If that's the case then definitely better to say "I'lll just fetch her" and walk away possibly returning after a minute or 2 to say "she's just coming"
The answerphone handles everything...
I get them every day, usually from the same numbers and about the same times of the day. Usually a silence ensues for a few seconds and they hang up. Now I just lift the receiver, wait a second then replace the handset. If it's a 'real' call then they usually call back anyway. Someone explained it's a systematic way for people employed in the tele-selling trade to get their salary. It seems people are employed by a company selling whatever to make so many calls per hour. All they require is proof that customers have at least replied to the call, even if the call lasts one second to get their pay. More scrupulous companies actually require names and addresses in order to send out brochures etc .
I sometimes say," That sounds very interesting, would you hols while I find a pen?" Put the phone down and walk away. Often occasions screams of frustration.
thanks for the responses. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a local prankster..so now I know it's not just me getting these "silence/"goodbye" calls, I can relax a bit.
I shall use the whistle, Martha what a brilliant plan! and I shall also put the phone down if it doesn't connect straight away. Life is too short to bother much with nuisance calls.
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whistle is now on my xmas list!
I sometimes get called "Kovbourn" which is quite Soviétique :)
Whenever I get any phone call I say " Allo Bonjour" and if there's no answer within 1 second, I hang up. If it's somebody I know, either English or French, and it's important, they'll ring back. If it's some call centre in India or similar, they'll just move on to the next sucker. If it's some French friend, they know how to pronounce our surname Brewer but most other French callers say Mr Brevver,Brower etc. in a "what the bloody hell is this" attitude, so I then know to put the phone down too. (We usually now call ourselves Brevver in a shop, bank etc., because they can't get their tongues around the proper one).
I don't think they understand Preston Lanky, Brian :)
We drive them totally nuts. My OH speaks her birth language Italian. I use German. Either of us use Spanish. I try my bits of bad Dutch. Using English just encourages the call centre to tag repeated English usage as English speaking so that they will, eventually, try that instead. Our daughters spin them on terribly then answer, as my daughter did truthfully earlier this evening, Maman is in Cambodia. She threw in whether the caller wanted her number. They have been known to slightly deviate from the truth though, with one or both of us encouraging them. Using call blocking is not that useful. Call centres change the numbers that call targeted people to get round that, plus one can only have a limited number which is soon full which means a new number can call. However, I like the whistle too I must say.
It's very annoying. There are several recognisable ones. I just shout English (Lanky in fact) swearing at them :)
yes I get them too. I like Martha's suggestion about the whistle, may give that a try.
Yes! All the time, in spite of registering my number on the list of those who do not wish to receive them. As I mostly use my portable/cel phone, I tend to leave the land line phone off the hook. Also, for when they do get through, I have bought a whistle. Occasionally, it seems to upset the computer that placed the call, and it makes some very entertaining noises. When I get one of those persons selling, I blow the whistle at them. Most just go away, but some are stunned and keep trying to have a conversation with the whistle. This turns something very annoying into something good for a laugh.
Jo, this is a big problem for me. You are fortunate that they tell you goodbye. I’ve never had one do that and I get several dead line calls daily. I have tried the silent treatment and the call terminates after a few seconds without having ever acknowledged me or told me goodbye. The silent answer has in no way minimized the frequency of these interruptions. I signed up with BLOCTEL, but this has had no beneficial effect. I would love to understand the purpose for these calls.
Ian , these poor people are trying to earn a living. I am sure that they find it as awful as we do, so please do not swear at them.
If by Lanky you mean Lancastrian, then you are also demeaning our image, which I find unacceptable.
We have not received calls from India recently claiming to be from Microsoft. I ask them if their mother’s know they have a criminal job.
I think they have an automated dialling system which rings several numbers simultaneously, so the first one to pick up is dealt with by the call-centre person and the others just get that automated “goodbye” or nothing at all. Very irritating.
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