No One Calls Me Anymore . . .

[ellejir]

KathyK wrote:

> Myself, I go back and forth with what I do on the rare instance I 
> answer the phone and it also happens to be a telemarketer.  I never 
> know if it's more unkind to let them go through their whole spiel 
> before politely but firmly saying, "No thanks" or to cut them off 
at 
> the beginning to let them know there's no chance I'm buying 
whatever 
> it is they're selling.  I go back and forth because when I'm in the 
> middle of a spiel, I don't enjoy being interrupted by the 
customer.  
> But at the same time, I hate getting to the end of what it is I'm 
> saying and then getting a "No.  I wonder why they didn't just tell 
> me that before I got rolling.  
> 

There has been blessed telephone silence at my house too since 
October 1st and count me in as one who hopes that the "National Do 
Not Call List" withstands any and all court challenges.  It *really* 
is annoying to just get your (mildly dyslexic) son settled down to 
his dreaded "reading aloud" homework or just corral the kids for a 
bath when the phone rings and it is *nobody-that-you-want-to-talk-to* 
(aka a telemarketer).  I know that I should just ignore the ringing 
telephone, but that goes against a lifetime of programming. (Hey, it 
could be someone *important* -- !my mother!, !Ed McMahon!, !Keanu 
Reeves!, !JK Rowling!) 
I usually answer politely (inwardly seething as the caller butchers 
the pronunciation of my name) and cut them off near the beginning of 
their spiel with a "Thank you very much but we are not interested" 
immediately followed by a hang-up.  Is that really rude do you 
think?  
In my own defense, experience has taught me that if you don't hang up 
immediately, telemarketers are trained to flip to page two of their 
script, and (ignoring any polite protests) will launch into the rest 
of their long-winded sales pitch.

Elle (who adores reading the Miss Manners column and wonders what 
the "proper" response to this situation should be)