I’ve never had to update the TPS must be almost 10 years I’ve been with them now.

Bloke tried to sell me “wine futures” earlier in the week. Had the kids next to me so said “Hang on, on Tuesdays I always do my Octopus impression for anyone who calls me, do you want to hear it?”

Bloke on the other end is a bit bemused but says “yes, okay”

So then I went silent, eventually I say “So what did you think?”

He says “I didn’t hear anything”

I reply “Of course, I was underwater”

Then he hung up.

Kids thought it was great. Wife thinks it was infantile 😉

I either pretend I’m crazy and keep saying “hello” half way though their sentance, or if the radio is on say I’m just putting you on hold” and leave the receiver by the radio….

telephone preference works well

If only. I seem to get plenty of surveys.

Had one today – got the trademark delay, so all set to hang up anyway, and when they asked if the homeowner is there (sub-continent accent) I did without replying. I thought afterwards I should have said I’d get them homeowner if they could tell me what their name is. Dialling random (or sequential) numbers I presume if they don’t even know the name.

“Hang on, on Tuesdays I always do my Octopus impression for anyone who calls me, do you want to hear it?”

Bloke on the other end is a bit bemused but says “yes, okay”

So then I went silent, eventually I say “So what did you think?”

He says “I didn’t hear anything”

I reply “Of course, I was underwater”

Then he hung up.

Kids thought it was great. Wife thinks it was infantile
I like. Funnier than any of the ones I do so I won’t bother saying them 🙂

I like the Tom Mabe approach

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdoogjic4I[/video]

Our problem is that once after car-free Sunday here we had a survey call and it was to do with our reaction to car-free sunday and on provision for bikes in general. It makes it difficult not to pick up the phone sometimes

What I really, REALLY hate are the charities

I donated to a charity during one of the “world emergency disasters” a while back, I can’t even remember what now, Pakistan floods maybe. Since then, they’ve done nothing but spam the crap out of me, they’ve easily spent more on postage than I ever gave them in donations. They’re not cheap-looking flyers either, they’re always full-colour booklets and glossy pamphlets. Next time there’s an emergency I’ll just ring and tell them to stop sending me shit and use the money they’ve just saved to go and help people.

I seriously don’t get any at all

I do make a point of never giving my number out on forms etc. and registered with TPS but that’s about it

Yep, it’s painful but if you give to a charity and want the money to be used as effectively as possible you HAVE to specify the project you want it for, not to receive any mailing and no phone calls 🙁 – otherwise they will send you stuff because it is much more effective to ask people who have already supported you than new folks – but I don’t like it

I had one of those MS Support Scams recently at work – despite them being told “Let me put you through to our IT manager” LOL.

Highly entertaining!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj2oXMdZ4sk[/video]

Not safe for work, as it contains moderate swearing.

What I really, REALLY hate are the charities (that you already give to by DD) calling you, giving the sob story and asking for more money on top of what you already give.

My wife actually stopped giving to one because she was so fed up of them continually asking for more.

My dad had a notion to start donating to Greenpeace by subscription, in fact he was quite enthusiastic so he took out 4 subscriptions, one for every member of the family, all paid for by him by DD. Quite generous you’d think. But not generous enough because they would hound him over the phone to give more up til a point where he had to ask if the only way to stop the phone calls was to cancel those DDs and seemingly it was. So he did.

Oh god I so want a phone call after watching the videos. Classic.
Only slightly related but remember the morning dj on Triiple j calling up a guy.
It went along the lines of:- hi mike and what are you doing up at this time of day?
Mike:- you woke me up you c-nt