 |
| Orangutan in Aalborg Zoo, Denmark (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Since this is a very low readership weekend, for today's post I've decided to go with a rant of sorts. This will maybe not be so much a rant as it is a precursor to upcoming posts leading to my Battle of the Bands coming up next Monday June 1st. And I won't even bother to rant about the passage of time. June already? Somebody must be stealing time from me. But let me tell the story.
Last week I received a call from "Microsoft Windows Technical Support" to tell me that they were receiving error messages from my computer that indicated that my system had been hacked. I get these calls once or twice each year and I'm sure many of you have as well. Hopefully you don't work with these people as they are scammers trying to gain access to your computer.
My caller ID had indicated that the call was from "Private Caller" and since some of my family members often seem to show up like that on my display, I went ahead to answer to call. After I was made aware of who the caller was I asked for her to give me the business name, the phone number, and the address where they were located thinking that this would cause her to terminate the call. Instead she gave me everything I asked for including an address in California. I was certain, judging from her accent, that she was most likely calling from a call center somewhere in India.
Advice that I had read had suggested using the asking for info tactic in order to cause the caller to hang up, but now apparently the telemarketing firm had caught on to this and had the information ready for the callers to come back with to the person they were trying to dupe. This is a logical psychological tactic since many people who were already scared about the news concerning their computer would be more open to providing a caller information that was being sought about their computer now that they knew who the caller was and where they were calling from.
Not to fall for any of this scammer shenanigans I told the lady on the other end that I would do some of my own research relating to my computer and would be calling them back. Of course, I had no intention of calling back and I figured that would be the end to these phone calls for another several months. This time however I was to be surprised by another call the following day.
This time the caller was a man with an Indian accent who started off with the same phone pitch as the lady from the previous day. I cut him off saying, "Do you realize how ridiculous this call is? How would you even know to call this number in the first place? This is a scam!".
The caller immediately hung up on me. This time I figured the calls would be ending for sure. However, the next day at about the same time a different Indian accented man called with same spiel as the callers from the previous two days. Before this caller could even finish I started laughing loudly. The absurdity was now too much. As I was laughing I could hear the caller's voice demanding to know why I was laughing. I was so amused by this third call that I couldn't contain myself and continued laughing.
I could hear the frustration in the caller's voice as he continued to probe me as to why I was laughing. Finally, I said with great amusement in my voice, "This call is so stupid! This is all a big scam!"
Now the caller was furious with me. "A scam?" he shouted. "You think this is a scam?"
The caller continued to ramble on with an angry defense of what he was doing and why I was being foolish not to pay attention to him. Instead of continuing the discussion I firmly let him know I was very busy (and at that moment I had been) and was not interested in his call. He was highly displeased with me, continuing to shout at me as I clicked the off button of my phone.
I had obviously pissed the guy off. It seems like I should have been the angry party, but the guy who called was doing all the yelling. This has happened to me before, not often, but on a few rare occasions. Once an angry telemarketer even called me back to yell at me more after I had needed to disconnect his initial tirade. The second time I calmly let him know he was being highly unprofessional and that I was going to be hanging up the phone, which is what I did. That time there was a number on my caller ID that I called back to report the telemarketer to his supervisor, but no one answered the phone.
I've done my share of telemarketing in my life and two things that I've learned is that sometimes there are people who are not interested in what I'm calling about even to the point that they might get angry and abusive and one thing a telemarketer should never do is be impolite or argue back. Even though I disliked much about telemarketing, I always approached the job in a professional and respectful manner.
Actually the reason I'm telling this telemarketer story is that there was another puzzling incident that happened to me. Also last week, a blogger got angry at me, or perhaps he's just an angry sort of person and I happened to be the one there at the time for him to unleash his anger toward. Having a telemarketer get angry, though inappropriate, might be understandable. But in this business of blogging, fellow bloggers should be a bit more reasonable and not lash out at others who are just trying to engage in a friendly manner.
Maybe I'm wrong about this so I want to get your opinion about what happened between me and another blogger. However you'll have to wait until my next post to hear about this story. I don't want to upset anyone with an overly long post, so please return on Wednesday.
Have you ever received a "Microsoft Windows Tech Support" call? What was your reaction to the call? What would you do if a telemarketer began arguing with you in an angry tone of voice? Have you ever done any telemarketing work?
He started arguing with you? Yeah, that is really unprofessional. That's why we don't answer the phone unless we are positive we know who it is.
ReplyDeleteI made phone calls for the Republican party one summer when I was in college. Not a lot of fun.
I do feel empathy for phone workers since I have done it and know what it is like. Most of them just are doing it as a job to pay their bills, but they also need to learn to be respectful of the people they call.
DeleteSome of the calls we get--like ones from Ecuador--don't specify the number on the caller ID so we tend to answer most calls. Once I recognize a specific name or number as being a telemarketer I will typically ignore it.
Lee
Lee, can you programme speed dial into your phone system? If so, when you get a call from Ecuador you can programme the caller's name and it will pop up next time.
DeleteActually, Jo, I'm not overly concerned since most of the calls don't bother me that much. The obnoxious ones like I've described here are very atypical of what we usually get here. But your idea is a good one--I'm just not sure that I have speed dial.
DeleteLee
Hi, Lee! I will read your next post with great interest. It surprises me to learn that another blogger lashed out at you. I'm still getting to know you but my experiences with you have all been positive. I find that I respond most favorably to people like you who are even-tempered, respectful and tactful even if they have an opinion that differs from mine.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having a great holiday, good buddy. See you soon!
Since I'm not working the only difference between a holiday and not is that my wife doesn't go to work. Everyday is about as great as another for me.
DeleteI was surprised by this blogger's communication with me, but he seems to be someone who is eternally belligerent toward most other people from what I can see.
More on the story coming Wednesday.
Lee
Hello Mr B I get calls from the so called Windows Technical Support all the time, they seem to like Britain and it is a common issue. One of the things they like to do is take control of you computer remotely and they them lock it. They then say you have to pay £200-£300 pounds in order to unlock your computer . It is less telemarketing and more straight extortion of those who dont understand what they are up to.
ReplyDeleteThe last one I spoke too got confused when I asked him which computer and what operating system he was interested in as I have several old PC's running several operating systems because I do IT technical support for a living. He kept on though that I had a problem and I must do what he said, I even said he was a scammer and what did he tell his family he did for a living as it must be hard to tell his kids he is a crook. I dont think he did entirely understood and just kept going . . In the end I said he was a ****** **** ******** ******** which did seem to stop him and we both decided that was the end of the phone call. But I suspect in a week or two someone will phone and tell he my computer has a problem, sadly as I have said they like us Brits and will not give up.
A rude blogger that's not nice. I did not think you wrote anything that might cause that sort of reaction.
Rob, actually the first time I got one of these "Microsoft Tech" calls several years ago they said they were calling from Britain, but still they had the Indian accent which raised a red flag. That call scared me as I was very worried about my computer issues back then and thought it could be a true thing, but still I decided to do some research and told the party to call back the next day. With the help of Google I discovered about the scam.
DeleteI don't know if I wrote anything in my posts to incite anybody--not recently at least. I think this blogger is probably just mad about me and about you and about everyone else who don't buy his books.
Lee
My response is short, I never... never answer my phone and with potential emails like PayPal is closing your account or I inherited 10 million dollars... delete and never answer... a super hero team that will win out all the time.... your situation, is they maintain being a real source until you call them out on it... you win!
ReplyDeleteJeremy, I delete some emails each day--fortunately I don't get too many scam mails like that. And actually the telemarketing calls are relatively few, though they are on the increase of late. I think it's a sign of the economic times.
DeleteLee
I usually don't answer calls with "Unknown Caller" listing. Sometimes when it is a local number I do because some people I know appear under such a listing. As for Telemarketers, I was woken at 3 a.m. by one of these Indian Microsoft callers. When I told them the time and that I was in bed, they expected me to get up an turn on the computer. They were lucky not to get a mouthful from me.
ReplyDeleteRude bloggers are not nice at all.
Jo, the tactic of recent times is to show a person's name and number so that it looks like an actual call. Then they call me by name as though they know me. These folks keep getting trickier!
DeleteLee
I only have a landline b/c it's w/ my bundled cable package and I get a ton of spam calls on it. I do try to answer sometimes to tell them to stop calling but 9 times out of 10, no one is there and the call disconnects. I could never do telemarketing b/c I would take each rejection to heart. I haven't gotten any of those Microsoft calls though. And my curiosity is piqued about the blogger that got wicked mad at you!
ReplyDeleteJoJo, many of our calls are disconnect calls. It's usually either because it's an autodialer with available person in the call center to man the call or the automatic call system is probing to see what time people answer at the number that's been called. Maybe on very rare occasions they recognize my voice and don't want to talk to me, but I think that is unlikely.
DeleteI'll tell about the mad blogger without naming names. Some readers will know without my telling them.
Lee
First, let me say that is an interesting, thought-provoking picture of yourself on this post. wink, wink
ReplyDeleteSecond, I almost got scammed one time. When I realised what was happening, I popped the battery from the laptop and did not turn it back on for about two weeks.
Luckily, I had very little stored on the computer in addition to the fact the value of the computer was much less than the potential ransom.
They had gotten me when I responded to a warning web page that I thought was from my internet provider. I got the web page from a FaceBook link.
I had been surfing without virus protection. I thought I was safe in that I only went on FaceBook and Blogger with that computer.
I had thought I was good at detecting scams. Anyway, the dude called me back the next week representing Microsoft. I told him I recognised his voice and hung up.
I was able to restore that computer and run virus protection and it was not lost. I store files in a cloud and a secondary hard drive. Nothing is stored on my computer.
Rude bloggers, oh my. One thing social media is doing for me is getting used to critics and reactions. I taught school for a living and worked with a flexible clientele (children).
I hate those fake pop-ups that look real. I've been tricked by those before but never went very far with them once I saw what's going on. I've been lucky that no one has gotten into my computer yet--at least I don't think they have. These days it's hard to know who's watching us and what they are going to do next.
DeleteLee
Yes, we get these sorts of calls here in Australia several times a week. They are not marketing a thing, just trying to relieve us of some cash! I have got to the stage where if I see the international code prefix on my phone's display, I don't answer the call. Australia even set up a Do Not Call Register where you could register your phone number and you supposedly would not receive any unwanted phone calls. It worked all right for the first couple of years, these days it appears to be not working at all!
ReplyDeletePassions, I signed up to be put on the Do Not Call Registry but that was several years ago and maybe it expired or something. Like you, my calls stopped for a good while then in the past few years they've started back up. Then the calls like the "Microsoft" one are coming from out of the country so I don't think they care about any Do Not Call Registry.
DeleteLee
On the telemarketer, I would posit that they are under ever increasing pressure to make their pitches, and with what I am sure is an ever-decreasing worker quality curve, we're bound to get more and more arguing telemarketers. On the blogger, blogging is at essence for many a narcissistic thing. It is easy for an intelligent person to pop a pseudo-intellectuals bubble, and then they get cheesed, because you've dared put a hole in their self esteem. Just give them a kiss and a pat on the head and they'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteChris, I get that same vibe about the pressure to sell or whatever they're doing. People are desperate these days and need to get commissions. Plus I think a lot of people these days are irritable and angry.
DeleteON the blogger issue I think you're partly right. On the other hand I think it goes back to the anger issue. Some people take everything personally and in turn hold everyone else responsible for any slight that comes their way. The kiss and pat on the head doesn't work with some bloggers because they'd much rather be pissed and have others to blame for their ills.
Lee
This is hilarious. I live for making scammers and telemarketers angry, but I do it intentionally. And I too once had a telemarketer actually call me back because he was so angry.
ReplyDeleteI believe I know the story behind the blogger who's getting huffy with you, as I read it in your comments last week, but I'll stay tuned to see if I'm right before I say anything. But if it is who I think it is... he's just an angry, belligerent idiot acting out like a child and I have no shame in saying that publicly.
Beer, I won't be naming any names, but you probably are thinking of the right blogger. You're also probably correct about your assessment of this blogger yet still the psychologist side of me makes me wonder what makes somebody like this tick and why they would bother with social media. This type a person should probably have a blog with no comments allowed in their posts and they should never visit other blogs. But then they might not have anyone to be angry with. It's a circle of absurdity.
DeleteLee
We ditched our land line a year ago and we've never regretted it. Plus with our cell phones, we can block calls that are telemarketers. I love it.
ReplyDeleteL.Diane, I prefer my land line so don't see myself getting rid of it any time too soon. As few call as I do get though, it's probably dumb for us to have both kinds of phones, but we do.
DeleteLee
No, I haven't gotten a call from such a telemarketer; I usually don't answer the land line during the day since I'm working and since we moved, we've been lucky to avoid telemarketers in general. I do have to deal with call centers from India though since our computer support for the company I work for is in India. Sometimes challenging figuring out what they are saying or what they want you to do.
ReplyDeletebetty
Betty, the telemarketing calls seem to come in spurts. Some days our phone doesn't ring at all. Those tech support call center calls can be such a nuisance. I've spent an hour or more with some of them and it can be very difficult to understand some of them. Some are very nice and helpful though.
DeleteLee
The last time I answered such a call, I told them I didn't own a computer. :) They promptly hung up on me. We'll see how long my ploy works. haha
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I should try that one next time. Maybe turn it into a big drama.
DeleteLee
I get those pesky calls every couple of months, if I have time to play I let them speak then ask them to repeat as my recorder wasn't on...love the sound of that 'click'!
ReplyDeleteNo excuse for the rude blogger; he should be ashamed and likely will be right before his blogging days end.
Diedre, when I do have the time and am in a bit of a silly mood I will sometimes play with the callers. They either hang up, play along. or get angry.
DeleteThe rude blogger probably doesn't care all that much from interchanges I've seen him engage in on other sites.
Lee
The last couple of times I've gotten calls from those guys, I've told them that my computer was telling me that they had been hacked. Those have been some funny calls!
ReplyDeleteI think I did a post about that?
Andrew, I think I recall a post you did about telemarketers. I know you've done some posts on rude bloggers.
DeleteLee
Oh sure, leave us on a cliffhanger. ;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't had that kind of call, but if I did, I'd probably hang up too. Hubby is a software designer and knows computers, so I'd just ask him about it and he could tell me if it was real or not.
Patricia, since I know next to nothing about computers I get scared easily about mine.
DeleteLee
Lee-
DeleteNot to horn in on your exchange with Patricia, but you were savvy enough to recognize the most important fact-how would Microsoft have known where to call you?
LC
Larry, that was the greatest absurdity to me, but on the other hand there are so many phone tap lists floating around out there that it could be possible. Also, a high tech organization such as Microsoft could conceivably have my number I suppose. It just seemed nonsensical that they would receive weird messages from my computer and then take time to access my number to call me about it. If they're that efficient then why can they deal with all the spammers and hackers out there?
DeleteLee
I get the computer help calls. I usually just tell them I don't need anything and hang up.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who takes unwanted calls like that and tells them she's so happy they called, let her tell them about Jesus. Most hang up on her. But a few times, she has gone on to pray with them about their lives and once someone accepted Christ!
Long years back, I had a guy with AT&T calling, trying to sell use a caller ID box. I told him I wasn't interested. Then he started saying reasons why I NEEDED it and as he said each reason, I told him why I didn't. In the end, he was very angry and called me stupid. ( I'm gonna have to post about this one day.)
And once back years ago, we were a couple of months late on a credit card. A collector guy called. I was nice and told him exactly why we were late and how we expected to handle it. He went on to tell me how that just wouldn't do. I told him how that was all we could do. He started demanding we borrow from friends,etc. And I refused. He ended up screaming at me how they'd be at my door tomorrow to take our home away. I laughed at him and told him good luck in Texas! That in Texas only the mortgage company or the Federal Government could take your home. Crazy!
I suppose that the ones that get so weird do it because they up against some quota or something.
I have a couple of organizations that have started using recordings that are computer programmed to sound like they are a real person you are talking to, but if you pay close attention you realize they are listening to your responses and looping the feed.
Life & Faith in Caneyhead
Barbara, those robo-calls are very freaky. Sometimes it can take a bit before I realize it's all automated and then I dump them. The quota theory probably is true in some cases. Also telemarketing can become very frustrating and stressful for certain kinds of people. Not everyone can be a good telemarketer. Credit collectors can be particularly bad. I used to have some calling me because my ex-wife had run up some debt and they could get very nasty at times even though the debt had nothing to do with me.
DeleteLee
I have had a telemarketer get mad at me. It is kind of funny. Never got the call claiming to be Microsoft though.
ReplyDeleteSusan, when I worked in telemarketing I never got mad over the phone though sometimes I wanted to. A few times though I cracked up so bad laughing at someone who was really--uh, can I say, dumb?--that I couldn't talk and had to hang up on them.
DeleteLee
Have you ever received a "Microsoft Windows Tech Support" call?
ReplyDeleteNo. And seeing how many you've received, that surprises me. (Watch me start getting them now that I'm aware of 'em.)
What was your reaction to the call?
What call?
I can't imagine any blogger getting mad at you, Lee.
Unless it was me. Ha!-Ha! (I jest.)
Now, based on Beer Boy's clue, I gotta dig back and see if I can find the event alluded to.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
STMcC, judging from my Google searches, the Window Tech Support scam has been a pretty common one for years. I'm interested to know what phones lists they work from since I believe they addressed me by name.
DeleteA few people noticed the rather strange comments I received last week and one commented on them. It's there in my comments, but it actually started elsewhere on another blog including that of the offender when I visited him just to be friendly.
Lee
Thanks, BOIDMAN. I found some of 'em.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
I have a land line and almost always keep the ringer off so I don't have to deal with scammers and solicitors. The people closest to my husband and I generally e-mail before calling.
ReplyDeleteAhem, my husband and me...
DeleteJennifer, not to take things out of proportion, I actually don't get many of these calls. Just enough to bring them to my attention. But no big deal.
DeleteLee
Lee, you have such a jaundiced view of the world!
ReplyDeleteThese people are only trying to help you!
Next you're going to tell me that the e-mail I got this morning about a widow in Nigeria wanting to deposit $500,000 into my bank account is a scam, too!
Have you ever tried just saying, "I do not own a computer?"
My "home phone" is a Magic Jack number, and I am not even sure what the number is-I only use it to call out and have told everyone I have called to use my cell number, not the land line-I never answer it, and know that any call to it must be telemarketing.
If a number shows on my cell that I do not recognize, I do not answer.
Even if it's a real telemarketer, I do not want to be bothered!
Larry
If my incoming calls ever did get out of hand I guess I'd stop answering or try another method, but actually I probably average about 1 per day and often no one actually is on the line. I've probably made things sound worse for dramatic effect.
DeleteLee
We're on the do not call list and yet calls continue to come in. We've gotten the computer calls several times, and sometimes twice a day. I told my husband I wanted a whistle so I could blow it in the ear that doesn't hear me say 'I know this is a scam, don't call again.' I was fed up one particular afternoon after receiving several telemarkerter calls and then they the computer scammers decided to try again. Unknown caller appeared on the phone ID, I answered, he gave or started to give his pitch and I let go of a scream - so loud I scratched my throat. I've never, ever screamed like that in my life, but I did that day. Problem was, my husband sitting on the couch next to me, the guy I thought was watching TV, and saw the phone call on the screen, and knew I was answering, well, he was asleep. Oops, he jumped up and just looked at me - you know the crazy woman. He didn't say a word. Not sure what was funnier, but the scammer hasn't called back - yet.
ReplyDeleteRudness has no place in blogging!
In sympathy to the telemarketers, most of them are just desperate folk who reluctantly took the job because they needed the money. Better they do what they're doing than something less savory or standing on a street corner asking for handouts. They cross the line when they become pushy and rude.
DeleteRudeness has no place anywhere, but in blogging particularly it is strange.
Lee
I agree, and at one time I had to make cold calls. Horrible job! But this computer scam, especially when you tell them you know it's a scam and please take your number off their list - I'd had it. Most of the callers I tell I'm on the do not call list, say very politely they will take me off their list, and they do. These guys - so insistent your computer is ill, even when you tell them you don't own one! Simply crazy!
DeleteAlso, just wondering - if so many of us, all over the states have heard from these folks, they must be successful?!
DeleteCold calling is horrible. I did it once for a company that gave out the worst leads ever and later I found out it was a scam operation anyway. When one of us cold callers did hook a good lead then one of the pushy hot salesman would jump on them to try to get their money. I was just an innocent trying to make an extra buck, but instead I was setting people up to be attacked by wolves. I was so disappointed when I discovered what was going on.
DeleteThose "Windows" scammers have been operating so many years now and have hooked so many victims that they are very well known, but still they look for those who don't know the scam and still take the bait. We have to be so careful when people contact us and want our money.
Lee
i also had one call me back and continue to argue with me. I just laughed, told him he needs a life and hung up. I don't answer the phone normally but when I do I now start be to a little devil. The last time I just kept saying Hello. I pretended I could not hear him > I was surprised how long he stayed on the phone with me. Another time I Answered "Pizza, Pizza" and kept asking if he wanted a Pizza. Mostly I don't bother. as for the blogger....this person is looking to be angry because there is nothing you write that one can feel offended about unless they are looking to be offended in the first place. What kills me is that he had the choice not to read your blog so why did he take the time to write some dribble? I will look forward to what this person wrote on Wed.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, I can't understand how a telemarketer could be so persistent as to call back after being snubbed, but I guess some people have that personality and they have no business dealing with the public.
DeleteAs to the blogger, yes, he had a choice to read or not. I think he likes to engage people with belligerence. I'm not going to be too specific in my Wednesday post--well I'll see what happens.
Lee
This is an interesting story, Lee, and I was all ready to hear part 2 about the blogger getting mad at you. I bet they have some kind of timer on their phones and people who engage them for a specific amount of time get called back because they think they have a live one. It's so funny that you kept laughing and made him mad!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I'm not sure how these folks operate these days. When I worked in telemarketing we used index cards with notations of when they were called and responses we had received. Some of those cards went back for years. Now I guess everything is recorded on some kind of computer file or something like that.
DeleteLee
Never got that type of telemarketing call. I have gotten them, and have gotten into some very nasty discussion about donating money to charity (I don't donate to any charity that uses telemarketers and has admin expenses above the 21% threshold) and I've gotten some nasty phone calls at work from debt collectors looking for deadbeat employees who were stupid enough to give them my work number as a contact number.
ReplyDeleteMost of the conversations I have nowadays go something like this:
"Hello?"
"Hi, would you be interested...blah, blah, blah.:
"No, please put me on your do-not-call list. Thanks. Bye."
Father Nature's Corner
Since much of my telemarketing experience has involved "charities" and since "charity" telemarketing was a promotional tactic used heavily by the company that used to book and manage the route of the touring production I used to work on and manage, I have mixed feelings about this issue. It's not the most pleasant job and I can come up with several reasons that the telemarketing promotions are economically healthy. I can also find reasons to argue against them. I am more sympathetic to the charity callers but I would never give to them. I get more annoyed with the home improvement and other similar companies that keep calling me, not that the calls bother me that much, but the same companies often call at least once a month.
DeleteDebt collectors I am less fond of.
Lee
I hate those computer scam calls. I tell them my computer is fine and hang up. I don't want to fight with a scammer of all people.
ReplyDeleteI went back and read through the comments. I hate to see people fight on blogs. Seriously.
Robin, I agree that it's silly for bloggers to fight and feud. Really what's the point? After all online communication is so ineffective and so many misunderstandings can easily arise. I think when blogging especially we need to toughen our skin and seek clarification when misunderstandings arise. Most of us would not behave as callously as some bloggers choose to do if we were dealing with somebody in person. I prefer to be a peacemaker rather than a fighter.
DeleteLee
Telemarketers and Telephone Scams - I only have a cell phone. If I don't recognize the number or it comes up in any form of blocked, I simply don't answer. If it was something important, they can leave a message and I'll call back. No message, well, I guess it wasn't that important.
ReplyDeleteMean Spirited Blogging - life is too short. People who want to pick a fight deserve to be ignored. Best thing ever is to vote with your feet, and run swiftly away, far away from them. Unfortunately, I've learned this is what 'Comment Moderation' is for - to keep out the riff raff, and by that I mean the Mean Spirited Blogger. For the first time in almost seven years of blogging, my blog now has Comment Moderation activated. I believe everyone has the right to be the 'king in their own Castle, and decide how they want to run their blog, but I also have the right to never return and un-invite them to my place (read - not publish their comments) when they cross that line of name calling and a genuine mean spirited nature. It's my opinion this is just another form of bullying, something everyone is horrified about today.
FAE, I don't even want to get over the overblown issue of "bullying" here as I think often it's due to lack of understanding and miscommunication. Not always--there are legitimate acts of bullying, but sometimes people are given improper labels because of misunderstandings.
DeleteMy blog is open to discussion with anyone and I think I've been pretty good at resolving most misunderstandings that have occurred here--there might have been a few--and if things are cleared up then those bloggers are welcome to visit my site if they want or not. I guess if someone started slamming me with multiple comment attacks then I might have to resort to "Comment Moderation", but so far I haven't had to go this far. I've only had to limit "Anonymous" comments when the spam got too bad.
Lee
I havent received any calls - due to the fact that I rarely answer my phone, even for people that I do know. But I had a good friend that recently received these same calls. The first two times he just laughed and hung up. The third time.. he responded with. "Thank you for your concern. But can you tell me - How in the hell can I have this error if I don't even own a computer?" Telemarketer hung up and hasnt been heard from since.
ReplyDeleteMary, when's the last time your friend received one of those computer calls? Like I mentioned, normally I've only gotten them about once a year. Three days in a row was a real anomaly.
DeleteLee
Wow, that is definitely something I don't miss about living in the U.S. We used to get telemarketers all the time. I started speaking in jibberish when they didn't get the message. Interesting, though, that the guy thought getting angry would somehow prove he wasn't a scammer.
ReplyDeleteAlex Hurst, A Fantasy Author in Kyoto
Alex, actually it was somewhat interesting to me to see how 3 different callers from the same place handle their calls. Maybe they purposely put the hardcore tough guy on me last thinking that's when I would break. Instead I laughed and maybe that's what bugged him.
DeleteLee
I know people who've gotten these calls. It's so sad because I'm sure that so many people thought these calls were legit and gave these scammers access to their computers. It's terrible. I did telemarketing for like a week. I found it totally exhausting. Can't wait to hear this story on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteQuanie, it takes a certain kind of person to do telemarketing. I was okay at doing phone surveys, but phone sales was not my thing.
DeleteLee
Re the other blogger, I've been involved in what I call a "blogspat," it really caught me by surprise. I'd like to hear more about your online altercation. *grins*
ReplyDeleteTami, it's weird how blog feuds develop. My encounters have never went on for long and I've usually smoothed them out okay.
DeleteLee
Ohmygosh, Lee, this happens daily at my house. It's ridiculous! Any more, I hang up abruptly. Before I would say we have never called for tech support; stop calling us, etc. Nothing works. Thanks for sharing this, Lee.
ReplyDeleteVictoria, the calls can definitely be a nuisance. I try to add a face and a life to the person behind the voice and wonder what they've got going on in their lives. Having worked in telemarketing and known a lot of other people who have done so makes me realize they are doing a job. If they respect me then I'll respect them.
DeleteLee
My mom has received those calls. I've received voice messages with similar calls, all claiming to be from Microsoft. Like you, Lee, I always treat telemarketers with respect. It's a tough job! I did it for a while when I was first starting out in the workforce. It's not fun getting hung up on and yelled at so I try to be courteous and just ask them to please remove my number from their calling list. I am on the National No Call List, after all. That list seemed to work for awhile but now I'm getting more and more calls. I went in to check on the expiration dates and both my lines are updated and still covered so I don't know why all of the sudden these telemarketing calls are coming in again. Now with Caller ID, if I don't recognize a number I don't answer. If it's important, they'll leave a message. Looking forward to hearing about how you pissed the blogger off next!
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
Michele, maybe that Do Not Call List wasn't enforced so now the companies are emboldened to start calling again. It's a lousy job--one that I would hate to have to do again.
DeleteLee
Yes, Lee, I think so too. The No Call List was a hot topic in the news for awhile so naturally companies were towing the line. But now that time has passed, I think they think it's okay to start again. I do notice that many who leave voice messages have an option to be removed from their calling list by pressing a certain number. Unfortunately, most of those prompts fall at the end of their very lengthy message so I don't always get to them...but I do appreciate the ones who do that.
DeleteMichele, I don't even know if those "do not call" options really work or they are just a ruse. It seems like I have opted out then have been called later, but I don't know for sure.
DeleteLee
I find that you laughing at him cause him to be so angry fascinating.
ReplyDeleteHR, I will admit that his odd behavior did fascinate me.
DeleteLee
Awesome! Two things I love more than anything else. Well, maybe I can think of a few things I like better. But ranting and messing with telemarketers. And scammers on top of that! I used to be a scam-baiter, so I know how to have fun with these guys. You can get away with more when it's emails, but you can still have fun acting interested and worried. Last time I had a scam call, I pretended the "problem" they were calling about was affecting me right then and there. And no matter how ridiculous you say the problem is, they will agree with you. I once told the guy my computer was hacked and it kept playing Rick Astley. He replied that everyone was complaining about the same thing.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey, that's a hoot. Come to think of it my computer has been playing Rick Astley of late.
DeleteLee