. I have absolutely no idea, so I tell them that we just had a third birthday party for my insulation and they weren’t invited.

I guess until ‘technology delivers us an answer; we are going to put up with these unsolicited calls. If you don’t have a big mouth like me, then just hang up immediately. They usually don’t call back. If you are feeling more energetic, want them to leave you alone, then bring out the old whistle, preferably one of the old fashioned school ones because they can elicit one hell of a racket. It is supposed to be illegal, but I for one don’t care---I didn’t ask for the calls.

For those of you who really are quite perturbed by these calls, seek some help from friends and if you are being continually bothered by ‘one’ company, if it is in NZ, contact them direct. A really responsible, non-threatening way to handle any caller is to ask for their number so that you can call them at your convenience. The chances of any overseas company ever giving you a legitimate number is totally unlikely.

OK, have fun, but be careful.