BS: Rude telephone manner

Subject: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST,Partridge
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 05:50 AM

As part of my job I answer a lot of telephone calls. I usually manage to cope with peoples bad manners by just being as pleasant as I can back. I am always civil even if the person on the end of the line is a complete ****hole. But today I have had a problem and was very close to telling said "****hole" to **** off.

I am not prone to outbursts of that nature. Why are some people so bloody rude? How do you cope with similar stuff?

Pat who is thinking calm thoughts calm thought calm thoughts.............................
x

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST,Skipjack K8
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 06:24 AM

Pat, honey, pity the vexed spirit, and enjoy the remains of the day. That advice was given to me by someone very dear.

Greg

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST,sandra in sydney
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 07:31 AM

Pat - I've worked in the Library & Info areas of Government agencies for the best part of 33 years (worse part??) & have come to the theory that there are folks who KNOW everyone is rude so they snap & snarl & swear & demand & are never surprised when someone snarls back. Naturally they never realise that their attitude is the cause of all their problems.

Being polite to them is they only way to survive. Naturally they can't see you gesturing or summoning colleagues to have a listen at this nutter, or patting your teddy bear, reading a good book or whatever you need to do to survive the call. Descending to their level is becoming just like them.

My favourite call happened several decades ago - this twit was going on about being a taxpayer & demanding to get what he wanted & I'm only a public servant therefore as he is a taxpayer etc. So I let him rave on. When he finally finished I stayed silent - till eventually the silence was too much for him & he had to enquire hesitantly

"Uh, are you still there?"

"Yes, is there anything else you want" I said politely & nicely & kindly & sweetly.

"uh, no"

"Thankyou for calling" I said even more politely etc.

"Good Bye"

"Uh, good bye"

and I hang up politely. AND I'D WON!! so I danced around, crowing to everyone in a very juvenile fashion!

Of course I done't behave like that these days. Tho one day a few years ago I did yell back at an idiot, thus proving I'm not perfect & really shocking my younger colleagues!!


After a "difficult client" you do need to debrief (2 modern business terms in one sentance) & it really helps to have supportive folks around you.

good luck

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST,Partridge
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 09:10 AM

Thanks Greg, thanks Sandra,

I liked your favourite call :-)

The calm thoughts have worked, and I'm surprised that I let it get to me today. I hope I never descend to the level of rudeness that some people do.

thanks

calm, oh very calm! Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST,rumanci
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 09:35 AM

Pat - When it happens again try making your first thought - this person "dishing it out" is carrying their own load of worries or they're in pain.
It's not infallible :-D .......... but it helps to cushion that initial shock that someone is giving you grief for no reason and keeps it impersonal.
rum

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 09:49 AM

What happens if you say something like, "Yo!!Bro, you need to go chill! !Why'n'chew count to 100 and call me back, ok?"

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 10:37 AM

And don't you just love it when some moron dials the wrong number and gets your home line? I answer "Hello" and get "Who's this?!?" in the nastiest tone. "Who's calling?" usually gets a "fuck you" and a hangup.

The best was in NYC when I was one digit away from a gypsy car service. The phone rang day and night with drunken (usually) requests for cars. So..I started taking reservations. Eventually that stopped.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: PoppaGator
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 10:49 AM

I really hate when I answer the phone at work and the first words out of the caller's mouth are "Who's this?"

After this happened a few times, I realized that it's usually the boss's wife, who has a rather proprietary attitude towards us plantation hands. (The old man himself is not like that at all; as bosses go, he's a sweetheart.) After so many years, Miss Lady and I have become increasingly familiar, and I'm almost ready to start answering back, "Guess who?"

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 10:56 AM

It's terrible of me I know but I have a little giggle to myself when I think that with their levels of stress I will probably outlive them. Or if not I will certainly enjoy life more:-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Amos
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 11:08 AM

Being in a position to forgive someone does give you a certain edge, a moral je-ne-sais-quoi, doesn't it?


A

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 12:29 PM

Heloo,
If anyone is rude to me on the phone, I put a voodoo curse on them.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:18 PM

I was in telephone support for years.

Remember, by the time someone actually call you they have tried everything else that they know and nothing worked for them. They are at the end of their tether and you are their last resort.

And it's YOUR PRODUCT that got them into this state. The thing that always surprised me was how polite the majority of them were.

So first thing I'd do would be to agree with them. Yes there is a problem with the product (There has to be or they wouldn't be calling). Then set about resolving their particular issue.

If the issue can't be resolved immediately, promise them you'll look into it and call them back. ALWAYS CALL THEM BACK, even if you can't resolve the problem to their satisfaction.

I used to try to send every user a little freebee, usually some utility programs that they might be able to use.

It got so that I would be the one to handle ALL the difficult customers.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:35 PM

Yes, agreeing with totally unreasonable people can have surprising results. :-) It throws 'em right off. They warm up fast.

But it all depends on your mood. I knew a guy whose great delight in life was pissing people off (usually in trivial ways). He was constantly looking for further opportunities to annoy people and screw up their day. It just delighted him. Very odd karma indeed.

One time I got a guy who thought he was phoning a gas station for some reason. He wouldn't quit on that idea, although I was working not at a gas station, but in a design office.

Phone rings...

"Good afternoon," I said, "Techserve".

"Texaco?" says he.

"No, I'm sorry, this is Techserve."

"Are you a gas station?"

"No, we're a design company."

"But...aren't you Texaco?"

"No, we're Techserve. Techserve Inc."

"Well, I need to talk to a gas station."

"I see. Well, you have got a design company here, not a gas station."

"What was the name again?"

"Techserve Inc."

"And you're not a gas station?"

"No."

"Well, I really need a gas station right now."

"Well, I really don't know what I can do for you, sir, because we are not a gas station."

"Well......is there a gas station near where you guys are?"

at this point I had begun to see the funny side of it all, so I took a deep breath and said...

"What good would it do if there was? You don't know where I AM!"

"Oh, for Christ's sake!!!" the guy yells, and he hangs up on me... :-)

Best laugh I had all day.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:51 PM

I find it rather difficult to remain polite when I get a Cold Caller trying to sell me something who starts asking me why I dont want to buy whatever it is they are selling ! What bloody business is it of theirs wether I want their double glazing or whatever !!

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: fat B****rd
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:57 PM

I once had to deal wuth lots of builders on the 'phone. Most were ok but one particular bloke was really overbearing. One day feeling full of myself and fed up with his ranting I kept telling him the line was bad and could he speak up. I dangled the 'phone in mid air listening to his yells in the background then when I told him that reception was much better he was polite and friendly. Just the once mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:01 PM

You don't know whether they are just rude and upleasant generally, or are just at the end of their tether, perhaps after being given the run around by other people in your organisation, and robot answering machine and that.

You ring up because something has gone wrong that shouldn't have gone wrong. So you dial a number describing itself as "a help-line". You get a recording with a snooty voice giving you half a dozen alternatives, none of them right for your problem; eventually you get through to an answering machine that gives you a number of a human being, but so fast you have to go through the whole rigmarole to get it written down.

You dial again, and have to listen to a tape of the Four Seasons for twenty minutes, before someone answrs. Then it turns out to be the number of someone who says it's nothing to do with their department, and gives you another nunber. You dial again, and it's the Four Seasons again. If eventually you do get to someone who actually picks up the phone and might be able and willing to help you, likely enough you've been run raw ragged, and snap at them.

You are both of you, at each end of the phone, being cheated and exploited by the organisation involved, which has probably cut down on the number of people it needs to provide a proper serviuce, so as to allow the fat cats at the top to cream off a bit more unearned loot.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:13 PM

Leadfingers, I don't get into conversations with telemarketers. If I'm not interested I just say politely "I'm not interested thank you" and hang up.

McGrath, sound like you've been talking to the telephone company there;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: annamill
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:16 PM

You don't know what "Phone Rudeness" is until you've worked as a telemarketer! My goodness, but the niceist people are downright ugly! Even sweet little children! We teach our children to be polite and kind to everyone, EXCEPT TELEMARKETERS! It's ok to be rude to them!

So, anyway. I'm an expert in dealing with verbal harshness. We are not allowed to hang up first. When someone is being obscene, I can't help but laugh. Boy, do they get mad quickly. There is, also, no way to transfer the call to a "supervisor". We have to just hang on and listen to them rant and rave until such time as they hang up on us. I had developed a Spockish attitude toward thses rude people. My eyebrows would go up, and I would find myself amused by their frustration. See, it was turning me into a less caring person.

What a maddning job. I couldn't take it. Too much negativity was ruining my mind set.

BTW, the kindest thing you can do for a telemarketer is,

    politely say "No thank you" and hangup.

Since you don't have to stay on the phone, when someone is rude, just hang up on them.

Love, Annamill

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Maryrrf
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:47 PM

Ditto what McGrath said. I am normally polite but it is getting so difficult to deal with most place now because of the hoops they make you jump through in order to speak to someone. Today I have been on the phone and gone through God knows how many voice robots - this includes my insurance company, an airline company, and several departments in the company where I work. After punching in the obligatory "identification number" on one call and being put on hold listening to canned music and "why don't you visit our website instead of calling" admonitions (if I could resolve what I needed from the website I would have done so)I did hear the annoyance in my voice when someone finally picked up and immediately said "May I have your identification number". I said "I just punched it in!". She said sorry but I don't have the pop up screen" and I reminded myself that she wasn't responsible for all the rest of the dreary crap and frustration. She was polite and I was polite and she did resolve my question, but I think McGrath hit the nail on the head when he stated that this business of having automated robots and very few live people to answer the phones is backfiring on everybody. Often by the time I do reach someone I'm really annoyed.

As for telemarketers, I try to remind myself that they're just people trying to do a job but it has gotten out of hand, even with the "do not call" legislation. I simply hang up when they call, but I resent the intrusion and telemarketers should realize that that is exactly what it is, an intrusion. It should be no surprise that people get rude.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Donuel
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:56 PM

Perhaps I am rude but I do not believe I am. You see I no longer say hello when the phone rings.
1. Most calls are not human anymore, you have to wait for a computer voice to chime in.
2. If the doorbell rings I believe it is the visitor who has the need to introduce themselves first. Why not on the phone.
3. Even if a person expects to reach an answering machine, they know what to do if they indeed have an important message.

PS On rare occaisions I do use my son's voice distortion toy to answer the Phun.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:15 PM

Pressing zero several times will often cut out the telephone robot and get you to an operator. Doesn't always work but it's worth a try.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:19 PM

Also when you finally do get through to a person, ask the for their direct number, sometimes they'll give it to you and it will save scads of time the next time you call.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: PoppaGator
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:25 PM

I've worked (reluctantly and briefly) as a telemarketer, so I can be a little bit sympathetic to them.

I usually interrupt as soon as I can and say "Look, I'm not buying -- I'm gonna let you go right away so you can call someone else, who might make you a little money."

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Cluin
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:58 PM

Got a call a few years ago from a telemarketer. I let her finish her scripted spiel then I asked her if she liked her job.

There was a bit of hesitation, then she answered "No."

"Well, do you get paid a commission or is it a flat salary."

"No I don't get a commission here."

"Wanna chat for a bit then? You'll be doing your job. It's to talk on the phone to strangers. right?"

So we talked for about 10 or 12 minutes about nothing in particular, before she felt she had to really "get back to work." But she thanked me for a nice break in the day.

While I don't like the interruption or invasion of my time and space (why should I be forced to endure a hard-sell, for something I don't want or need, just because I have a telephone... I do have sympathy for the workers in that field.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 04:42 PM

Oh how I long for an answerphone that plays the 4 seasons..... we don't have such a luxury in our office, the phone has to be covered from 8.30 am to 5.00pm, every day we are open. There is only one public number for my department, but it's on every directory in the country so we get calls for every single Inland Revenue department you can think of... and a few more you wouldn't dream of!

I can spot a telemarketer by the click and pause on the line (presumably as the computer kicks in or the satelite link from India warms up).. so I just go into my 'I've got double glazing, we don't need a mortgage, we have all the insurance and facia boards we'll ever need and we're happy with our utilities... did I miss anything?'

It usually gets a laugh!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 05:07 PM

Be very polite, treat it as a tactical game whereby you never loose your temper. Those that loose their cool are the ones on the loosing side. But once you put the phoine down head off to the loo or somewhere quite and let rip with a few swear words.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 05:57 PM

Say, "Lo siento. No hay mas aranas aqui. Si no tienes aranas, no me interesa nada." Keep saying that until they go away.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: GUEST,Partridge
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 04:31 AM

The guy who was rude to me yesterday was not a customer - I'm glad to say they are usually really good to talk to. He wanted to speak to my boss who was not available and decided to verbally abuse me because of this.

I am very polite to telesales people as my daughter worked on the phones for british gas and found the british public extremely rude on occasion.

Yesterday was just a day when I could have done without that guy calling.

cheers

Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: hilda fish
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 12:36 AM

I love Sandra's story - go Sandra! It's childish - but that sense of victory! My daughter always answers the telephone "mooshi mooshi". Those who know her get on with the conversation and those that don't are confused. Whatever they say, she says "mooshi mooshi" and THEY end up hanging up. She's decided to get ongoing amusement from it but she also has that same sense of infantile victory when they hang up. I dunno - it's good to be passive-aggressive as a way of dealing with something that can be outrageously intrusive, unacceptably aggressive, or insultingly stupid and patronising. Go the child in us all.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: NH Dave
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 02:23 AM

My job lets me work all hours of the day or night, so when I get a call from a telemarketer during what "should" be day time for everybody, I wait until they pause to breathe and then thank them and ring off. What with the anti-call list that started up some months ago, I seem to be getting about a hundredth of the calls I used to get, especially during election season.

    With "caller ID" I can usually screen my calls if I am awake enough to do do, but when they wake me from a sound sleep, this hardly works. My biggest problem seems to be having a number that is one digit off from a local and good surgeon, the guy who did my ex wife's mastectomy, and cut a few divots containing skin cancer off the back of my neck, so I don't usually get rude to his patients. I do however discuss the situation with other practitioners who reach me by mis-dialing, listen to my message sgtressing that I am NOT Dr. XYZ, whose number is 1235467, and then proceed to give me all the symptome and often the patient's name for whom they wish treatment. Those folks I call up and remind them of the concept of patient confidentiality.

    The only time I have ever gotten hot under the collar was when I recalled the number that had been ringing me up 2 - 3 times each day, and asking them to remove me from their list. After the protestations of one of their people who was only doing her job, I began repeating in ever firmer and loud tones that the next call I received from them would be referred to our state's attorney general for phone harassment. I really don't care how long it takes them to remove me from their gulible person list, I don't have any ongoing connection      with their company, and certainly don't want any, and will report them to the authorities should the crap continue.

    Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: NH Dave
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 02:45 AM

I do like the mushie mushie answer, though. I suggested it to a Japanese acquaintance who was being bothered by telemarketers. He got a kick out of the idea.

    When we first got a phone system that allowed call forwarding where I was in the AF; Friday afternoon we'd draw lots to see who got to be the designated phone answerer, forward all of our lines to his desk, and shove off to try and get an early start on happy hour. It was understandible if a phone was busy, but unforgivable if the phone rang and rang without being answered.

    Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 05:36 AM

I think its one of those avenues in life where people feel they write themselves a licence to be nasty to everybody - no comeback.

Driving is obviously another, internet sites like this and chatrooms are others.

I've just been reading Handsome Harry, a book about Harry Pierpont a member of the Dillinger gang, who reputedly once broke somebody's legs and then pissed on them.

Personally I internalised that one about Blessed are the meek early in life and I haven't been in a fight since I was ten or so. But these people do locate my anger very successfully. I sort of wish I could unzip a pocket, out would pop Handsome Harry and deal with them.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: jacqui.c
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 08:05 AM

With one particularly persistent company I finally resorted to putting them on hold while 'I got my husband to speak to them'. I would go back a few minutes later to find they had rung off. After about the third time they stopped calling... nowadays I would just say 'not interested' and put the phone down - saves their time and mine.

At the company I worked for, if we had an abusive caller we were allowed to warn them that if they continued in that manner we would hang up. I had to do that a couple of times - I do not believe that anyone has the right to behave in an abusive manner. most callers could be dealt with by finding out what their problem was and being honest with them. I would always give my own name and phone number in case they needed to come back, but was usually able to track down the person they needed to speak to and then to push fairly heavily for that person to deal with the problem. I rarely, if ever, got a further call.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Ron Davies
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 12:42 PM

If I answer the phone, say hello, and there's a hesitation before anybody talks, I hang up immediately--that's the tell-tale sign it's likely computerized. I've had to warn friends and family they have to start talking as soon as I say hello. And, admittedly, I've gotten into trouble with my mother about this---she's a ferocious multitasker, especially on the phone-- (she admits it, and I've seen it)--and therefore is not necessarily paying attention when somebody answers.

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 12:56 PM

If the worst happens to you in the day is a nisance phone call, you're doing all right. Best to follow Rabbi Blue's advice - "Don't take it so heavy."

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 02:15 PM

The worst that happened to me yesterday was the sudden intrusion of an enraged anthropoid ape of some kind while I was attempting to place an order with UPS for more shipping documents. He came through the window. I was forced to put UPS on hold as I struggled for my life with the hairy beast, who appeared intent on ending my corporial existence abruptly and simultaneously trashing the entire house and office. As his huge, black, greasy fingers tightened on my throat I thought to myself, "This is what comes of sharing accomodations with a chimp who's a private eye..."

I brought up my knee sharply into his groin area, and stuck my thumbs in his eyes. This caused him to emit a sound akin to that of an exploding dirigible combined with a steam whistle. Very loud, in other words. I think he may have damaged my hearing, and I intend to press charges agaisnt someone if that turns out to be the case.

Anyway, he did release me momentarily, which was what I had been hoping for, and I got back on the phone with UPS for a second or two, saying, "Look, can I call you guys back in a few minutes?" Before they got a chance to say "yes" or "no" the ape made for me again, with blood in his eye. I shoved the phone receiver in his gaping mouth, and dove under the desk. It's a heavy desk, but he tipped the whole thing over as I fled out the other side and dodged behind an antique coffe table that looks like a ship's wheel. No good. Here he came again. I siezed the poker by the false fireplace and bent it over his head, then sprayed windex in his eyes from a cleaner bottle that stands beside the computer. This caused him to bellow even louder than before, and my impression was that he was beginning to harbour a really personal grudge against me. Not good.

Fortunately, Chongo arrived back at that moment. I was alerted to his presence by a burst of 50 calibre ammo from the Thompson which ventilated the intruder from browridge to tailbone and deposited him in a heap on the floor. "Nice work, Chongo! Who is he?" I panted.

"An enforcer from Dayton, Ohio, named 'Louisville Louie'," said Chongo, blowing smoke nonchalantly. "I ain't seen him in some time. I wonder how he found this place?"

It took us hours to clean up the mess, McGrath. Don't try to lecture me about bad days. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 10:13 PM

Awwraaaaaat -- Little Hawk and McG are in a pissing contest. Looks like LH won this round. Or has the bell not clanged yet?    Tw

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: open mike
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 03:12 AM

my phone number must be close to that of a beauty salon.
i often feel like telling wrong number callers that if
they would just file those silly long finger nails down
to a decent length they could hit the right buttons!!

i also get calls for a bank or credit union and for
the red dog saloon...what a mixed up world we have!

Subject: RE: BS: Rude telephone manner
From: John P
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 05:53 PM

I answer the phone for a living and train other people to do so as well. We pick up the phone live, so our customers get a real person right off the bat. We hire warm, friendly people and expect them to treat eveyone on the phone like a real human being. We assume that every call has an individual on the other end, with his or her own particular question, need, concern, complaint, or whatever.

Callers who are personally abusive or obscene get hung up on immediately.

Many callers assume that since they are talking to a company they are being lied to or being sold something they don't want or need. Fortunately, we don't do cold calls, so at least if we're on the phone with them it's because they called us. When we get the suspicious ones, we just hope that our usual honest and straight-forward manner will win them over.

When we get people with a problem -- whether or not is our fault and whether or not we can do anything about it -- we say, "Oh, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I know what a problem it can be when that happens. If that happened to me I'd be beside myself." Only the rudest of angry callers continues to be angry when confronted with honest and heart-felt sympathy.

Some people just like being rude and know they can get away with it by calling a company. The poor schmuck on the phone will probably get fired if they're not polite, and the rude caller knows it. I advise people to remember that the caller is not talking to them personally. They are talking to the company. It is possible for customer service people to find the place inside where they can hold the caller at some distance from themsleves while still being warm, friendly, personable, and real. The line is different for every individual, and has to be learned by experience. Being aware of the line and looking for it within yourself is a big part of learning where it is.

Many people have found that being rude is the only way to get what they want or need from companies. I have found this myself when dealing with many large corporations. You don't get their attention unless you are making a problem that's big enough to break through their apathy and essential lack of caring. The problem is the people who assume this is what they have to do instead of trying politeness first. When I get these types on the phone, I try to always let them see that they have my attention right off, and make sure they understand that they are getting very good service. If they persist in being rude, I still give them good service, but nothing extra whatsoever. I won't continue to train them to get extra perks by being rude.

The folks who call and are polite and friendly are a joy, and they do get whatever extras I can throw their way. I like to reward people for going out of their way to be easy and fun to work with.

As for telemarketers, of course people are rude to them. If you don't want to have rude folks on the phone, don't take the job. The telemarketer is calling at an inappropriate time and using other people's expensive phone services to try to make money. They usually make use of the social niceties and of other people's politeness to get people to stay of the phone with them. I don't tend to be rude to them, unless hanging up without saying anything is considered rude.

John Peekstok