Thursday Thoughts: Quit calling me!

Who here hates annoying unknown or telemarketing calls? A day does not slip by without at least a half a dozen of these occurrences.  Yesterday, was no exception to the rule. We had just settled into bed when the phone rang, shortly past 9:30pm EST. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back! The second time yesterday the same caller called. No message was left, just like earlier in the day. Need I say more?
Someone I have done business with over the years is either sharing their phone number database with an affiliate or worse they have sold it to interested parties. I suppose this is why we get not only repeat calls, but many calls from various companies. One way to solve this is to add my phone number to the National Do Not call list, but this may only keep the harassing calls at bay for six months.

The real problem comes when rude companies do not abide by the do not call policy. Although I cannot prove it, I feel certain its common protocol in training telemarketers is to hang up on the consumer before or at the second they hear, “Please, put me on your do not call list“. Drats, I hate that!

Over the years, we have developed the habit of not answering unknown numbers that pop up on caller id. The way we see it is, if it’s someone important or a company with a legitimate concern then they will leave a message requesting a call back.

We have gone as far these days to avoid these kind of calls by turning the phone ringer off. I am not recommending you go to this extreme. We can check incoming calls to our home with our an iPhone app. It doesn’t matter where we are when the call comes through – at home watching TV, in bed (like last night), or running errands across town. We know who’s calling. If it’s a number we know, then we will take the call immediately.

Spam callers are not just targeting our home number. They are now dialing my cell. What can I say, companies adhere less and less to the privacy of their clients. What do I do with these pesky people? All calls are set with a the default ring tone.  When I hear it, I can choose either to answer or ignore the call. It’s that simple. A new exciting aspect of iOS7 is the ability to block an undesirable caller’s number. I’m thrilled with Apple’s innovation by including this feature!

However, the really important people in my life will never be ignored. I may miss the call, but never ignored. The way I fixed this is by assigning a distinctive ring tone for each person’s phone number. I know who’s calling without looking at my phone.

People listen up, that’s you… the companies who bombard me and others like me with call after call after call. Some of us…no, most of us have had it up to here with your annoyance. We are taking control of who can and cannot reach us. Save your resources. My advice… quit calling me!

Visit Miss Jenny and the rest of the Alphabe-Thursday classroom for more homework assignments of the letter “Q” and while you’re hopping around, be sure to play along with Miss Amanda in her latest edition of  Thursday Two Questions.

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