OK...how would you guys like a HAHA story?
Everyone knows how annoying telemarketers can be...right? Well, for the past three days at work I have been having a battle with this one telemarketer...I mean if we were in person(instead of the phone) we would be duking it out.
On Monday...I'm really really busy and the phone rings. The guy (notice, I didn't call him a gentleman) called and asked for the manager or the owner. I told him I was the manager and could I help him. He asks if I am incharge of ordering and final decisions on our electronic items. Yes, I do the ordering but my boss has the final decision. So he asked to speak to the owner. Mind you this is rush hour, I'm trying to wait on customers and salesmen. So politely I tell him that the boss isn't available but if he would give me his name, company name and number, I would forward it to the owner and have the owner return his call. Up to this point, it is a normal PITA call. Now it gets crazy.
Him: I'm sorry but I can't give that information out. I need the owners name and number please.
Me: I'm sorry but
I can't give that information out so unless you luck out and catch him here, we are at a stand still. And he is NEVER here.
Him: Why don't you just give me his number?
Me: Listen I don't have time for this, I am extremely busy right now.
And I hang up. Two seconds later, the phone rings...it is the SAME dude.
Him: Why did you hang up? Am I taking up to much of your time? Am I to slow in answering your questions?
Me: Honestly, I'm trying to run a business. I'm trying to wait on customers THAT spends money in the owners establishment. I'm trying to talk to salesmen to order products to sell to those customers so I CAN make money for my boss. I DO NOT have time to argue with a telemarketer. So unless you want to give me your name, your company name, and your number, I have nothing further to talk to you about.
Him: I can't give you that information.
Me: Then I can't waste anymore of my time.
Click goes the phone again...two seconds later, the phone rings.
Him: Why did you hang up on me?
Me: I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PLAY GAMES!!! We do not do business with telemarketers. We do not order, conduct surveys, give information, or anything else over the phone. If the owner has contacted you and you are returning HIS call, then please give me YOUR name YOUR company name and YOUR number and I will have him return your call.
Him: I can not give you anything more than my name
Me: what is your name?
Him: will you give me the owners name and number if I give you my name
Me: If you DON't know his name-then I KNOW you are a telemarketer and I'm done. Don't call anymore because unless you can give me your information for me to give to my boss-you don't need to call anymore.
Him: I'm sorry but I can't take a call from your boss.
Seriously, I pulled the phone from my ear...looked at it like WTW...put it back, said goodbye and hung it. Two seconds late the dope called again. this went on for almost 30 minutes. Finally he gave up and didn't call again
Tuesday...the entire thing starts to replay. OK, now I know his voice and as soon as he called the head butting is on. Except, yesterday I get his first name-Jerome. For almost an hour it was one call after another. Finally he gave up.
Today...it starts again. But he is starting to wear down but his voice is very recognizable.
Him: hello is the owner in?
Me: no he isn't may I take a message?
Him: could I have his number please?
Me: Nope and we aren't even going to start this today. You know the routine. Give me your name, your company name, and your number and I will give them to the boss. And just so you know, I've been here for 15 years and part of my job is to screen his calls--ohhh yea and I'm here everyday and he is NEVER here. He doesn't come in at all...I run this business and only communicate with him on the phone so you will not catch him here. So if you would like to Give me your name, your company name, and your number and I will give them to the boss.
Him: My name is jerome, my number is 1-800-XXX-XXXX and my company is B.I.T.
Me: B.I.T. could you please tell me the company name, not the initals.
Him: I can't give you that.
Me: OMG Listen, I'm done...don't call here again.
Again I hang up and two seconds later he call....7 times in a row. He calls, we argue, I hang up...he calls, we argue, I hang up. Finally as soon as I hang up, I call the 1-800- number....it's a disconnected number. Now I'm hot.
He calls again.
Me: hey Jerome, guess what....your 1-800 is non-working. Do you have another number?
Him: uh uh uh ....I can't give that out.
Me: Listen Jerome, let's cut to the chase. It's not happening. Listen carefully...REMOVE THIS NUMBER FROM YOUR LIST! WE DO NOT, WILL NOT, CAN NOT TAKE CALLS FROM TELEMARKETERS. WE ARE ON THE DO NOT CALL LIST AND YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW RIGHT NOW.
Him: just give me his number and I will let you alone.
ME: Easy...I love challenges, I have 5 children...this is nothing so keep calling and I will keep hanging up plus I will tell MY employees to forward all calls to the boss to MY home number and we can play this game while I'm sitting at home. Heck, it will be fun to have something to do in the winter months. So are you going to give me your information
Him: NO! Are you going to give me your bosses number?
Me: nope not happening. Tell you what, let me speak to your supervisor.
Him: I can't let you talk to my supervisor.
Me: I want your manager/supervisor/boss on the phone immediately.
Him: I won't let you talk to my supervisor until I talk to the owner there.
Me: you ****, you are so silly...have a great day.
Click, I go again. About this time, one of my employees walks in for her shift and she witnesses 4 calls back to back. She is simply rolling to the point I thought she was going to wet herself. Finally, she answers the phone and tells jerome the only number she has is mine but she would be more than willing to give him my number. The booger didn't want it and hung up on her.
Ok...this is where I thought my employee definitely was going to pee herself. I *69 as soon as I hung up on him and got his number. I call it! Jerome, This is Maddi, I would like to speak to your supervisor. OMG IT WAS PRICELESS. He was soooo caught off guard and wanted to know how I got his number. So I said...DUH..on the do not call list just like where you got mine. He hung up one me. Then I called him back...again and again and again. EVIL...I'm calling telemarketers!!!!
About 7 phone calls in, guess what...His supervisor answers the phone and I firmly but politely told him in no uncertain terms. Who I was, my company name, my company number then I proceeded to tell him that if I recieved one more phone call from this company--From BIT (that is how they answered the phone when I called), that I would not only be contacting the proper officials since we ARE one the do not call list, but I would be calling our local sheriff's dept and pressing harrassment charges against the company. We do not accept unsolicited call, we do not accept calls from telemarketers and this was to end now. I also informed them that a simple *27 flags incoming calls and those records are obtained by our local Sheriff's Department from our local phone company. So if they want to continue these harrassing calls...and face our prosecutor...then continuing calling but be advised...I will file charges. The supervisor was at a loss for words and hung up.
I'm really going to miss Jerome...he did add excitement to a boring winter day.
See ya!)
