How do you speak to scam callers?
Discussion
Just had my second call this morning from "Windows Technical Support". I work from home, and I'm in software sales, ironically.
As a general rule, I try to be as polite to someone serving me at McDonalds as I am to a CEO. We've all started out flipping burgers, and you never know when things might suddenly change and you need to do it again. I'm also polite to contact centre staff when they call me, even if the call is unwanted and inconvenient...my theory being that I have infinitely more time and respect for someone in a contact centre who is out there working, than someone feigning injury and claiming the dole. And it's just possible that if I was rude to a contact centre agent, in 10 years time he or she might just remember my name and now that they are a decision maker in his/her business decide not to sign on the line because I was rude...I've done that work too and still remember "those" people.
However, I told my chum from "Microsoft" to **** right off, and never, ever ******* call me again, do he think I'm ****** stupid, the pathetic little thief? Kinda goes against my "be nice to people" thing, however these scumbags are no different to some opportunist trying to lift your wallet in the pub, or stealing your phone out of your pocket. The sad thing is that they presumably have a degree of technical competence, so surely could out these skills to use, and not get called a ***** ****** 50 times a day, in a legitimate position.
So, just hang up, or tell them what you think of them as they have basically just attempted to rob you?
As a general rule, I try to be as polite to someone serving me at McDonalds as I am to a CEO. We've all started out flipping burgers, and you never know when things might suddenly change and you need to do it again. I'm also polite to contact centre staff when they call me, even if the call is unwanted and inconvenient...my theory being that I have infinitely more time and respect for someone in a contact centre who is out there working, than someone feigning injury and claiming the dole. And it's just possible that if I was rude to a contact centre agent, in 10 years time he or she might just remember my name and now that they are a decision maker in his/her business decide not to sign on the line because I was rude...I've done that work too and still remember "those" people.
However, I told my chum from "Microsoft" to **** right off, and never, ever ******* call me again, do he think I'm ****** stupid, the pathetic little thief? Kinda goes against my "be nice to people" thing, however these scumbags are no different to some opportunist trying to lift your wallet in the pub, or stealing your phone out of your pocket. The sad thing is that they presumably have a degree of technical competence, so surely could out these skills to use, and not get called a ***** ****** 50 times a day, in a legitimate position.
So, just hang up, or tell them what you think of them as they have basically just attempted to rob you?
I work at home most of the time and if I'm doing something that doesn't require much effort or I'm just bored, I have a virtual machine prepared for these people. So I let them go through all my 'fatal errors', watch them connect to my machine and then secretly encrypt my hard drive. Then generally laugh when they ask for money. I do this to keep them away from others for 20 minutes or so.
With most other cold-callers I'm relatively polite.
Steve
With most other cold-callers I'm relatively polite.
Steve
Hard-Drive said:
So, just hang up, or tell them what you think of them as they have basically just attempted to rob you?
I try to keep them on the phone as long as possible, for two reasons.1) The longer they are on the phone to me, the less chance they will call some old dear who will fall for it and hand over her life savings
2) Assuming they are calling from some s
thole country, and are relying on this scam to eat, I want to reduce their chances of eating.I love it when they finally twig ive been stringing them along.
The Dangerous Elk said:
The best I have had is 32 mins, he seemed upset in the end when I could not find a "Windows" key....but I have an Apple I said (which I do not)
I also play this game. record is 19 minutes before i get bored and call them out. They get mighty pissed off and threaten all sorts. Hard-Drive said:
As a general rule, I try to be as polite to someone serving me at McDonalds as I am to a CEO. We've all started out flipping burgers, and you never know when things might suddenly change and you need to do it again. I'm also polite to contact centre staff when they call me, even if the call is unwanted and inconvenient...my theory being that I have infinitely more time and respect for someone in a contact centre who is out there working, than someone feigning injury and claiming the dole. And it's just possible that if I was rude to a contact centre agent, in 10 years time he or she might just remember my name and now that they are a decision maker in his/her business decide not to sign on the line because I was rude...I've done that work too and still remember "those" people.
I used to think that, not so much about scammers, but cold-callers in general. However increasingly I've found that as soon as they suss out you're messing them around, they just end the call. Tell someone canvassing for home improvements that you rent, and 75% on the time they don't even say goodbye.These days if I pick the phone up and it sounds like a call centre call I just put it down again. I work from home too, and the odd thing is how the calls come in waves - none for days then half-a-dozen the same day. It's like your number just appeared on a new list or something?
Sheepshanks said:
I used to think that, not so much about scammers, but cold-callers in general. However increasingly I've found that as soon as they suss out you're messing them around, they just end the call. Tell someone canvassing for home improvements that you rent, and 75% on the time they don't even say goodbye.
These days if I pick the phone up and it sounds like a call centre call I just put it down again. I work from home too, and the odd thing is how the calls come in waves - none for days then half-a-dozen the same day. It's like your number just appeared on a new list or something?
You're mistaking the people that are in gainful employment against these parasites that are out solely to take your money fraudulently. These days if I pick the phone up and it sounds like a call centre call I just put it down again. I work from home too, and the odd thing is how the calls come in waves - none for days then half-a-dozen the same day. It's like your number just appeared on a new list or something?
Edit - Quoted the wrong post - should have been the other guy.
Edited by Davie_GLA on Monday 14th May 12:08
I'm fairly polite.
Windows - tell them I have a Mac (I don't)
PPI - tell them I've never had anything other than a mortgage and that's with Nationwide as they can't go after them (also not strictly true)
The car crash ones depends on my mood, sometimes I'm very polite (my car was actually written off 2 years ago and not my fault) and sometimes I'm not depending on how aggressive they are.....when they ask for any injuries sustained to me or anyone else in the car, I'll tell them a fatality, they then ask if anyone other than me was in the vehicle, I tell them No......it normally takes them a few seconds to figure it out LOL
Windows - tell them I have a Mac (I don't)
PPI - tell them I've never had anything other than a mortgage and that's with Nationwide as they can't go after them (also not strictly true)
The car crash ones depends on my mood, sometimes I'm very polite (my car was actually written off 2 years ago and not my fault) and sometimes I'm not depending on how aggressive they are.....when they ask for any injuries sustained to me or anyone else in the car, I'll tell them a fatality, they then ask if anyone other than me was in the vehicle, I tell them No......it normally takes them a few seconds to figure it out LOL
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