I'm starting to get really frustrated with the amount of telemarketer calls I've been recieving lately. >_>
We just moved about three weeks ago, and I'm fairly positive that RCN (our internet/phone/cabel provider) has sold our number, considering that the day we recieved our new telephone number, we began getting a slew of telemarketing calls asking for me specifically. It's died down recently since I immediately put our number on the national do not call list, and make sure to tell each caller to put us on their individual do not call lists... but one caller in particular sticks in my mind.
Some time in the morning, I get a telemarketing call about taking out a morgage. Now, I just graduated college, this is the first apartment we've rented, and I have absolutely no need for a morgage. I spent about ten minutes on the phone trying to convince this woman of that.
Woman: *Long opening shpiel about how I've been selected to recieve information about taking out some amazing morgage. Each time she speeks, it takes about 15 seconds.*
Me: I'm sorry, but I'm really not interested in buying anything.
Woman: Oh, you're not buying anything ma'am! We just want to send you information about how you will save money..." *Another long-winded explination.*
Me: No, you see, I don't want anything; I don't own a house nor do I want a morgage. Can you please put me on your do not call list?
Woman: I'll certainly do that, ma'am, but this will save you a lot of money if you learn about this morgage.... *shpiel*
Me: I seriously don't understand anything you're talking about. I don't own a house and I really don't want anything.
Woman: No, you're not buying anything, ma'am, you see, we're just going to send you... blah blah blah blah blah
Me: But I'm trying to tell you: I don't want it. I'm only 18. ((Okay, I lied here, but this had been going on for quite some time now and I was sick of it)) So can you please put me on your do not call list?
Woman: I certainly will, ma'am, but we're not asking you to buy anything. We're just going to send you.....
*repeat over and over for about ten minutes*
Finally... FINALLY I got her off the phone after multiple insistances that I didn't own a house, wasn't interested, didn't want them to call me, AND that I was under 21. I would've hung up, but I wanted to guarantee that they wouldn't call me back. Apparently it was a good thing too, because three hours later I recieved a call from the same person.
Woman: Hello, ma'am, I'm calling about blah blah morgage.... *long opening shpiel once again*
Me: Hi there, yes, I was called earlier but I asked to be put on your do not call list, so it's actually illegal for you to be calling-
Woman: *click.*
Interestingly enough, several days later I got a phone call that ran along a remarkably similar dialogue, even though this time it was a man who was attempting to sell me some sort of health insurance (for Canadian perscriptions no less, what the fuck?). Both callers used extreemly long-winded explinations and repeatedly used the "oh, you're not actually buying anything, ma'am" line at every turn alternating with how I will save so much money if I sign up for their plan. Both telemarketers also sounded Haitian I believe, although that probably has little to do with anything; just a similarity I noticed. He was a lot nicer though, since he immediately backed off after I tried the line about me being a minor. But GUH. If I tell you that I don't want something over TEN TIMES, I think that means I don't want it.
Anyone else gotten calls from a company that's sounded like this? Also, on an unrelated note, how long does it usually take for the listing of your number on the national do not call list to go into effect?
And a little bit of annoying hostess service
Went out to dinner with a group of 7 last night to a particularly good BBQ restaurant. We expected a wait (which turned out to be about 20 minutes), and then proceeded to shuffle into the very cramped little foyer from where we were waiting outside after they announced our names on the intercom. Once we got there, the hostess actually looked surprised to see us, explaining that "Oh, we just announced you. Can you wait? We're not ready for you yet." Somewhat confused and figuring that they were still bussing the table, we happily agreed and shuffled back outside to where the parties that had arrived after us were still waiting... seeing as their reception area barely had enough room for the wait staff, let alone seven extra people. Immediately after we get outside, they call in another party of seven - leaving us even more confused - and then a party of ten. Five or so minutes later we're wondering what happened, only to find that for some bizarre reason the hostess thought that we'd left and had giving our table away so could we wait another ten minutes?
Once we actually got seated, the service from our hostess was perfectly fine, but I'm still wondering where the hell the hostess got that information from.