These stupid phone surveys have gotten to be very nearly as irritating as phone solicitations were before the Do Not Call list went into effect. We've gotten calls nearly every night this week, and I am now Officially Annoyed.
This last one was the worst so far. Transcript, with commentary in square brackets:
Caller: "Hi, I'm calling with a survey about opinions on political issues in your area." [They're getting more brazen - this one didn't even give the standard speech about how she wasn't selling anything.]
Me, being polite: "Sorry, I don't want to do a survey now. Please take us off your calling list."
Caller: "Sorry, I can't do that - I don't even know how to do that. [If that's not illegal, it should be.] All I can do is put down a refusal."
Me: "Please do that."
Caller: "Actually, the survey is for the male head of the household."
Me: "He refuses too."
Caller: "Actually I can't take a refusal from anyone but the person I'm supposed to talk to."
Me, losing patience, "Well, then I'll just have to hang up and I suppose that counts as a refusal." *click*This is ridiculous. My loyalty is to my husband, not some intrusive surveying, and I have a right to protect my family from petty annoyance. I believe phone surveys ought to also come under the purview of the Do Not Call list. They haven't woken us up yet, as the phone solicitors used to do, but now we're in training for fall and back on rowers' hours (at least Rudder is; I can sleep later while I'm only erging) I'm sure that will happen soon.
Posted by dichroic at August 8, 2005 07:06 PM
I always answers those political surveys as flaming liberal as they let me. I figure it will make a start on balancing our red-state-ness.
But they are annoying.
Posted by: Pam at August 8, 2005 08:51 PMHow to deal with phone surveys:
"Certainly, I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. Now let's verify that you have the right address to send my check to first."
"Check?"
"The fee you'll be paying me as a consultant to answer your questions. My going rate is $110 an hour."
They generally hang up really fast, trust me.
Posted by: Swoop at August 8, 2005 08:53 PM"Let me speak to your supervisor." If they're nice about it, I will assure them it is not their fault, but I still need to talk to the supervisor. And sometimes I just let the machine get it. (Incidentally, I refuse all sorts of things for Husband all the time. Ya think the rules don't count in Arizona?)
Posted by: l-empress at August 8, 2005 09:59 PMI don't let them get past the first line. "Hi, I'm calling about ... some dumb thing". My response every time is "No thank you, I am not interested" and I hang up before they respond. Period. No conversation. Lindley.
Go rowers!!!
Posted by: at August 8, 2005 10:47 PMI once told a long-distance carrier, "Sorry, I'm not eligible. We don't have a phone." And she actually said, "Oh, never mind then," and hung up.
Posted by: golfwidow at August 9, 2005 07:50 AMSome groups were exempted from the Do Not Call list -- charities and politicians are among those still allowed to interrupt you at home.
I find it surprising that Congress would have exempted itself from rules that applied to almost everybody else. But that's only because I'm surprised every morning when that great big ball of fire rises again in the East. Grunt.
Posted by: LenS at August 9, 2005 06:20 PMNext time just ask them to hold on.... go get dinner, clean the house, do laundry... and ever 5 minutes to start then every 10 - 15 minutes come back and say "oh - my husband will be right with you... thanks for holding"
And see how long you can get them to hold for.... it's fun - trust me!
Posted by: Alison at August 18, 2005 09:30 AM