midlifejourney.com

A few years Congress passed a law that prevented most companies from using telemarketers to sell their products over the phone. Since then almost all those “during dinner time” phone calls from some XYZ Service have stopped. But calls from non-profit organizations can still get through. I just got another one this morning. I think they love to target the Boomer Generation. We’ve still got some money to spend.

It’s Sunday morning and I am watching Meet the Press. The phone rings and I answer. Immediately this young woman begins reading some pitch to me about the horrors of some strange disease — how many people get this strange disease, about how my small donation can help thousands, and how much would I like to give to their very special, one-time, very important fund-raising campaign?

Duh? First, I have no time for this. I am in the middle of waking up on a Sunday morning. I’m still on my first cup of coffee. Second, I have no clue who this person is, never heard of her very special, one-time, very important fund-raising campaign, in fact I never heard of this strange disease for which she is begging my money.

What to do? How do I respond? I have five different methods I use to respond to such unsolicited phone calls and they range from rude to total passive aggressive.

1. Say nothing and hang up. - This is good, but only for the short term. They will call again.

2. Let them talk on and on, and after their entire pitch is done tell them you can’t hear them and could they repeat the message. After they repeat the pitch, tell them you can’t hear them and ask them to repeat it again. And again, and again. (I once had a telemarketer go through their pitch five times before she got the message and hung up on me.)

3. Let them talk on – Put the phone down and walk away. – This too is good, as you don’t have to listen to the pitch, but has the potential to lock up your phone for a while.

4. When they ask for you by name, tell them you’re a relative and that the person they are calling is dead. That will at least get your name off the list.

5. But the most sensible solution is the best, and one that I use most of the time. When they start in on their pitch, stop them immediately and tell them to take your name off their call list. (By law, they have to honor your request). If you are in any way interested in the cause they are promoting, ask them to send you materials in the mail. But never, and I mean NEVER give a telemarketer any personal information such as your credit card. Remember, this is an unsolicited phone call. This person called you. You have no idea if he or she is who they say they are. They may be a legit representative of the ABC Foundation they represent, or the Police and Fire Retirement Society, but you don’t know that. You could be talking to a fifteen year old kid with a deep voice and a talent for getting people to give over their hard earned money.

My best advice: Be wise. Be careful. Be stingy with your personal information.