In article m,
"brass monkey" writes:
Had a terrific phone call today -
Him - I have information that you had an RTA in the last 3 years

On several occasions, I've instantly responded to that by saying
"lier!". That comes as quite a surprise, and the call goes
completely off their script (and comfort zone) from that point on.

Me - You're dreaming it up, mate
Him - Do you think I waste my ****ing time phoning people up on a dream, you
****ing knob
Me - Well, you're wasting MY time
followed by much hilarity and telling the wife that some **** is calling me
a ****ing knob. If anyone was near him they'd have heard me laughing my
goolies off.
Anyway, I said thanks very much and put the phone down.
Number withheld, there's a surprise.

I had a WITHHELD in the morning a few days ago...
"Is that Mr Gabriel?" in a broad Indian accent.
"Who's asking?" is always my initial response to this.
"It's Robert Smith"
I forget the name he actually gave now, but it was very English,
given in a very Indian accent.
"I'm calling you from [I forget the company] in London.
How are you this afternoon, Mr Gabriel?"
Why on earth do they ask this? I must think up some response which is
going to take half an hour to explain with no opportunity for interruption,
but I haven't done that yet. However, this time the reponse was dead easy.
I said
"Well, actually it's the morning in this country."
That buggered up his call script. There were a few "Oh", "um", and
the like, and then he tried to continue with his script, but it
went to pieces because I laughed, and then he got the giggles and
couldn't get the words out, and eventually he cleared down the call
mid-sentence.

At least that one left me laughing afterwards, rather than annoyed.


Then there was another one this morning, showing INTERNATIONAL
"Hello", I said.
"Is that Mrs Gabriel?" was the response.
"Not unless she's suddenly got a very deep voice".
Click - the call is cut off.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

Then there was another one this morning, showing INTERNATIONAL
"Hello", I said.
"Is that Mrs Gabriel?" was the response.
"Not unless she's suddenly got a very deep voice".
Click - the call is cut off.

"Withheld" earlier this week:

An Asian accent:
"This is Brian from Microsoft. You have a problem with your
computer. Can you go to your computer now?"
"Which of my computers has the problem?"
Click.

Yesterday I played along for a while as someone described the
advantages of solar panels. Only when they wanted to send a
surveyor did I mention that I already have them. At least they
managed a giggle.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

On 24/02/2012 01:07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
...? I must think up some response which is
going to take half an hour to explain with no opportunity for interruption,
but I haven't done that yet....

Mine is 'I don''t take cold calls. Goodbye', followed by putting the
phone down. I don't see the point in wasting any more time than that.

Colin Bignell

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:42:58 +0000, Nightjar
wrote:

On 24/02/2012 01:07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
...? I must think up some response which is
going to take half an hour to explain with no opportunity for interruption,
but I haven't done that yet....

Mine is 'I don''t take cold calls. Goodbye', followed by putting the
phone down. I don't see the point in wasting any more time than that.

And I omit the "Goodbye" and hang up straight away.
But I don't usually answer calls with no displayed CLID.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:40:28 +0000, Mark wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:42:58 +0000, Nightjar
wrote:

On 24/02/2012 01:07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
...? I must think up some response which is going to take half an hour
to explain with no opportunity for interruption, but I haven't done
that yet....

Mine is 'I don''t take cold calls. Goodbye', followed by putting the
phone down. I don't see the point in wasting any more time than that.

And I omit the "Goodbye" and hang up straight away. But I don't usually
answer calls with no displayed CLID.

No-CLID calls here put the caller into a menu.

If you are a telemarketer, press 1
If you are conducting a survey, press 2
If we have won a holiday, press 3
For anything else, press 4

Real callers persist, the rest don't seem to. The ongoing response to
telemarketers (1) asks them (eventually, they have to listen to 'all
members of the household are currently assisting other telemarketers, you
are in a queue', etc...) to leave full contact details so I can report
them. And then I get emailed a .wav file of the whole conversation.

The phone never actually rings. And answers 2 and 3 get similar, but
customised, treatment.

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 2/24/2012 1:39 PM, Bob Eager wrote:

No-CLID calls here put the caller into a menu.

If you are a telemarketer, press 1
If you are conducting a survey, press 2
If we have won a holiday, press 3
For anything else, press 4

Real callers persist, the rest don't seem to. The ongoing response to
telemarketers (1) asks them (eventually, they have to listen to 'all
members of the household are currently assisting other telemarketers, you
are in a queue', etc...) to leave full contact details so I can report
them. And then I get emailed a .wav file of the whole conversation.

The phone never actually rings. And answers 2 and 3 get similar, but
customised, treatment.

I like the way your mind works.

On 25/02/2012 8:05 a.m., S Viemeister wrote:

I like the way your mind works.

:-)

On 24 Feb 2012 18:39:28 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:40:28 +0000, Mark wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:42:58 +0000, Nightjar
wrote:

On 24/02/2012 01:07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
...? I must think up some response which is going to take half an hour
to explain with no opportunity for interruption, but I haven't done
that yet....

Mine is 'I don''t take cold calls. Goodbye', followed by putting the
phone down. I don't see the point in wasting any more time than that.

And I omit the "Goodbye" and hang up straight away. But I don't usually
answer calls with no displayed CLID.

No-CLID calls here put the caller into a menu.

If you are a telemarketer, press 1
If you are conducting a survey, press 2
If we have won a holiday, press 3
For anything else, press 4

Real callers persist, the rest don't seem to.

The problem I have is that, sometimes, real callers don't persist.
Some do and some don't. I have missed important calls as a result.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

Mark wrote
Nightjar wrote
Andrew Gabriel wrote

...? I must think up some response which is going
to take half an hour to explain with no opportunity
for interruption, but I haven't done that yet....

Mine is 'I don''t take cold calls. Goodbye', followed by putting the
phone down. I don't see the point in wasting any more time than that.

And I omit the "Goodbye" and hang up straight away.
But I don't usually answer calls with no displayed CLID.

Thats a dangerous approach. Sometime it could be the hospital
saying that someone you care about has just been run over etc.

And one time I had the cops call me one Saturday morning saying
that they had grabbed a couple of stupid kids who had quite literally
been walking around the streets late at night, filling it with what they
could find in the cars they came across and suggesting I might like to
come down to the cop shop and pick up what they had got from my car.

I'd managed to leave the passenger's door unlocked because I had
bought some beer at a drive thru bottle shop on the night before.

In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes
In article m,
"brass monkey" writes:
Had a terrific phone call today -
Him - I have information that you had an RTA in the last 3 years

On several occasions, I've instantly responded to that by saying
"lier!". That comes as quite a surprise, and the call goes
completely off their script (and comfort zone) from that point on.

Me - You're dreaming it up, mate
Him - Do you think I waste my ****ing time phoning people up on a dream, you
****ing knob
Me - Well, you're wasting MY time
followed by much hilarity and telling the wife that some **** is calling me
a ****ing knob. If anyone was near him they'd have heard me laughing my
goolies off.
Anyway, I said thanks very much and put the phone down.
Number withheld, there's a surprise.

I had a WITHHELD in the morning a few days ago...
"Is that Mr Gabriel?" in a broad Indian accent.
"Who's asking?" is always my initial response to this.

snip...

Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.

This may have cropped up recently in discussion about automated *useful*
messages from hospitals etc.

regards

--
Tim Lamb

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:56:19 +0000, Tim Lamb
wrote:


Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.


....and it costs about four quid a month.

For another BT bargain "ring back when free" used to be 10p or so,
now its around 40p or so per use with no indication on the phone
message BT provide as to what the charge will be

--

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:18:13 +0000, The Other Mike
wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:56:19 +0000, Tim Lamb
wrote:


Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.


...and it costs about four quid a month.

For another BT bargain "ring back when free" used to be 10p or so,
now its around 40p or so per use with no indication on the phone
message BT provide as to what the charge will be

1471 - 3
True, but the announcement says, (in a distorted and over-modulated
way)
"There is normally a charge for this service", which is enough for me
to hang up and dial it back manually.

--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:45:21 -0000, Graham. wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:18:13 +0000, The Other Mike
wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:56:19 +0000, Tim Lamb
wrote:


Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.


...and it costs about four quid a month.

For another BT bargain "ring back when free" used to be 10p or so,
now its around 40p or so per use with no indication on the phone
message BT provide as to what the charge will be

1471 - 3
True, but the announcement says, (in a distorted and over-modulated
way)
"There is normally a charge for this service", which is enough for me
to hang up and dial it back manually.

Directory enquiries charge about £1.50 to call someone for you, or they will give you the number for free.

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

On Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:00:59 -0000, "Lieutenant Scott"
wrote:


For another BT bargain "ring back when free" used to be 10p or so,
now its around 40p or so per use with no indication on the phone
message BT provide as to what the charge will be

1471 - 3
True, but the announcement says, (in a distorted and over-modulated
way)
"There is normally a charge for this service", which is enough for me
to hang up and dial it back manually.

Directory enquiries charge about £1.50 to call someone for you, or they will give you the number for free.


118 *** are generally an arm and a leg to call up so there is no
number for free. Or do you know a way?
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

On 24/02/2012 09:56, Tim Lamb wrote:

Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the following....
Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash. Check,
star hash227 hash.
Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.

This may have cropped up recently in discussion about automated *useful*
messages from hospitals etc.


We have had this service for years, has to be set up though and isn't
free. Some calls where the number isn't available like some
international calls still get through.

We always give the Vet/doctor/hospital up to date mobile numbers. Anyone
else can either present a number or send a letter

Lee

[Default] On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:56:19 +0000, a certain chimpanzee,
Tim Lamb , randomly hit the keyboard and
wrote:

Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.
I can phone using my Council mobile*, but if I was one of our admin
team and needed to contact someone to sort out a small but non-trivial
detail on, say, a Building Regulations application, I would have to
write a letter to said person and wait for a few more days for a
reply. Meanwhile they would be cursing the Council for not processing
their application sooner.

*I wouldn't give out my personal mobile number to the public, and
seeing as we are getting paid less for doing more for the third year
running, I certainly ain't gonna do it without getting paid.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have I strayed"?

In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.


--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:33:18 +0000, Alan wrote:

In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

I just wonder what mechanism you would employ to *not* hide numbers..

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 24/02/2012 21:54, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:33:18 +0000, Alan wrote:

In , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

I just wonder what mechanism you would employ to *not* hide numbers..

Lots of cold callers spoof calling ID these days. There was even reports
of one spoofing the number they were calling as their caller ID... so it
looked like a local incoming call, and if you tried to phone back it was
engaged ;-)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

In message , Alan
writes
In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

Yes they do. A lot of NHS establishments have their number withheld.
The reason being that one member of a family may not wish another member
to know that they are in contact with the hospital, or which ever part
of the NHS. It is easier for the caller to ask for who they want and if
they are not there then give a cover story if their number is not
displayed.

Also some large companies do not display their number, otherwise the
switch board gets inundated with "someone called me 3 hours ago, no I
don't know who!" OK if they could forward a DDI No, but not sure that
many can.

At one time the local police control room was number withheld, probably
still is, for similar reasons to the reason given above. They kept a
mobile for calling people, like myself, that bar withheld numbers.



--
Bill

Bill wrote:


Also some large companies do not display their number, otherwise the
switch board gets inundated with "someone called me 3 hours ago, no I
don't know who!" OK if they could forward a DDI No, but not sure that
many can.

Well, that's just lazy.

They could assign a presentation number which is answered by an automated
system (like most big companies have anyway) which announces the company
name[1] and offeres a simple menu system for sales etc.

That would offer just enough resistance to persisting which offering a clean
record of the comapny - and a number you could stick in your phone's
directory so it displays the company name next time anyone from the company
rings.


I don't autoblock withheld numbers, but if I'm busy and the phone rings
without displaying the name of someone in my directory - or at least a
number from one of the few area codes that may be of interest, I'll not
bother to pick up.

The truth of how important a call is is whether they leave an answerphone
message...

--
Tim Watts

On Feb 24, 10:45*pm, Bill wrote:
In message , Alan
writes

In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

Yes they do. * A lot of NHS establishments have their number withheld.
The reason being that one member of a family may not wish another member
to know that they are in contact with the hospital, or which ever part
of the NHS. *It is easier for the caller to ask for who they want and if
they are not there then give a cover story if their number is not
displayed.

Also some large companies do not display their number, otherwise the
switch board gets inundated with "someone called me 3 hours ago, no I
don't know who!"

A hospital wouldn't normally cold call. The patient should have a
fairly good clue which department they have been dealing with and ask
to be put through. Simples!

MBQ

On 24/02/2012 21:33, Alan wrote:
In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

Ah, that famous[1] "if you have done nothing wrong, then there is
nothing to hide" argument


[1] famous, but founded on a set of false assumptions and hence always
wrong...

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 24/02/2012 21:33, Alan wrote:
In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.


Medway Council do.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:33:18 +0000, Alan wrote:

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like
myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

And with todays technology why can't the company PABX present a
number that when called checks your CLI against a list of calls made
from the PABX and connect you through to the phone that called you?

Perhaps not 100% for A&E departments but then the PABX could route to
the A&E reception not an "operational desk".

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:10:13 +0000, Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:33:18 +0000, Alan wrote:

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like
myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

And with todays technology why can't the company PABX present a number
that when called checks your CLI against a list of calls made from the
PABX and connect you through to the phone that called you?

Good idea. Interesting, though...whose fault is it if that fails because
the original callee now witholds CLI? .-)




--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

Dave Liquorice wrote
Alan wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

And with todays technology why can't the company PABX present a
number that when called checks your CLI against a list of calls made
from the PABX and connect you through to the phone that called you?

Because not everyone calls back from the number that is used to receive calls on.

I recieve calls on my POTS number and call back using
my voip service, because that costs me a lot less to call,
like 10c for the entire call anywhere in the country, and
to the 3 major foreign countrys I call, Britain, US and China.

Perhaps not 100% for A&E departments but then the PABX
could route to the A&E reception not an "operational desk".

True, it would be useful for many.

But you could also just present a direct indial number when anyone
in the company calls out, so anyone could just return the call to that
direct indial number too. Any decent modern PABX can do that.

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:33:18 +0000, Alan
wrote:

In message , Hugo Nebula
wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

But they do. Often they really believe it's a good idea.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

Alan wrote
Hugo Nebula wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

Plenty do, including the cops and hospitals etc.

On Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:35:35 -0000, Rod Speed wrote:

Alan wrote
Hugo Nebula wrote

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.

Reputable companies and organisations don't hide phone numbers.

Plenty do, including the cops and hospitals etc.

Then they need to get a clue.

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

In message , Hugo Nebula
writes
[Default] On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:56:19 +0000, a certain chimpanzee,
Tim Lamb , randomly hit the keyboard and
wrote:

Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.
I can phone using my Council mobile*, but if I was one of our admin
team and needed to contact someone to sort out a small but non-trivial
detail on, say, a Building Regulations application, I would have to
write a letter to said person and wait for a few more days for a
reply. Meanwhile they would be cursing the Council for not processing
their application sooner.

Oh! Seems a bit odd that a respectable District Council Office would
wish to withhold their phone number. Is this choice or simply the system
in use?

The mention of *not free* upthread has already concentrated my mind:-)

*I wouldn't give out my personal mobile number to the public, and
seeing as we are getting paid less for doing more for the third year
running, I certainly ain't gonna do it without getting paid.

I have a mobile no for my local BCO but would not expect to contact him
outside the normal notification hours.

regards

--
Tim Lamb

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:11:57 +0000, Tim Lamb wrote:

I have a mobile no for my local BCO but would not expect to contact him
outside the normal notification hours.

Yeah but you are sensible and intelligent person who has respect for
others and their privacy. Many of the great unwashed don't and want
their trivial problem sorted out *NOW* and if the information they
are *demanding* isn't forth coming that instant become personally
abusive. You know the sort of people I mean, the ones that call 999
for instructions on how to roast a turkey.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 25/02/2012 14:30, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:11:57 +0000, Tim Lamb wrote:

I have a mobile no for my local BCO but would not expect to contact him
outside the normal notification hours.

Yeah but you are sensible and intelligent person who has respect for
others and their privacy. Many of the great unwashed don't and want
their trivial problem sorted out *NOW* and if the information they
are *demanding* isn't forth coming that instant become personally
abusive. You know the sort of people I mean, the ones that call 999
for instructions on how to roast a turkey.

I get calls at 10:45pm, 06:45am and had one at 07:45 on a Sunday morning.

Nothing urgent like major floods, just normal jobs.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Hugo Nebula wrote:

Tim Lamb wrote:

Anonymous call reject.

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.
I can phone using my Council mobile*, but if I was one of our admin
team and needed to contact someone to sort out a small but non-trivial
detail on, say, a Building Regulations application, I would have to
write a letter to said person and wait for a few more days for a
reply. Meanwhile they would be cursing the Council for not processing
their application sooner.

There's this new-fangled thing called email, maybe the council should
investigate it?

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:42:20 +0000, Andy Burns wrote:

Hugo Nebula wrote:

Tim Lamb wrote:

Anonymous call reject.

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.
I can phone using my Council mobile*, but if I was one of our admin
team and needed to contact someone to sort out a small but non-trivial
detail on, say, a Building Regulations application, I would have to
write a letter to said person and wait for a few more days for a reply.
Meanwhile they would be cursing the Council for not processing their
application sooner.

There's this new-fangled thing called email, maybe the council should
investigate it?

My council has, on more than one occasion, failed to respond to email
after three weeks...Canterbury City Council..



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

In article , Bob Eager
writes
On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:42:20 +0000, Andy Burns wrote:

Hugo Nebula wrote:

Tim Lamb wrote:

Anonymous call reject.

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.
I can phone using my Council mobile*, but if I was one of our admin
team and needed to contact someone to sort out a small but non-trivial
detail on, say, a Building Regulations application, I would have to
write a letter to said person and wait for a few more days for a reply.
Meanwhile they would be cursing the Council for not processing their
application sooner.

There's this new-fangled thing called email, maybe the council should
investigate it?

My council has, on more than one occasion, failed to respond to email
after three weeks...Canterbury City Council..

Our council has an email address for planning related issues and had
similar response times. When dealing with them I suggested that they
acknowledge new case emails as they come in, letting the sender know
that the issue was in the queue and they'd receive a full reply later.
They thought it was such a good idea that they adopted it! It was a
classic duh, "we never thought of that" moment.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On Feb 24, 9:05*pm, Hugo Nebula wrote:
[Default] On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:56:19 +0000, a certain chimpanzee,
Tim Lamb , randomly hit the keyboard and
wrote:

Poking around the BT website this morning, I came across the
following....

Anonymous call reject. *Set up, star 227hash. Cancel, hash227hash.
Check, star hash227 hash.

Apparently the caller gets a *call not accepted message*.

Which is a pain for real callers from behind switchboards like myself.
I can phone using my Council mobile*, but if I was one of our admin
team and needed to contact someone to sort out a small but non-trivial
detail on, say, a Building Regulations application, I would have to
write a letter to said person and wait for a few more days for a
reply. Meanwhile they would be cursing the Council for not processing
their application sooner.

Then your opening line should be along the lines if "I tried to call
but as you are blocking my calls I have resorted to written
communication..."

MBQ

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article m,
"brass monkey" writes:
Had a terrific phone call today -
Him - I have information that you had an RTA in the last 3 years

On several occasions, I've instantly responded to that by saying
"lier!". That comes as quite a surprise, and the call goes
completely off their script (and comfort zone) from that point on.

Me - You're dreaming it up, mate
Him - Do you think I waste my ****ing time phoning people up on a
dream, you ****ing knob
Me - Well, you're wasting MY time
followed by much hilarity and telling the wife that some **** is
calling me a ****ing knob. If anyone was near him they'd have heard
me laughing my goolies off.
Anyway, I said thanks very much and put the phone down.
Number withheld, there's a surprise.

I had a WITHHELD in the morning a few days ago...
"Is that Mr Gabriel?" in a broad Indian accent.
"Who's asking?" is always my initial response to this.
"It's Robert Smith"
I forget the name he actually gave now, but it was very English,
given in a very Indian accent.
"I'm calling you from [I forget the company] in London.
How are you this afternoon, Mr Gabriel?"
Why on earth do they ask this? I must think up some response which is
going to take half an hour to explain with no opportunity for
interruption, but I haven't done that yet. However, this time the
reponse was dead easy. I said
"Well, actually it's the morning in this country."
That buggered up his call script. There were a few "Oh", "um", and
the like, and then he tried to continue with his script, but it
went to pieces because I laughed, and then he got the giggles and
couldn't get the words out, and eventually he cleared down the call
mid-sentence.

At least that one left me laughing afterwards, rather than annoyed.


Then there was another one this morning, showing INTERNATIONAL
"Hello", I said.
"Is that Mrs Gabriel?" was the response.
"Not unless she's suddenly got a very deep voice".
Click - the call is cut off.

I wish I could come up with such replies.

I usually just tell them to **** off.

--
Adam

Helpdesk: Good morning. Are you having a good day?
Me: It's not going too well actually.
Helpdesk: Oh.

On Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:34:49 +0000, Peter Johnson wrote:

Helpdesk: Good morning. Are you having a good day?
Me: It's not going too well actually.
Helpdesk: Oh.

Wrong answer from Helpdesk. It should have been "I guess that's why
you are calling then?"

--
Cheers
Dave.